National University Online Counseling & MFT Programs
- Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – Child and Adolescent Therapy
- Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – Couple Therapy
- Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – Culture, Diversity and Social Justice in a Global Context
- Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – Education and Supervision
- Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – General Family Therapy
- Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – Medical Family Therapy
- Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – Systemic Leadership
- Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – Therapy with Military Families
- Doctorate of Marriage and Family Therapy (DMFT)
- MA – Counseling Psychology: Combined MFT/LPCC (California Only)
- MA – Counseling Psychology: MFT (California Only)
- MA in Marriage and Family Therapy
- MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – Child and Adolescent Family Therapy
- MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – Couple Therapy
- MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – General Family Therapy
- MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – LGBTQ Couple and Family Therapy
- MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – Medical Family Therapy
- MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – Systemic Sex Therapy
- MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – Systemic Treatment of Addictions
- MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – Trauma Informed Systemic Therapy
- MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- MS in Educational Counseling – Community College Counseling
- MS in Educational Counseling – Pupil Personnel Service School Counseling
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy
- Post-Master’s Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy
National University is a veteran-founded, San Diego-based nonprofit university that offers a wide range of online counseling and marriage and family therapy programs. These include the doctor of philosophy in marriage and family therapy (PhD-MFT) program with eight specialization options, the doctorate of marriage and family therapy (DMFT) program, the master of arts (MA) program in counseling psychology with the standard MFT option and the combined MFT and LPCC option, the master of arts (MA) program in marriage and family therapy with eight specialization options, the master of science program in clinical mental health counseling (MSCMHC), the master of science (MS) program in educational counseling with a community college counseling emphasis and a California pupil personnel services credential school counseling pathway, and certificate options at both the post-baccalaureate and post-master’s levels.
Across these programs, National University focuses on flexible online study, year-round enrollment, and practical training. Many programs are designed for adult learners and include supervised clinical work, faculty mentoring, and coursework that supports professional practice in counseling, marriage and family therapy, school counseling, and related fields. Some programs are available only in California, while others are offered more broadly with specific licensure or credential goals.
The PhD-MFT program prepares students for advanced clinical work, supervision, education, and research. It includes specializations such as child and adolescent therapy; couple therapy; culture, diversity, and social justice in a global context; education and supervision; general family therapy; medical family therapy; systemic leadership; and therapy with military families. This program requires a minimum of 63 credits beyond the master’s degree. Important course areas include advanced theories in MFT; research methods in MFT; foundations for doctoral study in MFT; dynamics of family interaction; qualitative measurement and design; advanced qualitative design and analysis; and the doctoral portfolio sequence.
The DMFT program is designed for students who want advanced training in clinical services, supervision, administration, and leadership. Specializations include child and adolescent therapy; couple therapy; systemic organizational leadership; therapy with military families; general family therapy; and systemic administration and entrepreneurship. Made up of 60 to 63 credits, the program’s core and specialization courses are eight weeks in length, while practicum and dissertation courses run 12 weeks. Courses include foundations of relational and systemic practice; program development for MFTs; and the applied doctoral project sequence.
The MA in counseling psychology is an online California program with two options: the standard MFT option and the combined MFT and LPCC option. It prepares students to work with couples, children, and families, and includes courses such as foundations in counseling; couples therapy and sexuality; family therapy; and legal and ethical issues. The combined option adds coursework in research, testing, and career counseling. To receive this MA in counseling psychology, students must complete at least 60 credits of graduate work.
The MA in marriage and family therapy is designed for students preparing for licensure and clinical practice in MFT. The program prepares graduates for educational and therapeutic work in a variety of settings, including public service agencies, mental health centers, industry, correctional institutions, private practice, and medical settings. Students in this 45-credit program must complete two practicum courses, two internship courses, and a final capstone internship course over a minimum of 52 weeks. During this time, they need to acquire a minimum of 300 total direct therapy hours, 150 of which must be relational.
The MA in MFT program includes areas of emphasis such as child and adolescent family therapy; couple therapy; general family therapy; LGBTQ couple and family therapy; medical family therapy; military family therapy; systemic sex therapy; systemic treatment of addictions; and trauma-informed systemic therapy. Key course topics include treatment planning and traditional family therapy; cultural diversity, gender, and family development; MFT practicum and internship; legal, ethical, and professional development in marriage and family therapy; psychopathology, diagnosis, and systemic treatment; and couple and sex therapy.
