Help couples and families navigate the ups and downs of life.

Our Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) degree is a highly interactive program, designed to help students develop a strong foundational knowledge of best practices and therapeutic skills, from a systemic and relational framework. Our graduates help clients understand their symptoms and how to create change in the context of their relationships with family, friends, coworkers, teachers and others.

Graduates of the MFT program help people understand and cope with symptoms of anger, depression, anxiety, substance abuse and relationship challenges, with the ultimate goal of resolving conflicts, healing wounds and reestablishing progress toward common goals. They work in community agencies, non-profit mental health organizations, private practices, schools and substance abuse treatment centers providing therapy to individuals, couples and families.

On average, lecture classes consist of 18 students, skills classes of 12 students and clinical classes of 8 students. These small class sizes allow us to emphasize experiential learning, and all students participate as therapists in training at our own endowed Regis Center for Counseling and Family Therapy.

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Program Snapshot

Program Format
Evening classes are taught at our Thornton campus, with select courses offered in a weekend model

Time Commitment
2.5-3 years

Application Deadlines
See all important dates and deadlines >

View Full Degree Curriculum and Requirements

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Not sure which graduate counseling program is right for you? We can help with that.

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Join Regis Alumni Working As:

Community Mental Health Therapist

Work with individuals, couples and families in mental health agencies, substance abuse treatment centers and medical settings.


Private Practice Therapist

Provide individual, couple and/or family therapy as a member of a group or independent private practice.


School-Based Therapist

Provide interventions and therapy for children, both individually and with their peer groups, as well as with their families within a child’s school.


Youth Therapist

Build developmental assets for youth to thrive, working in such settings as juvenile justice, community mental health and private practice.


Couple and Family Therapy Educator and Supervisor

Pursue a Ph.D. to become a professor, researcher and clinical supervisor working in higher education and practice settings.


By the Numbers

100%
National exam pass rate for recent cohorts*
100%
Job placement rate for Regis graduates**
16%
Projected job growth through 2030***

*COAMFTE
**Graduate Outcomes, Regis University
***U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/marriage-and-family-therapists.htm

Imagine Yourself In ...

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MFT 650: Family Origins and Lifecycles

An in-depth study of the family life cycle and how the impact of transitions such as career, marriage, divorce and death at different stages can be used as guides to therapeutic understanding.

classroom shot with book icon on top of photo

MFT 665: Gender Development and Sexuality

Explores the physical, psychological, social, cultural and ethical aspects of human sexuality and gender development including gender roles, sexual expression and misconceptions and variations in gendered and sexual behavior.

classroom shot with book icon on top of photo

MFT 667: Couples Therapy

Examines theories of couples therapy, relational dynamics, cycles of partnering and negotiating, and emphasizes skills for working with couples conflict, violence, infidelity, commitment and divorce.

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Post-Graduate Certificates

Whether you are a new graduate of a counseling program, still completing your master’s degree in counseling, or an experienced counselor, our 18-credit-hour post-graduate certificates will help you become a more skilled counseling professional.

| Counseling Children and Adolescents
| Depth Psychotherapy
| Marriage and Family Therapy

COAMFTE logo The Master of Arts (MA) in Marriage and Family Therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), 112 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, (703) 838-9808, coa@aamft.org.

To apply to the M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy program, you will need:

  • Completed online application
  • Official degree-bearing transcript(s) from a regionally accredited college or university
  • Two admissions essays
  • Two professional and/or academic recommendation forms
  • Current resume including all professional and volunteer experience
  • On-campus interview

Real people. Really invested in you. Contact your admissions counselor today and learn how we help you each step of the way.

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Tuition for the 2023-2024 academic year: $806 per credit hour
Total program credits: 60
Tuition is one part of the overall cost of attendance, which includes all expenses students may have, including basic living costs. For more information about tuition, fees and your estimated cost of attendance, visit our Cost of Attendance for Adult Undergraduates and Graduate Students page. Tuition and fees are subject to change.

Fees: A non-refundable deposit of $350.00 is required at the time of acceptance to guarantee a position in the program. The deposit will be applied directly to tuition. Additional fees may include a background check, practicum fee, books and materials, among others.

Earning your Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Regis sets you apart and expands your professional network — think of it as an investment in your future. Between scholarship opportunities and financial aid packages, advancing your education is within reach. Explore our Investing in Your Future graduate financing guide or visit our Office of Financial Aid on the web.

Learn More About Financial Aid Options

What's Next?

Learn more about what to expect, from completing the application process to the next steps for admitted students.

