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Couple and Family Therapy (Ph.D.)
92.0 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 92 post-master’s semester hours are required for the Ph.D. 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
Theoretical Knowledge			12.0 Credits
CFTP 712	Family Theory		3.0
CFTP 716	Family Therapy Theory and Practice		3.0
CFTP 720	Couple Therapy Theory and Practice		3.0
CFTP 721	Critical Theory in Couple and Family Therapy		3.0
Clinical Knowledge			12.0 Credits
CFTP 724	Multicultural Approach to Couple and Family Therapy		3.0
CFTP 725	Trauma and Families		3.0
CFTP 730	Gender, Privilege, and Power		3.0
CFTP 729	Diverse Family Structures		3.0
Individual Development and Family Relations			6.0 Credits
CFTP 717	Couple and Family Therapy Assessment and Diagnosis		3.0
CFTP 735	Family Healthcare Policy		3.0
Clinical Supervision			3.0 Credits
CFTP 734	Supervision of Couple and Family Therapy		3.0
Research			21.0 Credits
CFTP 713	Couple and Family Therapy Research and Practice Literature		3.0
CFTP 711	Research I: Conceptual Basis		3.0
CFTP 715	Research II: Quantitative Methods		3.0
CFTP 719	Research III: Qualitative Methods		3.0
RHAB 759	Introduction to Biostatistics		3.0
RHAB 811	Intermediate Biostatistics		3.0
or
CFTP 728	Research V: Advanced Qualitative Data Analysis		3.0
CFTP 728	Research VI: Quantitative Research Proposal		3.0
or
CFTP 733	Research VI: Qualitative Research Proposal		3.0
	Advanced Applied Research/Qualitative		3.0
Professional Development			6.0 Credits
CFTP 714	Professional Development Seminar I: Resources and Organization		1.0
CFTP 718	Professional Development Seminar II: Presentations and Publication Preparation		1.0
CFTP 722	Professional Development Seminar III: Teaching Couple and Family Therapy		1.0
CFTP 726	Professional Development Seminar IV: Academia and the Tenure Process		1.0
CFTP 731	Professional Development Seminar V: Understanding the Grant Writing Process		1.0
CFTP 736	Professional Development Seminar VI: Ethics in Couple and Family Therapy Supervision and Teaching		1.0
Additional Courses (Electives)			6.0 Credits
Students select two additional courses ( Students may choose to go outside of the program to meet this requirement, provided each course is at least 3.0 credits and at the doctoral level of sophistication or they may select one of the following courses)
CFTP 741	Religion, Spirituality and CFT		3.0
CFTP 742	Couples Sexual Therapy		3.0
CFTP 751	Special Topics in Couples and Family Therapy		3.0
CFTP 752	Independent Study in Couples and Family Therapy		3.0

Additional Requirements
Additional program requirements include 15 credits of internship and 10 dissertation credits and 1 credit of dissertation defense. Students must have a minimum of 92 credits for graduation, and have 7 years to complete this curriculum.

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 Program in Couple and Family Therapy for additional information about the qualifying exam and the dissertation.