Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Therapy

Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Therapy

63 Credit Hours

The Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Therapy degree equips students to provide compassionate care in our ever-changing world that presents individuals, couples, and families with new challenges daily. Such challenges for mental health and family relationships require that counseling clinicians are not only well grounded in theory and practice, but also see personhood (of themselves and their clients) as a tool for therapeutic change.

Our MAMFT program’s mission is to foster the development of competent marriage and family therapists whose personal and professional selves are formed through the awareness of systemic perspectives, multicultural contextualization, and spirituality.

Program Highlights
  • 100% job placement rate of program graduates.
  • Practical experience from first course – You don’t have to wait for internships to get client session practice. New students participate with student interns in supervised client sessions during their first intro course, gaining practical experience and observation from the very beginning of the program.
  • More than couples and families – Marriage and Family Therapy uses a systems approach to consider the whole person in their context. Students learn to serve individuals, couples, and families from a perspective that considers their lived experience and the systems in which they are embedded.
  • Emphasis on diversity – The program honors diversities of race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, and physical ability throughout its curriculum and clinical training. Clinical supervisors at the Counseling Center represent diversity of racial ethnicity, gender identification, and theoretical orientation.
  • On-site practicum and residency opportunities – A distinct advantage of study at CTS is that students may conveniently complete their practicum hours at the CTS Counseling Center without the need to go elsewhere for this portion of the degree requirement. The center also offers residency opportunities for graduates as they prepare to complete clinical hour requirements to obtain state licensure.
  • Prepare for diverse practice settings through a wide variety of clinical situations and experiences, including:
    • Individual counseling (adults, children, and teens)
    • Family counseling
    • Couples counseling
    • Premarital counseling
    • Crisis counseling
    • Psychoeducational groups
PRE-REQUISITES
  • Bachelor’s degree from regionally accredited school
Requirements

Coursework Outline Download

Accreditation

The MAMFT is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Select MAMFT faculty and supervisors are members of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education.

This degree can be paired with a Master of Divinity. Speak with your admissions counselor for more information.

Ready to Apply?

100
placement of MAMFT graduates

2.5 Years

average time it takes a counseling student to complete their program

100
placement of MACMHC graduates
10
Student to Faculty ratio
85
of CTS students receive financial aid
Over
1000000
in financial aid dispersed annually

Why Marriage and Family Therapy? 

This video from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy explains what Marriage and Family Therapy is and highlights the benefits of this therapy approach. 

Resources 

Information for prospective and current MAMFT students

Christian Theological Seminary Clinical Mental Health Counseling Core Faculty

PhD, LMFT, Director of Post-Graduate Residency Program, Assistant Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy
Dr. Suzanne Coyle Headshot
Lois and Dale Bright Professor in Christian Ministries, Professor of Pastoral Theology and Marriage and Family Therapy, Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program
Rev. Dr. Christina Davis Headshot
Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology and Marriage and Family Therapy
Ashlyn Douthitt headshot
LMFT, CFLE, Affiliate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy

COAMFTE Graduate Achievement Data for CTS MAMFT Program

Accredited: January 1, 1994   | Advertised Program Length*: FT: 4 years

Cohort Year Students Entered Program # of Students in Program - FT Graduation Rate in Advertised Time (%)* - FT Job Placement Rate (%)** - FT Licensure Rate (%)*** - FT
2015 - 2016 6 100% 100% 66.6%
2016 - 2017 8 37.5% 100% 75%
2017 - 2018 10 70% 100% 75%
2018 - 2019 8 62.5% 100% 50%
2019 - 2020 13 84.62% 100% 35.36%
2020 - 2021 11 IP IP IP
2021 - 2022 12 IP IP IP
2022 - 2023 6 IP IP IP

FT=Full-time
PT=Part-time
IP=In Process:
Students from the cohort listed have yet to graduate from the cohort year listed.

Programs are only required to provide data on the past 7 years/cohort or since the program was initially accredited, whichever is shorter.

* Graduation Rate is the program’s Advertised Length of Completion which is how long the program is designed to complete as written.

** Job Placement Rate is the percentage of graduates from the cohort year that are employed utilizing skills learned in the COAMFTE accredited program.

*** Licensure rate is the percentage of graduates from the cohort year that have achieved ANY level of MFT licensure.
For Master’s programs only, COAMFTE has established a benchmark of 70% licensure rate for each cohort.

CTS Counseling Center

A distinct advantage of study at CTS is that students may conveniently complete their practicum hours with the CTS Counseling Center, without the need to go elsewhere for this portion of the degree requirement. The center also offers a residency for graduates as they prepare to complete clinical hour requirements to obtain state licensure.