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Classes Start January 13th
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$50 application fee (waived w/promo Fall19)
MS in Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy program highlights
Blended, flexible learning
Build marriage and family counseling expertise with a combination of
online courses, in-person learning experiences, and engaging
curriculum.
Preparation to pursue licensure
The curriculum aligns to current marriage and family therapist
education standards and is designed to help prepare you for state
licensure eligibility.
All core faculty hold doctorates
Our faculty is made up of scholar-practitioners who are active within
their professions and bring real-world experience to the
courseroom.
Practicum/internship
Apply your skills and knowledge in the field with direct-client
contact and supervision.
Residency
Enhance the skills you develop in your program through interaction
with faculty and students in a supportive environment.
Strategic alignment
Our curriculum is designed to incorporate the values, principles, and
ethical standards of national, regional, and state professional
counseling associations and honor societies.
Meet your counseling faculty
Our distinguished faculty members hold top credentials in their fields. They’re here to teach you critical knowledge and skills and to help enrich your education and career by bringing real-world relevance to the courseroom. View all core faculty.
Carol Messmore, PhD, LMFT, AAMFT Approved Supervisor
Faculty Chair and Program Director, Marriage & Family
Counseling/Therapy
Roxanne Bamond, PhD, LMFT, AAMFT Approved Supervisor
Program Lead & Core Faculty, Marriage & Family
Counseling/Therapy
Leslie Guditis, PhD, LMFT, AAMFT Approved Supervisor Candidate
Core Faculty, Marriage & Family Counseling/Therapy
Get the support you need for success
You’re never going it alone at Capella. Our dedicated support teams are waiting to guide, help, and
advise you through every step of your educational journey:
Enrollment counselors
These experts will set you up for success. They’ll help you find the right degree and program, and answer all your questions about Capella.
Advisors
Advisors know the details of your program. Got questions about courses? Instructors? Resources? Advisors have answers.
Career center
For this team, it's more than resumes and interview tips. It's about thoughtful and strategic career planning—beyond graduation.
Cost & learning format
A more structured learning format with an active peer community and
faculty guidance. We’ll set the schedule, you meet the
deadlines.
- Based on the quarter system; 1-3 courses per 10-week quarter
- 1 semester credit = 1.5 quarter credits
- Weekly assignments and courseroom discussions
- Pay for what you take, price varies by courseload or term
$38,960–$44,804*
MAX TRANSFER CREDITS–TYPICAL TRANSFER CREDITS
$487 per credit,
92 total quarter credits,
12 max transfer credits
*This is only an estimate, using general program pricing, and
it does not include fees (including application and resource kit fees).
Your price may be higher or lower depending on your
specialization, transfer credits, and tuition discounts. If transfer
credits are allowed in this offering, the prices above show what you
would pay if you brought in the average number of transfer credits
and the price if you brought in the maximum allowed transfer credits.
Get the details
Speak with an enrollment counselor to get a personalized cost estimate for what you can expect to pay.
Accredited & recognized
Capella University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Accreditation and recognitions provide the assurance we meet
standards for quality of faculty, curriculum, learner services, and
fiscal stability. See all of our accreditations and recognitions.
Ways to save
At Capella, we believe your education is an investment in your future. It’s also an investment within your grasp. Your goals are achievable—there are more ways to save than you might think.
$3K toward your master's
Apply for a $3K Capella Progress Reward, a scholarship to help fund your master’s degree.
10% military discount
If you're an active-duty military service member, spouse, or veteran, discounts may be available.
MS in Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy sample courses
The curriculum for our marriage and family counseling/therapy
master's degree program includes online and face-to-face experiences
that focus on assessment, diagnosis, treatment, intervention, and
clinical training.
| COUN5232 * |
Systemic Approaches to Gender and Sexuality
This course presents historical and contemporary perspectives of
gender and sexuality and their cultural influences. Learners develop a
systemic view of gender and sexuality and apply it to the assessment
and intervention process with individuals, couples, and families.
Learners also explore and challenge their personal beliefs, attitudes,
and values associated with gender and sexuality and the ways they may
impact the therapeutic process.
