Getting a degree in marriage and family therapy in Wisconsin is a good idea for a number of reasons. First, Wisconsin has an extensive public higher education system, so there are campuses far and wide across the state. The chances are good that you wouldn’t need to commute far to take classes for a graduate degree in this field.
Second, a college degree in Wisconsin is less expensive than most other states. So not only can you get the quality degree you need, but you can do so while spending less money.
And third, marriage and family therapists are in high demand, and it’s predicted that this demand will continue for the foreseeable future. With so many jobs available, it stands to reason you can easily find employment after graduation. But, you must complete your degree before you can search for a job. Below are some of the popular options worth your consideration.
Marriage and Family Therapy Programs in Wisconsin
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering marriage and family therapy programs in Wisconsin:
- University of Wisconsin-Stout
- University of Wisconsin-Superior
- Edgewood College
- Northwestern University
- National University
- Walden University
- Grand Canyon University
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy
The Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Stout is an on-campus program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). The program uses a cohort model, so a new class of around 14 students is admitted each year. You progress through the program with the same classmates and graduate together as well.
One of the advantages of this program is the compressed schedule. Though you’re required to participate in classes on campus, classes only occur on Mondays and Tuesdays. This frees up the rest of the week to work, study, and complete the necessary supervised practice hours to graduate.
You must complete 57 credits to graduate from this program. These credits encompass a wide variety of coursework, from Lifespan Development to Sex Therapy to Foundations of Couples and Family Therapy.
One of the most interesting classes you’re required to take is Trauma and Recovery in MFT. This class explores various theories of trauma, analyzes historical research, and discusses modern approaches to treating clients who have experienced violence, addiction, self-harm, and other types of trauma. The class additionally examines both systemic and relational influences on the process of recovering from trauma.
Another key course that guides your development as a marriage and family therapist is Applied Therapy Skills. This class focuses on training you to utilize the skills you learn in class as preparation for the practicum placement later in the program. Working with your classmates, you’ll demonstrate core counseling skills and techniques in mock counseling sessions featuring role-playing situations with “clients” of all kinds.
Furthermore, this program requires a course in Diagnosis in Family Therapy. The class focuses on the development of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and its use in assessing and treating mental disorders. You’ll look at other aspects of diagnosis, too, including cultural factors, ethical considerations, and psychopharmacological issues.
There are several other therapy-related courses you must complete. For example, you’ll take Foundations of Couples and Family Therapy, which covers a range of topics, including early theories of couples and family therapy, assessment procedures, and treatment options for couples, families, and children. You’re also required to take Contemporary Couples and Family Therapy, which discusses modern approaches to this work.
Additional required coursework includes the following:
- Privilege, Power, and Difference
- Culturally Responsive Couple and Family Therapy
- Couples and Intimate Relational Therapy
- Systemic Child and Adolescent Therapy
- Professional Issues in Couples and Family Therapy
UW-Stout further requires you to take a course entitled Research in Marriage and Family Therapy. This course examines the scientist-practitioner model of therapist training. You’ll learn how to use research as a professional development tool, how to implement research-based practices in your work, and how to conduct research that adds to the field with new and unique knowledge.
The final component of this program is a three-semester sequence of practicum experiences. You’re required to complete at least 300 hours of clinical practice. You’ll do so at an approved site with an experienced marriage and family therapist to offer you support and guidance. Furthermore, you’ll enjoy one-on-one training activities with faculty members, and you can complete half of the required practicum hours at UW-Stout’s on-campus clinic.
You must meet the following requirements to be considered for admission:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide a resume.
- Provide three or more letters of recommendation from references who can speak to your academic and professional potential.
- Complete and submit the candidate information form.
University of Wisconsin-Superior
Master of Science in Education – Counseling, Marriage, and Family Therapy
UW-Superior’s Master of Science in Education offers a Counseling, Marriage, and Family Therapy track that can be completed online. The 63-credit program directly aligns with accreditation standards and state law, so by completing this degree, you’ll be eligible for state licensure to practice as a marriage and family therapist.
The coursework is done completely online. Your courses focus on three specific areas: preventing interpersonal and personal problems, addressing the socioemotional and developmental concerns of your clients, and promoting the optimal development of your clients, too. You’ll learn how to do these things by learning the theory and techniques of counseling and then putting that learning into practice in a clinical counseling setting.
The curriculum is divided into two parts: core courses and track courses. You might think of the core courses as foundational to your success–they explore essential theories, types of counseling, and human growth topics.
For example, one of the first classes you’ll take is Counseling Theories. This course analyzes historic and modern counseling approaches and allows you to get a firm footing on how to use these theories in the context of counseling. Furthermore, exploring disparate counseling theories helps you identify approaches that work well with your personality and those that don’t, too.
Several types of counseling classes are required as part of your studies. These include the following:
- Family Counseling
- Career Counseling
- Multicultural Counseling
- Group Counseling
Beyond this, you’ll take knowledge-based courses like Crisis Intervention and Family Trauma, Human Growth and Development, and Ethics in Professional Counseling. One of the most important courses you’ll take focuses on a different kind of knowledge, though–Psychopathology.
