Applicants

FAQ

Facts about Auburn

1. Since mid 1970’s, ALL students have received in-state and out-of-state tuition waivers. We can offer these benefits because our internships are paid.
2. We have the ongoing potential for 100% paid internships. Multiple placement sites offer services to multicultural and sexually diverse students. While all students have received paid internships, it is up to the student to interview for and acquire the position.
3. All students since 1999 have completed the 500 clinical hours required during the program, with some graduates completing over 700 hours. None of this changed during COVID. Between our clinic and the internship sites, clinical services continued as normal.
4. We are a thesis optional program. We also track client change over time. Your grade within the internship is partially based on your client improvements and billable hours at the internship site. You prove that your clients improve and that you can earn the agency money.
5. Most first-year assistantships are also therapy-related, with students earning clinical hours starting their second semester.
6. There are three faculty, and 12 students total in the program. Many students matriculate into the HDFS Doctoral program. The statistics training is superior to many programs, with our Doctoral program ranked in the top 20 in the country. Students can earn a Certificate in Advanced Research Methods for Human Sciences and learn about grant writing. You can also continue towards licensure and gain supervisory status. Doctoral students who complete the supervision coursework can supervise therapists-in-training to become AAMFT Approved Supervisors.
7. We have clinical assistantships working with juvenile sexual offenders, supervised visitation with parents who have lost custody of children, group therapy with multicultural youth in Auburn and Tuskegee, and working with low-income, underserved families and children in a healthcare setting.

How do I know what classes I should take?
The Program Director (PD) will be your academic advisor for the program's first semester and the primary source of information about the classes you should take. During the first summer, before entering the program, the Office Administrator will send you information about signing up for classes. A curriculum sequence is provided in the handbook and the program web page.

Is health insurance available for graduate students?
Yes, you will be automatically enrolled in the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program linked to your assistantship. The total annual premium is approximately $2,028. As an additional benefit of your assistantship, a subsidy of approximately $1,000 will be applied to the annual premium paid in two installments in the fall and spring semesters. This subsidy helps to reduce your annual health insurance cost by about half. If you already have health insurance, you may opt out of the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program by completing the waiver request at the website above and providing proof of current insurance.

Are computers available for student use?
Yes, see “Computer Access and Use” in the Handbook. There are eight workstations for graduate student use shared among the 12 students. There are also three computer labs in Spidle Hall, the main building of the College of Human Sciences.

When will I know about assistantships and financial aid opportunities?
You will receive assistantship guarantees when you receive your offer letter from Auburn University, with limitations. All students have been funded for the last 25 years. The only way a student won’t have funding is because of unwillingness to accept the assistantship offered or unprofessional behavior that negatively impacts the agency or professor offering the assistantship. While this is possible, no student since 1999 has lost all funding because of unprofessional behavior.

How much time should I plan to commit to this program?
The Auburn MFT program is full-time. Students consistently report in exit interviews and anonymous surveys that they felt busy while meeting the demands for a thesis, 500 clinical hours, coursework, and assistantships.

Do I have to complete a thesis?
Yes, starting in Fall 2025, all students who join the Auburn MFT program will complete a thesis. While we had a hiatus for the requirement from 2022-25, it became apparent that the thesis is an integral part of completing the Auburn MFT degree and becoming a professional within the field.

Should I join a professional organization?
If you agree to attend Auburn University's MFT program, you agree to join the AAMFT professional organization, which provides liability insurance for student therapists. While the university is self-insured, the AAMFT professional insurance is secondary coverage that is essential to practice. Joining the organization requires a small expense but is worth the price.

Am I guaranteed a job when I finish?
No; however, the employment record of our graduates is excellent. Most of our graduates have been able to find employment as therapists (in a private practice or agency setting) before graduation or a few months post-graduation. Our students compete well in tough job markets like Atlanta and Charlotte. About 2/3 find employment before graduating, while 1/3 complete the search shortly after graduation. To in order to strengthen their job applications, many students complete the National Exam during their last month in the program or the first month out of the program.

How will I know when I finish my degree and am a professional?
You will be finished with your M.S. in MFT when you:

• Completed all classes on your degree plan (receiving an average of a B /3.0 GPA across all course)
• Completed 500 (minimum) hours of client contact with at least 250 hours with couples or families present
• Completed 100 (minimum) hours of supervision by Program Clinical Supervisors (including both group and individual)
• Completed the thesis or (until August 2025) non-thesis requirements
• You pass the National Exam
• You apply for MFT Associate Licensure (Immediately following graduation)

What support services are available to me?
Students are entitled to then sessions per academic year through AU Student Counseling and Psychological Services: https://scps.auburn.edu/. Additional University and Auburn/Opelika community services are available for various needs. See the Handbook section “Academic and Student Support Services.”

AAMFT Membership
It is our experience that the most successful students have the goal of becoming a Clinical Fellow in the AAMFT. Students are required to apply and be accepted as a student member of AAMFT the entire time they are enrolled at Auburn University. Each year the student will provide the Office Administrator with their AAMFT membership certificate. Information about AAMFT and the student application are online at www.AAMFT.org. Students are encouraged to become familiar with the AAMFT website to learn about professional opportunities and enrichment. Students are required to maintain their AAMFT membership throughout the entire program.

• Graduate Achievement Data COAMFTE
• MFT Program Demographic Composition

Application and Admission Requirements

Student Diversity Admission and Commitment Statement
The Marriage and Family Therapy Program is committed to admitting and retaining students with diverse backgrounds and those from traditionally under-represented groups in our profession. The program’s goal is to admit and graduate a greater percentage of diverse students than Auburn University does as a whole. The program continues to provide multicultural-informed therapy (awareness, knowledge, and skills) and diversity throughout the curriculum.

Click here for the Auburn University/AU MFT Program definition of diversity.

Admissions
For international students, we understand the importance of language proficiency. Therefore, we require a TOEFL score that meets or exceeds the standard set by the Auburn University Graduate School (http://bulletin.auburn.edu/thegraduateschool/admissions/) for consideration for admission, unless they have attended an English-speaking university. However, we also offer the flexibility to request a waiver for the TOEFL requirements. We consider previous academic records, personal characteristics, prior experience relevant to success as a marriage and family therapist, and congruence between professional goals and the marriage and family therapy program offered at Auburn University. The top applicants are then invited to submit a video for admission consideration by the MFT core faculty in lieu of in-person interviews before admission decisions.

Once applicants accept an offer of admission and enroll, we provide them with an Affidavit of Compliance for the program policies, procedures, and requirements in the program handbook. This document serves as a guide and reassurance, ensuring that students are aware of and understand the expectations of the program. A signed copy of the affidavit goes into the student’s file, while the student receives a copy, providing them with a sense of security and confidence in their journey with us.

Six students per year are accepted; consequently, admission to this program option is intensely competitive. The deadline to apply is December 15, 2024 for fall matriculation August 2025. Find out more information about important requirements and deadlines.

The following links go directly to 1) specific admission materials and deadlines for the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and the MFT option and 2) the Auburn University Academic Calendar:

• HDFS Graduate Admissions
• Auburn University Academic Calendar
• AU MFT Interest Letter 25-26
• AU MFT Program Pamphlet 2024

Application Process

The AU MFT program employs a three-step application process.
Step 1:    Applicants submit an online application by the second Friday in December.
Step 2:   AU MFT faculty review all applications, and the top candidates are invited to submit an interview video. The faculty watches all
        videos and selects the final cohort from this sub-pool of applicants.
Step 3:   The final group of candidates are invited to complete a Zoom video interview (see below for more details).

Video Interview
The AU MFT Program respects the time and the financial strain students experience in the graduate application process—application fees and interview travel expenses add up quickly. Therefore, we strive to alleviate these by enabling prospective students to participate in a video interview (for almost 30 years). Invited candidates will be given a few questions to answer and submit a video. This process allows us to meet each candidate and see which students would be a good fit. The final candidates will be invited to complete a Zoom interview with the three faculty members. We believe this process is more equitable and inclusive as it gives all applicants the chance to participate in the interview phase of our application process regardless of their financial situation or geographic location.

We also believe that students should pick the program that is the best fit for them. We recognize that most applicants apply to multiple graduate programs and that on-campus experiences often play a vital role in their final decision-making process. Students interviewing for our program who would like an on-campus experience are welcome to visit campus, stay with a current student, sit in on classes, and meet with faculty! When you visit the Auburn MFT Program after being accepted, there is no hoop-jumping, anxiety, or stress about trying to put your best foot forward. You come with all of the cards: 1) You have been accepted, 2) You have funding that includes a full tuition waiver, and 3) You will have multiple paid internship options to choose from when setting up your clinical training process. Our faculty and students are also happy to speak with potential applicants by email or phone – to arrange either an on-campus visit or phone call, contact Scott Ketring, Ph.D. the MFT Program Director.

Course Sequencing and Curriculum Requirements

Non-Thesis Track

 

Thesis Track

Plan of Study
Effective 1 January 2020, Auburn University no longer requires a formal Plan of Study. However, the AU MFT program utilizes its Course Sequencing guide as its Plan of Study (See Appendices S). Moreover, those on the nonthesis track must complete an additional three (3) credit elective course (traditionally, students will complete the HDFS 7970: Entrepreneurial Practice Building in MFT).
https://graduate.auburn.edu/current-students/committee-selection/

• AU MFT Thesis Track Plan of Study
• AU MFT Non-Thesis Track Plan of Study

Meeting ABEMFT Licensure and COAMFTE Accreditation Requirements

Clinical Practice in Marriage and Family Therapy..................................................................................................................18 credit hours
HDFS 7610  MFT Theory II: Trauma & Crisis Intervention (3)
HDFS 7620  MFT Clinical Issues I: Family Systems (3)
HDFS 7630  MFT Clinical Issues II: Individuals - Critical Issues in Family & Cultural Diversity (3)
HDFS 7640  MFT Clinical Issues III: Couples & Sex Therapy (3)
HDFS 7670  Individual, Couple, And Family Dynamics of Addictions, Recovery, And Treatment (3)

