Marriage and Family Therapy (M.S.H.S.)

MFT is a goal-oriented treatment that assists in helping patients realize personal or family/system change and is one of the five federally recognized mental health disciplines.

Licensure and Accreditation

Graduates of the program meet academic requirements for licensure as a marriage and family therapist in Oklahoma as well as Professional Membership of AAMFT and MFT licensure in other states.

We will be applying for our Commission on Accreditation of Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) accreditation as soon as our program has attained the years and data to make that application.

COAMFTE's mission is to promote best practices for MFT educational programs through the establishment, review and revision of accreditation standards and policies, and the accreditation of graduate and post-graduate educational programs. The OC MFT program provides a higher learning community that transforms lives for Christian faith, scholarship and service.

OC's curriculum is developed responsively to MFT best practice training models in order to achieve this accreditation. Our OC MFT students will receive exposure in treating a broad range of populations, reflective and representative of the general public at large.

FAQs & Notes

Q: Can I complete a Master’s Thesis or gain a comprehensive research experience?
A: Students who wish to complete a Master’s Thesis or gain a comprehensive research experience will need to take an additional minimum six hours.

Q: Is this program online or in-person?
A: This program is currently being offered in a 30% online and 70% in-person learning format. The current structure precludes international students from applying for a residential student status. We may redress this structure in the future, but currently, the faculty believes an in-person, face-to-face clinical skills training is best experienced on-site where direct and timely feedback can be provided to graduate level therapists-in-training.

Q: Is this program available to international students?
A: No. The structure of this program does not meet the requirements of the U.S. government for the issuance of a F-1 student visa or I-20 document.

Degree Plan: 49 Hours

A graduate with the M.S.H.S. degree with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy will:

Articulate and implement a family systems model of therapy and theory of change applicable to a diverse client population.
Conduct clinical assessment and diagnosis that is grounded in systems theory and integrates a biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective.
Develop effective treatment plans for a diverse client population that employs evidence-based models, modalities, and techniques that support progression of therapy toward meeting treatment goals.
Provide evidence-based and culturally responsive treatment that incorporates individual, systemic, and relational theories applied across the life-span within the context of a Christian worldview.
Apply legal and ethical standards relevant to the clinical practice of marriage and family therapy.
Apply quantitative and qualitative research and program evaluation methodologies relevant to marriage and family therapy and mental health services.

18 HOURS HUMAN SCIENCES FOUNDATION

31 HOURS MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY

A thesis option is available for the MFT degree. An independent research track leading to the completion of a thesis project will require six additional hours to accommodate for your research time and consistent research advising meetings.