To earn a master’s degree in family therapy, one must first complete an undergraduate degree and decide whether to pursue counseling or research. A bachelor’s degree in psychology or sociology is recommended, but unrelated subjects may suffice. Rigorous coursework of 60 hours or more is required, with specializations in areas such as sex therapy, marriage counseling, and adolescent counseling. Clinical experience is also necessary.
To earn a master’s degree in family therapy, most schools require you to first complete an undergraduate degree at an accredited college or university. Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to determine if you want a master’s degree in family therapy to counsel others, or if you want a degree to conduct research in that area. Once you have decided what you intend to do with a marriage and family therapist degree, you can enroll in a program to begin the appropriate coursework.
Earning a master’s degree in family therapy usually requires a bachelor’s degree to be earned first. Most experts recommend a bachelor’s degree in psychology, sociology, or another behavioral science, but a bachelor’s degree in unrelated subjects is sometimes enough to apply to graduate school to work on a master’s degree in family therapy. In order to gain access to many graduate schools, passing an exam may also be required to demonstrate readiness for master’s level education.
Some people decide to pursue a master’s degree in family therapy to counsel individuals and families in private practice or through a family therapy center. In particular, this type of counseling exists to help couples, parents, children and family members deal with certain issues and challenges that affect the family unit. The decision to become a family therapist usually requires a certain number of classroom hours as well as clinical experience prior to obtaining a degree.
Individuals may prefer to obtain a master’s degree in family therapy to undertake research rather than counseling. Often, however, this degree is designated as a Master of Science, while a counseling degree is likely designated as a Master of Arts. Identifying a career path before starting to graduate is therefore an important first step in pursuing family therapy training.
Rigorous coursework of 60 hours or more is usually required to complete a master’s degree in family therapy. An example of some of the types of family therapy you might specialize in include sex therapy, marriage counseling, couples therapy, and types that address specific issues such as dealing with alcoholism or supporting family members with special needs. Other courses include those related to adolescent counseling and special needs clients. A certain number of research courses are also required in most master’s programs in family therapy, whether you are pursuing a counseling or research degree.
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