Texas is a huge state with a very large population that’s rapidly growing and diversifying. What’s more, Texas is home to an expansive higher education system with six university systems and dozens of public colleges and universities across the state. There are also many popular schools offering psychology programs in Texas.
What that means for you as a prospective marriage and family therapy student is that there are ample opportunities in Texas to get the education you need to begin your career. Furthermore, as a graduate of a marriage and family therapy program, you will have the skills and training needed to work specifically with Texas’ growing and changing population.
Marriage and Family Therapy Graduate Programs in Texas
We have reviewed popular schools that currently offer marriage and family therapy programs in Texas. These selections are based on factors many students consider important, including academic quality, cost, study convenience, and access to helpful academic and career support services.
Texas Woman’s University
Texas Woman’s University was founded in 1901 as the Girls Industrial College. Over the years, the types of programs offered by the school expanded. That’s not all that changed, either. In 1972, the first male students were admitted to the college.
Texas Woman’s University is a public doctoral degree institution with a main campus and two health science centers. The University also has online degrees and programs for students that prefer to learn remotely.
As a Texas Woman’s University student, you can study in many different degree areas, including business, nursing, and health sciences. Professional education and the arts and sciences are additional colleges that grant degrees at Texas Woman’s University.
Marriage and Family Therapy Program Information
Texas Woman’s University offers a Master of Science in marriage and family therapy at its Denton campus (with some online course options as well). It’s a 60-credit program that takes around three years to complete. Courses include:
- Systemic Couple and Sex Therapy
- Statistics for Family Sciences
- Collaborative Healthcare in Marriage and Family Therapy
A thesis is optional for this degree. If you want to continue your studies in a doctoral program, opting for the thesis track (which requires you to complete an additional six credits) is the better bet. However, if you plan to begin your career after completing your graduate degree, the non-thesis track is a viable option. This program prepares you for marriage and family therapist licensure in Texas.
You don’t need to take the GRE to apply to this program, nor do you need to provide letters of recommendation.
This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).
Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University was founded in 1890 as a private school. Its affiliation with the United Methodist Church helps inform and guide the education provided to students. However, you don’t have to be a member of the Methodist church to attend the university.
This is a very small school with fewer than 3,000 students. That translates to a student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1, giving you the individual attention you need to fully develop your academic knowledge and skills.
The school offers more than 30 undergraduate majors and 11 types of graduate degrees, including the master of science in marriage and family therapy discussed below.
Marriage and Family Therapy Program Information
This 60-hour Master of Science program in marriage and family therapy from Texas Wesleyan University is COAMFTE-accredited and focuses on research-based interventions for couples and families. To develop the skills required for competent practice, you will take courses that include:
- Family Systems
- Techniques of Appraisal & Assessment
- Crisis Intervention Counseling
- Advanced Psychopathology
- Multicultural/Cross-Cultural Counseling
Additionally, you will take part in a three-semester practicum to gain real-world experience working with couples and families in a clinical setting.
If you like, you can extend your learning and add a professional counseling concentration to your master’s program. This concentration requires the completion of 12 additional credits in counseling theory, group counseling, crisis skills, and career development/assessment.
This program requires three years of study to complete. If you pursue the professional counseling concentration, you’ll need an additional year to finish your studies.
Texas State University
Texas State University was founded in 1899 to prepare future teachers for their careers. Today, Texas State is a comprehensive four-year public university with more than 33,000 undergraduate students at campuses in San Marcos and Round Rock.
Texas State offers hundreds of majors and minors for undergraduate studies. The school also has a robust graduate program with master’s and doctoral degrees in a wide range of subjects, including psychology, business, nursing, and legal studies. The marriage and family therapy concentration discussed below is yet another option.
Texas State offers everything you need to prepare for a long career with respected research facilities, a collection of student support programs, and a commitment to lifelong learning.
Marriage and Family Therapy Program Information
Texas State University’s marriage, couple, and family counseling (MCFC) concentration track prepares you to work with individuals, couples, and families in a clinical setting. This master’s degree program focuses on a systems perspective, meaning you will learn how problems within a marriage or family can be explained through the lens of the family unit and other systems.
You will take foundational, intermediate, and clinical courses as part of your study. This includes:
- Counseling Diverse Populations
- Marital, Couples, and Family Theories
- Dynamics and Processes in Group
- Assessment and Treatment in MCFC
- Clinical Practicum
You must also participate in a two-part internship.
