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Prepare for Licensure and a Rewarding Career
Grow your skills and prepare for a rewarding career with ACU’s online MFT program, crafted for busy working adults just like you. Balance work, life and other commitments while thriving in a vibrant, virtual, Christ-centered community.
Lock In Your Tuition, Unlock Your Future.
Our Locked-In Tuition program guarantees you’ll pay the same price for your entire undergraduate degree.
About the Program
Our COAMFTE-accredited 60 credit–hour online Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program combines practical training in couple, family and child therapy, mental illness, substance abuse and addiction, with emphasis placed on assessment and diagnostic processes. Specialize your degree with one of four concentrations, and gain real-world experience that prepares you to sit for the Marriage and Family Therapy National Examination through an internship with 100-plus hours of supervision.
Program Structure
All the Details on Your Degree
This degree prepares you to sit for the Marriage and Family Therapy National exam administered by the Association of Marital & Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB). The Master of Marriage and Family Therapy is also available as a residential program in Abilene.
Required Hours
60 hours
33 months minimum, including at least 12 months of Internship
Cost: $799/Hour with $200 resource fee per term
Example Coursework
Family Theory
Systemic Diagnosis & Assessment
Addictive Disorders
Cultural Diversity in Family Therapy
Couples Therapy
Upcoming Start Dates
July 1, 2025
August 26, 2025
COMMON PLACES OF PRACTICE
Private and group practice
Non-profit agencies
Community mental health clinics
Churches
Hospitals
Adoption agencies
Residential treatment
Recovery centers
Concentrations
Child and Adolescent Therapy
Children and teens occupy a specific and evolving role within the family structure. This concentration focuses on their needs and conducting age-appropriate interventions through courses in play therapy, child- and adolescent-specific issues, and related treatment and assessment strategies.
General
You’ll explore individual and family development for youth through adults and learn to apply these theories to uplift and better assist your patients through interventions. At the same time, you’ll grow your understanding of crisis theory and trauma and their influence on the family structure. Students enrolled in the general track then select electives from other specializations.
Therapy with Military Families
Learn more about how military service and related trauma affect the family structure. Courses touch on violence in family relationships, the lifecycle and common events military families experience and how to treat this specific unit.
Treatment of Trauma
Untreated or ignored trauma has potential to undermine a couple’s or family’s bond. To help couples process and grow in the aftermath, this concentration explores common interventional models, the presence of trauma and violence within relationships and relevant assessment and treatment methods.
Medical Family Therapy
Explore how your training as a Marriage and Family Therapist can be implemented into a variety of clinical and medical care settings. Bringing research-based perspectives and methods into healthcare contexts, you will learn how to become a patient and family agency endorser as well as a facilitator of healthy workplace dynamics.
Why choose ACU’s Online MFT program?
You will receive practical training in couple, family and child therapy, mental illness, substance abuse and addiction, and assessment and diagnosis. Your online marriage and family therapy graduate program will give you real-world experience through an internship. Are you ready to make a difference in the lives of families in your community?
Our MFT degree curriculum is designed to achieve specific program goals with corresponding student learning outcomes.
Program Goals and Student Learning Outcomes
*Advertised length of time is how long the program is designed to complete as written.
*Job Placement Rates by cohort is defined as the percentage of graduates from the cohort year listed that are employed utilizing skills learned in the COAMFTE-accredited program.
In Process: Used for recent cohorts that the program is in the process of collecting data because students are still in the process of completing the program within the advertised time-frame.
Not Accredited: Use with cohorts that entered prior to the program being granted COAMFTE Accreditation.
Download the full statement here (PDF).
Effective August 2023:
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- $799 per credit hour
- $470 per credit hour for Internship courses
- $200 resource fee per non-internship course
Prior to August 2023:
- $825 per credit hour
- $470 per credit hour for Internship courses
- $200 resource fee per non-internship course
Meet the Program Director
Dr. Sara Blakeslee Salkil, Master of Marriage and Family Therapy
Dr. Sara Blakeslee Salkil is the program director of the online Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program. She is independently licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Ohio and Texas and is an AAMFT-Approved Supervisor. Sara grew up in Oklahoma and earned her bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Oklahoma State University. She received her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from ACU and her doctorate in MFT from Texas Tech University. In addition to her academic work, she serves as a COAMFTE Commissioner and practices part-time.
