Marriage and Family Therapy

Dr. Kathleen Adams, Program Director

Degree Offered

Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy (MS MFT): A comprehensive 90 credit, three year program, the MS MFT is offered on Oregon Tech’s Klamath Falls campus with a course schedule designed for working adults: evening, weekend and hybrid courses.

Program Mission Statement

Oregon Tech’s Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy program prepares graduates to become skilled Marriage and Family Therapists with multicultural competence, expertise in rural mental health care, medical family therapy and technology in mental health care.

In strong collaboration with local child and family service organizations, health care and mental health care providers, the MS MFT program supports and strengthens mental health care and child and family services in the under-served rural areas that are southern Oregon and northern California.

Program Objectives

Strong Curriculum

Oregon Tech’s MS MFT program delivers a strong, comprehensive curriculum that exceeds curriculum requirements of the Oregon State Board of Licensed Counselors and Therapists, and the Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) programs. The MS MFT program prepares students to become leaders in the field, with particular focus on mental health care and child and family services in rural areas, medical family therapy, and the effective and ethical integration of technology in rural health care.

Community Service

Oregon Tech’s MS MFT program supports and strengthens rural mental health care and child and family services, in southern Oregon and northern California.

Continuing Education

Oregon Tech’s MS MFT program provides contemporary, immediately applicable continuing education seminars and conferences to educate and instruct the general public, program staff in public and private service organizations, and students and professionals. The MS MFT program also assists other organizations in conducting similar activities.

Oregon Tech’s MS MFT is Unique

Community Involvement

Strong community collaboration allows students to work in area child and family service agencies, part-time, from the beginning of their studies. Additionally, a limited number of Graduate Assistantship are awarded for program support or research work in community agencies.

Medical Family Therapy

MS MFT students develop the knowledge and skills required to become indispensable leaders in the rapidly developing multidisciplinary field of Medical Family Therapy.

Career Success

Committed to helping students excel in their careers, faculty in Oregon Tech’s MS MFT program mentor students beyond graduation, through completion of post grad clinical hours and licensing exams.

Mental Health Care in Under-served and Rural Areas

Mental health care needs in rural areas, like southern Oregon, provide unique challenges that require unique approaches. Oregon Tech’s MS MFT students develop the expertise and skills required to excel as rural mental health care providers.

Technology

MS MFT students become experts in the ethical and practical use of technology in health care.

Exceeding Clinical Licensing Requirements

The Oregon Tech MS MF program has a comprehensive curriculum designed to meet, and exceed, the curriculum requirements of:

Oregon Licensing Boards:
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
- Licensed Professional Counselor
- Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors III (CADC III)
California MFT Licensing Board
Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).

Career Opportunities

The U.S. Labor Department projects that the demand for Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT’s) will increase, with employment in the profession expected to rise 14 percent between 2008 and 2018.

MFT’s are trained in both psychotherapy and in family systems, which allows them to focus on understanding client symptoms in the context of the relational interactions that influence behavior. Family-based therapy is a powerful model for change. Research has shown that family-based interventions such as those utilized by MFTs are as effective as–and in many cases more effective than–alternative therapies, often at a lower cost. MFTs apply a holistic perspective to health care; they are concerned with the overall, long-term well-being of individuals and their families. Whoever the client, MFTs view problems from a relationship perspective.

Admission

MFTs come from a wide variety of backgrounds including social studies, psychology, religious studies, the humanities, nursing, pastoral counseling, and education. The field is founded in a multidisciplinary studies, the rich traditions of the humanities and social sciences, and in the practical approaches of psychology.

The application and selection process identifies candidates with strong academic skills, maturity, experience, and clinical and leadership potential. Successful applicants submit a personal essay, academic transcripts and recommendations from professionals familiar with applicant maturity and academic and clinical potential. Selected applicants participate in an interview with the Admissions Committee.

Academic Coursework Prerequisites

Qualified applicants must have successfully completed the following undergraduate courses with a grade of B or better:

Intro Psychology or Intro Social Psychology
Human Sexuality
Theories of Personality or Theories of Counseling
Human Development or Lifespan Development

Academic Deficiencies and Conditional Acceptance

Applicants who have not successfully completed the academic coursework prerequisites may be accepted on the condition that the prerequisite coursework is successfully completed with a grade of B or better before starting MS MFT coursework. Oregon Tech offers the prerequisite courses throughout the year, including summer sessions.

Oregon Transfer Module (OTM)

The Oregon Transfer Module (OTM) provides a one-year curriculum for students who plan to transfer to a State of Oregon community college or university. The module allows students to complete one year of general education foundation course work that is academically sound and will meet the admission standards of the receiving school. Students should work closely with an academic advisor to ensure selection of appropriate course work. Upon transfer, students may be required to complete additional course work in general education or an academic major specific to the receiving institution. Students who transfer prior to the completion of the Oregon Transfer Module will have their courses individually evaluated by the receiving institution. Students must complete a minimum of 45 credits of lower division course work with a grade of “C-” or better in order to receive credit for the Oregon Transfer Module. A minimum of 12 credits must be earned at Oregon Tech. The following courses may be used to complete the Oregon Transfer Module:

FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS

Writing and Oral Communication

Writing

Two courses of college level composition

Oral Communication

One course of Public Speaking or Communication

Mathematics

One course of College level Math

INTRODUCTION TO DISCIPLINES

Arts and Letters/Humanities

3 courses of Arts and letters/Humanities
Oregon Tech only allows 3 credits of performance or studio-based courses in this category

Science/Math/Computer Science

3 courses, including at least one biological or physical science with a laboratory

Social Science

3 courses of Social Science

Programs

Major

Marriage and Family Therapy, MS