Loyola Marymount University MFT Program: Comprehensive Profile and Student Fit Analysis

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Program data collected April 2026 from publicly available sources including the program's official website, the university's academic catalog, and official fee schedules. Prospective students should verify all details directly with the program before applying.

Schedule and Format Details

Full-Time In-Person Track (2 years): Classes meet Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during daytime hours on campus. The program is cohort-based. Clinical internships are assigned during the spring semester of Year One and continue through Year Two, with internship schedules and locations varying. Students complete the degree in four consecutive semesters.

Part-Time In-Person Track (3 years): Classes meet Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during daytime hours on campus. The program is cohort-based and allows students to fulfill program requirements at a slower pace while maintaining the same daytime class attendance requirement. Clinical internships are assigned during the spring semester of Year One and continue through Year Two and Year Three.

Concentrations and Specializations

The program offers specialized training in Clinical Art Therapy as an integrated component of the MFT curriculum. Students develop competency in both verbal and nonverbal therapeutic modalities, combining marital and family therapy theory with clinical art therapy practice. Art therapy training is built into the core curriculum for all students. The program also offers an optional study abroad experience: the Art Therapy in Mexico Summer program in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, designed to broaden students' experiences with art therapy training in the arts, language, and culture of Mexico.

Clinical Training and Fieldwork

The program requires two clinical internships totaling approximately 840 hours, with a minimum of 350 hours of direct client contact providing art therapy services to individuals, groups, and families (per the 2025-2026 academic catalog). Practicum placements are made by the program during the spring semester of Year One, with assignments continuing through the completion of the degree. The program maintains a network of diverse training facilities and practicum sites, and operates an on-campus training facility: the Helen B. Landgarten Art Therapy Clinic, where students gain hands-on experience and provide therapeutic services to various communities in the Los Angeles area. Practicum coursework spans three semesters (Years One and Two, or Years One, Two, and Three for part-time students), with 3 to 4 units of practicum/supervision coursework in each practicum semester. Personal psychotherapy during the first two semesters is highly recommended but not mandated.

Culminating Requirements

Students must complete a Research/Clinical Paper (3 units) in the final semester. This capstone project asks students to integrate their clinical learning with research and scholarship, connecting theory to their practicum experiences.

Application Process

Application Deadline: For Fall 2027 admission only. Applications must be submitted by Monday, November 30, 2026. No spring or summer start dates are available.

Undergraduate GPA Requirement: Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0. Priority given to applicants whose bachelor's degree is posted at the time of application.

Prerequisite Courses: Studio Art: minimum 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours) demonstrating proficiency and disciplined commitment in art making across a variety of materials and processes. Psychology: minimum 12 semester hours (18 quarter hours) including Developmental Psychology and Abnormal Psychology/Psychopathology, completed within the past 5 years for a letter grade.

Application Components: Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution; two letters of recommendation focused on relevant professional or mental health experience; 10 to 12 page double-spaced autobiography emphasizing personal experiences and motivations; art portfolio with up to 10 images plus a 300-word statement on one piece's psychological content; recorded 10-minute video response to four interview questions; participation in a virtual group interview (dates vary by admissions cycle).

Interview Requirement: Yes. Applicants submit a recorded 10-minute video response to four interview questions, and participate in a virtual group interview session scheduled by the program.

Program Start Terms: Fall only (typically August start).

What This Program Says About Itself

Based on the program's own published descriptions and mission:

✓ Since 1975, the program has been a leader in art therapy education in the United States, with a long track record of preparing clinicians for diverse work settings.

✓ The program maintains small classes and an individualized approach to learning, fostering an intimate cohort of students and mentors in a personalized educational environment.

✓ The curriculum emphasizes a multicultural approach through course content and community outreach, as well as an international study abroad program in Mexico.

✓ The program integrates visual arts and psychotherapeutic skills, training students in both verbal and nonverbal therapeutic modalities so they graduate as licensed marriage and family therapists in California and registered art therapists with the American Art Therapy Association.

✓ The program values mission integration aligned with the university's Catholic Jesuit identity, including a commitment to justice, service to underserved communities, and education of the whole person. (Program website)

This Program May Be a Good Fit For

✓ Students seeking strong practicum infrastructure: The program maintains an in-house training clinic (Helen B. Landgarten Art Therapy Clinic) and provides program-arranged practicum placements within a network of training facilities, reducing the burden on students to locate sites independently.

✓ Students seeking faith-integrated training: LMU's Catholic Jesuit mission is integrated throughout the university and the graduate program, with an explicit commitment to service, justice, and education of the whole person informed by Ignatian spirituality and Catholic values.

✓ Students interested in serving diverse and underserved populations: The program emphasizes multicultural competency, community outreach, and training across varied mental health settings. The on-campus clinic provides services to diverse communities in Los Angeles.

✓ Students who value small cohort learning: The program emphasizes small class sizes and an individualized approach to learning, fostering an intimate cohort experience and personalized mentorship.

✓ Students seeking an accelerated path: The 2-year full-time track allows completion within 24 months.

✓ Students in Southern California: The program is located at LMU's Westchester campus in Los Angeles with in-person, on-campus instruction throughout.

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 MFT program in the state, explore The Absurdly Complete Guide to MFT Programs in California.

To learn more about Loyola Marymount University's Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy with Specialized Training in Art Therapy, visit their official website at https://cfa.lmu.edu/programs/mft/. 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.

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