The MS in CMHC program prepares students for counseling roles in diverse settings. This 60-credit program provides students with an in-depth exploration of ethical and legal standards, evidence-based approaches, diagnosis and treatments, and counseling theories. Graduates will gain the practical and theoretical knowledge needed to work in a variety of professional counseling settings. The program also emphasizes ethics, social justice, advocacy, and culturally sensitive practice. In addition to the standard curriculum, California students will be required to take the contemporary issues in counseling course, bringing the total required credits to 63. Course examples include ethical and legal issues in mental health counseling; counseling and psychotherapeutic techniques; abuse, crisis, and trauma counseling; substance use disorders and addiction counseling; and research methods and program evaluation in counseling.
The MS in educational counseling is offered with a community college counseling emphasis and a California pupil personnel services credential school counseling (PPS-SC) pathway. These programs prepare students for counseling in educational settings and include courses in equity-driven leadership; trauma-informed counseling; college and career counseling; and research methods. The California credential pathway also includes fieldwork experiences and a child welfare and attendance authorization. To receive a master of science in educational counseling, students must complete at least 48 semester credit hours of graduate work.
The post-baccalaureate certificate in marriage and family therapy helps students build graduate-level knowledge after a bachelor’s degree. Areas of emphasis include child and adolescent family therapy; couple therapy; general family therapy; medical family therapy; military family therapy; LGBTQ couple and family therapy; and a dual licensure option. Students in this 12-credit certificate can select any four courses from all the courses, or they can select a group of courses based on an area of specialization. Course examples include family therapy with children; emotionally focused couples therapy; treatment planning and traditional family therapy; and systemic treatment of infidelity and sex addiction.
The post-master’s certificate in marriage and family therapy is for students with a completed master’s degree who want advanced training without enrolling in a doctoral program. This 18-credit program offers focused course sequences in areas such as education and supervision; systemic leadership; medical family therapy; and therapy with military families.
Admission requirements vary by program, but most require a conferred degree from an institutionally accredited school and a minimum grade point average of 3.0 for graduation. The PhD-MFT requires a master’s degree from an institutionally accredited university and a completed clinical graduate program, along with additional application steps such as an applicant packet, faculty interview, and national background check. The DMFT also requires a master’s degree from an institutionally accredited university in a related social science field, plus additional application steps.
The MA in marriage and family therapy requires a conferred bachelor’s and master’s or doctoral degree, current residence in an authorized state or U.S. military base, a resume, statement of intent, licensure plan, ethics statement, clinical site list, transfer or waiver request if needed, interview, and background check in many cases. The clinical counseling and educational counseling programs also require a conferred bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and additional program-specific documents and interviews. The certificate programs require a conferred bachelor’s degree for the post-baccalaureate certificate and a conferred master’s degree for the post-master’s certificate. Some certificate paths also require an interview, a background check, and proof of prerequisite coursework for clinical work.
National University is located in San Diego, California, and is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Its PhD-MFT degree is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).
