* Tuition:
$24,360 | 54 Credit Hours | Finish in as little as 24 months
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* Estimated program cost for 2025-2026 academic year. These figures are calculated
based on 2025-2026 tuition rates and specific program requirements for a student taking
less than 9 credit hours. The costs for the program may vary depending on the number
of credit hours a student enrolled in each semester. These calculations do not include
cost of housing, cost of living, or other fees a student may incur as a result of
being enrolled at UCM. These figures are not guaranteed and are subject to change
based on program requirements or tuition changes. For more information regarding the
cost of the program please contact the Office of Student Financial Services.
Become an ethical, multiculturally competent marriage and family therapist with the
University of Central Missouri’s Human Development and Family Science MS - Marriage
and Family Therapy (MFT) option. UCM’s marriage and family therapy degree is the only
graduate program of its kind in a public university in the state of Missouri.
Throughout your coursework, you’ll learn from UCM faculty who are engaged with the
profession at the local, state and national levels. Their commitment to your success,
however, is always their first priority. You’ll work closely with your mentors to
build the cultural competencies and practice skills you need to build a successful
career.
Which Human Development and Family Science MS is right for you?
UCM offers two tracks for the Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) MS degree.
If your aim is to become a marriage counselor or family therapist, the two-year MFT
degree option will give you the practical skills to do just that.
UCM’s Human Development and Family Science – MFT degree option meets and exceeds the
accreditation standards set by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family
Therapy (COAMFTE) and is the only accredited MFT program in a public university in
Missouri. Additionally, our Master’s Program meets the educational requirements for
licensure in Missouri, and most other states. Please contact MFT Program Director,
Dr. Adriatik Likcanilikcani@ucmo.edu if you have any questions about the program curriculum and meeting licensure requirements.
Take engaging courses that will develop your skills as a clinically effective therapist
through your degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Central Missouri.
You’ll also build additional skills, such as program evaluation, that will help you
succeed in your field through classes such as:
Couples and Sex Therapy
Diversity and Family Interventions
Systemic Treatment of Children and Families
Systemic Treatment of Substance Use Disorders
Theoretical Foundations of Couple and Family Therapy
Thesis track vs. integrative project track
Choose between a thesis and non-thesis track to complete your MFT degree. If you plan
to pursue doctoral studies in order to teach or perform research, the thesis track
will start you on that path.
If your goal after completing your Marriage and Family Therapy degree is to become
a therapist, the non-thesis track will give you the best preparation. The non-thesis
track for UCM’s master’s degree in marriage and family therapy focuses on an integrative
project course. Learn important grant-writing skills to help you in your future practice
by identifying a public health topic you’re interested in and developing a grant proposal
to support it.
Excellence in Marriage and Family Therapy
Named A Best Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) Program (CounselingPsychology.org, 2025)
A Most Focused College for Human Development & Family Studies in the Plains States Region (College Factual,
2022)
Top 15%: Most Popular Colleges for Human Development & Family Studies (College Factual, 2022)
Unique learning opportunities in the Human Development and Family Science MFT degree
program
You’ll have numerous opportunities for active engagement in the University of Central
Missouri’s Marriage and Family Therapy degree:
Foundational practice: As a core part of the MFT degree, you’ll complete an internship with an outside agency
as well as one through UCM’s Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic. There, you’ll work
with a faculty supervisor to earn 300 clinical contact hours with individuals, couples
and families.
Faculty mentorship sessions: You’ll meet with your faculty mentor on a weekly basis to ensure you’re building effective,
culturally competent therapy skills.
Graduate research: Engage in graduate research on a project that ignites your passion, or work with a
faculty mentor on a joint research project. You may even get the opportunity to present
your work at a professional conference.
State-of-the-art training facility: Practice your clinical skills in an immersive learning environment that allows for
live supervision, post-session reviews and training on the use of health record systems.
Tools include audio and video session recordings, a therapy room equipped for live
supervision, space for collaborative discussions with fellow students and faculty,
telehealth capabilities and an electronic health record system.
Student life: Meet and engage with fellow graduate students in the HDFS degree in marriage and family
therapy in groups such as the Council of Marriage and Family Therapy, Council of Human
Development and Family Science and Recovery Central.
What can you do with a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from UCM?
Graduates of the University of Central Missouri’s Marriage and Family Therapy degree
have a 100% job or continuing education placement rate. In fact, most of our graduates
find employment or are accepted into a doctoral program before they even graduate
from UCM with their MFT degree.
Most of our students who pursue therapeutic practice after graduation join community-based
agencies or private clinics, including community mental health centers, substance
use disorder treatment centers, domestic violence shelters and private counseling
practices.
