M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy
Help couples and families find hope and healing — while finding your purpose.
The COAMFTE-accredited marriage and family therapy program at Saint Mary’s prepares you to pursue a career as a mental health professional trained in psychotherapy and family services. The program’s curriculum prepares you to seek licensure with the Minnesota Board of Marriage and Family Therapy. As a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), you’ll adopt a holistic approach to healthcare and play a critical part in couples’ and families’ long-term well-being. Through the dynamic of prevention and intervention, you’ll help couples and families navigate life’s challenges on their path to healing.
The M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy program is designed to help you build a strong foundational knowledge of best practices and therapeutic skills from a systemic and relational framework. LMFTs are licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders in individuals, couples, and family systems.* You’ll be able to diagnose and treat depression, marital problems, anxiety, individual psychological problems, and child-parent problems.
Through a dynamic and transformational learning community, Saint Mary’s awakens, nurtures, and empowers you to an ethical life of service and leadership. You’ll learn the compassionate, ethical practice of therapy in a diverse and multicultural world.
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Program Highlights
Accredited by COAMFTE, the marriage and family therapy program prepares you to pursue licensure as an LMFT, diagnosing and treating mental and emotional issues in individuals and families. Learn from practitioner-educators and discover various systemic and relational theories to give families hope in difficult situations.
Licensure
The curriculum meets the educational requirements for LMFT licensure as established by the Minnesota Board of Marriage and Family Therapy, preparing you to seek licensure.* The program is guided by the professional standards set forth by the Minnesota Board of MFT, the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) code of ethics, AAMFT core competencies, AAMFT educational guidelines, the American Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) national exam domains, and the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy (COAMFTE) educational standards, along with university and program missions, input from communities of interest (such as students, alumni, faculty, supervisors, community members, etc.), and program evaluation processes.
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 pursue licensure in a number of states, as many 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.
*While graduation from a COAMFTE-accredited program may assist with licensure eligibility in some states, requirements for LMFT licensure vary widely and students are responsible for checking with the appropriate licensing agency in their jurisdiction to verify requirements and program compatibility. Please visit Saint Mary’s Professional Licensure page for further information about this program and professional licensure. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota cannot guarantee attainment of any professional licensure or certification, in any field, in any jurisdiction.
Program Features
What Makes it Special
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Complete this program in as little as 28 months -
COAMFTE accredited
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Course contracted practitioner-educators
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Designed for working adults
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Fall or summer cohorts; accelerated or full-time evening program
What You'll Learn
What You’ll Learn
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Cultural diversity-centered assessments and intervention for clinical practice
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Various systemic/relational theories and models of LMFT practice
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Systemic perspectives for the treatment of mental health issues
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Interventions to promote well-being in clients
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Ethical framework for clinical practice
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Strong elements of reflection and personal growth
Course Catalog
Course Information
If admitted to the program, you'll be part of one of two cohorts:
- Begins late August
- Designed for working adult
- Courses are held Monday and Tuesday evenings
- Nine semesters, or three years. to complete
- Begins early May
- Designed for program completion at a more accelerated pace
- Courses are held throughout the day and evening on Mondays
- Seven semesters, or 2.3 years, to complete
Career Outlook
The demand for marriage and family therapists is accelerating at a rapid rate, growing 16 percent from 2020 to 2030.1 LMFTs work in private practice, day treatment, outpatient, nonprofit, schools, prisons, hospitals, medical clinics, and religious systems with children, teens, and adults, individuals, couples, families, and groups.
Marriage and Family Therapist
$49,880 per year *School counselor
$60,510 per year*Licensed marriage and family therapist job growth 2020-2030
Licensed marriage and family therapist job growth 2020-2030
* Bureau of Labor Statistics, Career Outlook, Marriage and Family Therapist at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/marriage-and-family-therapists.htm (Visited May 10, 2022)