This program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP).
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University was originally known as Texas Technological College when it opened in 1925. The school had just six buildings and 914 students back then. Today, Texas Tech has more than 40,000 students, of which about 7,500 are graduate students. There are 1,600 full-time faculty and nearly 200 part-time faculty as well.
There are 13 academic colleges and schools at Texas Tech that offer more than 150 degrees for undergraduate students. There are 100 degree programs for graduate students and 50 doctoral degree programs as well.
Texas Tech is consistently recognized for being a high-value school. It tops the list of the best colleges for the money in the southwest and also ranks second among Big 12 schools for return on investment.
Marriage and Family Therapy Program Information
Texas Tech’s master’s program in couple, marriage, and family therapy gives you the option of pursuing a non-thesis or a thesis track. The non-thesis track requires the completion of 65 credits, while the thesis track requires 69 credits. In either case, you will be well-prepared to counsel couples and families upon graduation.
To help you develop the needed skills to be an effective marriage and family therapist, you will take courses like:
- Couple and Family Dynamics of Addiction
- Intergenerational Family Therapy
- Family Systems
- Statistics
- Research Methods in Marriage and Family Therapy
Additionally, this program includes a practicum component. As such, you will be eligible for licensure as a marriage and family therapist associate in Texas upon your graduation.
This program is accredited by COAMFTE.
Texas A&M University Central Texas
M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy
Texas A&M University Central Texas has a diverse faculty that works closely with students as they study couples and family therapy. With COAMFTE accreditation, this Texas MFT program prepares students to support families and couples through direct, hands-on use of therapeutic concepts. Through the practicum and internship experiences built into the program, students work with families in Central Texas at university partner practicum sites and through the on-campus Community Counseling and Family Therapy Center.
One strong part of this program is its own on-campus clinic, which helps students begin real-world client work early. The Community Counseling and Family Therapy Center gives students a clinical setting where they can easily receive supervision, faculty guidance, and peer support while working through client concerns.
The program places attention on working with other parts of healthcare for whole-person treatment. It also gives special attention to serving underserved and distressed families, couples, and individuals. Strong collaboration with Central Texas communities, businesses, and industries also makes this program a strong choice for students who want to work with community service boards or with populations facing special challenges.
- Length: 60 credit hours
- Tuition: $705/credit hour
- Accreditation: COAMFTE
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi
M.S. in Professional Counseling: Marriage, Couple, and Family Emphasis
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi offers a CACREP-accredited program in Professional Counseling with a Marriage, Couple, and Family Emphasis. This program combines the main counseling curriculum with added training in coursework and applied study focused on marriage and family therapy. Key areas of study include research, assessment and testing, professional development, ethics, cultural and social diversity, and human growth and development. These areas form an important part of the program’s academic foundation and guiding ideas.
The program includes clinical and hands-on training through internships and practicums that students must complete before graduation. This program stands out because it goes further by requiring students to complete training experiences and learning activities that support personal growth and self-examination. This matters because these parts of training are important for building professional identity and maintaining ethical practice in the field.
Future students should know that this program places strong importance on preparing capable practitioners. One clear example of this commitment is the “Fitness to Practice” evaluations that faculty members complete for students throughout the program. Fitness to practice is based on reviews of emotional and mental readiness, along with following professional counseling association standards and Texas codes of ethics and practice standards. If a student does not meet these standards, the program creates a remediation plan to help the student improve and continue in the program.
- Length: 60 credit hours
- Tuition: $831/credit hour (in-state)
- Accreditation: CACREP
Abilene Christian University
Online Master of Marriage and Family Therapy
The Master of Marriage and Family Therapy degree at Abilene Christian University is offered online and is designed to help students qualify for licensure after graduation. This program also includes a thesis track for students who want to continue into further study.
The program is accredited by COAMFTE and provides support and resources for students who plan to pursue a doctoral degree. The curriculum requires 60 credit hours, and students usually finish the program in about 33 months. Clinical practicum training accounts for 12 credit hours, and students can choose from several on-campus and community-based training sites.
A strong feature of this Texas marriage and family therapy program is that students can choose either a thesis track or a non-thesis track. Students in the thesis option complete an independent research project under the guidance of a faculty member, which is a strong option for those who plan to pursue a Ph.D. Students in the non-thesis option work in a team with other marriage and family therapy students under faculty guidance to complete a research project.
