Foster strong interpersonal bonds.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Couple and Family Therapy (PhD in CFT) has a focus on Social Justice applications to couple and family therapy, and prepares graduates for academic, leadership, supervision, and research careers. There is considerable focus on research training in this doctoral degree, and as a degree in CFT, there is also a clinical training component. In everything we do, we emphasize principles of social justice, and our students learn about ways to apply social justice principles in research, teaching and supervision, and clinical work.
This degree is offered by AU New England.
AUNE’s PhD in CFT has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) since 2010.
Program Overview
AUNE’s PhD in CFT program is a low-residency program, designed to be completed in three years of full-time enrollment, with two years of coursework and practice experience, and one year of dissertation. Face-to-face meetings (residencies) will take place 3 times per year, and each residency is 5 days long. Between residencies, you will be working on class material and applying CFT concepts in clinical and teaching/supervision/leadership advanced practical experiences. Much of the learning will be facilitated online in a flexible format, and there will be weekly professional seminar meetings (group supervision experiences) facilitated online via video and/or voice conferencing. Students are not required to be located in the New England area, only to attend the residencies as scheduled, and still receive the benefits of regular face-to-face contact with instructors and fellow students.
In this program, you will be able to use current clinical or training work positions as learning opportunities in these advanced practical experiences. For students who are located in New England, we have clinical and supervision training opportunities on campus at the Antioch University Couple and Family Therapy Institute, our campus-based training clinic for Master’s and Doctoral students. For students who are not local, we will assist you in finding suitable locations to get clinical and supervisory/leadership experiences. Clinical experiences in the program are designed to lead to licensure for those students who are not yet licensed. The PhD may also serve as a qualifying degree for licensure for those whose Master’s degree does not fit licensure requirements.
The PhD in CFT program starts in the Fall semester each year, and students enter as a cohort. We work to build the cohorts as collaborative learning environments, and cohorts move through the program together. Each course in the program has a residency component and an online component, and student learning is evaluated through the successful completion of learning achievements. Students in the program will develop an academic portfolio that includes learning achievements dedicated to clinical theory, research, teaching, supervision and leadership, all with an emphasis on social justice.
Residencies
Residencies are intense gatherings combining seminars, workshops, guest lectures, advising sessions, peer discussions, and student presentations. Each of the three residencies are five days of classes, plus travel days. The fall residency typically takes place on our Keene, NH campus in September, the spring residency typically takes place on our Los Angeles, CA campus in January, and our summer residency typically takes place on our Seattle, WA campus in June.
Degree Requirements
Program Length – 86 to 89 Credits
By the conclusion of the advanced practical experience requirements, the student must have spent one year, typically the first year (3 semesters), engaged in supervised clinical practice and one year (year 2 – 3 semesters) engaged in additional practical experience (teaching, consultation, leadership, and/or supervision). Students without a background in CFT will be required to take additional prerequisite coursework.
Note: Advanced practical experience placements may require criminal background checks as well as verification of up-to-date vaccinations.
Additional degree requirements:
- Satisfactory completion of a doctoral dissertation that demonstrates doctoral-level scholarship.
- Satisfactory performance on the Qualifying Examinations at the end of the second academic year.
- Students must attend residencies in each year of the program and must attend at least 11 overall residencies. The first-year residencies are in the Fall and Spring, with second-year residencies in summer, fall, and spring, and third-year residencies required in summer, with two additional residencies required (one in Fall, and one in Spring or Summer). [Note that the first year includes the Fall and Spring Semesters, while each year after includes Summer, Fall, and Spring.]
- Full-time students have a maximum of six years from initial enrollment to complete all course requirements, practical experience requirements, and dissertation.
Details of coursework sequence and course descriptions can be found in the AUNE Academic Catalog.
Career Outlook
The mission of the Antioch University New England PhD program in Couple and Family Therapy is to develop highly competent advanced clinicians in CFT and to develop students who are competent in teaching CFT, in providing clinical supervision in CFT, and in conducting CFT-related research utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. CFT doctoral students will also develop a focus on social justice and human diversity issues across all areas of the curriculum.
Learning Outcomes
The mission of the Antioch University New England PhD program in Couple and Family Therapy is to develop highly competent advanced clinicians in CFT and to develop students who are competent in teaching CFT, in providing clinical supervision in CFT, and in conducting CFT-related research utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. CFT doctoral students will also develop a focus on social justice and human diversity issues across all areas of the curriculum.
The competency areas and learning outcomes addressed in the CFT program are designed to meet the requirement of COAMFTE accreditation standards, version 12, advanced curriculum areas. Students in the CFT program are also expected to foster a professional identity as couple and family therapists (including joining AAMFT, the professional organization for couple, marriage, and family therapists).
Competency Area | Learning Outcome |
---|---|
Advanced Clinical Skills in Couple and Family Therapy | Students will demonstrate advanced understanding of multiple family and couple therapy models |
Advanced Relational/Systemic Clinical Theory | Students will develop a specialized clinical area that is grounded in research and is at an advanced level of intervention and understanding |
Relational/Systemic Applications to Contemporary Challenges | Students will demonstrate the ability to develop relational/systemic innovations across multiple domains |
Social Justice Applications | Students will demonstrate competency in social justice approaches to CFT teaching, research, supervision, and practice, demonstrating attention to multiple domains of diversity |
Introductory Research Methods Quantitative and Qualitative | Students will demonstrate proficiency in quantitative and qualitative CFT research methods and analysis |
Advanced Research Methods and Applications | Students will demonstrate understanding of change research with relationships and will demonstrate application of research methods through grant-writing, publication, and presentation |
Couple and Family Therapy Supervision | Students will demonstrate competency in CFT supervision |
Teaching/Leadership/Consultation in Couple and Family Therapy | Students will demonstrate competency in teaching, leadership, and/or consultation |
Student Achievement Criteria
As a Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) accredited doctoral program, we are required to report a number of student achievement criteria on our website. Learn More