Touro University Worldwide MFT Program: Comprehensive Profile and Student Fit Analysis
Touro University Worldwide 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 TUW Marriage and Family Therapy program page, the TUW MFT curriculum page, the TUW graduate admission requirements page, the TUW tuition page, the TUW admissions FAQ, the TUW school news post on COAMFTE specialty accreditation, the TUW institutional history page, the TUW MFT Program Handbook 2024-2026, and the California Board of Behavioral Sciences LMFT resources. Prospective students should verify all details directly with the program before applying.
Program Snapshot
University: Touro University Worldwide (TUW), the fully online branch of the Touro University System. TUW is a distinct institution from Touro University California (Vallejo).
Official Degree Name: Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, offered in three tracks: MFT Clinical Track (LMFT licensure), MFT LPCC Track (dual LMFT and LPCC licensure preparation), and MFT Non-Clinical Track (non-licensure).
Campus Location: Fully online; no residency required. TUW's administrative headquarters are located in Los Alamitos, CA. See the Touro University Worldwide home page.
Institution Link: Touro University Worldwide.
Modality: 100 percent online, asynchronous coursework with weekly two-hour Zoom supervision conferences during practicum. Six 8-week terms per year (Fall 1, Fall 2, Spring 1, Spring 2, Summer 1, Summer 2).
Licensure Track: Clinical Track prepares graduates for California LMFT licensure. LPCC Track prepares graduates for dual California LMFT and LPCC licensure. Non-Clinical Track does not lead to licensure.
Accreditation: Institutional accreditation through the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The MFT Clinical Track holds specialty accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). The program is approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences for LMFT and LPCC educational requirements.
Program Length: Clinical Track, 72 semester credits (54 coursework credits plus 18 practicum credits), approximately 2 years full-time. LPCC Track, 82 semester credits, approximately 2.5 years full-time. Non-Clinical Track, 54 credits, minimum 18 months, with up to 5 years allowed for part-time completion.
Estimated Total Program Tuition (effective 2025-2026): $525 per credit per the TUW tuition page. Estimated total tuition by track: Clinical Track approximately $37,800 (72 credits), LPCC Track approximately $43,050 (82 credits), Non-Clinical Track approximately $28,350 (54 credits). An additional $116 materials fee is charged during the MFT690 Capstone course for the licensing exam preparation kit. Books and other fees are additional.
GRE Requirement: Not required. TUW states that entrance exams are not considered accurate predictors of future student success.
Religious Orientation: Touro is a system of Jewish-sponsored nonprofit higher education institutions founded on Judaic principles and values, with an emphasis on service, intellectual pursuit, and social justice. The Worldwide branch's MFT curriculum is secular, and the institution welcomes students of all backgrounds.
Entering Class Size: Not publicly listed; TUW enrolls on a rolling basis across six terms per year.
Concentrations: The three tracks (Clinical, LPCC, Non-Clinical) function as the program's concentration structure. The curriculum integrates cultural competence as a cross-cutting emphasis.
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: Full-time, 54% to 75% completed in the advertised time across reported cohorts (54% for the 2022-2023 cohort); the part-time track runs lower (about 49% to 57%). Source: TUW COAMFTE Graduate Achievement Data.
Job placement rate: Full-time, 85% to 100% across reported cohorts (85% for the 2022-2023 cohort)
Licensure rate: Full-time, about 89% to 99% across reported cohorts (93% for the most recent reported cohort)
Licensure exam pass rate: Not published (the COAMFTE Graduate Achievement Data reports licensure attainment, not a separate exam pass rate)
Touro University Worldwide's online MA in Marriage and Family Therapy (Clinical Track) is COAMFTE-accredited, with Graduate Achievement Data reported separately for full-time and part-time cohorts; the figures above are for the full-time track. The most recent cohorts are partly still in process, and COAMFTE master's reporting tracks graduation, job placement, and licensure attainment rather than a licensure exam pass rate.
Cost and Regional Pay
Approximate placement of this program’s total cost (about $37,800 (Clinical Track), tuition only) against the directory’s lowest and highest published totals.
