Hope International University MFT Program: Comprehensive Profile and Student Fit Analysis
Hope International 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 Hope International University College of Psychology and Counseling MFT program page, the Hope International University MFT Program Handbook 2025-2026, the Hope International University graduate tuition and costs page, the Hope International University graduate admissions criteria and admissions process pages, and BBS records. Prospective students should verify all details directly with the program before applying.
Program Snapshot
University: Hope International University
Official Degree Name: Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
Campus Location: Fullerton campus at 2500 E. Nutwood Avenue, Fullerton, CA 92831. See the Hope International University home page.
Institution Link: Hope International University.
Modality: In-person, on-ground at the Fullerton campus. Per the MFT Program Handbook, courses run in 8 to 16 week terms and are scheduled across morning, afternoon, and evening blocks.
Licensure Track: California LMFT only. The MFT Program Handbook states that the MA MFT program prepares students for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist in California and does not lead to LPCC licensure.
Accreditation: Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). The program also holds accreditation from the International Accreditation Commission for Systemic Therapy Education (IACSTE). Hope International University is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
Program Length: 60 units. The program is structured to be completed in approximately 24 months full-time, with a part-time option available per the MFT Program Handbook.
Estimated Total Program Tuition (effective 2025-2026): Approximately $46,500, calculated as 60 units at $775 per unit per the Hope International University graduate tuition and costs page. Additional program fees listed on the same page include an MFT practicum fee, a state-required MFT seminar fee, a student fee, a parking fee, and an annual program assessment fee. Tuition is subject to annual adjustment. Books and living expenses are additional. Students should verify current rates directly with Hope International University.
GRE Requirement: Not listed as a required component on the graduate admissions criteria page or in the MFT Program Handbook.
Religious Orientation: Christian. Hope International University is a Christian university, and the MFT program mission describes training that is grounded in Christian principles. The curriculum includes a required course, Christian Principles of MFT, and a student learning outcome focused on identifying and applying Christian principles to the practice of marriage and family therapy.
Entering Class Size: Not publicly listed.
Concentrations: The MA MFT program is a single track focused on systemic marriage and family therapy. No separate concentrations or emphases are listed for the MA degree.
This profile is one of 71. See how every California MFT program compares on tuition, format, accreditation, practicum, and clinical training. No ads, no paid placements.
Compare All 71 →Student Outcomes
Outcomes are shown only as published by the program or its accreditor. Where a value is not published, we say so rather than estimate it.
Graduation rate: On the 2-year advertised track, 36% to 60% complete on time, but the program reports that roughly 40% to 50% of students choose a 3-year path; its maximum graduation rate, which counts 3-year completers, reaches up to 100% in several cohorts. Source: Hope International COAMFTE Graduate Achievement Data.
Job placement rate: 80% (2022-2023 cohort, most recent reported; 80% to 100% across reported cohorts)
Licensure rate: 83% (2022-2023 cohort, most recent reported; 71% to 93% across reported cohorts)
Licensure exam pass rate: Not published (the COAMFTE Graduate Achievement Data reports licensure attainment, not a separate exam pass rate)
Hope International University's MA in Marriage and Family Therapy is COAMFTE-accredited (since 2008) and also holds IACSTE accreditation. Its Graduate Achievement Data shows a low on-time graduation rate against the 2-year advertised length because many students choose a 3-year path; the program's maximum graduation rate, which counts those 3-year completers, is much higher and reaches up to 100% in several cohorts. Job placement and licensure attainment are strong, the most recent cohorts are partly still in process, and COAMFTE master's reporting does not include a licensure exam pass rate.
Cost and Regional Pay
Approximate placement of this program’s total cost (about $46,500, tuition only) against the directory’s lowest and highest published totals.
Estimated total tuition: approximately $46,500 in tuition (60 units at $775 per unit for 2025-2026 per Hope International University). An MFT practicum fee, a state-required MFT seminar fee, student and parking fees, and an annual program assessment fee are additional; tuition is subject to annual adjustment.
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
On-Ground Format: All MA MFT coursework is delivered in person at the Fullerton campus. Per the MFT Program Handbook, courses are offered in 8 to 16 week terms, and class meetings are scheduled across morning, afternoon, and evening blocks on weekdays.
Full-Time and Part-Time Pacing: The program can be completed in approximately 24 months on a full-time pace, and a part-time option is available for students who need additional flexibility, per the MFT Program Handbook.
Clinical Training and Fieldwork
Clinical Hours: Per the MFT Program Handbook, students complete 300 direct client contact hours, of which at least 100 must be relational hours (work with couples, families, or groups). Students complete 100 hours of supervision, including the observational supervision hours required under COAMFTE standards. A maximum of 100 of the direct client hours may be completed via telehealth.
Training Clinic: Hope International University operates an in-house training clinic, the Hope Counseling Center, on the Fullerton campus. The MFT Program Handbook describes the Hope Counseling Center as an on-site community agency that provides clinical training experiences for MFT students.
Practicum Arrangement: Practicum placements are program-arranged through a list of approved clinical training sites that meet California Board of Behavioral Sciences statutes and regulations. Students who wish to be placed at a site not already on the approved list may submit an Online Petition for Site Approval, which the handbook describes as a six to eight week process.
Personal Psychotherapy Requirement: Per the MFT Program Handbook, students are required to complete at least 12 hours of personal therapy with a licensed therapist during the program. These hours count toward the 50-hour Professional Development requirement, and personal therapy cannot be completed with Hope Counseling Center staff or supervisors while the student is enrolled.
Curriculum Structure
The 60-unit curriculum integrates systemic MFT theory, clinical training, and faith integration, per the MFT Program Handbook:
Core Coursework: Systemic theory, marriage and family therapy models, human development, psychopathology, law and ethics, research methods, multicultural and diversity competence, assessment, and Christian Principles of MFT.
Prerequisite Courses: Students who enter without a psychology educational background are required to complete Counseling Theories (PSY5010) and Community Mental Health (PSY4310) within their first 18 units and before beginning clinical training, per the MFT Program Handbook.
Clinical Training Sequence: Practicum and concurrent supervision at the Hope Counseling Center and approved community sites, including clinical simulation experiences described in the handbook.
Culminating Requirements
The culminating academic requirement for the MA MFT program is the Comprehensive Case Presentation (CCP), which the MFT Program Handbook describes as a video case presentation with a written case report and oral presentation. The MA MFT program does not require a thesis or a written comprehensive examination.
Application Process
Application Deadlines: Specific fixed deadline dates are not published on the program's public pages. The graduate admissions process page indicates multiple start terms, and applicants should confirm current deadlines with the Office of Graduate Admissions.
Start Terms: Fall, Spring, and Summer, per the MFT Program Handbook course sequencing.
GPA Requirement: Minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA on a 4.0 scale. Applicants below 3.0 may be considered for probationary admission with a letter of explanation, per the graduate admissions criteria page.
Prerequisites: Counseling Theories (PSY5010) and Community Mental Health (PSY4310) are required for applicants without a psychology educational background and are typically completed at Hope International University during the first 18 units of the program.
Application Components: Online application with a non-refundable application fee, official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities, two letters of recommendation using the provided reference forms, and a statement of purpose of at least 250 words describing reasons for entering the graduate program. Specific requirements are listed on the graduate admissions process page and in the MFT Program Handbook.
Interview: Required. Per the MFT Program Handbook, viable candidates complete an on-campus interview with MFT faculty, which may include a group interview and individual faculty interview components.
What This Program Says About Itself
- Per the Hope International University MFT program page, the program develops multiculturally informed, ethically competent therapists grounded in Christian principles who join with families to identify life challenges, restore broken bonds, and cultivate healthy relationships.
- The MFT Program Handbook describes a 60-unit curriculum designed to integrate theory, clinical practice, and research within a Christian framework, with a required course in Christian Principles of MFT.
- The program is COAMFTE accredited and also holds accreditation from the International Accreditation Commission for Systemic Therapy Education, per the MFT Program Handbook.
- Per the program page, the program operates the on-campus Hope Counseling Center as a training clinic and incorporates clinical simulations with simulated clients as part of clinical training.
- The program hosts the Delta Kappa chapter of the international marriage and family therapy honor society, established at Hope International University in 2016, per the MFT Program Handbook.
This Program May Be a Good Fit For
Students seeking faith-integrated training: Hope International University is a Christian institution, and the MFT program mission, learning outcomes, and required Christian Principles of MFT course explicitly integrate Christian principles into clinical preparation.
Students planning to practice in multiple states: The program is COAMFTE accredited, which can support mobility and portability of the MFT credential across states that recognize COAMFTE-accredited training.
Students seeking an accelerated path: The MA MFT program can be completed in approximately 24 months on a full-time pace, per the MFT Program Handbook.
Students seeking strong practicum infrastructure: The program operates the in-house Hope Counseling Center on the Fullerton campus and arranges placements through a list of approved community clinical training sites.
Students prioritizing relative affordability in a COAMFTE-accredited program: At approximately $775 per unit for 60 units, the estimated total program tuition is approximately $46,500 per the graduate tuition and costs page, which is lower than many California MFT master's programs.
Career changers entering the field: The GRE is not listed as required, and applicants from non-psychology backgrounds can complete foundational prerequisite courses (Counseling Theories and Community Mental Health) during their first 18 units of the program.
Related California MFT Programs
If you are weighing Hope International University, you may also want to compare these nearby and similar programs in our directory:
- Chapman University: Same Orange County, COAMFTE-accredited, dual LMFT/LPCC
- Cal State Fullerton: Same Orange County, CACREP-accredited, dual
- Vanguard University: Same Orange County, faith-based
- Azusa Pacific University: Faith-based private, eastern Los Angeles County
- Fuller Theological Seminary: Christian seminary MFT program
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 Hope International University's MFT program, visit their official website at hiu.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 Hope International's MFT program accredited?
Yes. The MA in Marriage and Family Therapy is accredited by COAMFTE (since 2008) and by IACSTE, and Hope International is institutionally accredited by WSCUC. It meets California BBS educational requirements for LMFT licensure.
Does Hope International require the GRE?
No. The GRE is not listed as a required component on the graduate admissions criteria page or in the MFT Program Handbook.
How long is the program and how many units?
It is a 60-unit, in-person program at the Fullerton campus, structured for completion in about 24 months full-time, with a part-time option available.
Does Hope International prepare students for the LPCC as well as the LMFT?
No. The MFT Program Handbook states that the program prepares students for the California LMFT only and does not lead to LPCC licensure.
What outcomes does Hope International publish?
As a COAMFTE-accredited program it publishes Graduate Achievement Data. On-time graduation against the 2-year track looks low because many students choose a 3-year path, but the maximum graduation rate reaches up to 100% in several cohorts; job placement (80% to 100%) and licensure attainment (most recent reported 83%) are strong. It does not publish a separate licensure exam pass rate.
Is Hope International a faith-based program?
Yes. Hope International is a Christian university, and the MFT program is grounded in Christian principles, including a required Christian Principles of MFT course and a related student learning outcome.
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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