Couple and Family Therapy PhD
Major: Couple and Family Therapy
Degree Awarded: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 112.0
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 51.1505
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 21-1013
About the Program
The PhD program in Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) develops the next generation of couple and family therapy scholars interested in research related to family-based psychotherapy, families and health and health disparities. Students are trained to advance the knowledge base of couple and family therapy through education, research and clinical service with a particular emphasis on evidenced-informed treatment modalities.
Our program is a mentoring model. Each year, a limited number of faculty members accept doctoral students. You should confirm that the faculty members that you are interested in doing research with are taking applicants prior to completing your essay for admission into the doctoral program. Your research interest should be somewhat aligned with the faculty that you are interested in working with.
Graduates of the Couple and Family Therapy PhD program serve as researchers in public and private institutions and faculty in graduate programs of couple and family therapy, psychology, social work or medical schools.
Additional Information
For more information about the PhD in Couple and Family Therapy, please visit the program website.
Degree Requirements
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.
The curriculum includes study in the following areas:
- Knowledge of the profession
- Practice of therapy
- Human diversity and social structure
- Professional ethics, law and identity
- Research and evidence-based practice
| Core CFT Courses | ||
| CFTP 713 | Introduction to CFT Clinical Research | 3.0 |
| CFTP 720 | Couple Therapy Theory & Practice | 3.0 |
| CFTP 723 | Advanced Trauma in Couple and Family Therapy: Evidence-Based Approaches and Outcomes | 3.0 |
| CFTP 727 | Advanced Multicultural Considerations in Systemic Practice and Research: Theoretical Approaches | 3.0 |
| CFTP 729 | Diverse Families and Communities: Intervention Strategies | 3.0 |
| CFTP 735 | Family Healthcare Policy | 3.0 |
| CFTP 757 | Attachment, Emotions and Psychotherapy | 3.0 |
| CFTP 759 | Psychotherapy Outcome and Process Research | 3.0 |
| Applied CFT Courses | ||
| CFTP 734 | Supervision in Couple and Family Therapy | 4.0 |
| CFTP 749 | Leadership in Couple and Family Therapy | 1.0 |
| CFTP 760 | Teaching Practicum | 2.0 |
| Clinical Experience | ||
| CFTP 701 | Advanced Clinical Experience and Professionalism * | 6.0 |
| Research Requirements | ||
| RCRG 600 | An Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research | 0.0 |
| RSCH 700 | Foundations in Quantitative Research | 3.0 |
| RSCH 714 | Qualitative Research Methods I | 3.0 |
| RSCH 720 | Foundations of Biostatistics | 3.0 |
| RSCH 721 | Intermediate Statistics in Health I | 3.0 |
| RSCH 722 | Intermediate Statistics in Health II | 3.0 |
| RSCH 742 | Scientific Writing | 3.0 |
| Research Elective ** | 3.0 | |
| Internship - Minimum of 27 credits *** | 27.0 | |
| Couple and Family Therapy Internship | ||
| Dissertation - Minimum of 27 credits † | 27.0 | |
| Couple and Family Therapy Dissertation | ||
| Couple and Family Therapy Dissertation Defense | ||
| Total Credits | 112.0 | |
- *
Student will take this course a total of 6 times
- **
Elective shall be taken in fall term of year 2. Elective requires advisor approval and includes RSCH 600-RSCH 899 or another course deemed relevant to the students' course of study.
- ***
Internship (CFTP 801): Students required to complete at least three terms of internship during the third year of the program. They must register for 9.0 credits per quarter to cover this activity. While most internships will be done in 3 quarters (27.0 credits), the expectation has been set that the internship will be completed within 4 quarters (36.0 credits) to give the students some flexibility, if needed.
- †
Dissertation (CFTP 802): Students should begin their dissertation in year three or four of the program. This project is expected to take a minimum of three quarters. For each of those quarters, the student must register for 9.0 credits of CFTP 802. If the project takes longer than three quarters, the student may continue to sign up for 9.0 credits of CFTP 802 each quarter. The actual number of credits required will vary dependent upon student's dissertation and research topic, and students may take up to 53.0 credits of CFTP 802. Consult with dissertation advisor.
Dissertation Defense (CFTP 803): Students are required to defend their dissertations when they are complete. To defend, a student must register for 1.0 credit of CFTP 803.
Students must be actively engaged in clinical practice throughout the program. Before graduating from the PhD program, all students are encouraged to complete at least 1,000 hours of 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 ensure that students meet the 1,000 direct client contact hour standard.
Students should contact the Counseling and Family Therapy Department for additional information about the qualifying exam and the dissertation.
Sample Plan of Study
| First Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| CFTP 701 | 1.0 | CFTP 701 | 1.0 | CFTP 701 | 1.0 | Vacation | |
| CFTP 713 | 3.0 | CFTP 723 | 3.0 | CFTP 720 | 3.0 | ||
| CFTP 729 | 3.0 | RCRG 600 | 0.0 | CFTP 727 | 3.0 | ||
| RSCH 720 | 3.0 | RSCH 700 | 3.0 | RSCH 714 | 3.0 | ||
| RSCH 721 | 3.0 | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| CFTP 701 | 1.0 | CFTP 701 | 1.0 | CFTP 701 | 1.0 | ||
| CFTP 757 | 3.0 | CFTP 735 | 3.0 | CFTP 734 | 4.0 | ||
| CFTP 759 | 3.0 | CFTP 760 | 2.0 | CFTP 749 | 1.0 | ||
| Research Elective | 3.0 | RSCH 742 | 3.0 | RSCH 722 | 3.0 | ||
| 10 | 9 | 9 | |||||
| Third Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| CFTP 801 | 9.0 | CFTP 801 | 9.0 | CFTP 801 | 9.0 | ||
| 9 | 9 | 9 | |||||
| Fourth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| CFTP 802 | 9.0 | CFTP 802 | 9.0 | CFTP 802 | 8.0 | ||
| CFTP 803 | 1.0 | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | 9 | |||||
| Total Credits 112 | |||||||
Program Level Outcomes
Our program has the following program goals and student learning outcomes (SLOs):
Program Goal 1 - Knowledge and Research: Increase knowledge and related skillset pertaining to research, publication and dissemination of systemically-oriented and civically-minded scholarship and research.
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SLO # 1 - Knowledge: Students will develop an advanced C/MFT knowledge base within context of families, health and health disparities, evidenced by contributing through scholarship dissemination in the field.
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SLO # 2 - Research: Students will demonstrate competence in conducting systemically-oriented and civically minded research, both within multidisciplinary contexts and as the lead author.
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SLO # 3 – Research Ethics: Students will demonstrate knowledge of research ethics within the context of systemically-oriented and civically-minded research.
Program Goal 2 - Practice and Ethics: Increase knowledge and related skillset of systemically-oriented and ethical clinical practice utilizing evidence-informed models.
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SLO # 4 – Practice: Students will demonstrate knowledge of advanced clinical practice within context of evidence-informed models and families, health and health disparities.
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SLO # 5 – Ethics: Students will be able to identify and apply ethical considerations within the context of working with families, health and health disparities.
Program Goal 3 - Health Equity and Diversity: Advance awareness of health disparities and diversity considerations within the context of the C/MFT profession.
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SLO # 6 - Health and health disparities: Students will be able to articulate the systemic impacts of health and health disparities within the context of systemically oriented practice and research.
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SLO # 7 – Diversity: Students will demonstrate advanced knowledge and related skillset in working with diverse populations within the context of systemically-oriented practice and research.