Couple and Family Therapy (PhD)

82.0 quarter credits

About the Curriculum

Students are required to complete the standard curriculum in couple and family therapy before pursuing the doctoral curriculum. The standard curriculum is offered in the COAMFTE-accredited Master of Family Therapy program at the University. A minimum of 82.0 post-master’s quarter hours are required for the PhD program.

The curriculum includes study in the following areas:

  • Theory and research in couple and family therapy
  • Research methodology, including statistics, research design, and computer applications
  • Specialized instruction in couple and family therapy
  • Domestic violence, school-based settings, diverse family structures, and forensic family therapy
  • Supervised clinical experience
  • Supervision of supervision
Required Courses
Clinical Knowledge
 16.0 Credits
CFTP 724 Multicultural Approach to Couple and Family Therapy 4.0
CFTP 725 Trauma and Families 4.0
CFTP 730 Gender and Sexual Orientation 4.0
CFTP 741 Religion, Spirituality and CFT
 4.0
Individual Development and Family Relations
 4.0 Credits
CFTP 735 Family Healthcare Policy 4.0
Clinical Supervision
 4.0 Credits
CFTP 734 Supervision of Couple and Family Therapy 4.0
Research
 19.0 Credits
CFTP 713 Couple and Family Therapy Research and Practice Literature 4.0
CFTP 715 Quantitative Methods 4.0
CFTP 719 Qualitative Methods 4.0
RHAB 759 Introduction to Biostatistics 3.0
CFTP 732 Advanced Quantitative Research Design 4.0
or    
CFTP 733 Advanced Qualitative Research Design  
Professional Development
12.0 Credits
CFTP 714 Professional Development Seminar I: Resources and Organization 2.0
CFTP 718 Professional Development Seminar II: Presentations and Publication Preparation 2.0
CFTP 722 Professional Development Seminar III: Teaching Couple and Family Therapy 2.0
CFTP 726 Professional Development Seminar IV: Academia and the Tenure Process 2.0
CFTP 731 Professional Development Seminar V: Understanding the Grant Writing Process 2.0
CFTP 736 Professional Development Seminar VI: Ethics in Couple and Family Therapy Supervision and Teaching 2.0
Internship
 Minimum of 12.0 Credits
CFTP 801 Couple and Family Therapy Internship* 4.0
*This course is repeated for credit to meet minimum requirements, and can be repeated for credit up to five times. .
Dissertation
 Minimum of 12.0 Credits
CFTP 802 Couple and Family Therapy Dissertation 4.0
*This course is repeated for credit to meet minimum requirements, and can be repeated for credit up to five times. .
Additional Course (Elective)
 3.0 Credits
Students select an additional elective courses ( Students may choose to go outside of the program to meet this requirement, provided each course is at least 4.0 credits and at the doctoral level of sophistication or they may select one of the following courses. )
CFTP 751 Special Topics in Couples and Family Therapy 4.0
CFTP 752 Independent Study in Couples and Family Therapy
4.0


Clinical Training
Students must be actively engaged in clinical practice throughout the program. Before graduating from the Doctoral program, all students must have completed 1,000 hours of direct client contact equivalent to that which is offered in a COAMFTE accredited program. Any student who can document that her/his previous supervised clinical practice is comparable to that which would be received in a COAMFTE accredited program may petition the program to waive some or all of the required 1,000 direct client contact hours.

Internship
All students are required to do an internship. Internship supervisors must be clearly senior in experience to the student intern. The purpose of the internship is to provide students with a supervised full-time clinical, research, academic or administrative experience of at least nine months duration. Clinical and alternate internships must emphasize relationally focused practice and research. For the clinical internship it is to insure that students meet the 1,000 direct client contact hour standard of COAMFTE. If a student has already accumulated 1,000 direct client contact hours, and/or is already licensed as an MFT and/or a clinical member of AAMFT in good standing, s/he may replace the clinical internship with a supervised research, academic, or administrative internship. The internship follows completion of a majority of all coursework. Students with up to two remaining courses are eligible to begin the internship. Students with three to four remaining courses must petition the program for approval to begin the internship.

Students should contact the Couple and Family Therapy Department for additional information about the qualifying exam and the dissertation.