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Marriage and Family Therapy: Master of Arts (MA)

About

The Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) Master of Arts program at Appalachian State trains students in a variety of therapeutic approaches developed for work with diverse families, couples and individuals throughout the lifespan. Students are engaged in systemically-oriented, ethical, inclusive and socially-just training that meets rigorous clinical and academic standards. Student learning includes emphasis on critical thinking and reflective practice. This is a thesis optional clinical training program.

Alumni of the MFT program are employed as LMFTs in private practice, non-profit agencies, residential treatment programs, intensive in-home programs, in-school therapy programs and hospital settings throughout the U.S. Alumni have also been successfully admitted into Ph.D. programs.

More Information

Professional Licensure

Appalachian’s MFT curriculum prepares students to be eligible to take the MFT National Examination and meets the requirements to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in North Carolina. Faculty are available to assist students to design a curriculum to meet requirements in other states. Information on licensure requirements and licensing agencies in other states is available at the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Or, you may address questions to State Authorization at Appalachian at stateauthorization@appstate.edu or 828-262-7559.

People

Masters' Matter: Dr. Nickolas Jordan and Bel Vasquez

Courses

Graduate Bulletin and Course Catalog
- Marriage and Family Therapy, MA

Application Essentials

Required Entrance Exam: GRE (score must be no more than 5 years old)

Required number of references to specify in the online form: 3

Supplemental Information: Resume (Required upload for application submission); HPC Department Questionnaire (upload on the Additional Information page in the on-line application); Interview.

Basic Conditions for Consideration of Admission: Meeting or exceeding the conditions below does NOT guarantee admission. All applications for a given entry term will be weighed based upon the number of seats available and the quality of the complete application packages. With special permission from the Graduate School, a program may admit a limited number of students with exceptional circumstances who do not meet the graduate school minimums.

Graduate School: 3.0 GPA in the last earned degree and official scores from the appropriate admission test(s), OR 2.5 GPA in the last earned degree and official scores at the 25th percentile level from the appropriate admission test(s).

Admission to MFT: Both qualitative and quantitative aspects of applications are reviewed in comparison to the current applicant pool.

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Info

Degrees

Application Deadlines

Fall Admission
February 1

Why Appalachian?

The Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Appalachian State University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and the International Accreditation Commission for Systemic Therapy Education (IACSTE) through the International Family Therapy Association (IFTA) ifta-familytherapy.org.
A yearlong, 500-hour internship provides direct client contact under AAMFT-approved supervision prior to graduation.
Fully funded internship stipends are available for internships in rural Appalachian communities.
Full time enrolled students can complete the program in two years.
Financial support is available for students from underrepresented populations.
All graduate programs at Appalachian have small class sizes, providing intimate classroom interaction.
The School of Graduate Studies offers scholarships, fellowships and assistantships to support eligible, full-time, degree-seeking students.

Location

On campus

Careers

Community mental health agencies
Residential mental health facilities
Private practice
Mental health administration
Hospitals

Contacts

Dr. Kristen Benson
Program Director
bensonke@appstate.edu
828-262-8884

Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling

Reich College of Education

Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling

The Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling in Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education is responsible for organizing and providing instructional programs in counseling and other human development functions for public schools, colleges and universities and various agencies. The department offers Master of Arts degrees in clinical mental health counseling, professional school counseling, student affairs administration and marriage and family therapy. Learn more at https://hpc.appstate.edu.

Reich College of Education
Approximately 2,400 students
- The Reich College of Education enrolls approximately 2,400 students in its bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degree programs. It houses five departments: Curriculum and Instruction, Family and Child Studies, Human Development and Psychological Counseling, Leadership and Educational Studies, and Reading Education and Special Education.
Teacher preparation
- Appalachian has been training quality educators for more than 100 years and is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
- Appalachian offers the largest undergraduate teacher preparation program in North Carolina, graduating about 500 teachers a year. There is at least one RCOE graduate working in every county in North Carolina.
- The Reich College of Education is recognized consistently in the annual Institution of Higher Education Performance Report by the State Board of Education.
Close ties to public schools
- The Appalachian State University Public School Partnership – which includes 125 schools in nine surrounding districts – provides sites for student teachers and interns as well as professional development opportunities for teachers.
- The Appalachian State University Academy at Middle Fork, located in Walkertown, North Carolina, serves over 300 K-5 students. The Academy provides a balanced education through the implementation of research-based practices, state-of-the-art literacy instruction, and exemplary classroom instruction and administration.
Graduate programs
- The School of Graduate Studies’ Accelerated Admission program, in which select undergraduate students can fulfill both undergraduate and graduate course requirements in their senior year toward the completion of a graduate degree program, is offered in: higher education, reading education and special education.
- Other education-related master’s degrees, graduate certificates and specialist degrees are listed on Appalachian’s School of Graduate Studies website.