Prerequisite(s): COUN5220, COUN5222, COUN5270, COUN-R5821.
|
4 quarter credits |
|---|---|---|
| COUN5271 |
Marriage and Family Systems
Learners in this course study families as systems from theoretical,
clinical, and research perspectives. The course emphasizes family
development, transitions, assessment, and intervention, including
consideration for diversity and sociocultural factors. Learners also
apply systems-oriented assessment models and strategies for initial
interviews, hypothesis formulation, and designing a strategy for
intervention. |
4 quarter credits |
| COUN5273 * |
Couple and Marital Therapy
In this course, learners investigate systems-based couples
counseling/therapy theories, methods, and practices and focus on
therapeutic treatment planning and intervention. Learners also examine
and interpret couples counseling/therapy literature and examine ways
to apply it to clinical practice.
Prerequisite(s): COUN5220, COUN5270.
|
4 quarter credits |
| COUN5275 * |
Utilizing Systemic Approaches: Infancy Through Adolescence
This course is a comprehensive overview of systemic approaches used
to diagnose, assess, and treat children and adolescents experiencing a
variety of symptoms. Learners demonstrate an understanding of standard
and systemic best practices, design interventions based on relevant
research, and apply an ethical framework that is developmentally
informed and culturally sensitive.
Prerequisite(s): COUN5220.
|
4 quarter credits |
| COUN5820 * |
Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy Theory and Practice
This course provides learners with the clinical marriage and family
therapy skills they will need for their first residency, including
building and maintaining therapeutic relationships, conceptualizing
cases from a systemic perspective, conducting couple and family
sessions, performing therapeutic assessments, applying ethical and
legal standards of practice when working with couples and families
from diverse backgrounds, and understanding diagnosis. Learners
continue to integrate marriage and family counseling/therapy theories
with clinical practice.
COUN-R5821 must be taken the quarter immediately following
COUN5820. Prerequisite(s): COUN5004, COUN5220, COUN5222, COUN5270.
Cannot be fulfilled by transfer.
|
4 quarter credits |
What you’ll learn
The right education can change everything. Discover your path to
gaining real-world skills that you can apply to your passion for
helping others and helping families achieve happiness.
- Effectively integrate and apply research and theories in the practice of marriage and family therapy, including individual, systemic and relational theories; theories of individual and family development across the life span.
- Demonstrates knowledge of culturally and ethnically sensitive matters in a variety of settings integrating concepts of advocacy and social justice.
- Clinical application and practice of systemic theory relevant to family dynamics in the field of marriage and family therapy.
- Uses a systemic perspective for client engagement, assessment and intervention
- Understand and apply the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and the American Counseling Association Codes of Ethics.
- Identify as a marriage and family therapist, aligning systemic clinical practice with state and national standards for the marriage and family therapy discipline, and engaging in community and scholarly activities.
MS in Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy career insights
Marriage and Family Therapy vs. Social Work
Both are concerned with the mental health and well-being of clients.
What are differences between the two?
The First Thing to Look for in a Master's Counseling Program
When selecting a master’s counseling program, you can’t place too
much importance on accreditation.
Education in the Field: Practica and Internships at Capella
Learning options like practica and internships provide hands-on,
in-person experiences to solidify knowledge.
MS in Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy—professional paths
Your education can help you reach your goals, professionally and
personally. Here are some of the job titles and employment settings to
explore as you consider a master’s degree in marriage and family
counseling/therapy.
Related job titles to explore*
- Family therapist
- Marriage and family therapist
- Couples therapist
- Child/adolescent/youth therapist
- Therapist or counselor
- Substance abuse therapist
Employment settings to explore
- Community mental health center
- Family/social service agency
- County health department
- Department of social service
- Residential treatment center
- Mental health agency
- College or university counseling center
- Adoption agency
- Family preservation agency
- Private/group clinical practice
- Employee assistance program
- Hospitals
*These are examples intended to serve as a general guide. Some
positions may prefer or even require previous experience, licensure,
certifications, and/or other designations along with a degree. Because
many factors determine what position an individual may attain, Capella
cannot guarantee that a graduate will secure any specific job title, a
promotion, salary increase, or other career outcome. We encourage you
to research requirements for your job target and career goals.
Other programs to explore
Is this program close to what you need, but maybe not a perfect fit?
The programs below might be interesting. Check them out to find one
that suits your academic and professional goals.