PLNU’s Marriage Family Therapist Program
Licensed marriage family therapists help 90% of their clients achieve better emotional health. You can make a real difference by helping people who struggle with mental, emotional, and health disorders. Your work can range from resolving marital conflicts and depression to treating adolescence drug abuse and alcoholism.
The career prospects look bright for licensed marriage and family therapists. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 13% employment growth from 2023 to 2033. Three out of four couples see improvements in their relationships through therapy. A master’s in counseling opens doors to work as a clinician, therapist, or counselor in a variety of treatment settings. These opportunities include private practice, crisis centers, and school wellness centers.
Point Loma Nazarene University’s Marriage Family Therapist Program equips you with education and hands-on experience to succeed in this expanding field. Students typically complete their master’s program in clinical counseling within two to three years, which includes practicum hours needed to graduate. PLNU’s program graduates can take their licensure test right after completing the 3,000 clinical hours that most states require.
Program Snapshot
PLNU’s Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling (MACC) program helps you become a licensed marriage family therapist. The program combines faith-based principles with modern therapeutic practices in a detailed curriculum. Students can complete 63 units in 24 months. Spring start students take a 32-month track because of practicum requirements.
The MACC program matches your priorities with two learning formats:
- On-Ground Format: Face-to-face classes twice weekly (Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday) with cohort-based learning
- Online Format: A flexible mix of synchronous classes (1-3 days per week via Zoom) and asynchronous coursework you can complete at your convenience
The program stands out with its dual-track approach. You’ll meet the requirements for both Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) licensure in California when you graduate. This dual qualification opens more career paths without forcing you to choose between specializations.
Your second year involves supervised practicum training where you’ll complete 700 total hours (300 face-to-face direct service). On-ground students start at PLNU’s on-site training clinic in Mission Valley before moving to external sites.
The program has several unique requirements. Students must complete 20 hours of personal psychotherapy with a licensed clinician. At least ten hours should be individual or group therapy. The final assessment is a Comprehensive Examination—a computerized mock license exam that tests your coursework and clinical knowledge.
Clinical skills develop through hands-on learning that combines faith views when appropriate. After graduation, you can work in settings like private practice, couples counseling, child services, spiritual ministry, community mental health, addiction recovery, hospitals, and school-based mental health.
This program gives you the theoretical knowledge and practical experience to serve people of all backgrounds as a licensed marriage family therapist.
Pathways and Specializations
PLNU’s MACC program offers something special – a dual licensure pathway. Most programs make you choose a specialization, but PLNU’s curriculum gives you the tools to earn both Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) credentials. You’ll have more career options without taking extra courses.
These two licenses let you work with similar groups of people, but they differ substantially in their focus:
- LMFT Approach: Centers on relationships and social contexts that shape individual experiences and challenges
- LPCC Approach: Emphasizes personal development and individual factors influencing your view and well-being
LMFTs excel at helping families with their communication problems, life changes like divorce or adoption, and marriage counseling. LPCCs focus on personal mental health, growth, adjusting to disability, crisis help, and managing stress.
Both paths teach you to handle crisis situations, trauma recovery, relationship challenges, and mental health disorders. Your degree completion leads to about 3,000 supervised hours under a licensed clinician before you take state and national licensure exams.
Career opportunities in this field are growing faster than ever. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that marriage and family therapist jobs will grow 13% by 2033, opening around 9,800 positions yearly. This is a big deal as it means that the growth outpaces many other careers.
Graduates work in private practice, hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, community agencies, churches, and government organizations. Some become school counselors, clinical directors, or addiction specialists. Others choose careers in legal and correctional systems, HMOs, military settings (especially when you have Veterans Affairs positions), or religious institutions.
Meeting requirements for both licenses lets you pick your credential based on where your career interests take you.
Learning Options and Flexibility
PLNU knows that becoming a licensed marriage family therapist means juggling personal and work life. The program has learning formats that work well with different lifestyles and needs.
You can choose between on-ground and online MACC programs based on your priorities. Students in on-ground classes meet face-to-face twice a week, either Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday. The online program works differently – students join Zoom classes 1-3 days weekly, and complete other work when it fits their schedule.
The online MACC program is really flexible. You can finish it in just two years or take up to four years if you keep enrolling. This works great if you have a job to manage while studying.
The course setup is straightforward. Weekly modules in asynchronous classes let you work on assignments before deadlines, and you can check materials anytime that week. The live video sessions make shared learning and person-to-person connections possible.
The second year brings new time commitments. The practicum takes about 20 hours each week on top of your 10 hours of weekly classes. Many students find it hard to work during this busy time.
Students often keep their full-time or part-time jobs during year one. In spite of that, time management becomes crucial when practicum work starts.
This flexible program lets you shape your experience to become a licensed marriage and family therapist. Yes, it is a smart design – you’ll get the same detailed preparation for licensure exams and clinical practice, whatever format you pick.
Admission Requirements
The path to becoming a licensed marriage family therapist at PLNU starts with meeting specific admission requirements. Your original qualifications must include a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Students with GPAs below this requirement can reach out to an enrollment counselor about the exceptions policy[162].
You need these three prerequisite courses to qualify:
- General Psychology
- Abnormal Psychology
- Human Development[162]
Your application package should include these essential components:
- Completed online application with $50 fee (PLNU alumni, military personnel and dependents, and PLNU employees get this fee waived)
- Official transcripts sent directly from your institution
- Professional resume/vita
- 500-600 word statement of purpose that covers five specific topics
- Three professional references
The Department of Graduate Psychology requires you to complete the MMPI-2 or MMPI-3 personality assessment and attend an interview before admission. Admitted students must then pass a background check.
The program’s completion and meeting these requirements will prepare you to fulfill the approximately 3,000 supervised clinical hours needed for licensure. This complete admissions process will give a solid foundation for the intensive training required to become a successful licensed marriage and family therapist.
Why Choose This Program
PLNU’s program means more than just getting a degree—you become part of a caring community that wants you to succeed. The 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio lets professors give individual attention to students and serve as mentors who help them grow.
Your coursework is carefully planned to help you pass licensure exams. Each course has elements that prepare you for these important tests. You’ll also get access to free exam prep workshops after graduation to keep your knowledge sharp.
The program lets you gain hands-on clinical experience right from year one. The state-of-the-art trainee practicum clinic is a chance to work with real clients while experts supervise you. Students taking online classes can build their skills through innovative simulated patient interactions that match the quality of in-person training.
This program stands out because it blends faith-based principles with modern therapy approaches. The faculty carefully combines Christian values with evidence-based practices and explores ethical questions through a spiritual lens.
The results speak for themselves. 75% of PLNU graduates move up in their careers. Master’s degree holders earn a median salary of $63,780 nationally, and higher in California.