Ethics and Professional Identity in Marriage and Family Therapy......................................................................................3 credit hours
HDFS 7650  MFT Professional Issues: Ethical and Professional Issues (3)

Mental Health Diagnosis and Treatment...............................................................................................................................3 credit hours
HDFS 7680  Systemic Assessment, Diagnosis & Treatment of Psychopathology (3)

Human Development and Family Studies..............................................................................................................................9 credit hours
HDFS 7030  Lifespan Development (3)
HDFS 7600  MFT Theory I – Systems Theory & Theoretical Models of MFT (3)
HDFS 7660  Systemic Impact of Illness, MedFT, & Psychopharmacology (3)

Research....................................................................................................................................................................................3 credit hours
HDFS 7050  Research Methods for Human Development and Family Science (3)

Practicum and Internship..........................................................................................................................................................11 credit hours
HDFS 7621  MFT Lab II – Clinical Practicum (1)
HDFS 7631  MFT Lab III – Clinical Practicum (1)
HDFS 7920  MFT Theory Internship: Clinical Internship (Lab) (9)

Multicultural Competency in Marriage and Family Therapy.....................................................................................................*
Auburn MFT chooses to incorporate multicultural competence throughout the program and solicits feedback from students, alumni, and supervisors about how students are being trained to be multiculturally aware.

Additional Courses.....................................................................................................................................................................6 credit hours
HDFS 7601  MFT Theory Lab I – Pre-Clinical Practicum (1)
HDFS 7930  Seminar in HDFS (1)
HDFS 7990  Research and Thesis (4)

* The Auburn MFT Commitment is to include multicultural competence in each course rather than having it established in a single course.

Total Credits Required for Concentration: 50 (39 didactic + 11 practicum and internship)

Students Must Complete 500 Client-Contact Hours (at least 250 couple/family hours) and 100 program clinical supervision hours.

• AU MFT OBE Eligibility Criterion Table

Additional Coursework
Because of the program's rigor and intensity, students can take one extra course but must receive approval from the Program Director. However, prior student cohorts have strongly requested that the program offer entrepreneurship or an advanced trauma course. Every other year, a course is offered in one of these areas so that students can gain additional expertise.

Sequence of Clinical Experience

*This timeline identifies the typical sequence of clinical training based across 2-years, but progress of clinical training is dependent upon student readiness

Informing Students of Regulatory Requirements

Marriage and Family Therapy is a profession that leads to licensure in all 50 states; however, each state has its laws and regulations about what is needed to become licensed as an MFT in that state.

Please review license requirements in the state you intend to practice as soon as possible so that you understand what may and may not be accepted across state lines. Here is the link to each state’s licensure resources: MFT State/Provincial Resources (AAMFT.org).

More importantly, we have an Excel spreadsheet with the licensure requirements for all 50 states, the links to the licensure web pages, and an outline of whether we meet the licensure requirements. We update the spreadsheet yearly. However, we might miss recent licensure updates for specific states. That is why we provide the links to the licensure web pages for every state so that you can evaluate the state requirements where you wish to practice.

Auburn University's coursework was designed to meet MFT licensure requirements in Alabama. You may read more about the state requirements for MFT licensure in Alabama here.

Degree Portability for Licensure

The AU MFT curriculum and clinical experience requirements reflect the clinical membership requirements for AAMFT, which served as the foundation for the model licensure law that was in place during the enactment of the vast majority of MFT licensure laws. Specific therapy models, new research findings, and evolving best practices lead to curriculum changes. The AU MFT educational experience: courses taken, clinical experience, supervision required, and the ongoing efforts to maintain accreditation ensure that your AU MFT degree will put you in a position for successful licensing as an MFT in most US states. Completing the MFT degree at Auburn maximizes portability with minimum disruption or need to meet additional standards. During your second fall semester, you are assigned to research the licensure laws of the state in which you wish to reside post-graduation (besides Alabama). This information, combined with the information other cohort students develop, will help ensure you take the coursework, etc., you may need beyond what our degree program requires. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to prepare for post-degree licensure for any state other than Alabama. The program faculty/staff will reasonably assist you with licensure and portability issues in your immediate post-degree days and your future as a seasoned alumnus.

The AU MFT Program meets all educational and clinical requirements for applying for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapy Associate (MFT-A) in Alabama. Students graduating with a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from AU must complete 500 direct client contract hours of therapy (including at least 250 hours with couples or families). The total hours are accumulated in clinical work at the AU MFT Center and approved off-site community placements. Students are encouraged to visit the Alabama Board of Examiners for Marriage and Family Therapy (ABEMFT) Board website to learn more about MFT licensure guidelines.

Because individual states regulate licensure, a state other than Alabama may have additional requirements not provided as part of the standard AU MFT Program educational requirements. The following resources are available to students’ considering licensure in other states:

• Listing of state licensure requirements
• AAMFT link to state licensing boards

Student Notice of MFT Regulation, Variance, and Resources

Regulatory Alignment Student Signed Acknowledgement