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Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT)
Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – Child and Adolescent Therapy
Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – Couple Therapy
Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – Culture, Diversity and Social Justice in a Global Context
Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – Education and Supervision
Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – General Family Therapy
Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – Medical Family Therapy
Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – Systemic Leadership
Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD-MFT) – Therapy with Military Families
Doctorate of Marriage and Family Therapy (DMFT)
MA – Counseling Psychology: Combined MFT/LPCC (California Only)
MA – Counseling Psychology: MFT (California Only)
MA in Marriage and Family Therapy
MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – Child and Adolescent Family Therapy
MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – Couple Therapy
MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – General Family Therapy
MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – LGBTQ Couple and Family Therapy
MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – Medical Family Therapy
MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – Systemic Sex Therapy
MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – Systemic Treatment of Addictions
MA in Marriage and Family Therapy – Trauma Informed Systemic Therapy
MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
MS in Educational Counseling – Community College Counseling
MS in Educational Counseling – Pupil Personnel Service School Counseling
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy
Post-Master’s Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy
9388 Lightwave AveSan Diego, California
Program Essentials
Doctoral Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
63
Weekly
Complete in as few as 78 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher (bachelor's), 3.0 (master's)
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
63
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
Program Essentials
Doctoral Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
63
Weekly
Complete in as few as 78 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher (bachelor's), 3.0 (master's)
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
63
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
Program Essentials
Doctoral Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
63
Weekly
Complete in as few as 78 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher (bachelor's), 3.0 (master's)
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
63
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
Program Essentials
Doctoral Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
63
Weekly
Complete in as few as 78 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher (bachelor's), 3.0 (master's)
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
63
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
Program Essentials
Doctoral Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
63
Weekly
Complete in as few as 78 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher (bachelor's), 3.0 (master's)
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
63
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
Program Essentials
Doctoral Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
63
Weekly
Complete in as few as 78 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher (bachelor's), 3.0 (master's)
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
63
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
Program Essentials
Doctoral Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
63
Weekly
Complete in as few as 78 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher (bachelor's), 3.0 (master's)
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
63
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
Program Essentials
Doctoral Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
63
Weekly
Complete in as few as 78 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher (bachelor's), 3.0 (master's)
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
63
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
Program Essentials
Doctoral Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
63
Weekly
Complete in as few as 78 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher (bachelor's), 3.0 (master's)
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
63
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
$1,118.00
$70,434.00
Program Essentials
Doctoral Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
60
Weekly
Complete in as few as 54 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher (bachelor's), 3.0 (master's)
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
60
$1,118.00
$67,080.00
$1,118.00
$67,080.00
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy, Counseling Psychology, Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
69
Weekly
Complete in as few as 23 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
CA Only (all others restricted)
Program Tuition
69
$913.00
$62,997.00
N/A
N/A
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling Psychology, Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
60
Weekly
Complete in as few as 20 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
CA Only (all others restricted)
Program Tuition
60
$913.00
$54,780.00
N/A
N/A
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
45-60
Weekly
Complete in as few as 33 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
45-60
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
45-60
Weekly
Complete in as few as 33 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
45-60
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
45-60
Weekly
Complete in as few as 33 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
45-60
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
45-60
Weekly
Complete in as few as 33 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
45-60
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
45-60
Weekly
Complete in as few as 33 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
45-60
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
45-60
Weekly
Complete in as few as 33 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
45-60
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
45-60
Weekly
Complete in as few as 33 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
45-60
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
45-60
Weekly
Complete in as few as 33 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
45-60
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
45-60
Weekly
Complete in as few as 33 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
45-60
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
$913.00
$41,085 – $54,780
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
60
Weekly
Complete in as few as 28-36 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
60
$654.00
$39,240.00
$654.00
$39,240.00
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: School Counseling
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
72
Weekly
Complete in as few as 23 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
72
$464.00
$33,408.00
$464.00
$33,408.00
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: School Counseling
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
72
Weekly
Complete in as few as 23 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
72
$464.00
$33,408.00
$464.00
$33,408.00
Program Essentials
Post-Bachelor's Certificate
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
12
Weekly
Complete in as few as 10 months
Program Admissions
Yes (Conditional) – required if GPA <2.5
2.5 or higher
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
12
$913.00
$10,956.00
$913.00
$10,956.00
Program Essentials
Post-Master's Certificate
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
18
Weekly
Complete in as few as 10-12 months
Program Admissions
No GRE required
3.0
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
18
$1,118.00
$20,124.00
$1,118.00
$20,124.00
Tuition is calculated based on credits, at the published tuition rate. Rates may change, so please check here for the latest tuition information. For programs with variable tuition rates, we use the rates for part-time students. “Resident” and “non-resident” refer to the student’s school-recognized state residency status. Tuition number represents the cost of tuition for the entire program, not per semester or year. Estimated total tuition does not include additional fees.
Farheen Gani
WriterFarheen Gani has researched degree programs and salaries in counseling since 2020. She has written about topics such as genetic counselor salaries and family and human development bachelor’s degrees. She writes about healthcare, technology, education, and marketing. Her work has appeared on websites such as Tech in Asia and Foundr, as well as top SaaS blogs such as Zapier and InVision. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.