HIS University MFT Program: Comprehensive Profile and Student Fit Analysis

HIS University is one of 71 BBS-approved MFT programs in California. Compare all 71 in our directory. Program data collected April 2026 from publicly available sources including the HIS University MA in Marriage and Family Therapy program page, the 2023-2024 HIS University academic catalog, the HIS University tuition and admissions page, the 2024 School Performance Fact Sheet, the California Board of Behavioral Sciences approved LMFT schools list, and the COAMFTE directory. A standalone MFT student handbook referenced in the catalog was not publicly downloadable at the time of research. Prospective students should verify all details directly with the program before applying.

Student Outcomes

Cost and Regional Pay

Approximate placement of this program’s total cost (about $40,200 (domestic), tuition only) against the directory’s lowest and highest published totals.

Estimated total tuition: approximately $40,200 in tuition for domestic students (67 units at $600 per unit; about $50,250 for F-1 international students at $750 per unit) for 2025-2026 per HIS University, plus applicable fees, books, and practicum-related costs.

Regional pay context: In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area, marriage and family therapists earn a median of about $71,110 per year, with a typical range of roughly $49,860 to $98,450 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). These figures cover all marriage and family therapists in the area at all experience levels, not this program’s graduates. For more, see our Los Angeles LMFT salary guide.

Schedule and Format Details

In-Person Format: Core coursework is delivered on the Brea campus. MFT classes are taught in English. Because HIS University serves a largely Korean American student body, many other programs at the institution are taught in Korean, but the MFT program specifically requires English proficiency and English-language instruction.

Distance Option: Qualifying applicants may take some classes synchronously online via Google Classroom. The program is not structured as a fully asynchronous online degree.

Start Terms: HIS University operates on a semester calendar. Specific start term availability should be confirmed with the Counseling Department.

Clinical Training and Fieldwork

Clinical Hours: Per the academic catalog, students complete a minimum of 250 hours of supervised, in-person, direct-contact counseling, including 75 hours of Client Centered Advocacy (CCA).

Training Clinic: HIS University operates an affiliated in-house counseling center, HOME International, located at 330 East Lambert Road, Suite 228, Brea, CA 92821.

Practicum Arrangement: In addition to HOME International, the program partners with external community agencies including Korean Community Services, Outreach Concern, and Hanmi Family Counseling Center. Specific placement process details are not publicly listed.

Personal Psychotherapy Requirement: Not publicly listed in the catalog or program materials reviewed.

Culminating Requirements

Students complete a comprehensive culminating requirement that includes a six-hour presentation on a pre-approved topic in Abnormal Psychology, scheduled through the Counseling Program Director, per the academic catalog.

Application Process

Start Terms: Semester-based. Specific entry terms should be confirmed with the Counseling Department.

Application Deadlines: Not publicly listed. Applicants should contact the Office of Admissions for current deadlines.

GPA Requirement: The catalog establishes a minimum 2.0 GPA as the graduation standard. A specific undergraduate admission GPA minimum is not publicly listed.

Prerequisites: Two undergraduate courses must be completed within two years of entering the program: Abnormal Psychology (3 units) and Human Growth and Development (3 units).

Application Components: Completed HIS University application, bachelor's degree with official transcripts, two letters of recommendation, a personal introduction, and a personal interview. MFT applicants whose first language is not English must submit TOEFL scores of at least 80 iBT or 550 PBT.

Interview: Required. Applicants must arrange and attend a personal interview as part of the admissions process.

What This Program Says About Itself

• Per the program page, HIS University's MA in Marriage and Family Therapy prepares students for California LMFT licensure while integrating Christian faith formation throughout the curriculum.
• The program is approved by the California BBS under Business and Professions Code section 4980.36 for LMFT educational requirements.
• The curriculum includes 250 hours of supervised direct client contact, with 75 of those hours focused on Client Centered Advocacy, reflecting an emphasis on community engagement and social responsiveness.
• The Counseling Department operates an affiliated in-house clinic, HOME International, giving students access to program-connected clinical training alongside external placement partnerships.
• HIS University's catalog describes the program's mission as training culturally and socially responsive therapists within a Christian worldview, with particular attention to Korean American and bilingual communities in Southern California.

This Program May Be a Good Fit For

Students seeking faith-integrated training: HIS University is a Christian institution and integrates biblical foundations and faith formation throughout the MFT curriculum.

Students prioritizing affordability: At approximately $40,200 in total program tuition for domestic students, the program is priced well below most California private MFT programs.

Students who value small cohort learning: Recent cohorts have been in the low single digits, producing a highly individualized training environment.

Students seeking strong practicum infrastructure: The program operates an affiliated in-house clinic (HOME International) and maintains placement partnerships with established community counseling agencies.

Students interested in serving Korean American and bilingual communities: HIS University's mission, location in Brea, and community partnerships emphasize service to Korean American and bilingual populations in Southern California.

Related California MFT Programs

If you are weighing HIS University, you may also want to compare these nearby and similar programs in our directory:

• Daybreak University: Same Orange County, COAMFTE-accredited, also online
• Hope International University: Same Orange County, COAMFTE-accredited, Christian
• Vanguard University: Same Orange County, faith-based
• Southern California Seminary: Christian, small-cohort BPPE program
• Chapman University: Same Orange County, COAMFTE-accredited

Or compare all 71 California MFT programs side by side.

How This California MFT Directory Is Built

This is the only California MFT program directory that accepts no paid placements of any kind. No program can pay to be listed, pay to rank higher, pay to be featured, or pay to remove information, and there are no affiliate links or sponsored entries. Every program on the California BBS approved-program list is included. At Sentio University, we believe in program transparency. Every prospective student should have as much objective information about MFT programs as possible to make the best decision for themselves.

How to Choose an MFT Program in California

Meeting the BBS requirements tells you that a curriculum clears a legal bar but says almost nothing about how skilled a clinician you can become. The students who get the most out of these years treat licensure as the floor, and then ask a far more ambitious question: which program will help me reach the very top of what I am capable of as a therapist? The program you choose changes everything. By the time they reach practicum, 2 in 3 students at COAMFTE-accredited MFT programs do not feel prepared to see clients. Training built around real, performable clinical skills, rather than theory alone, is what lets you walk into your first session with genuine confidence and keep growing from there. You get to decide how high to aim, and the right program will rise to meet you.

Look closely at four things. First, Deliberate Practice: the strongest programs let you rehearse specific skills with immediate feedback, the same way world-class musicians and athletes build mastery over time. Second, clinical hours: seek out programs that give you a high volume of direct client contact, because nothing accelerates your development faster than real, supervised repetition. Third, video recording in supervision rather than student self-report, so your supervisors can coach what actually happened in the room. Fourth, routine outcome monitoring, which teaches you to track, honestly and objectively, whether your clients are getting better. A program that does all four is training you to pursue excellence, not just clear a requirement.

Also consider programs that teach you safe and ethical AI-integrated clinical training. And do not let cost quietly lower your sights. There are more scholarships and financial aid options for California MFT students than most applicants ever realize.

The purpose of these years is not simply to pass a board and collect a license. It is to become the best therapist you can be, so struggling therapy clients will trust you with the hardest moments of their lives. Hold your education to that standard. Reach for the ceiling rather than settling for the floor, and choose the program that will help you get there.

Note from the Field:
"Aim higher than the license. A degree gets you in the door, but skill is what earns a client's trust. Pick the program that takes your training as seriously as you do."
Alexandre Vaz, PhD

Making Your Decision: What to Do Before You Apply

Salary data and job market projections are useful inputs to your program search, but they cannot tell you what a school is actually like to attend. Marketing materials, program websites, and admissions presentations are designed to present a program favorably. The most reliable way to cut through that and understand what a program actually delivers in the classroom is to ask to sit in on a live class session, whether in person or online, before you commit. Every program that is confident in the quality of its instruction should not only allow this but actively welcome it. If a program is reluctant to let prospective students observe a class, that reluctance is itself informative. The California MFT job market rewards clinical skill, and the training environment you choose over the next two to three years will shape the kind of therapist you become. Take the time to see it for yourself before you decide.

For a detailed comparison of every California MFT program, see our directory of all 71 BBS-approved MFT programs in California.

To learn more about HIS University's MFT program, visit their official website at hisuniversity.edu. If you are comparing MFT programs in California, you can explore Sentio University's MFT program to see how our Deliberate Practice training model compares.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HIS University's MFT program accredited?

HIS University is institutionally accredited by TRACS (Category IV) and approved by the California BBS for LMFT educational requirements. It is not COAMFTE- or CACREP-accredited.

Does HIS University require the GRE?

No. The GRE is not required.

How long is the program and how many units?

It is a 67-unit program (about 838 clock hours). Pacing varies by student, and the catalog allows up to seven years to complete the degree.

Does HIS University prepare students for the LPCC as well as the LMFT?

The curriculum is designed to meet California BBS educational requirements for LMFT licensure; a dual LMFT/LPCC pathway is not listed.

Does HIS University publish outcome rates?

Only a California BPPE School Performance Fact Sheet, which covers very small cohorts (a single graduate in 2023 and none in 2024). Those figures are not a comparable measure of program outcomes, and HIS is not COAMFTE-accredited.

Is HIS University a faith-based program?

Yes. HIS University is a Christian institution, and the MFT curriculum integrates biblical foundations and faith formation alongside clinical training. Much instruction is offered in Korean, with an English-proficiency pathway for the licensing exam.

Disclaimer: This profile was prepared by Sentio University for informational purposes only. Sentio University is an MFT program in California and a peer institution to the program profiled above. All information was drawn from publicly available sources and the program's own published materials as of April 2026. Sentio University makes no guarantee regarding the accuracy or completeness of this information. Prospective students should contact the program directly to verify all details, including admissions requirements, tuition, accreditation status, and clinical training structure. This profile does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. For a full list of California MFT programs, visit our California MFT Program Directory.

About the Authors

Tony Rousmaniere, PsyD is the President of Sentio University and Executive Director of the Sentio Counseling Center. He is Past President of the psychotherapy division of the American Psychological Association and the author of over 20 books on deliberate practice and psychotherapy training, including The Essentials of Deliberate Practice book series (APA Books). He is a licensed psychologist in California and Washington. Learn more

Alexandre Vaz, PhD is the Chief Academic Officer of Sentio University and cofounder of the Deliberate Practice Institute. He is co-editor of The Essentials of Deliberate Practice book series (APA Books) and the author of over a dozen books on deliberate practice and psychotherapy training. Dr. Vaz is the founder and host of Psychotherapy Expert Talks. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in Portugal. Learn more

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