If you’re interested in becoming a full-time researcher or teaching at the university
level, you’ll be prepared to continue your education in a related doctoral program.
Marriage and Family Therapy degree jobs
Use the interactive tool below to learn how you can apply your Marriage and Family
Therapy degree to a variety of career paths. You can also discover information about
salary expectations, job growth predictions and more.
Financial assistance options for your MFT degree
At the University of Central Missouri, you’ll get a high-value degree at a cost you
can afford. It’s one of the reasons that LendEDU has recognized UCM as a top-ranked
university for low student debt.
To help you finance your graduate education, we provide access to resources such as scholarships, grants, tuition awards, assistantships,
federal financial aid guidance and more.
Additional funding may also be available through the UCM Alumni Foundation. You can
learn more about program-specific scholarships with the UCM Scholarship Finder.
You may also be able to obtain additional funding for your degree in family counseling
and marriage therapy through national fellowships and foundations. To learn more,
contact our program coordinator.
Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic
Gain clinical experience right on campus
Practice the skills learned in your degree in Marriage Counseling and Relational Therapy
coursework at UCM’s Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic. Meet with clients, observe
counseling sessions and get guidance and mentorship from faculty practitioners.
MS Human Development and Family Science – MFT degree option ’19
“I took advantage of the many opportunities to learn from my professors, attend conferences
and network. To someone pursuing their MFT degree at UCM, I would say take every opportunity
offered to you and gain every scrap of knowledge you can from the supportive faculty.
They can help you develop a roadmap to your future that could otherwise seem overwhelming.”
Explore programs related to marriage and family therapy.
If you’re interested in the courses included as part of the degree in family counseling
and marriage therapy, you may also want to explore these other graduate degrees from
UCM:
The Marriage and Family Therapy specialization aims to train clinically competent
Marriage and Family Therapists through quality academic instruction and supervised
clinical practice. Our goal is to train therapists that are clinically effective,
guided by an awareness of systemic processes, devoted to multicultural competence,
and to ethical and evidence-based practice.
MFT Program Goals & Student Learning Outcomes
The MFT Specialization Goals & Student Learning Outcomes are based on the American
Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Core Competencies, Association
of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB), the Missouri State Committee
of Marital & Family Therapists, and the AAMFT Code of Ethics. Pursuant to our mission,
the Marriage and Family Therapy specialization has established four overarching goals.
Each of these goals informs Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) by which we measure success.
Program Goal 1: Clinical Effectiveness
SLO 1: Students will demonstrate fundamental skills of therapy and family systems
theories with individuals, couples, and families.
SLO 2: Students will demonstrate ability to effectively apply therapy models and interventions
to individuals, couples, and families.
Program Goal 2: Diversity
SLO 3: Students will demonstrate awareness and sensitivity to their and the clients’
cultural and other contextual factors, particularly as related to privilege and marginalized
and underserved communities.
Program Goal 3: Ethics and Professional Development
SLO 4: Students will demonstrate competence in managing legal and ethical issues related
to the practice of marriage and family therapy.
SLO 5: Students will demonstrate collaborative, systemic, multidisciplinary practice
skills.
SLO 6: Students will demonstrate professionalism across clinical and professional
contexts.
Program Goal 4: Theory, Research and Practice
SLO 7: Students will demonstrate understanding of human development and family science
theories.
SLO 8: Students will demonstrate competence in evaluating and integrating research
on best practices to inform their practice.
2 years of coursework with a simultaneous clinic practice component
Prepares students to be eligible for licensure in the state of Missouri and many other
states
Have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
Have a minimum undergraduate 2.50 GPA or 3.00 minimum in undergraduate major
Have completed at least nine college credit hours in social or behavioral sciences.
Based on transcript analyses, students may be required to complete up to 15 credit
hours of background courses in HDFS prior to taking graduate-level courses.
Submit three reference forms
Submit Admission Essay (500 words maximum) addressing the following questions:
Why are you choosing this degree?
How can UCM HDFS degree assist you to reach your career goal?
Interview- an interview will be scheduled for eligible candidates
Applications are due by February 1. Late applications may miss the interview process
and may only be considered for HDFS track
Course Sequence
Courses are offered in the graduate program in the fall, spring, and summer semesters.
Upon admission to the program, you will work wtih the HDFS Coordinator to schedule
your first semester classes. Subsequent semesters, you will work with your faculty
advisor for course scheduling options and advice. Students pursuing the Marriage and
Family Therapy Option of the Human Development and Family Science, MS degree can view
the course sequence for fall 2020-summer 2021 in the right column of this document.