Students complete the required 500-hour clinical internship at the on-campus Marriage and Family Institute. The online program currently offers five specialization tracks: general, child and adolescent therapy, therapy with military families, treatment of trauma, and medical family therapy. This gives students an uncommon level of focus for an online program. ACU Online’s locked-in tuition policy also means the rate students begin with is the same rate they pay through graduation, which can help with financial planning.
- Length: 60 credit hours
- Tuition: $799/credit hour
- Accreditation: COAMFTE
Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Master of Arts in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
Texas A&M University-San Antonio is located in San Antonio, Texas. It is a public, four-year institution. The university offers a Master of Arts in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling. This is a campus-based program.
Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s Master of Arts in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling is a 60-credit on-campus program. The program is aligned with Texas LPC licensure requirements. At the master’s level, it places strong attention on clinical training through 100 practicum hours and 200 internship hours. The program also maintains high academic standards.
The program includes a $220 fee that gives students lifetime access to the Tevera platform. The curriculum gives attention to professional counseling skills, ethics, and fitness-to-practice standards.
The program meets Texas LPC requirements. To apply, a bachelor’s degree is required. The minimum GPA for admission is 2.60. A statement of purpose is needed. An in-person group interview is also required. International applicants must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores.
How to Become an LMFT in Texas?
- Earn a Master’s or Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy: You must complete a COAMFTE-accredited or regionally accredited MFT program that meets Texas licensure requirements. You should confirm that the coursework includes family therapy models, ethics, trauma-informed care, and mental health assessment training.
- Complete 3,000 Hours of Supervised Clinical Experience: You must complete post-graduate clinical hours, including 1,500 hours of direct client contact under a licensed MFT supervisor. This work must take place in approved settings such as mental health agencies, hospitals, private practices, or school counseling programs.
- Pass the National MFT Examination: You must take and pass the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) National MFT Exam. This exam requires you to show competence in therapy interventions, ethical decision-making, and relationship counseling methods.
- Apply for Licensure Through the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council: You must submit official transcripts, proof of supervised clinical hours, and passing exam scores for licensure review and approval. You must also complete any Texas-specific licensing steps, including background checks and ethics training.
- Maintain Licensure with Continuing Education: You must complete 30 continuing education (CE) hours during each renewal period, including coursework in ethics, trauma-informed care, and specialized therapy methods. You should also attend professional workshops, conferences, and online training to stay current with best practices in family therapy.
How Much Does an MFT Program Cost in Texas?
Tuition for MFT programs in Texas can vary based on whether you choose an online or on-campus format, the specific program you select, and the number of credit hours required for graduation. As a general reference point, MFT programs across the United States often cost about $23,000 to $35,000 for the full degree, which can serve as a useful comparison when reviewing Texas options.
Tuition Range: In Texas, MFT programs commonly cost about $10,000 to $30,000 in tuition alone. Online programs often fall closer to the lower end of this range, while on-campus programs at larger universities may be closer to the higher end.
Additional Fees: In addition to tuition, you should plan for extra charges such as application fees, technology fees for online students, and costs connected to clinical training or internships. Depending on program requirements, these fees may add from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars.
Supplies and Exams: Textbooks and licensing exam fees are additional costs you should expect. These expenses are usually separate from tuition, but they are required to complete the degree and move toward licensure.
Supervision and Licensing Costs: The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council indicates that you should budget for supervision fees and licensing costs, which may add several hundred dollars during your program and credentialing process.
What are the Work Opportunities for MFTs in Texas?
As noted earlier, Texas’ population is growing rapidly, and with it, opportunities to work as a marriage and family therapist are growing. This is especially true in metropolitan areas like Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin, where an influx of families is increasing the population of potential clients for marriage and family therapists.
While many marriage and family therapists work in private practice, this isn’t the only option available to you in Texas. State agencies like the Department of Family and Protective Services might offer positions for therapists with a background in marriage and family issues. Likewise, you might find employment in academic settings as a teacher or professor.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that the number of marriage and family therapy jobs will increase by 14 percent through 2031, which is much faster than average. This being the case, there is a strong likelihood that you will be able to find employment in Texas (and other states) after you graduate.
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