Frequently Asked Questions

You have six years from the date you sign your degree plan to complete your degree. A 60-credit hour program generally takes students approximately three years to complete, taking an average of two to three courses a semester.

During the half-day admission interview at Regis’ Northwest Denver or Thornton Campus, prospective students participate in highly interactive group discussions and written reflective assignments designed to further assess each student's readiness for the program.

Are your interview dates flexible?
No. No exceptions are made to assigned interview dates.

Do you offer virtual interviews?
Rarely. In general, all candidates are required to interview in person on campus. The only exception to this rule is if an applicant lives outside of the US and is unable to travel due to visa regulations.

Classes are primarily held on the Thornton Campus. Some coursework is periodically offered at the Northwest Denver campus based on student and faculty needs.

Courses are offered in the following formats:

  • Term courses: These are seven weeks long and you come to class once a week from 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.
  • Semester courses: These are 14 weeks long and you come to class once a week from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
  • Intensive format: These are four days per month and you come to class Friday and/or Saturday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Practicum:

Regis MFT students complete a one-semester practicum on campus. They work with individuals, couples and families while being supervised by an AAMFT Approved Supervisor or AAMFT Approved Supervisor Candidate behind a one-way mirror or video monitor.

Students will be registered by the Clinical Administrative Coordinator for two classes (MFT 690 and MFT 692) which include:

  • Clinical work and supervision at the Regis Center for Counseling and Family Therapy –Thornton. This class meets for a 6-hour class period once each week during the semester and includes both clinical work AND supervision. Specific days and times for practicum vary between semester and assignment to practicum occurs after the application deadline each semester.
  • Time outside of clinical work and supervision to complete case documentation. This typically takes an additional 2-4 hours a week. All of this work must occur on campus in the HIPPA-compliant lab.

Internship:

Students will be registered by the Clinical Administrative Coordinator for one class (MFT 699A, MFT 699B, or MFT 699C) which includes:

  • Approximately 20-25 hours per week at an approved clinical Internship site – This time includes about 10-15 client contact hours each week, individual/triadic supervision with an approved site supervisor, documentation, preparation, training, and in-service time.
  • Regis Group Supervision: MFT internship students will meet virtually for 2 hours every week during weekday hours (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) with a Regis AAMFT Approved Supervisor faculty and a maximum of 8 Regis student interns. Specific days and times for internship sections vary between semesters, and assignment to the internship section occurs after the application deadline each semester.

Yes, many students do work while taking classes. Outside of the clinical component of the program, courses are taught in the evening or weekend format allowing for flexibility depending on a student’s lifestyle and commitments. Once students enter practicum and internship, flexibility in employment is very important as students will likely see clients during the day/working hours.

The State of Colorado Licensure Board for Marriage and Family Therapists requires an additional 2,000 hours of experience under the supervision of a board-approved supervisor. To become an LMFT in Colorado you must also pass the state licensure exam for marriage and family therapists, as well as the Colorado state jurisprudence exam. The licensure board issues a Marriage and Family Therapist License to applicants upon completion of all requirements.

Regis University does not issue licenses, rather the Regis MFT program meets the academic requirements for licensure in the state of Colorado. Regis University will issue the student a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy upon completion of all degree requirements.

The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) outlines in great detail the requirements for licensure in Colorado. Students interested in being licensed in states other than Colorado are responsible for looking at the academic requirements for licensure in those states. The Regis MFT program has not determined whether it meets academic requirements in any other state.

View licensure requirements for other states

Graduate Achievement Data Disclosure

Graduate Achievement Data for Regis University MA in Marriage and Family Therapy Program
Accredited: December 7, 2012
Advertised Program Length*: 3 years

Cohort Year Students
Entered Program
# of Students in Program Graduation Rate in
Advertised Time (%)*
Job Placement
Rate (%)**
Licensure Rate (%)***
FT PT FT PT FT PT FT PT
2015 - 2016 N/A 49 N/A 55% N/A 100% N/A 93%
2016 - 2017 N/A 55 N/A 47% N/A 94% N/A 79%
2017 - 2018 N/A 47 N/A 53% N/A 100% N/A 84%
2018 - 2019 N/A 48 N/A 65% N/A 89% N/A 94%
2019 - 2020 N/A 32 N/A 53% N/A IP N/A IP
2020 - 2021 N/A 42 N/A IP N/A IP N/A IP
2021 - 2022 N/A 57 N/A IP N/A IP N/A IP
2022 - 2023 N/A 26 N/A IP N/A IP N/A IP

FT=Full-time
PT=Part-time
IP=In Process: Students from the cohort listed have yet to graduate from the cohort year listed.
Programs are only required to provide data on the past 7 years/cohort or since the program was initially accredited, whichever is shorter.