Estimated total tuition: approximately $37,800 in tuition for the Clinical Track (72 credits at $525 per credit for 2025-2026 per TUW); the LPCC Track is about $43,050 (82 credits) and the Non-Clinical Track about $28,350 (54 credits). A $116 materials fee applies during the capstone course; books and other fees are additional.
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
Fully Online Asynchronous Coursework: All didactic coursework is delivered fully online through TUW's learning management system in 8-week terms. Students can log in at any time to complete weekly assignments, lectures, and discussions.
Six Start Terms Per Year: TUW operates rolling admissions with six annual start points (Fall 1, Fall 2, Spring 1, Spring 2, Summer 1, Summer 2). Students can begin the program in any of the six terms. The application deadline for each term is typically the Friday before the term begins.
Practicum Supervision Sessions: During practicum, students attend weekly two-hour Zoom conferences with TUW supervisors in addition to site-based supervision. Practicum hours are completed in-person at student-secured California sites approved by TUW for Clinical and LPCC Track students pursuing California licensure.
Clinical Training and Fieldwork
Clinical Hours (Clinical Track): A total of 300 practicum client contact hours are required, of which a minimum of 100 must be couple and family (relational) hours, with the remaining hours comprised of individual, couple, or family hours. A total of 100 hours of supervision with an AAMFT-approved site supervisor is required, of which at least 50 must be observable hours (including audio or video recordings and live supervision).
Clinical Hours (LPCC Track): Per the TUW MFT Program Handbook (2024-2026), the LPCC Track requires the same degree-level practicum hours as the Clinical Track: a minimum of 300 direct client contact hours (100 of which must be relational) and 100 supervision hours (50 of which must be observable data). The LPCC Track adds 4 didactic courses (MFT 650, 651, 653, and 698) for a total of 82 semester credits, but does not require additional practicum hours beyond the 300-hour degree minimum. Post-graduation, California LPCC licensure requires additional supervised experience hours through the BBS.
Training Clinic: TUW does not operate an in-house training clinic. Students secure their own practicum sites.
Practicum Placement Process: Per the TUW admissions FAQ, TUW does not provide practicum placement. Students identify and secure an approved practicum site, and TUW must approve both the site and the supervising clinician prior to the accrual of any clinical hours. Only hours gained at an approved site with a written agreement between the school and the site count toward licensure.
Personal Psychotherapy Requirement: Personal therapy is strongly recommended but not required. TUW notes that personal therapy cannot be counted toward the required practicum hours.
Curriculum Structure
Per the TUW MFT curriculum page, the curriculum includes:
Core Coursework: Theory and practice of MFT, human development across the lifespan, family systems, couples therapy, psychopathology and assessment, multicultural counseling, research methods, law and ethics, substance use and addiction, and trauma.
Practicum Sequence: For the Clinical Track, practicum is structured across MFT685 through MFT690 (Clinical Practicum I through VI), totaling 18 credits. The LPCC Track includes additional practicum and coursework tied to LPCC licensure requirements.
Culminating Requirements
The capstone experience for the Clinical Track is MFT690 Clinical Practicum VI, which completes the practicum sequence. A $116 materials fee charged during MFT690 provides students with an exam kit designed to prepare for the California LMFT exam, the National MFT Exam, and the LPCC exam. Completion requires fulfilling all credits and clinical hour requirements for the chosen track and maintaining the grade requirements described below.
Application Process
Application Deadlines: Rolling admissions. The application deadline for each term is typically the Friday before the 8-week term begins. Students may apply for any of the six annual start terms.
Start Terms: Fall 1, Fall 2, Spring 1, Spring 2, Summer 1, Summer 2.
GPA Requirement: Minimum 2.5 cumulative undergraduate GPA for baccalaureate holders, or 2.75 for students transferring graduate credits, per the TUW graduate admission requirements page. Enrolled students must complete each required course with a minimum grade of B- (2.67) and maintain a cumulative program GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Prerequisites: No prerequisite coursework is required. Per the TUW MFT Program Handbook and the MFT program page, applicants need only a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution (minimum 2.5 GPA) or graduate transfer status from another accredited graduate program (minimum 2.75 GPA). Foundational counseling and research content is embedded within the required curriculum rather than gated at admission.
Application Components: TUW application, official transcripts from all institutions attended, a signed MFT Student Agreement and Notice to Students Before Enrollment Regarding State Requirement for Licensure, and an essay of no more than 500 words addressing the applicant's desire to work in the MFT profession, the reason for selecting TUW, and how a master's-level MFT education fits with the applicant's career plans.
Interview: Not publicly listed as a required component.
Concentrations and Specializations
MFT Clinical Track: 72 credits, leads to California LMFT licensure, and is the track covered by TUW's COAMFTE specialty accreditation.
MFT LPCC Track: 82 credits, adds LPCC coursework and additional direct client contact hour requirements to prepare graduates for both California LMFT and LPCC licensure.
MFT Non-Clinical Track: 54 credits, designed for students who want graduate MFT coursework without pursuing a state clinical license (for example, family educators, advocates, and administrators).
What This Program Says About Itself
- Per the TUW MFT program page, the Clinical Track is the only online MFT track the institution lists as holding specialty accreditation from COAMFTE.
- The program is fully online with no residency requirement, delivered in six 8-week terms per year for scheduling flexibility.
- The LPCC Track is structured to prepare graduates for dual California LMFT and LPCC licensure with additional clinical hour and coursework requirements.
- Per the TUW history page, TUW is part of a Jewish-sponsored nonprofit system with an emphasis on service, intellectual pursuit, and social justice, and serves students of all backgrounds.
- The program emphasizes cultural competence throughout the curriculum, preparing therapists to work with individuals and families from diverse backgrounds.
This Program May Be a Good Fit For
Students seeking a fully online MFT master's degree: TUW delivers all coursework online asynchronously, which suits students who cannot relocate or commute to a campus.
Students who want a COAMFTE-accredited clinical track in an online format: TUW lists its Clinical Track as COAMFTE-accredited.
Students interested in dual LMFT and LPCC licensure: The 82-credit LPCC Track is designed to meet both California license pathways.
Students who want multiple entry points each year: Six start terms per year allow students to begin within weeks of applying rather than waiting for a once-a-year cohort.
Career changers entering the field: The GRE is not required, no prerequisite coursework is required, and the program accepts undergraduate degrees in any field.
Students seeking a non-clinical MFT master's for family education or advocacy roles: The 54-credit Non-Clinical Track provides MFT coursework without a licensure track.
Students in California who can secure their own practicum site: TUW requires students to identify and propose approved practicum sites.
Related California MFT Programs
If you are weighing Touro University Worldwide, you may also want to compare these nearby and similar programs in our directory:
- National University: Online, COAMFTE distance MAMFT
- Alliant International University: COAMFTE-accredited, online and on-campus
- Daybreak University: Orange County and online, COAMFTE-accredited
- California Southern University: Fully online, Orange County
- University of Phoenix: Fully online, California statewide
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 Touro University Worldwide's MFT program, visit their official website at tuw.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 Touro University Worldwide's MFT program accredited?
Touro University Worldwide is institutionally accredited by WSCUC, and the MFT Clinical Track holds specialty accreditation from COAMFTE. The program is approved by the California BBS for LMFT and LPCC educational requirements.
Does TUW require the GRE?
No. TUW states that entrance exams are not considered accurate predictors of student success.
How long is the program and what tracks are offered?
The Clinical Track (LMFT) is 72 credits and about 2 years full-time; the LPCC Track is 82 credits and about 2.5 years; the Non-Clinical Track is 54 credits. Coursework is fully online and asynchronous across six 8-week terms per year.
Does TUW prepare students for the LPCC as well as the LMFT?
Yes. The Clinical Track prepares graduates for the California LMFT, and the LPCC Track prepares graduates for dual California LMFT and LPCC licensure.
What outcomes does TUW publish?
As a COAMFTE-accredited program it publishes Graduate Achievement Data, reported separately for full-time and part-time cohorts. Full-time figures include 54% to 75% on-time graduation, 85% to 100% job placement, and about 89% to 99% licensure attainment. It does not publish a separate licensure exam pass rate.
How is the program delivered?
It is delivered 100 percent online and asynchronously, with weekly two-hour Zoom supervision conferences during practicum.
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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