Admission to the Doctoral Program in Marriage and Family Therapy
Admissions Criteria
The Admissions Committee, consisting of three members of the School of Health Professions Graduate Counseling Faculty, will use an interview to assess the candidate's verbal communication skills and overall competency as a potential doctoral student. The Committee will also request the candidate to complete a writing sample to assess candidate's writing skills. Conditional admission status will be for 12 credit hours in the program. Conditionally admitted students earning a grade less than a B in any of the courses within the first 12 hours will be dismissed from the program. Students admitted conditionally and who complete the first 12 hours with grades of B or higher in each course will have their status changed from conditional to unconditional.
Students must participate in all four practicum courses, comprehensive finals and dissertation classes, in addition to completion of all courses required to complete the Ph.D. MFT program specified in this prospectus.
Students who are currently enrolled in a Ph.D. Program in Marriage and Family Therapy at another university may transfer, dependent on approval from the admissions committee, up to 12 credit hours. Transfer students must participate in all four practicum courses, comprehensive finals, and dissertation classes. Current students who hold professional certification or licensure certified by AASECT (sex therapist) or are licensed as a LCDC (licensed chemical dependency counselor) may request a waiver to a doctoral course that contains a curriculum that is equal to the requirements for that licensure. Approval of such a course waiver will be granted once official documentation regarding licensure requirements and education is received and reviewed by the Director. The waiving of a course per approval of licensure is limited to one course.
Selection Criteria
Requirements for application are:
• Must hold a master's degree from regionally accredited institutions in marriage and family therapy, professional counseling, social work, psychology or other related mental health related field;
• Must complete at least two of four foundations courses required for licensure as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of Texas making a B or higher prior to beginning doctoral courses in the fall of the first year of study in the doctoral program. The remaining foundation courses must be taken prior to beginning the third year of study in the doctoral program. The addition of foundation courses may increase the total hours of the doctoral degree from 68-80 hours. Grades from the foundation courses will not be included in the PhD final GPA;
• Must have successfully obtained either a full or associate/intern license in a mental health related field such as LMFT-A, LPC-1, MSW or other mental health field;
• Must have a GPA of 3.2 or greater on a 4.0 scale on the master's degree;
• Must have three letters of reference from a licensed therapist or counselor (LMFT, LPC, MSW) who has known the applicant for at least three years and can attest to characteristics that would make them a good applicant for the program.
Interview: The interview assesses an overview of marriage and family therapy, its models, applications and ranks clinical skills for future improvement as a marriage and family therapist. The interview also assesses the candidate's future career vision and research interests as a marriage and family therapist.
Selection Process
Applicants will be selected on a best qualified basis as determined by the Program Director and/or the Admissions Committee. The Doctoral Program in Marriage & Family Therapy reserves the right to deny admission to any applicant as determined by the Admissions Committee. All decisions by this committee are final and not subject to appeal.
Required Documentation
• Application for admission;
• Non-refundable Application Fee;
• Official transcripts from all universities/colleges attended;
• Letters of Recommendation;
• Resume.
Admissions Process Timeline
• Fall Admittance Application Deadline: May 1
• Interviews held: June-July
• Fall term cohort selection: notified by July 31, for fall term matriculation.
Admissions Deadlines are subject to change. Students will be notified of the admission decision by mail.
Registration for the Doctoral Program in Marriage and Family Therapy
Graduate students are advised by the director of the program or her/his designee to facilitate course enrollment and academic program planning. To enroll in this program, prospective students consult with the director of the program prior to the registration period by phone, first class mail, or by email to be eligible for registration. Online registration is not available to graduate students. Instead, registration will be done by the administrative office.