Kansas State University

Marriage and Family Therapy

The marriage and family therapy M.S. specialization prepares professionals to conduct and evaluate therapy with marital and family groups. Students pursue programs of study that include course work in human development, family studies, marital and family therapy, statistics, and research methods. The M.S. specialization in marriage and family therapy is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education.

Master's Program Requirements

The M.S. degree in Marriage and Family Therapy requires a minimum of 55 - 61 semester hours of graduate work, depending upon your choice of the "written document". Most students complete the program in three years. Students have up to five years to complete the program.

Theoretical Foundations of Marital and Family Therapy

8 hours required

  • FSHS 867 MFT Pre-Practicum (1)
  • FSHS 868 MFT Pre-Practicum (1)
  • FSHS 853 Family Systems in Cultural Context (3)
  • FSHS 864 Clinical Theory & Practice (3)

Assessment and Treatment in Marital and Family Therapy

15 hours required

  • FSHS 866 Sex Therapy (3)
  • FSHS 870 Principles of Marriage and Family Therapy (3)
  • FSHS 877 Individual and Family Assessment (3)
  • FSHS 879 Systemic Treatment of Psychopathology (3)
  • FSHS 896 Advanced Family Therapy (3)

Family Studies and Human Services

12 hours required

  • FSHS 852 Contemporary Family Theories (3)
  • FSHS 865 Human Sexuality (3)
    AND any 2 of the 3 following courses:
    • FSHS 810 Child Development (3)
    • FSHS 822 Transitions to Adulthood (3)
    • FSHS 845 Adult Development and Aging (3)

Ethics and Professional Studies

3 hours required

  • FSHS 878 Professional Studies in Family Therapy (3)

Research Methodology

3 hours required

  • FSHS 888 Research Methods in Family Studies & Human Services I (3)

Supervised Clinical Practice

9 hours required

  • FSHS 885 Practicum in MFT (3)
  • FSHS 885 Practicum in MFT (3)
  • FSHS 885 Practicum in MFT (3)

Minimum of three continuous 3 credit hours of Practica (FSHS 885) over a 12-month period, including summers; must accumulate 500 client contact hours and 100 hours of supervision from faculty. Fifty per cent of supervision hours from faculty must be based on "raw" data (live or video).

Electives

3 hours required

  • FSHS 670 Working with Parents (3)
  • FSHS 700 Consultation in Marriage and Family Therapy (3)
  • FSHS 700 Treatment of Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse (3)
  • FSHS 704 Seminar in FSHS (3)
  • FSHS 862 Marital Interaction (3)

End-of-Program Requirements

  1. Pass a comprehensive written examination on marriage and family therapy
  2. Complete, with committee approval, one of the following written documents:
    • A Master's Thesis (requiring 6-8 hours of FSHS 899)
    • A Master's Report (requiring 2 hours of FSHS 899)
    • A Clinical Specialization Paper (requiring 2 hours of FSHS 899)
  3. Pass an oral examination with emphasis on the written document

Students interested in this option with questions about program requirements or curriculum should contact:

Dr. Anthony P. Jurich
Program Admisions Director
Marriage and Family Therapy
School of Family Studies and Human Services
113 Campus Creek Complex
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506
(785) 532-1488

Students interested in this option with questions about admissions should contact:

Connie J. Fechter
Graduate Program Admissions Coordinator
School of Family Studies and Human Services
304 Justin Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506
(785) 532-1473

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Application deadline: January 2 for Fall admission.

Program Diversity

At Kansas State University, the MFT faculty and students strive to work together to create a program climate that:

  • is safe
  • is respectful
  • is supportive
  • values and affirms diversity
  • is non-discriminatory
  • is positive and empowering

Accordingly, we seek to recruit a diverse student body each year and are also working to enhance the diversity of the clinical supervisors in the MFT program.

In accordance with COAMFTE Standard 120.13, the following tables provide a snapshot of the racial and cultural diversity of the MFT faculty, supervisors, and student body.

MFT Faculty and Supervisors *

Gender Number
Females 5
Males 2
Race Number
Asian 1
European American 6

* At the present time the six MFT faculty provide all of the clinical supervision necessary to fulfill COAMFTE standards that students receive.

Masters Students (N=22)

Gender Number
Females 18
Males 4
Race Number
African American 3
Asian 0
European American 16
Hispanic/Spanish American/Latin 2
Native American (American Indian) 1

Note: Statistics are current as of January 2008.

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