About the Program
You Set the Pace
In designing your approach to MFT study, the blueprints can be laid out in a two-, three-, or four-year program. The timeline is up to you. Depending on the course of action you choose to complete this 60-unit degree, you may take 6, 9, or 12 units each term.
A Schedule that Meets Your Needs
At APU, we recognize there is more to your life than graduate school. You have other responsibilities, including work. That is why the MFT Program was thoughtfully designed so you can work while completing your degree. The program offers most courses in blocks of time, typically between 4-10 p.m., reducing your required days on campus during the week.
About Our Students
The MFT Program student body consists of roughly 75 percent female students and 25 percent male students. Half enter straight from undergraduate work, and approximately 80 percent work while they complete their degree. Lecture classes consist of 25-30 students, and clinical settings average 12-15 students. The enrollment includes African-American, Asian, Caucasian, and Latino students.
What Are They Doing Now?
Graduates from APU's MFT Program put their degrees to work in a variety of fulfilling careers. The following list highlights just a few of the roles they enjoy:
- Agency directors, therapists, and/or staff
- Church counseling center administrators
- Hospital staff
- Nonprofit managers
- Private practice counselors
- Professional speakers
- Supervisors
- Teachers
- University administrators
- Writers/contributing editors for professional journals
Community Counseling Centers
The Community Counseling Centers (CCCs) at Azusa Pacific University, directly affiliated with the Department of Graduate Psychology, are American Psychological Association-approved clinical psychology training programs. Initiated in 1989, this program continues in steady growth and development, addressing the mental health needs of individuals and groups throughout the community.
The CCCs encompass four programs, each coordinated by a clinical psychologist to ensure high quality service and collaborative efforts. The counselors are marriage and family therapy trainees and interns, Psy.D. trainees, and post-doctoral fellows. The centers seek to match staff members and clients according to their needs and strengths, facilitating the therapeutic process or consulting project.
Before therapy begins, clients are evaluated to determine the severity of their current dilemma and discuss the process that will lead to goal achievement. To assist the therapeutic process and ensure the quality of treatment, sessions are audio- or videotaped and reviewed under supervision. Occasionally, clients view or listen to the tapes, providing the unique opportunity to experience their therapy sessions from a third-person perspective. Developing new insight through this technique, many clients are able to contribute significantly to the progress of their treatment. To preserve client confidentiality, all tapes are kept private and erased after review or within one month after the recording session.
