M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy
A Master of Arts Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is designed to enhance students’ understanding and use of intervention methods with individuals, couples, and families.
Through the program at Saint Mary's, you'll deepen your understanding and skills in facilitating relational health with a diverse client base. And true to our practitioner-based learning model, all instructors are experienced therapists who engage in clinical practice. You'll benefit as you gain confidence through trained therapy simulations, all of which are supervised by licensed professionals.
Saint Mary's curriculum in the Marriage and Family Therapy program prepares graduates to seek licensure with the Minnesota Board of Marriage and Family Therapy. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) are mental health professionals who are trained in psychotherapy and family systems. They are licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders with individuals, couples, and family systems.
Cohorts
Applications for the program are accepted through Jan. 15 of each year. Students admitted to the program will be part of one of two cohorts:
- The fall cohort, beginning in late August, is flexibly designed for working adults. Courses are held on Monday and Tuesday evenings, and the cohort will take nine semesters, or three years, to complete.
- The summer cohort, beginning in early May, is intended for students who wish to finish the program at a more accelerated pace. Courses are held throughout the day and evening on Mondays, and the cohort will take seven semesters, or 2.3 years, to complete.
Accreditation
The Marriage and Family Therapy program at Saint Mary's is accredited with the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
Graduates of a COAMFTE accredited program increase the portability of their degree and are better positioned to meet licensing requirements in a number of states. (Most states base their educational requirements on COAMFTE standards.) Specialty accreditation requires programs to maintain rigorous training and outcomes. It is a recognized method for ensuring competence of faculty and the curriculum.
COAMFTE Student Achievement Criteria Data for Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
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Minimum Program Length: 2.3 years Advertised Program Length: 3 years Maximum Time to Complete Program: 5 years |
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Year Students Entered Program** |
# of Students in Program |
Completed Graduates |
% Graduates who completed in maximum time |
Students remaining in the program |
Graduation Rate (Minimum Time) |
Graduation Rate (Advertised Time) |
Graduation Rate (Maximum Time) |
Job Placement Rate |
National Exam Pass Rate* |
| 2005-2006 | 59 | 52 | 94.23% | 0.00% | 52.54% | 71.19% | 83.05% | 100% | 97.78% |
| 2006-2007 | 89 | 67 | 95.52% | 0.00% | 46.07% | 55.06% | 71.91% | 100% | 96.36% |
| 2007-2008 | 78 | 56 | 92.86% | 0.00% | 35.90% | 51.28% | 66.67% | 100% | 100% |
| 2008-2009 | 99 | 77 | 94.81% | 0.00% | 25.25% | 47.47% | 73.74% | 100% | 93.94% |
| 2009-2010 | 128 | 103 | 95.15% | 0.00% | 32.03% | 57.03% | 79.67% | 100% | 94.74% |
| 2010-2011 | 150 | 123 | 99.19% | 0.67% | 38.67% | 59.33% | 81.33% | 100% | 88.51% |
| 2011-2012 | 126 | 99 | 96.97% | 0.79% | 28.57% | 57.14% | 76.19% | 100% | 92.41% |
| 2012-2013 | 112 | 89 | 97.75% | 0.89% | 44.64% | 65.18% | 77.68% | 100% | 95.92% |
| 2013-2014 | 102 | 86 | 100% | 0.00% | 36.27% | 64.71% | 84.31% | 93% | 91.30% |
| 2014-2015 | 66 | 66 | 100% | 3.03% | 51.52% | 77.27% | 89.39% | 94% | 94.74% |
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2015-2016 (Cohort I and II) |
58 | 58 | 100% |
3.45% |
27.59% | 79.31% | 82.76% | 90.00% | 100% (n=1) |
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2016-2017 (Cohort III and IV) |
49 | 3 (remaining cohorts in progress | 100% | 87.76% | in process | in process | in process | 70.00% | in process |
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2017-2018 (Cohort V and VI) |
46 | in process | in process | 95.65% | in process | in process | in process | N/A | N/A |
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2018-2019 (Cohort VII and VIII) |
55 | in process | in process | 98.18% | in process | in process | in process | N/A | N/A |
*The Minnesota Board of Marriage and Family Therapy provides an annual report of the aggregate number of graduates from an institution who sat for, and passed, the AMFTRB National Exam. No data by individual name is available except by self-report. National exam data is not separated by the Minnesota Board of MFT by degree (MA vs. PDI). Per the Minnesota Board of MFT:
| Calendar year |
Number of Saint Mary's graduates who took the exam |
Number of exams passed |
National exam pass rate |
| 2008 | 26 | 17 | 65.40% |
| 2009 | 49 | 37 | 75.50% |
| 2010 | 51 | 39 | 76.50% |
| 2011 | 57 | 41 | 72.90% |
| 2012 | 78 | 60 | 76.90% |
| 2013 | 77 | 66 | 85.70% |
| 2014 | 94 | 69 | 73.40% |
| 2015 | 88 | 72 | 81.82% |
| 2016 | 87 | 61 | 70.11% |
| Jan - June 2017 | 49 | 35 | 71.43% |
| 2018 | 84 | 60 | 71.40% |
| 2019 | 10 | 6 | 60.00% |
| Gender | Headcount | Percent |
| Female | 21 | 62% |
| Male | 13 | 38% |
| Race/ethnicity unknown | Headcount | Percent |
| Nonresident Alien | 0 | 0% |
| Race/ethnicity unknown | 1 | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 2 | 6% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 1 | 3% |
| Asian | 0 | 0% |
| Black or African American | 2 | 6% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 | 0% |
| White | 28 | 82% |
| Two or more races | 0 | 0% |
Collected by the Office of Institutional Research: Faculty included are faculty and supervisors teaching a marriage and family therapy course in the 2016-17 Fiscal Year. Data is self-report at time of hire.
| Gender | Headcount | Percent |
| Female | 127 | 87% |
| Male | 19 | 13% |
| Race/ethnicity unknown | Headcount | Percent |
| Nonresident Alien | 1 | 1% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 4 | 3% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 1 | 1% |
| Asian | 4 | 3% |
| Black or African American | 10 | 7% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 | 0% |
| White | 101 | 69% |
| Race/ethnicity unknown | 25 | 17% |
| Two or more races | 0 | 0% |
Collected by the office of Institutional Research: Student figures are based on student registration as of the 6th week of classes in the Summer 2019 academic year. Data is self-report at the time of application.
Admission
Applicants may apply for admission at any time during the year. The program admits students to begin classes in either the summer or fall. The number of students admitted each year is limited. Admission decisions are based on the applicant's ability to meet the expectations for academic performance outlined in the Program Handbook. Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not ensure admission to the program.
Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution and maintained an overall GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants must demonstrate the language proficiency necessary for successful graduate coursework.
From Start to Finish
- You can earn your M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy in a little more than two years.
- Cohorts begin in the summer and the fall.
2020 Summer or Fall Admission
Applications for the Summer 2020 and Fall 2020 cohorts are due by Dec. 15. Applications completed prior to Dec. 1 will be guaranteed an admission interview. Applications completed after the Dec. 15 deadline may be considered for the 2020 cohorts only if there is still space available in the program.
Note: Applications are considered complete when they have been submitted with the $25 application fee and all required materials, including official transcript(s) with the applicant’s degree and three letters of recommendation, have been received.
Locations
This program is offered at our Twin Cities location.
