Marriage and Family Therapy
The Marriage and Family Therapy Program (MFT) provides clinical and academic training grounded in systems theory to students who will function as marriage and family therapists at the highest level of clinical competence, and who will be capable of making unique contributions to the field of marriage and family therapy through research, teaching, and other activities. The emphasis is on doctoral training. Those students with a master’s degree enter the Ph.D. Program directly. Those with a bachelor’s degree complete the Master’s Program prior to being admitted to the Ph.D. program.
The Ph.D. Program has been accredited continuously since 1981 by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. The current accreditation period is effective July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2010.
The MFT Master’s Program is not accredited. The master’s degree is designed to meet the academic and practicum requirements for temporary licensure as an LMFT in the State of Texas. The Ph.D. degree is designed to meet the requirements for Clinical Membership in AAMFT and the majority, if not all, of the additional post-master’s clinical experience required for licensure as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in the State of Texas.
Students
Students entering the program have a wide range of academic backgrounds. They not only come from all over the United States, but the world. This diversity facilitates growth and fosters understanding.
Texas Tech, as well as the Marriage and Family Therapy program, is committed to the principle that in no aspect shall there be differences in the treatment of persons because of age, race, culture, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, social class, or disability, and that equal opportunity and access to facilities shall be available to all.
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Faculty
There are not a ton of options when deciding at which program to pursue an MFT Doctoral degree. Why would anyone choose Texas Tech University? At Texas Tech you'll be taught in the scientist-practitioner model. Basically, this means we recognize the important connection between research and our clinical practice. We have, as a core belief, that a good clinician is also a wise and confident consumer of research. Our students leave the program with solid research skills and the ability to apply research in clinical settings.
Teaching
All doctoral students are required to teach at least one undergraduate class for one semester under the supervision of a faculty member. The majority of our doctoral students receive a teaching assistantship and gain valuable experience for academic or other positions that require presenting scholarly material to an audience.