M.S. Marriage & Family Therapy

Do you want to make a positive impact on families and relationships?
Degree Type Master of Science
Careers & Salaries Graduate Degree Outcomes
Delivery On Campus

With a long-standing reputation for rigorous clinical training in counseling and therapy, UW-Stout's Master of Science (M.S.) in Marriage & Family Therapy is committed to ensuring graduates are competently trained to become entry-level professional couple and family therapists. Our program promotes a systemic-relational Marriage and Family Therapy clinical orientation, combines academic and experiential training methods, and addresses the role of power, privilege, and inclusivity in therapy.

This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).

This program has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) since 1977.

Advance your career by gaining job focused, hands on experience taught by faculty/staff who work in the field. / UW-Stout

Career-Defining Curriculum

Continuously accredited for more than 40 years, our program is built on proven methods of training successful, effective therapists.

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Program Overview

View program plans, credit requirements and course descriptions.

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Note: This program is designed to meet educational requirements for licensure/certification in the state of Wisconsin. It also meets educational requirements in Minnesota and most other states—as noted on our website. The program does not meet licensure requirements in California and Nevada.

Prerequisites for licensure/certification vary from state to state. If you intend to work in another state, contact that state's regulatory authority to determine requirements for licensure/certification requirements, and contact the UW-Stout Program Director for assistance. Visit our website for additional information.

Fulfill Your Electives Earning a Professional Certificate

Enhance your knowledge, skills and career in critical areas of marriage and family therapy. Whether you want to distinguish your education with specialized expertise or pursue a certificate before earning your master’s degree, the courses in this professional certificate program can be applied to the M.S. Marriage & Family Therapy’s elective requirements. 

Sex Therapy Certificate

Complete the academic requirements needed to progress toward becoming a Certified Sex Therapist via the Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors
Learn More

Program Highlights

  • A cohort model, where each class of 14 students moves through the program as a group.
  • Our on-campus, state-of-the-art clinic, where students do half of their required 300 hours of clinical practice.
  • Close supervision and one-on-one activities with faculty.
  • A compressed Monday-Tuesday schedule for all on-campus classes.
  • A learning context in which diversity and non-discrimination are addressed, practiced and valued. 
  • A base of loyal and supportive alumni.

Upcoming Program Information Sessions

The faculty are available to meet with you and other potential applicants to join our Fall 2025 cohort. Please join us for one of our information sessions to learn more about our program and have all your questions answered. All sessions are offered both on campus and also online. In-person participants will have the option to tour our campus clinic after the presentation.

  • Monday, September 16: 6:00-7:00 p.m. (CT)
  • Tuesday, October 15: 6:00-7:00 p.m. (CT)
  • Thursday, November 14: 10:00-11:00 a.m. (CT)
  • Monday, December 2: 6:00-7:00 p.m. (CT)

A Long History of Preparing Students to Succeed

Our program is one of the two longest COAMFTE-accredited programs in the nation. Accreditation is important because it requires programs to use measures of student progress and graduate success to evaluate training effectiveness and to make changes where necessary. This goes a long way toward ensuring that: 

  1. the program curriculum contains state-of-the-art MFT content,
  2. instructors and clinical supervisors are appropriately trained and credentialed, and
  3. graduates are well positioned to meet licensing requirements and to be successful in the workplace.

Evidence of the success of students in this program is found in our high graduation rate, success rates of graduates in passing the national exam, and the percentage of graduates who obtain licensure as Marriage and Family Therapists.

Career Opportunities

"U.S. News & World Report list Marriage and Family Therapy as #20 among the top 100 jobs in the nation."

The marriage and family therapist industry will experience future growth of 30%, which significantly outpaces the average for all occupations. This is due in part to an increased recognition of the field. It is more common for people to seek help for their marital and family problems than it was in the past. Our graduates can feel assured that they'll find exceptional opportunities for gainful, rewarding employment.

Our grads find work in a variety of settings, to name a few:

  • Private and Public Mental Health Agencies
  • Behavioral Health Units
  • Chemical Dependency Facilities
  • Adolescent Day Treatment
  • Hospice Programs
  • Hospitals
  • Home-Based Family Therapy
  • Community Social Service Agencies
  • Alternative Schools
  • Faith Communities and Churches
  • Employee Assistance Programs

Use the Request Information form to receive a program summary and learn more about the M.S. Marriage & Family Therapy.

Request Information








Tuition & Fees

Customized Instruction at UW Stout can be described as programs that are designed with the adult learner in mind. If you're comparing UW-Stout's customized instruction tuition to our competitors, keep in mind:

  • Customized instruction tuition rate includes the textbook rental fee.
  • There are no additional university-based semester or technology fees.
  • Students in customized instruction programs pay the same rate of tuition regardless if Wisconsin residents, out-of-state or international participants.

Value for Your Money

There’s more to value than just tuition. UW Stout also provides:

  • Program Director – faculty with discipline expertise.
  • Student Services adviser – one point of contact, providing support to students for each program.
  • Course sequences and matrices – know what courses are offered when so you can plan ahead.

Other universities will present costs and value differently - make sure you're comparing apples to apples.