Psychopathology is the study of abnormal behavior. You’ll get a thorough education in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and how to use it as a tool to guide your diagnostic decision-making. As part of this training, you’ll become aware of different types of mental disorders, assessment procedures, and approaches for preventing and treating different disorders, too.
Additionally, you’ll take Introduction to Assessment, which is a critical course because it highlights the theoretical and statistical measurements that enable you to use assessments to their fullest potential. You’ll learn how to select appropriate assessment instruments, administer them, and analyze the data collected from them. Moreover, you’ll become competent in conducting psychological assessments for various ages and groups. This class also explores the limitations of assessments, including those related to multicultural factors.
The eight marriage and family counseling track courses dive deeper into more specific topics. A good example of this is Family Group Systems, which integrates family counseling techniques and family theory. You’ll also examine the influences of your own family system on your process and practice as a pre-service counselor. Doing so allows you to understand your biases and adjust your counseling approach as needed.
Chemical Dependency and the Family is another key counseling course required in the marriage and family counseling track. Specifically, the class focuses on assessment and intervention techniques that support the family member with the addiction and help other family members work through the trauma they’ve experienced as a result of their loved one’s drug use. Other topics in this class focus on relapse prevention, recovery approaches, developmental issues, and the process of addiction.
Other courses required for the marriage and family counseling track include the following:
- Introduction to Counseling
- Couple and Marital Counseling
- Counseling and Human Sexuality
- Clinical Mental Health Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
The program’s final requirements are a practicum and internship in clinical marriage and family counseling. The practicum requires you to complete at least 100 hours of clinical work, of which 40 hours must be in direct service to clients. The internship requires you to complete 600 or more hours. All of your practicum and internship hours will take place in an approved clinical setting and be overseen by a qualified marriage and family therapist.
The following criteria must be met to apply:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher.
- Submit official transcripts from every higher education institution you’ve attended.
- Provide three letters of recommendation.
- Submit a resume and a letter of intent that highlight your service to the community, volunteer work, evidence of commitment to others, and a discussion of your work and professional goals.
Edgewood College
Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy
The Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy at Edgewood College is another high-quality option to consider when completing your degree in Wisconsin. This on-campus program is accredited by the International Accreditation Commission for Systemic Therapy Education and is currently working toward full accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education.
This 48-credit program requires about two years to complete. A total of 16 courses–some of which are field-based–are needed to graduate.
You’ll start your studies in Foundations of Systemic Practice. This class focuses on the essential issues of marriage and family therapy. On the one hand, you’ll learn about the historical development of this field. On the other hand, you’ll discover modern approaches to marriage and family therapy practice that you can implement as a professional when working with couples, families, and individuals.
The MFT Theories and Models course builds on the Foundations course discussed above. It focuses more specifically on marriage and family counseling theories, including those from the early period of marriage and family therapy. Likewise, you’ll discuss modern approaches to working with couples and families, including those that fall into the biopsychosocial framework.
Clinical Treatment of Families and Groups is yet another practice-focused class you must complete. Your work in this class focuses specifically on treatment approaches used to treat individuals within family and group systems. Some of the specific approaches you’ll discuss include those meant to address crises, substance abuse, and relational dynamics, to name a few.
Additional coursework is required in the following areas:
- Diverse/Multicultural Communities
- Clinical Treatment: Couples
- Clinical Treatment: Children and Adolescents
- Lifespan Development
- Contemporary Issues and Collaboration
This degree also requires you to take a course entitled Ethics, Law, and Social Responsibility. The focus of your studies will be on common ethical issues you’ll encounter over your career. You’ll become familiar with relevant laws and regulations, too, including those that govern licensure. You’ll additionally gain competency in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy code of ethics.
A relational practicum is a key component of this program. You’ll complete the practicum in the semester prior to your clinical internship. The course focuses on professional development, skills development, and clinical training at the program’s clinical training center. There, you’ll observe practicing therapists work with clients, undertake relational case conceptualizations, and get your initial experience working as a clinician in a supervised setting.
The internship, meanwhile, is a 500-hour clinical experience that extends over a 12-month period. The hours you accumulate must include at least 300 hours of direct contact with individuals, couples, and families. In addition to this requirement, 100 of the 300 direct contact hours you acquire must be relational (the other 200 can be ancillary hours). A further 100 hours of supervision are required.
You must meet the following requirements to be considered for this program:
- Have a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution.
- Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Complete an MFT Program Reference Form and provide two letters of recommendation from references who are familiar with your academic and professional potential.
- Provide a two-page statement that explores your motives for becoming a marriage and family therapist. The statement must also address your professional goals.
- Submit a resume.
You may also be asked to participate in a follow-up interview with program faculty.
Northwestern University
Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy
If you require a little more scheduling flexibility, Northwestern’s online Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy is an attractive option. This two-year program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. As such, the degree–even though it is from an out-of-state school, should satisfy the licensure requirements to work as a marriage and family therapist in Wisconsin.
