Program: Marriage and Family Therapy (Ph.D.) - Kansas State University

Apr 21, 2025

2014-2015 Graduate Catalog

The Family Studies and Human Services department participates in the Ph.D. degree program awarded from the College of Human Ecology with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy. The mission of our MFT doctoral program is to educate and mentor family scientist-practitioners with the most advanced, cutting edge research training, for the purpose of developing scholars prepared to make significant contributions in academic and clinical settings. Our goal is to develop distinguished scholars who are highly sought after due to their demonstrated competency as world-class researchers, excellent clinicians, clinical supervisors, and educators. Students pursue programs of study that include course work in human development, family studies, marital and family therapy, statistics, and research methods. The Ph.D. specialization in marriage and family therapy is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).

Program Requirements

This curriculum for the Ph.D. in MFT follows COAMFTE guidelines. It assumes students have completed the requirements for the COAMFTE Master’s-Level Standard Curriculum. Where that is not the case, students must complete the equivalent of any deficiencies. Most students complete the program in four years. Students have seven years to complete the program. A minimum of 90 credits is required. No more than 30 credit hours from a masters degree may be applied to fulfill PhD requirements.

Additional Learning (6 hours)

One clinical or research elective - 3 credit hours
One research elective - 3 credit hours

End-of-Program Requirements

Accumulate 1000 approved clinical hours (including approved transfer hours)
Successfully defend your dissertation proposal seminar, write the dissertation, and successfully complete your oral defense of the dissertation
AND
Successfully complete portfolio with fewer than two publications
AND
Complete written preliminary examinations and, if necessary, successfully defend them in the oral preliminary examination
OR
Successfully defend your dissertation proposal seminar, write the dissertation, and successfully complete your oral defense of the dissertation
AND
Successfully complete portfolio with at least two publications

Notes

Students interested in this option with questions about program requirements or curriculum should contact:

Dr. Jared Anderson
Doctoral Program Admissions Chair
Marriage and Family Therapy
School of Family Studies and Human Services
113 Campus Creek Complex
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506
(785) 532-4198
jra@ksu.edu

Students interested in this option with questions about admission should contact:

Connie J. Fechter
Graduate Program Admissions Coordinator
School of Family Studies and Human Services
304 Justin Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506
(785) 532-1473
fechter@ksu.edu

Marriage and Family Therapy (Ph.D.)

Program Requirements

Assessment and Treatment in Marital and Family Therapy (3 hours)

Family Studies and Human Services (3 hours)

Supervision of MFT (9 hours)

Research Methods (49 hours)

Supervised Clinical Practice (3-9 hours)

Additional Learning (6 hours)

End-of-Program Requirements

Notes