Doctorate of Marriage
and Family Therapy
(DMFT)

The DMFT degree requires a minimum of 60 credit hours at the graduate level beyond the master’s degree.

NU may accept a maximum of 12 semester credit hours in transfer toward the doctoral degree for graduate coursework completed toward a doctoral degree at an accredited college or university with a grade of “B” or better. Transfer credit is only awarded for coursework that is evaluated to be substantially equivalent in content with the required coursework for the DMFT program.

The Doctorate of Marriage and Family Therapy (all specializations) has the following graduation requirements:

• A minimum of 48 credit hours of graduate instruction must be completed through NU
• Successful completion of all required degree program courses with a Grade Point Average of 3.0 (letter grade of “B”) or higher
• Official documents on file for basis of admission: a conferred master’s degree from an accredited academic institution
• Official transcripts on file for all transfer credit hours accepted by the University
• All financial obligations must be met before the student will be issued their complimentary diploma and/or degree posted transcript 

Beyond these standard graduation requirements, the DMFT program has the following degree requirements:

1. Online Video Conferencing. In order to complete some of the course requirements, students are required to participate in online video conferencing meetings throughout their time in the program. In order to participate in these video conference sessions, students are required to own or otherwise have access to a computer, a webcam, a headset, a video recording device, and a high-speed Internet connection.
2. Doctoral Internship. DMFT students are required to complete a 9-month, 20 hour a week, doctoral internship that aligns with their doctoral specialization. Students are required to have a local supervisor with whom they can meet in-person for a minimum of 4 hours per month (i.e., one hour per week). For more information, please read the practicum and internship course descriptions.
3. Liability Insurance. Prior to beginning any clinical experience, DMFT students are required to submit proof of professional liability insurance.
4. Supervision Coursework. In addition to advanced coursework in marriage and family therapy, students in the DMFT program must complete a course in MFT supervision methodology. Students seeking to qualify for the Approved Supervisor designation will have to complete the direct supervision and supervision mentoring requirements outside of the program.
5. Doctoral Comprehensive Evaluation (Portfolio). In pursuit of an applied doctoral degree at NU, students will gain expertise in their academic discipline and in one or more specializations that complement their academic discipline. The three doctoral portfolio courses are intended to assure that students provide artifacts indicating that they have acquired competencies in the following domains: program and professional goals, a relevant course of study, professional experience and plans, research experience and plans, clinical experience and plans, internship outcomes, documentation of academic growth, and the first draft of a dissertation prospectus. The DMFT Portfolio is a living document with major updates throughout the program.
6. Doctoral Project. The capstone of applied doctoral training is the completion of an applied project process. The DMFT program uses a facilitated capstone process that is purposefully designed to help students follow a step-by-step sequence in the preparation and completion of a doctoral project. For students in the DMFT program, the applied project must be related to marriage and family therapy and be consistent with the student’s selected area of specialization. (Note: The applied project portion of the DMFT program can be completed with a minimum of 12 credit hours in Applied Doctoral Experience [ADE] Courses, but may require additional credit hours, depending on the time the student takes to complete the project).

Career Potential*

• College / University Administrator
• College Professor / Instructor
• Family / Behavioral Therapist
• Family / School / General Social Worker
• Medical Office / Practice Manager
• Mental Health / Behavioral Counselor
• Researcher / Research Associate
• And many more, in public and private facilities of all different sizes!

*Positions may require additional experience, training, and other factors beyond successfully completing this degree program. Depending on where you reside, many positions may also require state licensure, and it is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all licensure requirements are met. We encourage you to also review program specific requirements with an NU advisor. Any data provided on this page is for informational purposes only and does not guarantee that completion of any degree program will achieve the underlying occupation or commensurate salary.