Marriage and Family Therapy, M.A.

The master of arts program in Marriage and Family Therapy is designed to provide students with a solid core of knowledge about marriage and family therapy, as well as to train them to become professional marriage and family therapists. Students who pursue this degree ordinarily intend a professional career in this specific field. The program’s basic orientation is the “Family Systems” paradigm within which students are exposed to structural, strategic, solution-focused, systemic, and social constructionist approaches in addition to the other major modalities of the discipline. Students are encouraged to select and integrate those approaches that best fit their own clinical style. The program emphasizes a broad blend of theoretical knowledge and therapeutic approaches, with the primary goal of training competent clinicians in the field of marriage and family therapy.

The Marriage and Family Therapy program is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education.

Educational Outcomes

1. Students will become competent professional practitioners of marriage and family therapy
2. Students will become familiar with core knowledge about the field of marriage and family therapy
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to consider and reflect upon self-of-the-therapist issues towards achieving clinical goals or in resolution of systemic problems
4. Students will demonstrate the ability to collaborate with client, professional and community systems

Matriculation Requirements

A student seeking to matriculate into the Marriage and Family Therapy program is required to submit the following to the Office of Graduate Admissions and Academic Services:

1. A completed admission application along with a nonrefundable application fee
2. All official college transcripts mailed directly to the Graduate and Professional Studies office from accredited institutions that evidence at least a baccalaureate degree with a GPA of 2.7 or higher
3. Two letters of professional reference recommending the candidate for graduate work in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at the University of Saint Joseph
4. All immunization records as required by Graduate and Professional Studies

In addition, Marriage and Family Therapy applicants are required to:

5. Submit a personal entrance essay (essay guidelines available through Graduate and Professional Studies)
6. Sign up for a group interview/information session once the application and an official transcript are submitted and received

Students who have not provided our office or Graduate Admissions and Academic Services with the required documents are not eligible to be matriculated into the Marriage and Family Therapy program. Please review the list above and contact the Department of Human Development and Family Studies if you have any questions.