Marriage and Family Therapy Curriculum

Individualized Plans of Study

Because applicants enter the Graduate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy with varied graduate training backgrounds, you will complete an individualized plan of study aligned with Massachusetts LMFT educational requirements.

The individualized plan will determine:

  • Which required content areas you have already met
  • Which additional courses you need to satisfy licensure requirements
  • Whether your total graduate coursework meets the 60-credit minimum

Your plan of study will be tailored to meet licensure requirements without unnecessary duplication of coursework, while ensuring full regulatory compliance.

As part of the application process to this graduate certificate program, you are required to:

  • Submit official transcripts from all prior undergraduate and graduate-level coursework
  • Identify and briefly note which previously completed courses you believe may meet LMFT educational content requirements.

Final determinations regarding course equivalency and program requirements are made by program faculty and do not constitute a guarantee of licensure eligibility.

Educational Requirements for LMFT Licensure in Massachusetts

To be eligible for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Massachusetts, you must complete a minimum of 60 graduate semester credits and demonstrate successful completion of specific content areas and a supervised clinical internship, as outlined in 262 CMR 3.03.

If your master’s or doctoral degree included fewer than 60 credits, you may complete additional graduate-level coursework outside of your original degree program, provided that all required content areas and clinical training requirements are met and approved by the Board.

The Graduate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy is designed to support completion of the following required content areas:

  • Marital and Family Studies (3 courses)
  • Marital and Family Therapy (3 courses)
  • Human Development (3 courses, if needed)
  • Professional Studies (1 course, if needed)
  • Research (1 course, if needed)
  • Supervised Clinical Internship or Practicum

Certificate Courses That Fulfill These Requirements

The following William James College courses in the Counseling and Behavioral Health Department fulfill the required LMFT educational content areas:

Marital and Family Studies

Marital and Family Therapy

Human Development

Professional Studies

Research

Clinical Internship

The clinical internship includes a minimum of 300 hours of direct, face-to-face client contact under the direction of an approved supervisor. Supervision consists of 100 face-to-face hours, including:

  • At least 50 hours of individual supervision
  • At least 25 hours of supervision involving direct observation or audio/video review

Clinical and Professional Focus

While in the Graduate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy program, you will engage in:

  • In-depth training in systemic and relational theory
  • Evidence-based couple and family therapy models
  • Culturally responsive and justice-oriented clinical practice
  • On-campus learning alongside students in the CFT concentration
  • Supervised clinical internship experiences aligned with LMFT requirements

As part of the application process, applicants are asked to upload official transcripts and indicate which previously completed courses they believe may align with the LMFT educational content areas listed above. This information is used to support individualized advising and does not constitute a final determination of licensure eligibility.