Program
Mission:
The COAMFTE-accredited MFT graduate program is designed to prepare the next generation of couple and family therapists for the workforce. Our students are trained to work in diverse interprofessional healthcare environments, and to address the complex public health issues that impact individuals, couples and families. Our program has a particular focus on working with couples and families impacted by trauma and related difficulties, including addiction. We train students to work with specific populations, including couples, LGBT persons, adolescents at risk for suicide, and families coping with addiction. Students learn to use classical, postmodern, and evidence-based therapy approaches in their work. Current faculty have expertise and certifications in an array of models, including Attachment-based Family Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy, Sex Therapy, and the Person-of-the-Therapist model.
Graduate Information:
The 90-credit master degree meets the minimum educational requirements for MFT licensure in the state of Pennsylvania. Graduates qualify for Pre-Clinical Membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Our graduates are trained to assume clinical practice positions and are desirable in myriad work environments. Graduates are employed at behavioral health and healthcare institutions, addiction treatment facilities, schools, hospitals, law practices, religious institutions, and in private practice.
Program Information:
The MFT graduate program is a full-time program. Courses are offered on campus, some courses are online.
Program Diversity Statement:
The MFT graduate program holds that diversity is fundamental to all our endeavors and enriches the educational—and human—experience. We dedicate ourselves to creating a cultural climate in which all members of the community feel welcomed, respected, valued, and included, as participants. We seek to create a program in which our faculty, staff and students reflect the diversity and complexity of our city and the global communities. We seek to be inclusive and meet the needs of the diverse populations whom we teach, collaborate with, and serve, as we work together to promote health, and eliminate health disparities.
Graduate Achievement Data
Our Graduate Achievement Data may be found here.
Goal 1: To graduate students who have acquired the theoretical knowledge and clinical skills to practice in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy
- SLO 1: Employ a systemic/relational perspective to identify, assess and treat clinical and mental health issues using traditional and psycho-diagnostic categories
- SLO 2: Identify, asses and understand individual and family development across the family life cycle and its related influence on clinical, physical and mental health issues
Goal 2: To graduate students who can identify and execute the legal and ethical responsibilities to practice in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy
- SLO 3: Maintain a professional couple and family therapy identity and ethical conduct to support future MFT licensure credentialing
- SLO 4: Identify ethical and legal issues and responsibilities related to the practice of couple and family therapy
Goal 3: To graduate students trained to identify cultural and contextual differences, to use their self in the therapeutic process, and who serve diverse peoples and communities in the practice of couple and family therapy.
- SLO 5: Identify and utilize foundational and current, contemporary directions to couple and family therapy practice
- SLO 6: Understand, respect and maintain understanding of cultural differences in couple and therapy practice
Goal 4: To graduate students who can consume and contribute to the Marriage and Family Therapy research literature
- SLO 7: Demonstrate knowledge of traditional and contemporary research practices in couple and family therapy
- SLO 8: Identify ethical responsibilities in couple and family therapy research practices
Our graduates are trained to assume clinical practice positions and are desirable in myriad work environments. Graduates are employed at behavioral health and healthcare institutions, addiction treatment facilities, schools, hospitals, law practices, religious institutions and in private practice. The 90-credit Master degree meets the minimum educational requirements for MFT licensure in the state of Pennsylvania. Graduates qualify for Pre-Clinical Membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
What you’ll learn
The Master in Family Therapy Degree program integrates theory and practice. Issues of age, ability, race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, spirituality and ethnicity are addressed. We emphasize a systems/relational context to work with individuals, couples, and families. Students are trained to be able to work with clients of myriad backgrounds and include the aforementioned contextual variables.
The educational and training experience includes the following components:
- To work in a diverse and interprofessional healthcare environment
- To address the complex public health issues impacting couples and families, notably trauma and addiction
- To work with specific populations, particularly couples and LGBT persons
- An array of classical, postmodern, and research-informed therapy approaches, highlighting Attachment-based Family Therapy, Emotionally-focused Therapy, and the Person-of-the-Therapist model.
What makes the Drexel Master of Family Therapy program unique?
Clinical Practicum
Clinical practicum provides students with an intensive, clinical experience working with diverse individuals, couples, families and groups from a systemic perspective. Individual and group supervision is required during the duration of clinical practice and is designed to facilitate the student's integration of theory and practice.
All students are required to complete a 9-month, continuous program clinical practicum during year 1 of the program and a 12-month, continuous clinical practicum during year 2 of the program prior to graduation, in alliance with COAMFTE accreditation requirements.
Clinical practicum graduation requirements include:
- Mandatory Clinical Orientation (Prior to the start of the fall term of the first quarter of clinical activity)
- Passing CFTP 539 Clinical Readiness Seminar (Required to move forward with your clinical placement)
- Passing Clinical Practicum Supervision courses (CFTX 530-536) and concurrent Group Supervision Practicum Courses (CFTP 561-564) sequentially over the course of 7 quarters of clinical practicum
- Completing a minimum of 500 direct client contact hours (250 must be working with couples or families)
- Completing a minimum of 100 hours of supervision (50 of the 100 must be observable [video or audio], 25 of the 50 observable hours must be of the student)
The degree meets the minimum education requirements for MFT licensure in the state of Pennsylvania. Upon completion of the program, students are prepared to practice in the field as marriage and family therapists.
A full list of our current clinical placement sites may be downloaded by clicking here.
The names of our clinical supervisors may be found here.