University of Phoenix MFT Program: Comprehensive Profile and Student Fit Analysis

University of Phoenix 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 University of Phoenix program page for the MS in Counseling, Marriage, Family and Child Therapy; the University of Phoenix MSC/MFCT Online Program Handbook; the University of Phoenix California state licensure requirements page for MFCT; the University of Phoenix tuition and fees page; the University of Phoenix accreditation page; the University of Phoenix admissions page; and the California Board of Behavioral Sciences approved schools list for LMFT under BPC 4980.36. 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 $41,900, tuition only) against the directory’s lowest and highest published totals.

Estimated total tuition: approximately $41,880 in tuition (60 credits at $698 per credit for 2025-2026 per University of Phoenix), plus a $195 per-course resource fee, two $150 graduate portfolio assessment fees, and about $95 in professional liability insurance during clinical coursework.

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

Online Format: Per the program page and the MSC/MFCT Online Program Handbook, courses are delivered online with asynchronous discussion and learning activities plus required synchronous class meetings for practicum and internship courses (approximately 1.5 hours per week). University of Phoenix uses rolling course starts rather than a traditional fall or spring cohort calendar, so new students can begin at multiple points throughout the year. Specific day and time blocks for synchronous sessions are scheduled by the program and course instructor and are not publicly listed as a fixed weekly schedule; confirm with program.

Clinical Pacing: Per the program handbook, the clinical sequence consists of Practicum (MFCC/592) at ten weeks and Internship (MFCC/597A and MFCC/597B) at fifteen weeks each, for approximately forty weeks of supervised clinical coursework. Students typically spend ten to twenty hours per week at their approved placement site during this sequence.

Clinical Training and Fieldwork

Clinical Hours: Per the MSC/MFCT Online Program Handbook and the University of Phoenix state licensure page for MFCT, students complete a minimum of 300 direct client contact hours during the clinical sequence. Program specific relational and supervision hour minimums are not separately itemized in the public program materials beyond the overall practicum and internship course structure; confirm with program.

Training Clinic: An in-house university operated training clinic is not publicly listed. Per the program handbook, students complete practicum and internship at approved off site field placements.

Practicum Placement Process: Per the program handbook, program field coordinators typically contact students approximately six months before the clinical sequence to begin the placement process. Students may propose a site for program approval or work with a field coordinator to identify one from the program's network of approved sites. A background check is required before clinical placement.

Personal Psychotherapy Requirement: A program specific personal psychotherapy requirement is not publicly listed; confirm with program.

Professional Liability Insurance: Per the program handbook, students maintain professional liability insurance during clinical coursework.

Curriculum Structure

Per the program page and the MSC/MFCT Online Program Handbook, the 60 credit curriculum is built around coursework required for California LMFT and LPCC educational eligibility, including California law and ethics, multicultural counseling, human development, psychopathology and diagnosis, family systems and couples therapy, child and adolescent therapy, addiction and co-occurring disorders, group counseling, assessment, research methods, and the practicum and internship sequence.

Practicum Sequence: MFCC/592 Practicum, followed by MFCC/597A and MFCC/597B Internship, during which the 300 direct client contact hour minimum is completed at approved placement sites.

Culminating Requirements

Per the program page and the MSC/MFCT Online Program Handbook, the program's culminating assessment is a Graduate Portfolio. Students complete Portfolio II and Portfolio III assessments during the program. These evaluate practical application of marital and family counseling and systems approaches using advanced counseling skills and competencies. A written comprehensive examination and a thesis are not listed as program requirements.

Application Process

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions. Per the program page, new course starts are offered throughout the year, and admissions are processed on a rolling basis rather than around a single annual deadline.

Start Term: Multiple start dates per year (rolling).

GPA Requirement: A minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.5 is referenced in the University of Phoenix admissions materials for the program.

Prerequisites: No specific prerequisite courses are publicly required for admission. A regionally or nationally accredited bachelor's degree is required.

Application Components: Completed online application, official transcripts from all prior institutions, enrollment documentation, and completion of a required background check prior to clinical placement. Verify current application requirements on the University of Phoenix admissions page.

Interview: An admissions interview is not listed as a requirement on the program page.

What This Program Says About Itself

• Per the University of Phoenix MFCT program page, the program is designed to meet California BBS educational requirements for both LMFT and LPCC licensure in a single degree.
• Per the program page, coursework is delivered online with rolling start dates and five to ten week courses to support students who are balancing graduate study with employment and family responsibilities.
• Per the University of Phoenix state licensure page for MFCT, the curriculum integrates California specific law, ethics, and multicultural content throughout the coursework.
• Per the MSC/MFCT Online Program Handbook, students complete a supervised clinical sequence of practicum and internship totaling approximately forty weeks, with field coordinator support for site identification and approval.
• Per the University of Phoenix accreditation page, the institution has held continuous Higher Learning Commission accreditation since 1978.

This Program May Be a Good Fit For

Students seeking a fully online MFT pathway in California: The entire program is delivered online, which may be well suited to students in rural areas, students managing caregiving or work responsibilities, and students who prefer not to relocate or commute to a campus.

Students who want dual LMFT and LPCC preparation in one degree: The MFCT curriculum is designed to meet the educational requirements for both LMFT and LPCC licensure in California, rather than requiring a separate emphasis or additional credits for the LPCC track.

Students who value flexible start dates: Rolling admissions and multiple course starts per year mean students are not waiting for a single annual admissions cycle.

Students who prefer a shorter admissions process: No GRE, no prerequisite coursework, a 2.5 minimum undergraduate GPA, and no required admissions interview make the program comparatively accessible from an admissions standpoint.

Working professionals balancing graduate study: The online format, five to ten week course pacing, and part time study option may suit students who need to continue working while completing the degree.

Students comfortable securing their own practicum placements: Students identify and secure an approved placement site with program field coordinator support, which may appeal to students who have existing professional networks in California.

Related California MFT Programs

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

• California Southern University: Fully online, California
• UMass Global: Fully online, dual LMFT/LPCC option
• Touro University Worldwide: Fully online, COAMFTE-accredited Clinical Track
• National University: Online option, dual LMFT/LPCC
• Rhombus University: Fully online, dual LMFT/LPCC

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 University of Phoenix's MFT program, visit their official website at phoenix.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 University of Phoenix's MFT program accredited?

University of Phoenix is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (continuously since 1978), and the California-only MS in Counseling, Marriage, Family and Child Therapy is approved by the California BBS for LMFT educational requirements. This program is not COAMFTE-accredited; the university holds CACREP accreditation only for its separate MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Does University of Phoenix require the GRE?

No. The GRE is not required.

How long is the program and how many units?

It is a 60-credit program, typically completed in about 37 months on a rolling five-to-ten-week course schedule.

Does the program prepare students for the LPCC as well as the LMFT?

The coursework is aligned to California LMFT and LPCC educational requirements per the university's California licensure page.

Does University of Phoenix publish outcome rates?

Not for this program. It does not publish graduation, job placement, licensure, or exam pass rates specific to the Marriage, Family and Child Therapy degree on its site.

How is the program delivered?

It is delivered online to California residents, with required weekly synchronous class sessions (about 1.5 hours per week) during the clinical practicum and internship sequence.

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

Compare all 71 CA MFT programs → ×