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

Apr 05, 2025

2022-2023 Graduate Catalog

No GRE requirement for admission.

The Applied Human Sciences department participates in the Ph.D. degree program awarded from the College of Health and Human Sciences with a specialization in Couple and Family Therapy. The mission of our CFT 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, couple and family therapy, statistics, and research methods. The Ph.D. specialization in couple 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 CFT 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 master’s degree may be applied to fulfill PhD requirements.

Additional Learning (9 hours)

Two electives - 9 credit hours
Take additional electives hours as needed to reach the required 90 credit minimum.

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 required CFT portfolio with at least two publications
OR
Successfully complete the required CFT portfolio with less than two publications and complete written preliminary examinations and, if necessary, successfully defend them in the oral preliminary examination

Notes

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

Dr. Glade Topham
Doctoral Program Admissions Chair
Couple and Family Therapy
Department of Applied Human Services
139 Campus Creek Complex
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506
(785) 532-6245
gtopham@ksu.edu

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

CFT Graduate Program Admissions Coordinator
Department of Applied Human Services
301C Justin Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506
ljrausch@ksu.edu

Couple and Family Therapy (Ph.D.)

Program Requirements

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

Family Studies and Human Services (3 hours)

Supervision of CFT (12-18 hours)

Research Methods (28 hours)

Supervised Clinical Practice (3-9 hours)

Additional Learning (9 hours)

End-of-Program Requirements

Notes