Pacific Oaks College MFT Program: Comprehensive Profile and Student Fit Analysis

Sentio University believes in program transparency and that all prospective students should have access to detailed, objective information about MFT programs to make the best possible decision for their education and career.

Program data collected April 2026 from publicly available sources including the Pacific Oaks College MA in Marriage and Family Therapy program page, the Pacific Oaks College tuition and fees page, the Pacific Oaks College academic catalog, California MFT program directories, and BBS records. A program specific student handbook was not publicly downloadable at the time of data collection; some handbook level details are drawn from the program page and secondary directory sources and should be verified directly with the program. Prospective students should verify all details directly with the program before applying.

Schedule and Format Details

Hybrid Traditional Track: Combines virtual and in person class sessions at the Pasadena campus, scheduled during evening hours to accommodate working adults. Specific day of week schedules vary by cohort.

Specialization Tracks: African American Family Studies, Latinx Family Studies, LGBTQIA+ Studies, and Trauma Studies specializations are offered in hybrid, online, or in person formats with schedules that vary by cohort and specialization.

Pacing: 2.5 years full time or approximately 4 years part time.

Start Terms: Fall, Spring, and Summer. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Concentrations and Specializations

African American Family Studies: Prepares students to provide culturally attuned therapy within African American families and communities.

Latinx Family Studies: Prepares students to serve Latinx families, including bilingual and bicultural clinical contexts.

LGBTQIA+ Studies: Prepares students to provide culturally responsive therapy for LGBTQIA+ individuals, couples, and families.

Trauma Studies: Prepares students to apply trauma informed systemic approaches across clinical populations.

LPCC Specialization: An optional specialization that adds 5 credits (MFT 670 Career Development Theories and Techniques, MFT 681 Advanced Topics in Addictions Counseling, and MFT 683 Advanced Topics in Psychopharmacology) and increases the direct client contact requirement from 225 to 280 hours to qualify graduates for California LPCC licensure.

Clinical Training and Fieldwork

Clinical Hours: MFT only students complete a minimum of 225 practicum hours of direct client contact during the program, consistent with California BBS pre graduate clinical hour minimums for LMFT eligibility. Students pursuing the LPCC Specialization must complete 280 total direct client contact hours (the 225 MFT hours count toward the 280 LPCC total, so the LPCC specialization adds 55 hours beyond the base MFT requirement).

Practicum Structure: Students complete practicum at approved community based clinical sites in the Los Angeles area and beyond.

Training Clinic: A freestanding in house training clinic operated under the MFT program name is not publicly listed on the Pacific Oaks MFT program page. Students complete practicum hours at community placement sites.

Practicum Arrangement: Community based placements arranged through the MFT program with faculty and placement coordinator support.

Personal Psychotherapy Requirement: Students are required to complete a minimum of 36 hours of individual personal psychotherapy: 20 hours before beginning practicum and 16 additional hours during the clinical sequence, per publicly available program materials.

Curriculum Structure

The 60 credit base curriculum integrates systemic and relational theory, cultural and social justice frameworks, and supervised practicum. Core areas include counseling theories, human development, psychopathology, family systems therapy, multicultural and social justice competence, law and ethics, assessment, research methods, substance abuse and co occurring disorders, trauma, and a sequenced clinical practicum. Each specialization adds targeted coursework in its focus area, and the LPCC track adds LPCC scope of practice coursework and additional clinical hours.

Culminating Requirements

Students complete a Clinical Portfolio capstone project during the final quarter of the program, in which they demonstrate their clinical skill, theoretical orientation, and cultural and ethical competency. An exam preparation component with a $116 material fee is integrated into the capstone course.

Application Process

Application Deadlines: Rolling admissions across Fall, Spring, and Summer start terms.

Start Terms: Fall, Spring, and Summer.

GPA Requirement: A specific minimum undergraduate GPA is not publicly listed. Prospective students should confirm with the program.

Prerequisites: No specific undergraduate course prerequisites are listed. A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution is required.

Application Components: Online graduate application, official transcripts from all institutions attended, resume, a personal statement of 500 to 1,000 words, and two letters of recommendation (one of which must be from a supervisor).

Interview: Required. Applicants complete a group interview with program faculty after initial review.

What This Program Says About Itself

✓ Per the MA in Marriage and Family Therapy program page, the program prepares graduates to sit for the California LMFT exam and develops clinically skilled, culturally attuned marriage and family therapists.

✓ Pacific Oaks emphasizes culture and social context in clinical training and offers four specialization tracks grounded in identity and social justice: African American Family Studies, Latinx Family Studies, LGBTQIA+ Studies, and Trauma Studies.

✓ The program offers a hybrid traditional track with evening classes and in person specialization tracks, providing format flexibility across the cohort.

✓ The optional LPCC specialization allows graduates to pursue dual licensure as both an LMFT and an LPCC in California.

✓ Fall, Spring, and Summer start dates provide multiple entry points per year.

This Program May Be a Good Fit For

✓ Students interested in culturally focused and social justice oriented training: The African American Family Studies, Latinx Family Studies, LGBTQIA+ Studies, and Trauma Studies specializations provide identity and culture centered clinical training.

✓ Working professionals seeking schedule flexibility: The traditional track combines virtual and evening in person classes, and Fall, Spring, and Summer start terms accommodate varied enrollment timing.

✓ Students interested in dual licensure (MFT and LPCC): The optional LPCC specialization adds coursework and clinical hours to meet California BBS requirements for both licenses.

✓ Students who value personal therapy as part of training: The program requires 36 hours of individual personal psychotherapy (20 before practicum and 16 during the clinical sequence).

✓ Students interested in serving Los Angeles area communities: The Pasadena campus provides access to a wide range of community based practicum placements in greater Los Angeles.

✓ Career changers entering the field: No specific undergraduate course prerequisites are listed and the GRE is not required.

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 the Pacific Oaks College MFT program, visit the MA in Marriage and Family Therapy program page. 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