MS PROGRAM: MFT Faculty are NOT available to meet with those who are interested in the MS program. Those who are interested should email mftptsec@byu.edu to get on the list for the next upcoming Information Meeting. Information Meetings are available in person on campus and also available via Zoom. We are approaching 200 applicants every year and it is not feasible to meet with potential applicants one-on-one or small groups.

PHD PROGRAM: Yes, you should email individual faculty members to inquire about their current research plans and whether they are taking doctoral students. We have an apprenticeship model for the PhD program, where you will work closely with your advisor. Consequently, it can be very useful to contact them before applications are due to make a personal/professional connection.

MS PROGRAM: There aren't any specific prerequisites. There are some recommended courses you can take, but they are not required for admittance to our program. The list of suggested courses can be found here: http://mft.byu.edu/Pages/recommended-courses. Similar courses can be found and taken at most undergraduate institutions.

PHD PROGRAM: There aren't any specific prerequisites; however, we do prefer applicants who have had statistics and/or research methods courses in their MS program. Again, these are not required for admittance to our program.

MS PROGRAM: To prepare for this program, there are some things that will strengthen your application, but none of the items listed below are required:

• Research experience is very helpful because research is a focus in this program, and prior experience helps the professors see that you are prepared for this program's rigor.
• Any volunteer therapy experiences (psych tech, care tech, therapy-type work, etc.) can show that you are already beginning to understand individuals and families from a therapist's perspective
• Human Service experience of any kind shows a dedication to helping others, which is at the core of the successful practice of therapy. We want you to be sure that you can handle people’s big emotions (anger, hurt, sadness). Please note that we want to see something here besides your LDS mission service.

PHD PROGRAM: To prepare for this program, there are some things that will strengthen your application, but none of the items listed below are absolutely required:

• Research experience in the form of a thesis or publication, and/or mentored experience as a research assistant.
• Clinical experience with individuals, couples and families
• Other professional activities and experience

MS PROGRAM: As of 2020, the GRE is optional, and if you have concerns or barriers that make taking the GRE difficult, you can choose not to take it.

PHD PROGRAM: As of 2020, the GRE is optional, and if you have concerns or barriers that make taking the GRE difficult, you can choose not to take it.

Each years' applicants are exclusively considered in comparison to each other, so the only minimum score requirement is a 3.0 GPA. We will also calculate your GPA in upper division coursework from your transcript and generally expect roughly a 3.7 GPA by that metric. In the acceptance process, we also takes into account your 3 letters of recommendation, your intent statement, and other qualifications such as research, volunteer and human service experience, so these scores are not the only important consideration.

To see the average scores of accepted students for the past 5 years, go to https://gradstudies.byu.edu/graduate-student-statistics
Find Marriage and Family Therapy (MS or PhD) on the list. Click on your preferred program. Then, click on the blue "Admitted Stats" button on the left. You will be shown the GPA stats, as well as other demographic stats for that program.

MS PROGRAM: Enter the GPA that appears in your unofficial transcript.

PHD PROGRAM: Enter the GPA that appears in your unofficial transcript.

MS PROGRAM: No. It is best to leave this field blank unless you have already know which faculty member would be best to have as your advisor. It is more advisable to list multiple faculty whose research interests appeal to you. For a summary of faculty research interests, please visit the Faculty Directory page.

PHD PROGRAM: Yes, you should list one or more faculty mentors that could serve as your research advisor. It can be helpful to email individual faculty members to inquire about their current research plans and whether they are taking doctoral students. We have an apprenticeship model for the PhD program, where you will work closely with your advisor. Consequently, it can be very useful to contact them before applications are due to make a personal/professional connection.

MS PROGRAM: This is determined case by case after students are accepted. The program director will look at the courses that have already been completed to see if they line up with the courses required for our program and then determine transfer credits from there. The Office of Graduate Studies only allows 25% of the total credits required for the program to be transferred, so for the Master's program you can only transfer up to 15 credits.

PHD PROGRAM: This is determined case by case after students are accepted. The program director will look at the courses that have already been completed to see if they line up with the courses required for our program and then determine transfer credits from there. The Office of Graduate Studies only allows 25% of the total credits required for the program to be transferred, so for the Doctoral program you can only transfer 15-17 credits.

