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.
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
Courses
Course titles and information can be found in the Graduate Bulletin.
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.
Application Deadlines
- Spring: x
- Summer Session 1: x
- Summer Session 2: x
- Fall: 2/1
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.
Method of Delivery
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