Santa Clara University MFT Program: Comprehensive Profile and Student Fit Analysis

Santa Clara 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 program's official website, the SCU Counseling Psychology Comprehensive Exam page, the SCU ECP Tuition and Deadlines page, the SCU ECP Application Process page, the SCU CAPS MFT/PCC Practicum page, and BBS records. 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 $70,650, base tuition) against the directory’s lowest and highest published totals.

Estimated total tuition: approximately $70,650 in base tuition (90 quarter units at $785 per unit per the SCU School of Education and Counseling Psychology). A Graduate Student Association fee, health insurance, and course-specific clinical fees are additional; verify the current rate with SCU.

Regional pay context: In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area, marriage and family therapists earn a median of about $95,110 per year, with a typical range of roughly $70,270 to $130,760 (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 San Francisco Bay Area LMFT salary guide.

Schedule and Format Details

In-Person Format: The program is designed for three years of study with start dates in Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer quarters. Full-time and part-time pacing plans are available. Students select a licensure track (MFT, LPCC, Joint MFT/LPCC, or No Track) and may add one or more emphasis areas.

Clinical Training and Fieldwork

Clinical Hours: MFT track students complete supervised fieldwork with a minimum of 225 hours of face-to-face client contact per the SCU Counseling Psychology practicum handbook. Site-specific expectations vary; for example, the CAPS MFT/PCC practicum site requires an average of 10 BBS-qualified direct clinical hours per week and a minimum of 150 BBS-qualified direct clinical hours by week 10 of Spring Quarter, per the SCU CAPS MFT/PCC Practicum page.

Practicum Arrangement: Students complete practicum at community-based clinical sites approved by the program, and at SCU's on-campus CAPS training site. The CAPS MFT/PCC practicum runs September through June at 24 hours per week and is a paid position, per the CAPS practicum page.

Training Clinic: Yes. Through a partnership between the School of Education and Counseling Psychology and SCU's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), MFT and PCC students can complete practicum placements at CAPS, SCU's on-campus counseling center.

Personal Psychotherapy Requirement: Not publicly listed.

Culminating Requirements

Per the SCU Counseling Psychology Comprehensive Exam page, the culminating requirement is a take-home essay comprehensive exam. Students receive the exam near the end of the program and have two weeks to complete it. The exam is designed to help students synthesize learning across their coursework and practicum experience, and includes a case-study component.

Application Process

Application Deadlines: SCU ECP accepts applications for all four quarters (Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer). Quarter-specific priority deadlines are published on the ECP Tuition and Deadlines page. As of April 2026, Fall 2026 Counseling Psychology applications are listed as closed; prospective students should check the current page for the next open term.

Start Terms: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer quarters.

GPA Requirement: Minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA reflected on official transcripts.

Prerequisites: No specific undergraduate course prerequisites. A completed bachelor's degree from an accredited institution is required.

Application Components: Online application through Slate, Statement of Purpose essay (two pages double-spaced addressing reasons for entering the mental health profession and related experiences), current résumé, official transcripts, three references submitted via online form (note: Counseling Psychology requires three references; most other SCU master's programs require only two), and $50 application fee. International transcripts require a NACES-approved U.S. evaluation.

Interview: Not required. An admissions interview is not listed as part of the formal application review for the MA in Counseling Psychology on the ECP Application Process page.

Concentrations and Specializations

Latino Counseling Emphasis: Coursework focused on counseling practice with Latino individuals, families, and communities.

Health Psychology Emphasis: Coursework focused on the intersection of psychological and physical health.

LGBTQ Counseling Emphasis: Coursework focused on counseling practice with LGBTQ individuals, couples, and families.

Correctional Psychology Emphasis: Coursework focused on counseling practice in correctional and forensic settings.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Concentration: A structured concentration that requires additional elective coursework in child and adolescent practice beyond the standard emphasis pathway.

What This Program Says About Itself

• Per SCU's Counseling Psychology program page, students are prepared to be an agent of change in their clients' lives through training that integrates strong values, social justice, transformative practice, and diverse community.
• The program offers four licensure-pathway tracks (MFT, LPCC, Joint MFT/LPCC, or No Track) within a single 90-unit MA, per the program's track overview.
• Students may add one or more emphasis areas in Latino Counseling, Health Psychology, LGBTQ Counseling, Correctional Psychology, or the Child and Adolescent Mental Health concentration, per the program description.
• The program is situated within Santa Clara University's Jesuit Catholic tradition of educating the whole person and preparing graduates to work for a more just, humane, and sustainable world, per the School of Education and Counseling Psychology page.
• Start dates are available in all four quarters (Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer), per the ECP Tuition and Deadlines page.

This Program May Be a Good Fit For

Working professionals seeking schedule flexibility: The program offers full-time and part-time pacing options with quarterly start dates.

Students interested in dual licensure (MFT and LPCC): The Joint MFT/LPCC track is available within the same 90-unit framework, whereas many California programs require 6 to 10 additional units to add LPCC eligibility.

Students interested in serving Latino populations: A Latino Counseling emphasis is offered.

Students interested in serving LGBTQ populations: An LGBTQ Counseling emphasis is offered.

Students interested in serving correctional and forensic populations: A Correctional Psychology emphasis is offered, which is uncommon among Bay Area MFT programs.

Students interested in child and adolescent mental health: A structured Child and Adolescent Mental Health concentration is available.

Students seeking faith-integrated training: Santa Clara is a Jesuit Catholic university with a mission rooted in the Ignatian tradition of educating the whole person.

Students who prefer not to interview during admissions: SCU's MA in Counseling Psychology does not require an admissions interview.

Students in the San Francisco Bay Area: The program is based on the Santa Clara campus with in-person coursework and Bay Area practicum placements, including on-campus CAPS practicum opportunities.

Related California MFT Programs

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

• Palo Alto University: Same South Bay, CACREP-accredited, dual LMFT/LPCC
• San Jose State: Same South Bay, public, affordable
• University of San Francisco: Same Bay Area, Jesuit, dual LMFT/LPCC option
• California Institute of Integral Studies: Same Bay Area, dual LMFT/LPCC
• CSU East Bay: Same Bay Area, public CSU

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 Santa Clara University's MFT program, visit their official website at scu.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 Santa Clara's MFT program accredited?

Santa Clara is institutionally accredited by WSCUC, and the MA in Counseling Psychology is approved by the California BBS for LMFT and LPCC licensure. It is not COAMFTE- or CACREP-accredited.

Does Santa Clara require the GRE?

No. The School of Education and Counseling Psychology does not require GRE or GMAT scores for admission.

How long is the program and how many units?

It is a 90 quarter-unit program designed as a three-year program, with full-time and part-time pacing options.

Does Santa Clara prepare students for the LPCC as well as the LMFT?

Yes. The program offers an MFT track, an LPCC track, and a joint MFT/LPCC track within its 90-unit framework (a no-licensure option is also available).

Does Santa Clara publish outcome rates?

No. The program does not publish graduation, job placement, licensure, or exam pass rates on its program or accreditation pages.

What emphasis areas are offered?

Emphasis areas include Latino Counseling, Health Psychology, LGBTQ Counseling, and Correctional Psychology, plus a Child and Adolescent Mental Health concentration that requires additional coursework.

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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