MS PROGRAM: Anything in your life experience that would help us know you better. In particular, we are interested in your Research Experience, Volunteer Experience, and Human/Social Service Experience (see example here).

PHD PROGRAM: Anything in your life experience that would help us know you better. In particular, we are interested in your Research Experience, Volunteer Experience, and Clinical Experience (see example here).

MS PROGRAM: A great resource to use to find research opportunities is the School of Family Life (SFL) website (https://familylife.byu.edu/research-interests). SFL professors are always looking for Research Assistants, so visit the website regularly as it is always being updated! Working with faculty from other departments is also encouraged, given that most of your experience in working with Psychology or Sociology will equip you with transferrable skills.

PHD PROGRAM: In general, the best experiences can be found in your MS program, working with one of your actively-researching faculty members.

MS PROGRAM: No, instead you will provide us with your responses to series of essay-type questions. We have found that this format allows us to get to know you better than a formal statement of intent.

PHD PROGRAM: No, instead you will provide us with your responses to series of essay-type questions. We have found that this format allows us to get to know you better than a formal statement of intent.

MS PROGRAM: Send them to BYU (#4019) and they will go to the graduate school, where they will automatically be linked with your application and sent on to us. If you took the GRE twice and got higher scores in different sections on each test, then we will take the higher number. Just enter the higher score you received on your application, and we will review the actual scores of each test when they are sent to us.

PHD PROGRAM: Send them to BYU (#4019) and they will go to the graduate school, where they will automatically be linked with your application and sent on to us. If you took the GRE twice and got higher scores in different sections on each test, then we will take the higher number. Just enter the higher score you received on your application, and we will review the actual scores of each test when they are sent to us.

MS and PHD PROGRAMS: An endorsement is required for all applicants. All persons wanting to attend BYU must complete and maintain a valid ecclesiastical endorsement in order to be enrolled at the university. The process can be started at endorse.byu.edu and depending on your situation the process may be different. Below are a few examples of how you can complete this process depending on your individual situation.

Please note: Current BYU students need an additional applicant endorsement with both their stake president and bishop in addition to their current continuing student endorsement.

LDS applicants

• As an LDS applicant applying for graduate admission (including currently enrolled BYU students), you must obtain a NEW ecclesiastical endorsement which requires an interview with both your local bishop and stake president.
• Currently enrolled BYU undergraduate students are instructed NOT to complete the "Continuing/Currently Enrolled" endorsement as this option is not relevant to graduate admissions and will cause you significant delays.

Non-LDS applicants

• As a Non-LDS applicant you may elect to complete an ecclesiastical interview with either your local religious leader or a local LDS bishop in your area and then a final interview via phone or email with our on-campus BYU Chaplain.
• To find the name and phone number of the nearest LDS bishop in your area please click here.
• Note: Non-LDS applicants in remote countries with no religious presence such as China should contact Graduate Admissions at (801) 422-7367 or by email at gsadmissionintern@byu.edu for interview assistance.

MS and PHD PROGRAMS: We do not require the background check until after you are admitted to the program. This means you do not need to send in your background check with the application, but will instead provide it for us at the start of your first term.

MS and PHD PROGRAMS: It is most beneficial if your recommenders speak on the specific traits, skills, and strengths they noticed during their time with you as well as what sets you apart from other students/employees. We encourage you to have at least 2 of your letters from faculty members or others who have been to graduate school – their recommendations about your ability to finish the program will carry more weight if they can gauge your capacity for the academic challenges of a MS/PhD program. We also discourage you from submitting letters from people who cannot be expected to be objective about your abilities and aptitude (e.g., religious leaders, family members, friends).

MS and PHD PROGRAMS: There several questions to respond to and you will be given some prep time before each question, except the 3rd question, which gives no prep time. This is very much like a live interview so think quickly in your responses as you will NOT be able to pause the video once you begin. The MFT department will NOT be able to reset your video if you stop/submit the video by mistake. You must allow the video to save 100% in order for your video to be available to view.

MS and PHD PROGRAMS: First, we congratulate you for your effort and hope you recognize this is no easy feat! There could be a number of reasons why you were not invited to interview for the program or not accepted. Many students who apply could be successful, but limited space allows only for those students who are most particularly suited for our program, the current faculty, and their research interests. While you may reapply, we caution that those who have been interviewed and not accepted have a very small chance of getting another interview and being accepted. Should you decide to reapply, you will need to be specific about what you have done to improve since the last application and why you should be reconsidered. Given the high number of applicants every year, we encourage you to apply to many MFT programs.

