Master of Science (M.S.)
A 57-credit Master of Science designed to prepare you for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist — combining clinical coursework, supervised practicum and internship, and a biblical worldview grounding.
Licensure-Track
Built around MFT licensure preparation
15 Credits of Supervised Practice
Pre-Practicum, Practicum, and 3 Internships
Optional Concentration
Families with Disabilities (9 cr) or Master's Thesis (6 cr)
ACU’s Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy is a 57-credit graduate program built to prepare students for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and for actual clinical practice with couples, families, and individuals. The degree combines a 42-credit Marriage and Family Therapy core with 15 credits of supervised practicum and internship — the kind of structured, sequential clinical preparation MFT licensure boards consistently require.
The core walks you through Marriage and Family Studies (MFT 530, 532, 534), Marriage and Family Therapy theory and practice (MFT 540, 542, 544), Human Development and Family Systems (MFT 550, 552, 554), Professional Ethics and Law (MFT 560 and MFT 562 Biblical Worldview and Ethical Practice), Biblical Worldview (MCT 500 and MCT 670), and Marriage and Family Research (MFT 570). The Practicum and Internship sequence (MFT 580, 581, 590, 591, 592) provides the supervised clinical hours licensure pathways assume.
Two optional concentrations let you specialize. The Families with Disabilities concentration adds 9 credits (MFT 551, 553, 555) focused on disability, family therapy, and the church’s role. The Master’s Thesis option (MFT 575, 6 credits minimum) replaces the concentration block with a structured thesis project — strong preparation for doctoral study or research-oriented practice.
Apply MFT Theory and Practice
Work through Advanced MFT Theory (MFT 540), Applied MFT Assessment and Treatment (MFT 542), and Marital Therapy Theory and Practice (MFT 544).
Understand Family Systems and Development
Build the systemic and developmental literacy MFT practice requires through MFT 532 Family Systems and Development and the broader Human Development sequence.
Engage Cultural, Ethnic, and Gender Issues
Study cultural, ethnic, and gender factors in MFT through MFT 534 — required preparation for licensure and competent practice.
Practice Clinical Assessment and Treatment
Apply systemic assessment and treatment to psychopathology (MFT 552), sexual issues (MFT 554), and broader clinical concerns.
Engage Professional Ethics and Law
Work through MFT Professional Ethics and Law (MFT 560) and a Biblical Worldview approach to ethical practice (MFT 562).
Complete Supervised Clinical Hours
Move through the structured five-course practicum and internship sequence (MFT 580, 581, 590, 591, 592) — the supervised clinical hours licensure pathways require.
Apply MFT Research
Develop the research literacy MFT practice and licensure both increasingly assume through MFT 570.
The MFT program is explicit about its biblical-worldview commitments — formation in worldview, ethics, and a Christian view of persons runs through the core curriculum.
Clients as Image-Bearers
Every client who enters a therapy room — the couple in crisis, the parent navigating trauma, the individual working through depression — carries the dignity of being made in God's image. The MFT program treats that conviction as the working assumption rather than an optional add-on.
Grounds your clinical posture in respect for the people you'll serve.
Ethical Practice From Biblical Conviction
MFT 562 Biblical Worldview and Ethical Practice pairs with MFT 560 Professional Ethics and Law — meaning students develop both the technical ethical frameworks the field requires and the deeper convictions that anchor those frameworks."
Prepares you to make hard clinical calls with both competence and conviction.
Worldview Across the Vocation
MCT 500 Introduction to Biblical Worldview and MCT 670 Worldviews in Vocations bring formal worldview formation into the program — meaning the degree takes seriously that therapists carry worldview assumptions into every clinical decision, whether examined or not."
Equips you to practice with examined assumptions rather than smuggled ones.
The M.S. in MFT is built for clinical practice and graduate study — opening pathways into licensed therapy, agency work, faith-based counseling, and doctoral programs.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (After Licensure)
Complete state licensure requirements and practice as an MFT in private practice, agency settings, or community mental health.
Christian Counseling Center Clinician
Practice in Christian counseling centers, faith-based agencies, and church-affiliated counseling programs.
Family Services and Community Mental Health
Step into family-services agencies, community mental health centers, and family-strengthening nonprofits.
Pastoral Counseling Support
Bring formal MFT training into pastoral counseling roles, lay counseling oversight, and church-based care ministries.
Disability and Special Populations Work
Pair the Families with Disabilities concentration with positions serving families navigating disability — uncommon specialization with growing demand.
Doctoral Study and Research
Pair the Master's Thesis option with applications to MFT, counseling, or family-studies doctoral programs.
ACU's M.S. in MFT pairs rigorous licensure-track clinical preparation with explicit biblical-worldview formation — a combination most MFT programs deliver only on one side.
Built for MFT Licensure
The 57-credit structure, 15-credit practicum/internship sequence, and required ethics and research coursework reflect MFT licensure requirements.
Biblical Worldview Built In
MCT 500, MCT 670, and MFT 562 give the program explicit worldview formation alongside the clinical preparation.
Two Optional Specializations
Choose Families with Disabilities (9 cr) or Master's Thesis (6 cr) to shape the back third of the degree toward your direction.
Five-Course Clinical Sequence
MFT 580 Pre-Practicum, MFT 581 Practicum, and three Internships (MFT 590, 591, 592) provide the structured supervised hours licensure pathways assume.
Same Faculty Across Department Programs
MFT students engage Department of Natural and Psychological Sciences faculty who also teach across ACU's undergraduate Counseling Minor, Family Studies, and Psychology programs.
The M.S. in MFT is a structured, sequential graduate program. Here’s how students start.
Apply to Graduate Studies
Submit your graduate application to ACU's School of Graduate Studies. MFT admissions typically require an undergraduate degree, references, statement of purpose, and (for some applicants) interview.
Start Your ApplicationBegin With MFT 530
MFT 530 Introduction to Marriage and Family Therapy is the gateway course — required prerequisite for MFT 532, 534, 540, 542, 580, and the broader practicum sequence.
Plan the Practicum and Internship Sequence Carefully
MFT 580, 581, 590, 591, 592 form a strict five-course sequential chain — each requires the prior course completed. Plan to begin MFT 580 once MFT 530 (and ideally most coursework) is complete.
Choose Your Specialization
Decide between the Families with Disabilities concentration (9 cr) and the Master's Thesis option (6 cr). Both require planning ahead — talk with your faculty advisor in year one.
The M.S. in MFT pairs rigorous licensure-track clinical preparation with the worldview formation thoughtful Christian therapy work requires. Apply or reach out today.