Top Minnesota Marriage & Family Therapy (MFT) Graduate Programs

MFT roles are projected to grow 23% by 2016, a rate much faster than average. Demand for therapists can be attributed to the growth of integrated care. That’s when a group of specialists collaborate to address diverse patient needs. So, MFTs could work alongside other kinds of mental health professionals.

You may also pursue various counseling career paths, like Substance Abuse Counselor. Counselors are particularly needed to work with underserved populations, like military veterans. Education requirements may vary widely in the counseling field. So, it’s important to make sure you meet licensure criteria in your state.

Dr. Paul Hokemeyer
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Expert Insight

How did earning an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy kick start your career?

Earning a marriage and family therapist degree taught me to think systemically. No longer do I view things in isolation. I view them as interconnected to three levels of a person’s existence: intrapersonal, interpersonal and social cultural.

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What Kind of Degree Do You Need To Be a Marriage and Family Therapist?

Marriage and Family Therapists need to earn a Master’s in MFT. Or, you could earn a graduate degree in psychology or another field related to mental health.

Marriage and Family Therapies may work in several different industries – from religion to healthcare. The industries that employ the most MFTs include:

• Individual and Family Services
• Offices of Health Practitioners
• Outpatient Care Centers
• State Government
• Residential Mental Health Facilities

MFT vs Masters in Clinical Psychology

A Master’s in MFT focuses on theories and strategies for Marriage and Family Therapists. This program could help you pursue licensure and an MFT career path. You’ll study the practice of marriage and family therapy – like counseling, assessment, and treatment planning.

A Master’s in Clinical Psychology may have a different focus. The program covers foundations in the field of psychology but may not include the clinical hours needed for counseling career paths. That said, there are exceptions. Some Master’s in Clinical Psychology programs offer an MFT concentration and may help students prepare for licensure.

What about earning a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling? These programs cover counseling in a more general sense, not necessarily using an MFT lens. But, many offer concentrations in Marriage and Family Therapy. And, these programs may be structured to help students meet state licensure requirements.

Whichever program you choose, pay attention to license requirements for your state and career path. Make sure your program is designed for your goals – whether that’s jump starting an MFT career or pursuing further education.

What is the Curriculum for a MFT Degree?

MFT degree programs explore the theory behind how families and relationships work. They also cover how to help patients resolve family challenges and mental health concerns. You could study topics like psychotherapy, sex therapy, and counseling people from diverse backgrounds.

Master’s in MFT programs are a common path for aspiring Marriage and Family Therapists. Coursework in a Master’s program often covers functions, standards, and ethics for this profession. You’ll study stressors that affect families, like marital dysfunction and parenting concerns. And, you’ll explore techniques for addressing these issues in therapy.

Courses you could take in marriage and family therapy Master’s programs include:

• The Counseling Process. This course covers counseling techniques and strategies. You’ll learn how to communicate with patients to get to the heart of their lives and relationships.
• Family Assessment. This course covers how to evaluate family dynamics and dysfunction. You’ll study characteristics of families, plus diagnostic criteria for mental health disorders that impact relationships. 
• Couples Therapy and Treatment Planning. This course delves into the specifics of working with partners. You’ll learn models and techniques for counseling couples. And, you’ll learn how to put together an effective treatment plan.
• Counseling Children and Adolescents. Counseling children and teens calls for special approaches and considerations. This course covers the theory and practice of working with younger patients.
• Human Sexuality Counseling. This course considers aspects of human sexual identity and behavior. You’ll learn how personal attitudes and cultural values can impact sexuality. And, you’ll study sexual disorders.

What Do I Need to Know About the MFT Licensing (LMFT) Exam?

In all states, MFTs must pass a state-recognized exam to earn licensure. The Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) creates this exam. It covers domains, tasks, and knowledge areas important for MFTs, including:

• Managing crisis situations
• Designing and conducting treatment
• Ethical, legal, and professional standards
• Models of marital, couple, and family therapy
• Theories of personality
• Divorce
• Substance abuse and dependence
• And more

To take the exam, you must first apply to your state board. The board will determine your eligibility and send you an approval code. At that point, you can complete an online application, pay your testing fees, and schedule your exam. If you don’t pass the first time, you can try again. That said, you can’t take the exam more than three times in a 12-month period.

How Long Does It Take to Get an MFT License in Minnesota?

The time it takes to get an MFT license varies by state. For example, in California you need two years of supervised clinical experience. Within those two years, you must complete at least 3,000 hours. And, 1,700 of those hours must be completed after you’ve earned your graduate MFT degree.

Other states have different requirements, but generally you’ll need to complete 2,000 to 4,000 hours of supervised clinical experience. Some or all of the experience must be post-degree. And, don’t forget to factor in the time it takes to study for and pass your licensure examination.

What Should I Know About COAMFTE Accredited Programs?

Graduating from a COAMFTE-accredited program could be required or recommended for earning MFT licensure. Certain employers, like the Veterans Administration, may prefer or require your program to be accredited.

COAMFTE stands for the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. They accredit the following marriage and family therapy graduate programs:

• MFT Master's Degree Programs
• MFT Doctoral Degree Programs
• Post-Graduate Degree Clinical Training Programs

Choosing a COAMFTE-accredited program could help you be confident in the quality of your education. Accredited programs offer potential benefits to students, including:

• They uphold the standards of the Marriage and Family Therapist profession
• Faculty members actively contribute to the field
• The curriculum is designed to prepare you for licensure and national/state examinations
• Coursework and requirements may be transferred to other COAMFTE-accredited programs
• If you move, you may more easily meet qualifications for licensure in other states

How Much Does it Cost to Get a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy?

The average cost of earning a graduate degree from a public institution is $11,617 per year. You may find programs both more affordable and more expensive than the average.

Below, we’ve put together graduate tuition costs for 4 institutions with Marriage and Family Therapy Graduate Programs as reported by the NCES. We then compared those costs to the typically most affordable and most expensive college options, also reported by NCES.

Best 36 MFT Degree Programs in Minnesota ​Here: