Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy Program

The Sentio 20-month hybrid online Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy Program (MFT) provides a fast-track to becoming licensed as a LMFT in California.

The Sentio MFT program takes a new approach to therapist training with small cohorts and low student-to-faculty ratio that permits individualized, rigorous mentorship from day one. The program is fully approved by the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) to meet all the requirements for LMFT licensure in California.

Classes are held online, and there is one intensive in-person residency in Los Angeles each semester.

Quick Facts

Format: Hybrid, online & in person

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Length: 20 months / 60 units

Tuition: $1,120 per unit

Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1

Cohort size: maximum 16 students

Guaranteed Practicum Site

Guaranteed 500 hours towards licensure

Apply for the MFT program!

Program Benefits

Guaranteed Clinical Hours

Students are guaranteed a Practicum Site with 500+ Clinical Hours that count towards the 3,000 hour requirement for LMFT licensure.

Scholarships

Need and merit based scholarships are available and range from $1,000 to 75% of the cost of tuition.

Hybrid Format

Students take classes online and attend one intensive, in-person residency each semester.

Career-Focused

Students receive advice and support for career-development and job placement.

Fast-Track

Students complete the entire program in 20 months.

Approved for Licensure

Meets LMFT education requirements for the State of California.


500+

Clinical Hours at a guaranteed practicum site, the Sentio Counseling Center.

Max 16

Students Per Cohort.

4:1

Student Faculty Ratio.

5

Intensive, In-Person Residencies.

1

Sentio only starts one cohort per year, so we can focus all of our attention on providing the highest-quality education for each cohort.

100%

Fills all BBS educational requirements for LMFT licensure in California, and all clinical hours count towards the 3,000 required hours for licensure.

.

Take the Next Step

Get in Touch

Fill out our Request Information form, to learn more about our program and be put in contact with an admissions advisor.

Start Your Application

Applications for our Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy Program, Fall 2025 start date, are open now! Admission and scholarship decisions will be announced after our deadline of January 21st, 2025.

Start your application today!

Attend an Open House

Come meet get your questions about our Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy Program answered! You will also get the chance to meet some of Sentio University’s esteemed Faculty and Staff, register here.

Application Deadline

Attend an Open House

Jan

07

Jan

02

Come meet get your questions about our Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy Program answered! You will also get the chance to meet some of Sentio University’s esteemed Faculty and Staff, register here.

Come meet get your questions about our Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy Program answered! You will also get the chance to meet some of Sentio University’s esteemed Faculty and Staff, register here.

The deadline for Fall 2025 applications to Sentio University’s Marriage and Family Therapy Program is January 21st. Admission and scholarship decisions will be announced after this date for those who have submitted all required materials.

Jan

21

This video has a description of the Sentio Counseling Center by a student. The entire video is presented without editing. We encourage people who are considering applying to Sentio to attend and observe one of our weekly classes, so you can see if Sentio is a good fit for you. Applicants should ask to visit a class for every graduate program they are considering applying to. This is best way to cut through the marketing and see what a graduate program is really like!

“SCC is completely different in the amount of supervision you receive and how vulnerable you become at identifying what you need to improve. You become more self-aware and improve your practice.”
— Sentio Trainee

Curriculum Overview

Sentio University's coursework is hybrid, combining online instruction with in-person residencies. Weekly Zoom classes include lectures, discussions, video demos, and skill rehearsal. Homework involves reading, writing, and practice. The program has 12-week courses, except for 17-week Practicum classes ensuring compliance with California law and uninterrupted client sessions in semesters two to five.

Guaranteed Practicum Placement

Students will have a guaranteed practicum placement at the Sentio Counseling Center, where they can expect to gain over 500 clinical hours toward licensure. Students will see a range of diverse low income clients, and provide financially-accessible online therapy.

Jeremy Safran Scholarship

Sentio University offers a need-based scholarship for Marriage and Family Therapy students, honoring Safran’s legacy and providing support and ranging from $1,000-$50,400. The scholarship operates in three tiers based on demonstrated financial need, with limited scholarships available per tier per cohort. The scholarship application is included in the application for the MFT Program.

K. Anders Ericsson Memorial Scholarship

The K. Anders Ericsson Memorial Scholarship is a merit based scholarship that provides financial assistance ranging from $1,000 to $50,400 with three tiers of financial support. This scholarship is aimed to help alleviate the financial strain of tuition and costs for Marriage and Family Therapy students. The scholarship application is included in the application for the MFT Program.

Intensive In-Person Residencies

Intensive In-Person Residencies at Sentio University are immersive four-day experiences aimed at accelerating clinical skill development through concentrated Deliberate Practice and academic study. These residencies include supervised rehearsal of therapy models, lectures, student presentations, and individual advising. The university hosts three residencies per year in Los Angeles.

Contact Us

Mikaela Abundez

Director of Student Services

310-916-9378

mabundez@sentio.org

Books by Sentio MFT Program Faculty

 

Sentio MFT Program Faculty writing has recently been featured in:

 

Sentio MFT Program Guest Speakers

Statement required by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education:

“Notice to Prospective Degree Program Students

This institution is provisionally approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education to offer degree programs. To continue to offer this degree program, this institution must meet the following requirements:

• Become institutionally accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, with the scope of the accreditation covering at least one degree program.

• Achieve accreditation candidacy or pre-accreditation, as defined in regulations, by 7/25/2025, and full accreditation by 7/25/2028.

If this institution stops pursuing accreditation, it must:

• Stop all enrollment in its degree programs, and

• Provide a teach-out to finish the educational program or provide a refund.

An institution that fails to comply with accreditation requirements by the required dates shall have its approval to offer degree programs automatically suspended."

The California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education can be reached at https://www.bppe.ca.gov/

(CEC §94913 and 5, CCR §74117)