2023 Most Affordable Online Master's in Marriage & Family Therapy

Kairos University is a small, faith-based institution offering an online Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy that requires completing 65 credit hours and a practicum in order to graduate. Full-time students can generally complete this distance learning program in two to three years. Approximately 90% of these graduates currently work in degree-related jobs, and the pass rate for state licensure to become a clinician is 94%.

Program admission requirements include a GPA of 3.0 or higher, as well as a completed application and questionnaire. Once enrolled, students complete core classes online, such as Children and Adolescents in Family Therapy, Assessment in Marriage and Family Therapy, and Psychological Tests and Measurements. The curriculum helps prepare students for licensure to become Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs).

A part of the Texas State University System, Lamar University (Lamar) is a public institution offering an online Master of Education in Counseling and Development - Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling. Through this accelerated program, full-time students may complete the required 60 credit hours of coursework as quickly as 30 months. Lamar has an 83% acceptance rate and a 37% graduation rate.

Lamar's fully remote program uses the Blackboard learning management system (LMS) to deliver instruction asynchronously. Courses last five weeks and may include Multicultural Counseling, Group Counseling Theories and Techniques, and Abnormal Human Behavior. The curriculum meets industry standards and helps prepare students for work as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), or LMFTs. Graduation requirements include one residency, a 15-week practicum, and a 15-week internship.

Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) Online is a rural, faith-based university that offers an online Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy and an online Master of Arts in Ministry - Children, Youth, and Family. Students must complete 60 credit hours to graduate with the former degree, which may take full-time students approximately two-and-a-half years. Meanwhile, the latter degree in ministry-based counseling only takes 36 credit hours to graduate. IWU accepts 100% of applicants, and the school has a 58% graduation rate.

IWU Online uses the D2L learning platform to deliver instruction in courses such as Introduction to Addiction Recovery, Psychopathology, and Cultural Contexts of Ministry. The therapy degree program requires 100 practicum and 900 internship hours to help students prepare for licensure. In contrast, the ministry program requires the completion of a capstone project.

North Central University (NCU) is a private institution offering an online Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy. The university requires students to complete 45 credit hours on the non-clinical degree path and 60 credit hours on the path to state licensure. It generally takes students between two and three years to graduate. NCU's acceptance rate is 93%, and it has a 50% graduation rate.

NCU's proprietary LMS, NCUOne, delivers instruction and lessons in courses such as Systemic Evaluation and Case Management, Research Methods and Evidence-Based Practice, and Human Development and Family Dynamics Across the Lifespan. Students interested in private practice must complete 300 hours of direct client contact and 100 hours of supervised work. Graduates may work in social services, education, medical offices, or substance use counseling.

Pentecostal Theological Seminary (PTSeminary) is a small, Christian school delivering its online Master of Divinity in Counseling - Marriage and Family to help prepare students to provide faith-based counseling services. To graduate, students must finish 80 credit hours, which may take full-time students three years to complete.

PTSeminary uses Populi in order to make learning accessible to students globally. Those enrolled in this counseling concentration complete a range of core classes, such as Marriage and Family Systems, Theories and Techniques of Counseling, and Pentecostal Foundations for Christian Ministry and Study. PTSeminary students must also complete a ministerial internship to graduate.

The University of Massachusetts Global (UMass Global) is a private institution offering two distinct graduate degrees in marriage and family therapy. The online Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy Program requires 60 credit hours and can take full-time students about three years to complete. The online Master of Arts in Marriage and Family and Professional Clinical Counseling consists of 69 credit hours, with its dual emphasis in both disciplines. Overall, UMass has a 95% acceptance and a 57% graduation rate.

UMass Global uses the distance learning platform Blackboard for instruction delivery. Classes common to both programs include Individual and Family Development, Theory and Practice of Group Therapy, and Couples Therapy. Both tracks require the completion of practicums and a capstone to graduate and meet the licensure requirements of 38 states — including California — for students to become LMFTs.

Liberty University (LU) is a large, faith-based institution that offers a 60-credit hour online Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy. Full-time students interested in licensure generally take about two-and-a-half years to complete this online degree program. To prepare students for work in non-clinical settings and ministry, LU Online also offers a Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling - Dobson Marriage and Family Studies, a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling - Marriage and Family Studies, and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling - Dobson Family Advocacy. Applicants at LU have a 50% chance of being accepted, and 34% of those students graduate.

LU Online delivers instruction and coursework via Canvas. Courses in this discipline include Group Counseling, Counseling Children and Adolescents, Public Policy and Advocacy Strategies, and Human Sexuality. Graduates may go on to work in government, community clinics, private practice, and places of worship.

Regent University Online (Regent Online) is a private, Christian institution offering an online, non-licensure Master of Science in Psychology - Marriage and Family degree. Full-time students can complete this 39-credit program in two years. Those interested in ministry-related services may pursue a 30-credit hour online Master of Arts in Human Services - Marriage & Family Ministry. Students who desire licensure can opt for a 60-credit-hour Master of Arts in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling, which is also available online. Regent has 50% acceptance and 30% graduate rates.

Students at Regent Online participate in classes through Canvas. Some common core courses include Marriage and Relationship Counseling, Concepts of Family Systems, Integrative Psychology, and Multicultural Counseling. The licensure track requires the completion of internship hours and possibly a residency. Career paths after graduation may include marriage coaching, organizational consulting, church counseling, and private practice.

As a faith-based institution of higher learning, Colorado Christian University (CCU) offers an online Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling - Marriage and Family Therapy accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). This licensure-focused program requires completing 69 credit hours, which can take about 30 months. Students can enroll in either a fully online or hybrid program at CCU, which has a 100% acceptance rate and a 33% graduation rate.

This program helps prepare students for clinical work and LMFT licensure by requiring a 100-hour internship and 600-hour practicum. Online students participate in coursework and instruction through the Blackboard LMS. Courses include Crisis and Trauma, Psychopharmacology, Human Growth and Development, and Contemporary Couple Relationships.

Amridge University is a small institution rooted in Christian heritage. It offers two online degrees in this field: (1) a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy and (2) Master of Divinity in Marriage and Family Therapy for students interested in ministry practice. The former program requires 60 credit hours of coursework that students may complete in seven semesters, while the Master of Divinity requires 96 credit hours. Both programs prepare students for licensure, if desired. Amridge has a 100% acceptance rate, with a 32% graduation rate.

Amridge uses Canvas to deliver lessons and instruction. Graduate students enroll in courses such as Community and Social Systems, Theories of Personality Development, Spiritual Leadership, and Counseling for Abusive Relationships. Students are required to complete 600 hours of face-to-face clinical experience in order to prepare for licensure and become LMFTs.