List of Best Online MFT Programs With No GRE

Earning your master’s degree in marriage and family therapy (MFT) can be a critical academic step towards a rewarding career in helping people with their relationship problems.

There are more online options than for students interested in this growing field than ever before to earn your master’s degree.

Below, we explore some of the best online MFT programs so that you can make an informed choice about your educational future.

Schools On This Page

  • Capella University
  • Northcentral University
  • Grand Canyon University
  • Walden University
  • Liberty University
  • Abilene Christian University
  • Houston Baptist University
  • Alliant University
  • Touro University Worldwide
  • Pepperdine University
  • Cal Southern University

#1 Capella University

Families and couples require guidance from a professional in problems faced by families in tough times. If you graduate with a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy COAMFTE Accredited from Capella University, you will have the skills, knowledge, and confidence to address family crises and really make a difference.

Capella University understands your goals to become a licensed MFT. That is why it created this flexible MFT program that is accredited by the COAMFTE. This two-year, full-time program features a mixture of online classes and face-to-face experiences that will prepare you to earn your state license.

With FlexPath, you can earn your master’s in psychology in 12 months and under $11,500.* *Based on the fastest 10% of students. Your program length and cost will vary by transfer credits, the per-session cost, and how quickly you complete courses. Books, supplies, and other fees apply.

Major features of the program are:

  • Blended and flexible learning: Online classes, in-person, learning, and rigorous curriculum.
  • Prepare for state licensure: Curriculum adheres to high MFT standards and is designed to prepare you for licensure.
  • All faculty work in the field: Each professor is a  practicing MFTs and bring ample real-world experience to your classes.
  • Internship: Apply new skills and knowledge in the field under the supervision of your faculty mentor.

Students can transfer up to 16 credit hours into this MFT program from another university.

*Visit Capella University

  • Institution type: Private, for-profit
  • Delivery method: Online
  • Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Accreditation: COAMFTE
  • Degrees offered: Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Expected total tuition: Inquire
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor of psychology or a related field
  • Visit school: Click here

#2 Northcentral University

Northcentral University was the first distance education provider to received accreditation for its MFT program from the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). This master’s in marriage and family therapy program provides thorough training to help you become an ethical and competent marriage and family therapist who will make a big difference in the community you serve.

Students learn the skills and develop the personal growth needed to practice effectively in marriage and family therapy. Each student also has a practicum, internship and clinical supervision component in the community in which they reside.

  • Institution type: Private, for-profit
  • Delivery method: Online
  • Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Accreditation: COAMFTE
  • Degrees offered: Master of Arts of Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Expected total tuition: Inquire
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field.
  • Visit school: Click here

#3 Grand Canyon University

Earning your Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy will teach you vital skills in family dynamics, parent-child relationships, and issues that affect couples.

The MFT degree empowers each student to plan how they want their careers to go. Students will be given instruction in individual, couple, and family counseling in an environment that offers a sense of security. Students will graduate with the skills to assess, diagnose and treat various mental, emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal issues.

This MS degree studies the challenging and complex dynamics of families and couples. Students start with courses about the fundamental theories and models of counseling. Other topics of study include legal and ethical aspects of professional counseling. Later, students tackle the biopsychosocial aspects of families, as well as the foundational development of marriage and family therapy.

  • Institution type: Private, not-profit
  • Delivery method: Online
  • Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona
  • Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
  • Degrees offered: Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Expected total tuition: Inquire
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
  • Visit school: Click here

#4 Walden University

Walden University offers a Master of Science in School Counseling with a concentration in marriage, couple, and family counseling. Students learn how to support the well-being of students as they deal with complex family and personal challenges. You also will gain an understanding of the functioning and dynamics of families and couples.

The program consists of 85 quarter credits, a field experience, two pre-practicum labs, and a group lab. The pre-practicum labs feature six weeks online with four days of face-to-face meetings. The group lab has nine weeks online with 14 hours of live group work online.

  • Institution type: Private, for-profit
  • Delivery method: Online
  • Headquarters: Minneapolis
  • Accreditation: CACREP
  • Degrees offered: Master of Science in School Counseling
  • Expected total tuition: Inquire
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field.
  • Visit school: Click here

#5 Liberty University

The online Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Liberty University will prepare you to help individuals and couples to find healing through mental health counseling. Students build a strong foundation in this 60-credit program so they can eventually seek licensure as an MFT.

Courses in this accredited program equip you will a thorough understanding of individuals, couples, and family counseling theories, techniques and effective clinical practice.

Most of the coursework can be completed online and your clinical work can be done in your hometown. There are two mandatory, on-campus intensives that are a week each. The intensives give you the chance to network with faculty and students so you can build your network before you graduate.

  • Institution type: Private, non-profit
  • Delivery method: Online
  • Headquarters: Lynchburg, Virginia
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
  • Degrees offered: Master of Arts of Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Expected total tuition: $33,900
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field.
  • Visit school: Click here

#6 Abilene Christian University

Abilene Christian University offers an online Master of Marriage and Family Therapy that will teach you to help clients overcome problems with their relationships and families, and emotional and mental health disorders. This is a 60-hour, accredited program that will prepare you for the National Marriage and Family Therapy examination.

Students receive intense training in couple, family and child therapy, mental illness, substance abuse, and diagnosis and assessment. Students will also understand the principles of human development, human sexuality, psychopathology, psychopharmacology, couples processes, and gender development.

GRE scores are required but you can request a waiver if you have a 3.0 GPA or higher.