MS and PHD PROGRAMS: There are many good options for Marriage and Family Therapy programs. We suggest you look at COAMFTE accredited programs here.

MS and PHD PROGRAMS: These three treatment fields fit onto a spectrum ranging from psychology, which is more focused on the individual and assessment tools, to MFT, which is focused on the system or interactions between individuals, to Social Work, which is focused on the wider scope of the community.

All are recognizable, established, and credible mental health fields, and all allow reimbursement from insurance. It is recommended that you apply to programs that are accredited as this typically makes your licensure process more straight-forward. It is also important to check on state-specific requirements for state-level licensure.

MS PROGRAM: The master's degree program takes 22-24 months to complete. Students are expected to be full-time all year round, including the Spring and Summer terms. Your longest breaks from classes and from seeing clients is during Christmas and summer breaks.

PHD PROGRAM: The doctoral degree program takes 3-4 years to complete. Students are expected to be full-time all year round, including the Spring and Summer terms. Your longest breaks from classes and from seeing clients is during Christmas and summer breaks.

MS PROGRAM: Please review the most recent Handbook and view the semester-by-semester guide for coursework. For additional information regarding the program's details, there is a Letter to Prospective Students which can help explain more of the specifics about the program.

Students participate in classes and therapy sessions to prepare to practice therapy. Students will be assigned their own clients around the third month of the program so they can begin to accumulate the 400 clinical hours required for graduation. Master's students are also required to write a thesis or clinical project. Students will actively engage with professors for mentored research and will typically have an opportunity to present at a national conference.

PHD PROGRAM: Please review the most recent Handbook and view the semester-by-semester guide for coursework. For additional information regarding the program's details, there is a Letter to Prospective Students which can help explain more of the specifics about the program.

Students participate in classes and therapy sessions to prepare to practice therapy. Students will be assigned their own clients early in their first semester of practicum. Doctoral students are required to write a dissertation in addition to a doctoral portfolio of accomplishments (e.g., publishing 2-3 articles in peer-reviewed journals, teaching, supervising). Students will actively engage with professors for mentored research and will typically have an opportunity to present at a national conference.

MS PROGRAM: Students must complete 400 face-to-face clinical hours with individuals, couples, families, or children. At least 251 of those hours must involve couples or families. You are also required to have at least 100 hours of supervision with a faculty member.

PHD PROGRAM: Students must complete 400 face-to-face clinical hours with individuals, couples, families, or children. At least 251 of those hours must involve couples or families. You are also required to have at least 100 hours of supervision with a faculty member.

MS PROGRAM: Most students will expect to start seeing clients in about November of their first year. Prior to seeing clients, students will need to demonstrate competency in therapy situations (as determined by their practicum supervisor) as they observe other students in the program doing therapy from behind the one-way mirror.

PHD PROGRAM: Most students will expect to start seeing clients in fall semester of their first year unless they are coming from a non-clinical MS program.

MS and PHD PROGRAMS: No, not directly. Clients who come to this clinic typically pay $15/session and the money that is collected for therapy goes directly to funding programs activities that directly benefit the students (e.g., travel to conferences, guest speakers, graduation banquets, scholarships). Students in both programs will have opportunity to work outside of the BYU Clinic where they will be paid for their off-site clinical work as interns. For MS students, internships typically begin in Jan of their second year. For PhD students, internship can begin as early as their first year in the program.

MS PROGRAM: Licensure requirements vary by state. Graduation from our COAMFTE accredited program will enable you to meet the requirements necessary to obtain licensure in Utah (and transfer to most states except CA, where there are additional requirements to meet). There is a national licensing exam required for licensure that you will need to take within 2 years of graduating from our program.

PHD PROGRAM: Most PhD students choose to become licensed during their time in the program.

MS PROGRAM: The MS program is designed to help students meet the requirements for licensure in Utah and almost every other state (see CA as the primary exception). The BYU program faculty are all active as researchers and, as such, are very focused on helping students contribute to the empirical and conceptual MFT literature. Students will work as research assistants throughout their program so there is a dual emphasis on clinical and research-related professional development.

PHD PROGRAM: The PhD program is very much focused on research, with some clinically-related courses (e.g., Advanced Theory, Supervision in MFT). The BYU program faculty are all active as researchers and, as such, are very focused on helping students contribute to the empirical and conceptual MFT literature. Students will work as research assistants throughout their program; however, the doctoral internship (third/fourth year) can be structured to best fit students’ future professional goals if these go beyond the researcher role.

MS and PHD PROGRAMS: We regularly enroll students in the programs who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ. There will, of course, be a difference in tuition costs as required by the university, and all students who attend BYU must agree to abide by the BYU Honor Code and receive an Ecclesiastical Endorsement. Please note that all PhD students receive full tuition scholarships regardless of religion affiliation and cost. All MS students receive half LDS Rate tuition scholarship.

MS and PHD PROGRAMS: We frequently have students who have decided to come back to school after working or raising a family and/or students who have not been in the school setting for several years. We also have students who make a career change mid-career. As an important note, our program is designed as a full-time, intensive academic program and is not suited for those who cannot work and study at least 40-50 hours per week.

MS PROGRAM: We recommend that you do not work outside the program. With both clinical and academic workloads, it is a very rigorous program and additional work might will make it next to impossible for you to focus on your clients and studies. We do provide financial assistance to help offset the costs of graduate school.

PHD PROGRAM: We recommend that you do not work outside the program until your internship year (third or fourth year). With both clinical and academic workloads, it is a very rigorous program and additional work might will make it next to impossible for you to focus on your clients and studies. We do provide financial assistance to help offset the costs of graduate school.

MS PROGRAM: Students receive 1/2 LDS rate tuition scholarships and have the opportunity to work in their 10-hour/week research assistantship that will yield as much as $9,620/yr. Students also receive financial support for travel to conferences (state, national/international). Students are also encouraged to search for additional financial aid in the form of research, college and university-level scholarships.

PHD PROGRAM: Students receive Full Tuition scholarships as well as a research stipend yielding as much as $24,000 each year. Students also receive financial support for travel to conferences (state, national/international). Students are also encouraged to search for additional financial aid in the form of research, college and university-level scholarships.

MS and PHD PROGRAMS: In the past 5 years, all graduating students seeking MFT-related work have secured a position, most before their graduation. There has been some difficulty finding initial positions for students trying to find work as a clinician within Utah County (near BYU) because of high therapist saturation. Students willing to work outside of Utah County typically find work more quickly and have better job opportunities. Many of our students also choose to obtain a Ph.D. after graduating from our M.S. program and all are admitted to good programs throughout the nation.

The numbers below are roughly average for Master's and Doctoral graduates, but salaries will vary between states due to cost of living and saturation of mental health professionals in the area. For example, in Utah County the typical private pay therapy rate ranges from about $80-200/hour.

In recent alumni surveys, our Doctoral students reported earning about $70,000-100,000/year within just a few years of graduation. Our Master's alumni reported earning about $40,000-70,000/year within a few years of graduation. This indicates a field with ample opportunity, and as insurance companies continue to prioritize MFT's relatively swift treatment times with higher payouts per visit, these salary numbers are likely to rise swiftly. Additional information about MFT salaries can be accessed here. MFTs can work in a variety of settings such as in academics, private practice, healthcare settings and other entrepreneurial arenas that will all affect actual salary.

MS and PHD PROGRAMS: Though there are many ways to find information about the profession, the best way to actually know what MFTs do is to observe them. Due to patient privacy protections, this can be difficult, but the links below lead to various videos and video collections that show Marriage and Family Therapy and related therapies in action. These videos are possible only because the patients have given their permission for their release. There are some helpful MFT profiles on the AAMFT website (

Most Recent Posts

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Sue Johnson - Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) in Action

Evan Imber-Black - Family Secrets in Psychotherapy

Virginia Satir - Therapy Video

Psychotherapy Video Collection

MS and PHD PROGRAMS: To be accredited by COAMFTE ensures that you are receiving a quality education in MFT that meets or exceeds COAMFTE standards established by the MFT profession. Our program is nationally recognized for our continuous commitment to high quality by going through annual reporting and re-accreditation. Because we are accredited, we produce graduates that are exceptionally prepared for careers as marriage and family therapists by offering a curriculum that meets requirements of State Licensing Boards. To learn more about the benefits of being accepted into a COAMFTE accredited program, visit their website.