Admission Requirements

General UW-Stout Graduate School Application

All prospective graduate students at UW-Stout must follow a standard application process through our Graduate Studies

Program-Specific Admission Requirements

Eligibility

To be admitted with full status to the M.S. Marriage and Family Therapy program, you must:

  • Hold an appropriate Bachelor's degree from an accredited college.
  • Have earned an overall GPA of at least 2.75.

Program-Specific Application Requirements

To successfully apply for the program, first complete the UW System Application and receive your Application ID. Then, use this ID to fill out the UW-Stout Graduate Studies Collection Form, where you will provide the following:

  • Resume
  • Candidate Information Form Complete the Form 
  • Recommendation Form 
    • At least 3 recommendation letters are required, preferably from previous supervisors, mentors, employers, colleagues, or similarly qualified persons.
Access Collection Form Site*
*The Collection Form Site requires an Application ID provided upon completion of the UW-System Application


Application Deadline
Applicants are strongly advised to complete the admissions process prior to January 15. Applications received after this deadline will be considered as space is available.

Mission, Goals, Outcomes

Mission, Program Goals, and Student Learning Outcomes

The MFT program at UW-Stout has a distinct mission which is supported by associated program goals and student learning outcomes:

Mission

The mission of the MFT program is to assure that graduates are competently trained to become entry-level professional couple and family therapists. The program promotes a systemic-relational MFT clinical orientation, utilizes a combination of academic and experiential methods of training, and addresses the role of power, privilege, and inclusivity in therapy.

Program Goals and Student Learning Outcomes

Goal 1: Knowledge.  The program will help students/graduates achieve an adequate understanding of professional marriage and family therapy principles so as to support them as they enter the field as practicing professionals.

  • SLO 1:  Students/graduates will demonstrate knowledge of principles underlying couples and family therapy including theoretical models, dynamics of couple/family interaction and human development, trauma, diagnosis and assessment, and psychological testing.

Goal 2: Practice.  The program will help students/graduates develop systemically-based clinical skills.

  • SLO 2: Students/graduates will exhibit clinical skills necessary for the practice of couple and family therapy including the use of self in therapy, clinical assessment and diagnosis, treatment planning and management, assessment of potential for harm to self or others, and therapeutic intervention.
  • SLO 6:  Students/graduates will complete the program and enter the field as couple and family therapists.

Goal 3:  Inclusivity.  The program will foster an environment that recognizes privilege and difference and values inclusivity.

  • SLO 3:  Students/graduates will demonstrate an awareness of power, privilege, and difference within therapeutic and supervisory contexts. 

Goal 4:  Research. The program will help students/graduates become competent consumers of research so they may maintain empirically informed practices.

  • SLO 4: Students/graduates will demonstrate an adequate understanding of how research can be applied to clinical practice.

Goal 5: Ethics.  The program will help students/graduates learn and apply ethical standards consistent with the practice of couples and family therapy.

  • SLO 5: Students/graduates will demonstrate an applied knowledge of ethics, legalities, and professional standards related to the practice of couple and family therapy.
Program Advisory Committee

Advisory Committee Members

Molly BaileyTherapistMinnesota Trauma Recovery Institute
Brian CrimTherapistAdulteen Counseling
ElizabethDoherty-ThomasTherapist, ConsultantDoherty Relationship Institute
ChasidyFaithDirectorUW-Stout
Dale HawleyTherapist, Retired FacultyGreat River Psychotherapy
KevinHynesProgram DirectorUW-Stout
CandiceMaierClinical DirectorUW-Stout
PatrickParkerTherapistGood Human Work
RubenPradoTherapistLifeStance Health
MeriamNjahTherapistKente Circle
Mary SokupTherapistVantage Point
Larry TuckerTherapistKente Circle
Mai BaoXiongTherapistWilder Clinic
Heather Hesselprogram facultyUW-Stout
DaveKraaiTherapistLumn Therapy
Professional Licensure Requirements

This program is designed to meet educational requirements for licensure/certification in the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota (MN requirements verified in May 2021). Professional licensure/certification prerequisites vary from state to state, and we are not able to determine whether our program meets prerequisites in other states. If you intend to work in another state, contact that state's regulatory authority to determine if our program will meet the licensure/certification requirements, and contact the UW-Stout Program Director for assistance. Please see the following website for additional information.


Marriage & Family Therapy

All Marriage & Family Therapy News
Inspiring Graduate: Muhammad 'Sammy' Samim, M.S. Marriage & Family Therapy Featured Image

Inspiring Graduate: Muhammad 'Sammy' Samim, M.S. Marriage & Family Therapy

‘In challenges and triumphs, I have discovered the light within myself – the light of knowledge.’
UW-Stout marriage, family therapy student enjoys building connections, scholarship prepares her for helping profession Featured Image

UW-Stout marriage, family therapy student enjoys building connections, scholarship prepares her for helping profession

Scholarships, graduate assistantships support students in educational, career goals
Two UW-Stout marriage and family therapy students receive national Minority Fellowships Featured Image

Two UW-Stout marriage and family therapy students receive national Minority Fellowships

Vue, Samim dedicated to strengthening cultural competency through prestigious programs