*Graduation Rate is the program’s Advertised Length of Completion which is how long the program is designed to complete as written.
**Job Placement Rate is the percentage of graduates from the cohort year that are employed utilizing skills learned in the COAMFTE accredited program.
***Licensure rate is the percentage of graduates from the cohort year that have achieved ANY level of MFT licensure.
For Master’s programs only, COAMFTE has established a benchmark of 70% licensure rate for each cohort.

Notes on interpreting the Achievement Criteria Table

  1. “IP” means the time indicated to graduate and therefore to have graduation data has not fully elapsed yet.
  2. N/A means not applicable. Given that students have the ability to speed up or slow down their program at will, as long as they remain within the 6-year maximum graduation timeframe, we chose to name our program as part-time. To complete the program in the advertised length of time students need to take a minimum of 6 credit hours per term, with the exception of two terms where they would need to complete 9 credit hours. Since most of our students are working professionals, many choose to take fewer classes per term for at least part of their program. This helps you to understand the graduation rates within the advertised length of time. Since students may fluctuate between full and part-time status throughout their program of study and do not have to apply for one or the other, we report all students together.
  3. Job placement is based on surveys distributed to graduates. This means this information only represents graduates that have responded to our surveys and do not include all students who graduated within a specific academic year. The result is percentages may not accurately represent the experience of the overall group.
  4. Licensure data includes all graduates who have attained any level of an MFT license. In Colorado, this includes the Marriage and Family Therapy Candidate Data was collected in two ways. First by searching the Colorado licensure website, since this is the location where most of our graduates become licensed. Additionally, graduates were surveyed to try and collect information on those who may be licensed in a different state. As a result of this strategy, our estimates may underestimate how many graduates are licensed at this time.
  5. Data on all those admitted and starting Summer 2022 has not yet been calculated and included in this tabulation.

Marriage and Family Therapy Program Mission and Educational Outcomes Mission: The mission of the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT) program is to prepare competent professionals who practice socially just systemic therapy, consultation, and advocacy with diverse clients.

Goal 1: Graduate students who demonstrate relational ethics.
SLO 1: Students can describe how their socio-political identity shapes their attitudes, values, beliefs, and primary emotions.
SLO 2: Students can describe how the intersection of their own and the clients’ socio-political identities inhibit or facilitate the therapeutic relationship and process.
SLO 3: Students can articulate how the cultural context shapes the presentation of symptoms.
SLO 4: Students can use knowledge of socio-political contexts to inform decisions to intervene in the system. (notes for measuring outcomes: SLO 1 understanding racial identity development models)

Goal 2: Graduate students who address the ethical and legal components of clinical work.
SLO 5: Students can identify the most salient ethical concerns in a case.
SLO 6: Students can apply a systemically focused ethical decision-making model to a case.
SLO 7: Students access the resources and support needed to address ethical concerns.

Goal 3: Graduate students who grasp systemic theory and intentionally intervene with clients according to systemic theories and models.
SLO 8: Students will demonstrate knowledge of (or familiarity with) a range of C/MFT theories and how they are used in practice.
SLO 9: Students are able to access and evaluate research in order to use empirical evidence to guide clinical decision-making.
SLO 10: Students use psychometrically sound assessment tools to track clinical progress.
SLO 11: Students are able to develop a systemically oriented treatment plan to guide the development of therapy.
SLO 12: Students will demonstrate the ability to implement the systemically oriented treatment plan and evaluate client progress.

Goal 4: Graduate students who grasp the function of advocacy in their role as MFTs and intentionally engage in advocacy efforts.
SLO 13: Students can identify policies that impact client functioning and the therapeutic process as well as identify ways to intervene* to support client change.
*e.g. participation in the legislative process, participation in professional organizations as it relates to advocacy efforts, use of research to support and change policy.

V.12.5
COAMFTE Developmental Competency Components (CC) refer to the primary areas of professional learning and skill development central to the effective and ethical practice of a future Marriage and Family Therapy professional including:
CC-1 knowledge of the profession;
CC-2 practice of therapy;
CC-3 human diversity and social structures;
CC-4 professional identity, ethics, and law; and
CC-5 research and evidence-based practice.
This framework is intended to encompass historical, current, and future elements of MFT professional identity and practice, and to organize student learning outcomes expected of a graduate of the COAMFTE Accredited program.

A Culture of Excellence

Want to learn more? Here's something for you:
The Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy is offered by the Division of Counseling and Family Therapy within the Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions.