Marriage and Family Therapy
Master of Science (M.S.)
Program Overview
The MFT Program is a cohort-based program with new enrollments occurring annually. It is an intensive program offering extensive clinical experience and rigorous academic studies to prepare students to practice as highly competent entry-level MFTs. To complete all program requirements, students must complete 2.5 years of study, including three summers, starting in early June of the first year and concluding at the end of August in the second year.
Become an Effective Therapist for Diverse Communities
Graduates of our program are equipped to provide therapeutic services and facilitate related change processes, with a focus on social justice, in various settings. As students, they participate in learning and practicing systemic and social constructionist ideas through a culturally infused curriculum and intensive, strength-based, community-focused clinical training. Our affordable program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).
Teaching Emphasis
The MFT program and the university place teaching as the first priority. Faculty members are selected for their excellence in teaching and commitment to strong faculty-student relationships. Classes usually have 30 students or fewer. Learning processes are highly interactive, emphasizing both personal growth and professional knowledge and skills.
Key Features
Multicultural Development
Program develops culturally responsive therapists with a diverse, compassionate and intelligent student body.
Experienced Faculty
Our faculty are actively involved in classes with students, clinical training, and often practice in the profession with diverse focuses and specialties.
COAMFTE Accredited
Clinical Experience
2.5-Year Intensive Program
Cohort 60-unit program model with 2 full years of face-to-face that begins in the summer of the first year.
Careers
MFTs focus on the interpersonal and relational aspects of human behavior, as well as the social contexts in which problems arise. They can work in a variety of settings, such as:
- Non-profit organizations
- Educational organizations
- Health care organizations
- Private practice
Learn more about this career:
Announcements
SDSU Launches Free Family Telehealth Therapy
A new initiative from the Center for Community Counseling and Engagement helps students and their families strengthen relationships through free virtual group sessions, offered in multiple languages by Marriage and Family Therapy trainees. Read more about the initiative.
Contact Us
Email: [email protected]
Inspired Achievements
Discover the accomplishments of our exceptional MFT graduates.
News
MFT Faculty and Students Speak Out About Racialized Tuition-Based Family Therapists Learning Without Teaching Decolonially
Faculty member Marcela Polanco and master’s students Claire Enemark, Fraol Olyad, and Pankaj Kumar published “Decolonially Speaking, Sensing, and Thinking: Racialized Tuition-Based Family Therapists Learning Without Teaching.” They address the ethical implications of becoming family therapists within Westernized universities that control and monetize knowledge through colonial and racialized systems. While diversity and inclusion policies appear progressive, they often reinforce “epistemic obedience.” The authors call for a decolonial approach—“learning without teaching”—that values community knowledge, heals therapists as they learn, and embraces “crack-making” as a path from resistance toward reexistence.
Shared Roots, Shared Purpose
After spending 20 years in marketing, Mona Klausing (‘13) knew she was ready for something different. So in her 40s, she decided to leave corporate life behind and take a leap to pursue a master’s degree in counseling at San Diego State University.
At SDSU, Mona found more than a new profession; she found community. Studying alongside classmates from different ages, cultures, and backgrounds was a refreshing shift from her corporate experience and shaped her passion for serving diverse and underserved communities.
Read Mona's full story from SDSUAlumni
Related Program
Online Spanglish Decolonial Healing
The Online Spanglish Decolonial Healing Certificate is a 12-unit program for Spanish and/or Spanglish speakers who want to learn about decolonization and healing. The program explores creative decolonial healing alternatives in Spanglish.