This program requires you to complete 25 courses, each of which is taught by an experienced marriage and family therapist. In fact, each course’s instructor is an active practitioner. Moreover, Northwestern’s marriage and family faculty are leaders in the field, some of whom are also top-level leaders in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
The curriculum follows the integrative systemic therapeutic model, which was developed in part by Northwestern’s faculty. Essentially, this model espouses that clients should be active participants in the development phase of therapy plans. What’s more, you’ll learn how to provide your clients with the necessary tools to address the complex factors that led them to seek treatment in the first place.
Once admitted to the program, you’ll take a wide variety of courses that prepare you for clinical work. For example, you’ll take Basic Concepts of Systems therapy, which sheds light on the essential features and functions of systemic approaches to marriage and family therapy. You’ll learn how to view relational issues through a systemic lens and, perhaps more importantly, how to address those issues in a systemic manner.
Another course you’re required to take is Intimate Relations. Many couples experience intimacy issues, so having an understanding of common intimacy problems and how to address them is essential for your development as a clinician. Likewise, you have to learn how to work with family units–parents and their children, for example–and the Family Therapy With Children and Adolescents class helps you do just that. In addition to learning how to provide non-judgemental feedback to each family member, you’ll also learn how to help families communicate more effectively.
Multiculturalism is a large part of this program’s curriculum. As such, you’ll take a course entitled Power, Privilege, and Difference: Practicing Cultural Curiosity and Humility in a Multicultural World. The purpose of this class is to help you see the world through the lens of other people’s perspectives. What’s more, you’ll explore your own perspective on the world in greater detail to reveal any blind spots you might have that influence how you work with certain clients.
The classes described above just scratch the surface, though. You’re required to attend one immersive experience at Northwestern that builds on the online coursework you complete and provides you an opportunity to practice the skills you’ve acquired in the program. This experience with your professors and cohort members prepares you for the program’s final component–the clinical internship.
The internship phase of this program requires you to complete 400 or more hours of fieldwork. Since this is an online degree, you’ll complete these hours at an approved site in or near your community. The internship hours must include at least 125 hours of relational work with individuals, couples, and families. Including the practicum experiences that come before the internship, you’ll have six quarters of fieldwork under your belt before you graduate.
following requirements must be met to apply:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. It is preferred that the degree be in psychology, family science, social sciences, or a related field. If your degree is not in one of these fields, you must take psychology and human development classes as prerequisites for this program.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide two or more letters of recommendation.
- Provide a current curriculum vitae or resume.
- Submit a 1000-word academic statement and a 500-word personal statement.
- Submit official English language proficiency scores if English is not your native language.
National University
Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
National University offers an online Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy program. This program is accredited by COAMFTE and allows you to complete coursework online while engaging in fieldwork and supervised activities that prepare you for licensure as a marriage and family therapist. It is also accredited by the International Accreditation Commission for Systemic Therapy Education (IACSTE).
One of the significant advantages of this program is its adaptability to meet licensing requirements in Tennessee and many other states. For instance, while the standard program consists of 45 credits, you can take additional courses to fulfill a 60-credit requirement if needed for your state.
The program begins with foundational coursework delivered in an online format. These introductory classes cover fundamental ideas and include Foundations for Graduate Study in Marriage and Family Therapy, Treatment Planning and Traditional Family Therapy, and Recovery-Oriented Care and Postmodern Family Therapy. These courses provide you with essential knowledge as you start the program.
Following these initial studies, you’ll focus on advanced topics in courses such as:
- Cultural Diversity, Gender, and Family Development
- Couple and Sex Therapy
- Research Methods and Evidence-Based Practice
- Human Development and Family Dynamics Across the Lifespan
- Legal, Ethical, and Professional Development in Marriage and Family Therapy
You’ll also study Psychopathology, Diagnosis, and Systemic Treatment. Additionally, you are required to complete at least two specialized courses that concentrate on particular family groups. These options include:
- Child and Adolescent Therapy
- Couple Therapy
- General Family Therapy
- Medical Family Therapy
- Military Family Therapy
- Systemic Sex Therapy
- Systemic Treatment of Addictions
- Trauma-Informed Systemic Therapy
After completing your coursework, you’ll begin the fieldwork phase. This includes a practicum, a two-part internship, and a final internship along with a capstone course. You can complete all required fieldwork hours at an approved site near your location.
The practicum helps you develop essential skills for clinical therapy settings, focusing on ethics, telehealth, and the application of systemic methods in various cases. During this phase, you’ll begin earning direct client contact hours, with a total of 300 hours required, including at least 150 hours working with couples or families.
The internship phase focuses on helping you refine your therapeutic style through work with families, couples, and individual clients. You may continue at the same practicum site or choose a different location. The program concludes with a capstone presentation, where you reflect on your learning and receive feedback from your supervisors.
Applications are accepted throughout the year, with classes starting monthly. This allows you to begin the program shortly after your application is approved. To apply, you must meet the following requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree
- Resume
- One-on-one interview with a marriage and family therapy faculty member
- Background check prior to starting your first course
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