The Pre-Professional Graduate Certificate Program in Marriage and Family Therapy (CMFT) is an interdisciplinary program for graduate students interested in the applied field of marriage and family therapy.
The MFT Certificate program involves three units of the University of Georgia: The College of Education, the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, and the School of Social Work. Graduate courses that may be used to fulfill requirements for the certificate program are offered in several units of the University of Georgia including the Department of Human Development and Family Science, the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services, the School of Social Work, the Department of Psychology, and the Department of Educational Psychology.
The program is for graduate students concurrently enrolled in a graduate program at UGA. Certificate students must also see clients in a clinical setting during their degree program. Completion of the requirements for the certificate program will provide a strong basis preparing the student to undertake further supervised clinical training in marriage and family therapy.
For master’s degree students, the certificate will be awarded upon completion of the certificate requirements and completion of the master’s degree program in which the student is enrolled. For students already holding a master’s degree, the certificate will be awarded at the end of the semester in which the certificate requirements are satisfied.
How can I be admitted to the certificate program?
To be admitted into the certificate program, the student must be admitted to a department at the University of Georgia at the graduate level. Additionally, the certificate student must complete a practicum at a site with appropriate supervision approved by the student’s department. See the 'Application' page for more information on how to apply.
What courses do I have to take to complete the certificate?
Courses in the certificate program may also apply to the degree program in the student’s academic department, depending on departmental approval. Please see the 'Curriculum' page for more information on course requirements.
Does the certificate fulfill the requirements for an MFT License?
In short, no. The certificate program is not intended to provide all the training necessary to function as an independent professional nor to meet all the requirements for:
- State licensure as a marriage and family therapist or
- Clinical membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
For a practicum to count towards MFT licensure, the student must see couples and/or family clients under the supervision of an AAMFT Approved Supervisor or AAMFT Approved Supervisor in Training for 500 client contact hours over 12 consecutive months. In addition, courses approved for the Couple and Family Studies and Couple and Family Therapy content areas for the Certificate do not necessarily meet the definitions set forth in the Composite Board Rules for MFT licensure (135-5.05).
Even though we have applied our best efforts, it is the student’s responsibility to stay abreast of the requirements for state licensure in Marriage and Family Therapy. The requirements are available on the Georgia Secretary of State’s website and in the FAQ section.