  • Institution type: Private, non-profit
  • Delivery method: Online
  • Headquarters: Abilene, Texas
  • Accreditation: COAMFTE
  • Degrees offered: Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Expected total tuition: $49,500
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor’s in psychology or a related field.
  • Visit school: Click here

#7 Houston Baptist University

Houston Baptist University offers a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy that is designed to provide high-quality coursework to those who want to work with families and couples in this growing field. The program stresses the student’s development of research-supported counseling skills. Most of the classes are offered online but there are on-campus classes required.

Students will complete a three-semester practicum that has at least 700 supervised clinical hours. After graduation, each student is required to have two years of supervised work experience totaling 2,000 hours.

  • Institution type: Private, non-profit
  • Delivery method: Hybrid
  • Headquarters: Houston
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
  • Degrees offered: Master of Arts of Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Expected total tuition: $575 per credit hour
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field.
  • Visit school: Click here

#8 Alliant University

Alliant University offers an online Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy that trains students to the highest standards to effectively treat individuals, couples, families, and groups by improving relationships.

This MFT program focuses on understanding and respecting the diversity of human relationships across different populations while respecting multicultural, socioeconomic, and international backgrounds. Students learn to respect the many dimensions of human diversity, develop a professional and personal identity, and to make a difference in the lives of clients.

  • Institution type: Private, for-profit
  • Delivery method: Online
  • Headquarters: San Diego
  • Accreditation: COAMFTE
  • Degrees offered: Master of Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Expected total tuition: $28,000
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field.
  • Visit school: Click here

#9 Touro University Worldwide

Touro University Worldwide offers an online Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy that delivers a demanding course of study that prepares students to help couples and families to solve their problems. Students learn how to work with couples and families to deal with present day problems rather than focus on historical conflicts. They also will understand how to grasp interpersonal relationships as a way of treating and identifying mental health issues.

Each student is required to complete 500 practicum client contact hours and at least 100 hours under supervision.

  • Institution type: Private, for-profit
  • Delivery method: Online
  • Headquarters: Los Alamitos, California
  • Accreditation: COAMFTE
  • Degrees offered: Master of Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Concentrations: MFT Clinical, MFT Non Clinical, LPCC Track
  • Expected total tuition: $27,000-$36,000 depending on track
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field.
  • Visit school: Click here

#10 Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University offers a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with a specialty in marriage and family therapy. In this two year program, you will develop the skills to help families and couples deal with conflicts and issues that affect their mental health, relationships, and well-being.

Students also learn in Pepperdine’s clinical psychology program to be an impartial listener, observe how couples and family members interact, and highlight problematic behavioral and relational patterns.

  • Institution type: Private, non-profit
  • Delivery method: Online
  • Headquarters: Malibu, California
  • Accreditation: COAMFTE
  • Degrees offered: Master of Clinical Psychology
  • Expected total tuition: $1,625 per credit
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field.
  • Visit school: Click here

#11 Cal Southern University

Cal Southern University offers a Master of Arts in Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. If you are interested in a career helping people with mental health and relationship problems, this two-year online degree is a good option.

Learning outcomes of this accredited degree program include:

  • Communicate a compassionate understanding of individual, couple, family and group counseling theories.
  • Use evidence-based assessment and testing in mental health counseling, including diagnosis with established classification systems.
  • Use critical thinking to apply evidence-based research to the mental health counseling profession.
  • Analyze ethical behavior relating to professional standards in mental health therapy.

This program meets the educational requirements for MFT licensure in the state of California.

  • Institution type: Private, non-profit
  • Delivery method: Online
  • Headquarters: Costa Mesa, California
  • Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges
  • Degrees offered: Master of Arts in Psychology
  • Expected total tuition: $32,700
  • Prerequisites: Bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field.
  • Visit school: Click here

Benefits of Earning Your MFT Online

Becoming a marriage and family therapist is easier than ever today because you can earn your degree online.

SEE ALSO: MFT vs Psychologist Which One Should I Choose?

Consider these advantages of online MFT programs:

  • Attend your program anywhere. No matter where you live, you can attend many different MFT programs. You are no longer tied down to schools in your geographic location.
  • Never visit a classroom. Forget commuting and traffic! You can attend many MFT programs without ever leaving your home.
  • Go to school while you are working. Many master’s students work full time. An online program allows you to take courses on your schedule so you can maintain your professional and personal obligations.
  • Clinical work in your community. Most MFT programs require supervised clinical work, but you can do it in your own community.
  • Recorded and live classes. Depending on the program you attend, you may take both live and recorded courses. Live courses are offered at a set time each week that allows you to interact with your fellow students and professors. Recorded classes you can watch at any time.
  • Mobile access. Most online MFT programs offer recorded and sometimes live classes that you can watch on your smartphone from anywhere. You also can download classes and watch them if you do not have an Internet connection temporarily.
  • Access to tech support. Good online MFT programs have robust tech support so you can always get answers to any technical questions.
  • Easy access to professors. Many professors are available by email, text, chat board, and video call during certain hours.

SEE ALSO: How Much Do MFT Marriage Family Therapists Make?

Accreditation

Accreditation is a critical part of your master’s in marriage and family program. Accreditation tells you that the school and program have met high standards of quality. This is important so that potential employers know that you attended a high-quality degree program.

In marriage and family therapy, the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) is the primary accreditation body to look for.

Conclusion

All of the online MFT programs listed here are high-quality options that afford you the opportunity to do most of your graduate coursework from your own home. After you graduate, you can seek licensure and take part in this personally and financially rewarding career.