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Admissions Criteria

The MCFT program seeks to recruit a diverse learning group who share a commitment to applying principles of social justice to systemic/relational practice. We invite applicants from all socioeconomic status, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, nations of origin, ethnicities, ages, religions, and abilities to apply.

Human Behavior Background Expectation

Most applicants hold degrees in psychology, family and human development, or related fields; however, applicants with other backgrounds will be considered. Applicants who do not have at least 12 semester units of prior coursework related to human behavior may be required to add additional courses to their program of study.

Application Review  

Applications are evaluated according to:

  1. Relevance of work and volunteer experiences as evidenced in resume or other application materials
  2. Program fit demonstrated in essay
  3. Academic preparation as evidenced by undergraduate GPA and relevance of prior coursework. (minimum 2.75 GPA)  
  4. Contribution to social justice mission of the Graduate School
  5. Ratings and recommendations of three references
  6. Ratings and other indicators of interpersonal skills

Applicant Interviews

Selected applicants are invited to an on campus group interview with MCFT faculty and students. Applicants who live five hours or more away may elect to participate in a virtual group interview via Zoom. Students invited for an interview are asked to write an additional social justice statement prior to their interview.   

Examples of interview topics include:

  • Interest in working with families/relationships
  • Social justice interests
  • Reflections on relevance of personal social location to therapy
  • Reflections regarding emotional/relational self- understanding
  • Discussion of case scenarios as if they were a supervision group

Following the interview, faculty members rate each prospective student according to:

  • Interest in working with families and relationships
  • Relational and self reflective skills
  • Fit with social justice mission
  • Openness to learning