Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy

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National University offers a streamlined application process and year-round enrollment. With start dates every Monday, you could begin classes as soon as next month, depending on your program of choice. 

Career Outcomes

The Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy equips you with specialized skills that you can apply in a variety of career paths, including clinical practice, academic research, and teaching. Take a look at some careers* this degree could prepare you for:

Medical and Health Service Manager
Median Annual Salary: $117,960

Postsecondary Teacher
Median Annual Salary: $83,980

Marriage and Family Therapist
Median Annual Salary: $63,780

*Salary information sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What You’ll Learn

• Child and Adolescent Therapy

• Couple Therapy

• Culture, Diversity, and Social Justice in a Global Context

• Education and Supervision

• General Family Therapy

• Medical Family Therapy
  

• Systemic Leadership

• Therapy with Military Families
  

As a graduate of the PhD-MFT program, you’ll be prepared to:

National University’s online Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) program teaches you the knowledge, skills, values, and practical applications to thrive as a marriage and family therapist.

You’ll prepare to be an ethical and culturally sensitive therapist through hands-on experience, including face-to-face clinical training and a nine-month internship in your local community.

The PhD-MFT offers eight specializations to match your professional interests:

• Cultivate relational/systemic innovations that address contemporary issues in the field of marriage and family therapy

• Develop expertise in an area of specialization related to the field of couple/marriage and family therapy

• Work with diverse populations in various contexts

• Create new knowledge in couple/marriage and family therapy through independent research

• Appraise relational/systemic ethical behaviors in various settings
  

Funding Your Degree

At National University, we strive to provide an affordable and accessible education through scholarships, grants, and financial aid. This allows eligible students to start classes sooner and finish their programs faster, all while working toward their career goals.

Helping You Save Money: 1:1 assistance for navigating the financial aid process, generous transfer credit policy, needs-based tuition reductions, and $77+ million in scholarships

Program at a Glance

The Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy can be completed in 63 credits. Courses run for either four, eight, or 12 weeks.

Total Credit Hours: 63*
Total Courses: 23
Average Completion Time: 78 months

Application Requirements:

• A minimum of 51 credit hours of graduate instruction must be completed through National University**

• Successful completion of all required degree program courses with a GPA of 3.0 (letter grade of “B”) or higher

• Official documents on file for basis of admission: a conferred master’s degree from an accredited academic institution

• Official transcripts on file for all transfer credit hours accepted by the University

• All financial obligations must be met before the student will be issued their complimentary diploma and/or degree posted transcript

• Proof of professional liability insurance
  

*Additional credit hours may be allowed as needed to complete dissertation research
** National University may accept a maximum of 12 transfer credit hours completed toward a doctoral degree at an accredited college or university with a GPA of 3.0 or better.