Couple and Family Therapy PhD

Major: Couple and Family Therapy
Degree Awarded: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 120.0
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.

The program is rooted in relational and systems theories and therapies including Attachment-based Family Therapy, Emotionally Focused Family Therapy, and Medical Family Therapy approaches. Students are expected to demonstrate critical and analytical thinking with respect to the broad areas of systems theory and therapy, and have a primary interest in research and scholarship. The Counseling and Family Therapy Department is committed to attracting minority scholars as well as training students to be aware and sensitive to contextual issues such as race, class, gender, spirituality and sexual orientation, as well as power and privilege.

Graduates of the Couple and Family Therapy PhD program serve as researchers in public and private institutions, faculty in graduate programs of couple and family therapy, psychology, social work, or medical schools, and as clinicians in mental health agencies or private practice.

Additional Information

For more information about the PhD in Couple and Family Therapy, visit the Counseling and Family Therapy Department 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 and post-master's certificate programs at the University.

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
• Evidenced informed and specialized instruction in couple and family therapy
• Diverse family structures
• Supervised clinical experience

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Internship (CFTP 801): Students are required to complete at least three terms of internship during the third or fourth year of the program. They must register for 9.0 credits per quarter to cover this activity. Most internships will be done in 3 quarters (27.0 credits), but the expectation has been set that the internship will be completed after 4 quarters (36.0 credits) to give the student some flexibility.

Dissertation (CFTP 802): Students should begin their dissertation in year three or four of the program. This project is expected to take four quarters (36.0 credits). For each of those quarters the student must register for 9.0 credits of CFTP 802. If the project takes longer than four quarters, the student may continue to sign up for 9.0 credits of CFTP 802 each quarter. It is anticipated, however, that all students will complete their dissertations after 8 quarters (2 years, 72.0 credits).

Dissertation Defense (CFTP 803): Students are required to defend their dissertations when they are complete. To defend, a student must register and pay for one 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

Couple and Family Therapy Faculty