Earn your online master’s in marriage and family therapy from Northwestern University. The online Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy program can be completed in as few as 21 months full time or as few as 36 months part time. The MFT@Northwestern is offered by The Family Institute at Northwestern University and is taught by leaders in the field of marriage and family therapy.
The MFT@Northwestern is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Upon graduation, learners will have met the educational requirements for clinical membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. View the Graduate Achievement Data Disclosure Table.
Interested in the on-campus learning? Visit the Master of Science in Marriage & Family Therapy: On-Campus Branch page.
The MSMFT Program is accredited by the Commission on Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). Consistent with its accreditation, the program maintains an Outcome-Based Education Framework where the focus is on advancing program quality through ongoing assessment of graduate achievement, student achievement, and environmental supports to the program. Student achievement involves the development of specific competencies specified by the program goals, the student learning outcomes, and associated benchmarks. Communities of interest, identified by the program, provide input into the review of student learning outcomes and key environment supports to the program. The communities of interest are informed about key changes that derive from the review process.
The online MFT program combines online learning with training in therapeutic methods. It includes in-person clinical experience and encourages therapists to consider interpersonal relationships, social justice, and the larger system when developing client treatment plans.
With both full- and part-time options, the online MFT program is convenient, allowing learners to attend live classes with about 15 students, learn from qualified professors with extensive experience, attend office hours, and complete coursework anywhere in the world.
Throughout the MFT degree program, you will learn the skills needed to become a behavioral health leader strengthening and healing children, families, couples, and individuals.
-
Basic Concepts of Systems Therapy
-
Intimate Relationship 1
-
Self and Other Systems: Theory and Applications
-
Family Therapy with Children and Adolescents
-
Power, Privilege, and Difference: Practicing Cultural Curiosity and Humility in a Multicultural World
Faculty from Northwestern developed the Integrative Systemic Therapy (IST) perspective, which values client participation in setting the course for therapy, and provides tools to address the complex set of factors that impact clients’ lives. IST is an integral part of the curriculum.
The Online Experience
By taking part in the online program, you will be able to take advantage of both asynchronous coursework and live, face-to-face classes. Academic advisers and placement specialists help learners navigate class scheduling and find conveniently located clinical sites.
Classes and clinical training are taught by leaders in the field of marriage and family therapy.
Online MFT@Northwestern learners receive the same degree and diploma as on-campus learners. Upon completing the program, you will have completed the graduate level coursework and training required for licensure in most states. (We encourage applicants to educate themselves on the licensure requirements for the states in which they wish to practice, since these vary by location.)
With both full- and part-time options, the online MFT program is convenient, allowing learners to attend live classes with about 15 students, learn from qualified professors with extensive experience, attend office hours, and complete coursework anywhere in the world.