Spotlight
Student Spotlight: Joann Vidibill
Imagine your home, filled with its valuables and family memories, gone. This is the reality for JoAnn Vidibill, a Master of Marriage and Family Therapy student residing in Tampa, Florida after living through Hurricane Helene. Coming up for air, JoAnn knows that even though life will never be the same again, she is honored to share her story about how God is dividing waters for her to become who she was meant to be: a mother, a wife and one day, a licensed therapist.
ACU Student Awarded Prestigious AAMFT Fellowship
We are pleased to congratulate Lyssa Chandler, graduate student in the Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program, for her acceptance into the Minority Fellowship Program organized by the Foundation for the Advancement of Human Systems (FAHS) and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. The fellowship offers graduate minority students the opportunity to expand their knowledge of mental health and substance abuse services for marginalized communities.
Student Spotlight: Joy Williams
Living up to her name through her work, family and life obligations, Joy Williams is a prime example of what can occur when you put your passions into practice. Progressing through her Master of Marriage and Family Therapy degree, Joy is eager to share her journey of how the program has fueled her drive to advance her career and reach marginalized teens.
Student Spotlight: James Wise
Serving as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate in North Carolina, James Wise is changing the lives of individuals and families through empathic and relatable marriage and family therapy. Now, having recently graduated with his Master of Marriage and Family Therapy from ACU Online in December 2023, James is determined to bring the perspective and knowledge he acquired in his courses into the conversations with his clients.
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Tim Parker
Taking his father, husband, and professor roles seriously, Dr. Tim Parker upholds his legacy by serving his community and patients as a licensed marriage and family therapist and professor. Focused on teaching his online students to become future therapists and counselors, Dr. Parker is excited to see his students flourish.
Why Become a Marriage and Family Therapist?
Therapy is one of the most sought after services. With more than 55.8 million Americans receiving mental health treatments in 2022, the time to become a marriage and family therapist is now. Read more about why you should become a therapist and how our Master of Marriage and Family Therapy can help you become a servant in your community.
Faculty Spotlight: Jackie Halstead
Whether she’s teaching courses related to theory or introducing new concepts found in academic literature related to new counseling practices, Dr. Jackie Halstead is on a mission to provide the best quality care and education for those interested in therapy, counseling, and leadership within their communities. Working alongside her colleagues in the Marriage and Family Therapy program, Dr. Halstead is a prime example of what it means to serve, walk, and lead humbly alongside the Lord and His will for her life.
Faculty Spotlight: Maxine Notice
Whether it’s guiding students through coursework or working with patients on their relationships and interpersonal issues, Dr. Maxine Notice, assistant professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy program, is on a mission to help those around her by advocating for their mental well-being regardless of their race, ethnicity, or gender.
Student Spotlight: Sarah Gerke
Equipped with a servant’s mind, Sarah Gerke is a full-time mom, wife, camp director, and now student who’s working toward completing her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Passionate about helping others and meeting them where they are, Sarah is on a journey toward becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist to one day operate a retreat place for families and individuals undergoing trauma and loss. With the help of her professors and colleagues worldwide, Sarah is determined to share her story with those who see a need in their community and want to make a difference.
Marriage and Family Therapists versus Psychologists: What is the difference?
Interested in a career where you work directly with people who benefit from your guidance? A Marriage and Family Therapist or Psychologist may be the right fit. Read on to discover the key differences between the two so you can choose the one that best suits your interests.
4 Benefits of Becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist
As a marriage and family therapist or counselor, you can make a positive difference while also earning a comfortable income and enjoying flexible hours.
To be considered for admission, students must:
- Complete the online program application accompanied by a non-refundable processing fee.
- Submit official transcripts showing earned bachelors from a regionally accredited college or university or the equivalent.
- Submit a written purpose statement addressing three prompts:
- What do you know about the field of marriage and family therapy?
- Why are you drawn to the field?
- How will a degree in marriage and family therapy advance your career or ministry goals?
- Supply three letters of recommendation.
- Have a quality of life that reflects high moral standards.
- A video conference interview with the program director may be requested.
- Earn a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA in the first 12 credit hours and receive a minimum grade of B in MFTO 601 Pre-Internship.
- Students who reside in California, Illinois and New Hampshire will not be admitted to ACU’s online MFT program due to restrictions from state licensure organizations.
- Apart from students living overseas on military bases, all applicants must reside in the United States to complete the required internship.
For more information, please refer to the MFT student handbook.
The Marriage and Family Therapy Program at ACU Online is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), coa@aamft.org.
Abilene Christian University enjoys a strong national reputation as one of the leading private Christian universities in the west and southwest, indicated by various ratings (such as U.S. News and World Report and other reports).
