Graduate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy

The Graduate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy prepares and equips students to:

Journey with others into healing and wholeness through the lens of Christian integration
Counsel in a variety of settings, specifically with couples, families, and individuals in the context of the client’s broader systems
Earn an accredited degree that prepares them for dual licensure as Marriage and Family Therapists and/or Professional Counselors
Develop strong clinical skills through academic training, hands-on experience, and personal & spiritual growth

The Graduate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy is designed to provide specialized training for students who desire to work specifically with couples, families, and individuals in the context of a client’s systems. This certificate (12 hours) in combination with the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (67 hours) meets the educational and internship requirements to apply to be a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist is Georgia, Tennessee, and many other states. Students have the ability to pursue dual licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist and a Professional Counselor and also have the added benefit of receiving a CACREP accredited degree.

Sample Program Schedule: Click to Download

Richmont Graduate University Highlights:

Incorporation of Christian integration into curriculum, without affiliating with a particular denomination
Flexible daytime, evening, and weekend classes that fit your busy schedules
Small class sizes that allow for increased interaction with students, staff, and faculty, as well as the feel of a cohort without the restriction to your schedules
Enrollment in Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters, and rolling acceptance year-round
Guaranteed internship placement at locations within the Chattanooga or greater Atlanta areas
Student body regularly scores well above the national average on the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) and the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE)

Take the Next Steps

1. CONNECT WITH AN
Admissions Counselor

2. Attend a
Preview Day

3. Start your
Application

Apply Now
Statement of Faith
Careers

Application Requirements

School of Counseling Applicants

School of Counseling application form with a $50 nonrefundable application fee (payable online)
One official transcript from each college attended
One official copy of the GRE or MAT (Miller Analogies Test) scores
Three completed reference forms. These include one character, one pastoral, and one former professor/recent employer.
An professional essay (download the application checklist for details)
A resume of vocational experience

Application Checklist School of Counseling

Richmont Graduate University is founded on principles that adhere to National Association of Evangelicals Statement of Faith appearing below. This statement has been affirmed by more than seventy denominations and thus represents a broad evangelical consensus. All faculty members affirm this statement, and students who attend the Richmont will be taught from a Christian perspective.

We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whom the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
We believe God’s redemptive purpose will be consumated by the return of Christ to raise the dead, judge all people and establish His glorious kingdom.
We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Careers in Marriage & Family Therapy

With the mounting pressures facing couples and families, the demand for well trained, competent MFTs is expected to increase. Marriage and family therapists serve the church, community, and society at large in a variety of roles such as education, administration, marriage and family therapist, minister of family life and counseling, parent trainer, youth minister, pastor or teacher, business leader, public relations, and many varied settings in which counseling is needed. Marriage and family therapists work with a varied population presenting with problems such as family crisis, conduct disorder, eating disorders, marital distress, sexual issues, bereavement, family trauma, various forms of addictions, anxiety and depression, financial and occupational issues, and spiritual concerns.

Licensure and Accreditation

This degree fulfills the academic requirements for:

Licensure in marriage and family therapy (LMFT) in most states; designed to meet requirements for Georgia and Tennessee
Licensure as a professional counselor (LPC) in most states; designed to meet requirements for Georgia and Tennessee
Certification as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) through the National Board of Certified Counselors
Clinical membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
Membership in the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors, a professional society of the American Counseling Association.

Richmont Graduate University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the master’s degree. Read more about Richmont’s accreditation here.