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Program Overview

Program Overview

Help individuals, couples and families from diverse backgrounds overcome life challenges and improve their mental wellbeing. Lipscomb University’s Master of Marriage and Family Therapy (MMFT) program in Nashville, TN (accredited) provide the knowledge and skills you need to succeed in this career path. Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) Logo

Whether you just finished undergraduate studies, are looking for a meaningful career change or would like to expand your existing skill set, a Marriage and Family Therapy master’s degree can position you to serve and heal in impactful ways. 

Through rigorous coursework and a minimum of 300 hours of clinical training, you will be well prepared for the MFT licensing exams. Our programs can be completed in two years through a cohort format, following a specific course sequence (see course tab).

Lipscomb’s Marriage and Family Therapy Program in Nashville is COAMFTE accredited. The academic curriculum and clinical experience components in the program align with state regulations.

The Lipscomb MMFT programs are supported by an advisory board composed of strategic stakeholders inside and outside of Lipscomb University.

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Why Earn Your Master of Marriage and Family Therapy at Lipscomb?

The Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program offers unique opportunities for your training, growth and career development as a marriage and family therapist. Our Nashville program is COAMFTE accredited, which allows you to gain specialized experiences and outcomes. Through the program, you will gain the expertise necessary to pursue your license with confidence and get hired quickly after graduation. 
 

Lipscomb produces practitioners who:

  • Are prepared for licensure and a sustainable career as a marriage and family therapist.
  • Have a strong, founded identity as a marriage and family therapist trained in systems theory.
  • Work with clientele from diverse cultural, ideological, and demographic backgrounds.
  • Are capable of treating mental and emotional disorders, health and behavioral problems, and relationship issues.
  • Are capable of scientific evaluation and evidence based practice and treatment of mental and emotional disorders, health and behavioral problems, and other relationship issues.

Master of Marriage and Family Therapy Program Outcomes

The mission of our Master of Marriage and Family Therapy programs is to prepare you with academic and clinical training that is founded in science for work with individuals, couples, families and social systems from diverse ideological, spiritual, demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds. This marriage and family therapy training is informed by Christian values, such as love, empathy, forgiveness, grace and tolerance. This encourages students to provide greater service in the home, congregation, community, nation and world.

Through our robust MMFT programs, you can provide effective marriage and family therapy services in a variety of settings, such as mental health centers, private practices and churches as a highly trained, caring and compassionate therapist. You will be equipped with the key therapy techniques and skills to serve individuals overcoming their mental health challenges, help couples restore a thriving relationship and lead families to create healthy and effective family processes.

Review detailed Program Goals and Outcomes.

Explore program outcome information specific to the Nashville program:

Admissions Requirements

Admissions Requirements

Ready to apply to Lipscomb University’s Master of Marriage and Family Therapy degree program?  The following items are required to apply for the Marriage and Family Therapy Program:

  • Lipscomb University's graduate application
  • Official transcripts from all schools in which a degree was conferred
  • A bachelor's degree (any major) with a 3.0 GPA.  If your GPA was below a 3.0, please submit one of the following:
    • GRE Scores
    • Transcripts of a completed master's degree
    • Short explanation of your GPA (why it is low and how you have grown)
  • An essay addressing the following:
    • Please describe a challenge or time of adversity you have faced and how you overcame it (200 words)
    • Marriage and Family Therapy is a unique field within the realm of mental health providers and helping professions.  Why are you interested in the field of marriage and family therapy? (200 words)
    • Please make the paper double-spaced using a 12-point font style similar to Arial, GT Times, or Times New Roman.
  • Two letters of recommendation (at least one must be an academic or professional reference)
  • Resume
  • A 45-60 second video that answers the following question: What do you do for fun?
  • Interview

The deadline for Fall 2025 will be March 1.

Courses

Courses

With a robust 60-credit-hour curriculum, the Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program offers comprehensive courses to cultivate your therapy techniques, diagnostic skills and systemic therapeutic approaches, as well as a holistic understanding of theoretical frameworks of marriage and family therapy. In addition to the courses, you’ll participate in a minimum of 300 hours of clinical work through our clinical practice courses while pursuing the Marriage and Family Therapy license during your program of study. 

Tuition & Aid

Tuition & Aid

  •  Our Master of Marriage and Family Therapy (MMFT) degree program in Nashville, Tennessee is a quality education in a welcoming and engaging learning environment at a tuition rate of $962* per credit hour. 

    Committed to providing affordable education to our students, Lipscomb University offers various scholarships and financial aid programs to help you pay your tuition. Explore your graduate financial aid options.

    *Note: Graduate tuition rates may increase annually, effective at the start of the summer term.

Types of Aid

13:1

Student to faculty ratio

Program Highlights

Cohort Model

Our MMFT degree program employs a cohort model that emphasizes communal learning and extended field experiences. It provides students with the unique opportunity to learn systems theory while forming a social system within their cohort. You’ll have the opportunity to develop professional and personal relationships with like-minded peers that extend far beyond the duration of the program.

Hands-on Clinical Training

Besides strong theoretical courses, our Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program includes a minimum of 300 hours of hands-on clinical training. You will obtain valuable face-to-face client work experience to prepare for your future therapy practice. In Nashville, you may complete your clinical training at our Lipscomb Family Therapy Center or at our partner clinics.

COAMFTE Accreditation

The Master of Marriage and Family Therapy degree program in Nashville, Tennessee, is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marital and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), the gold standard in the field. This accreditation ensures that our MMFT program delivers quality education and a high job placement rate after graduation.

Small Class Sizes

With a low student-to-faculty ratio, you’ll have opportunities to engage in meaningful discussion, receive one-on-one mentorship and gain more personal feedback from our attentive faculty in our small-size classes. Plus, you’ll feel supported in a tight-knit learning community.

Alumni and Student Stories

jordan malone headshot

Jordan Malone, MFT, Lipscomb Alum

“I love how the program believes in us. Within a year, I have grown personally and professionally because of what I learn and experience in this program. The professors support us to do well, to be our best selves and to learn from our cohort members. I am grateful for the professors, faculty, and administration and especially grateful for my cohort.”

abby myers headshot

Abby Myers, TLMFT, Lipscomb Alum

“I love the cohort model. It truly allows for a community in a time that could be incredibly stressful and isolating. Everyone does therapy differently which is beautiful. What you bring could be exactly what your client needs. You don't have to know it all to be effective.”

michael broadnax headshot

Michael Broadnax, Current Student

“I'm excited to be a few steps closer to my purpose and dreams. I chose Lipscomb for the cohort style of learning. The standard of excellence at Lipscomb will help me reach my full potential.”

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Jenny Matern, LMFT, RPT, Lipscomb Alum

“I was so grateful for the cohort model. Getting to go through this process and grow both personally and professionally with people who genuinely became like family was so special.”

2

Year program

Our Faculty

  • Chris Gonzalez headshot

    Chris Gonzalez

    Professor and Director, Marriage and Family Therapy

    Gonzalez joined the psychology and counseling faculty in Fall 2010 after completing his Ph.D. in Family Social Science from University of Minnesota. He teaches several courses in the MFT program....

    Meet Chris Gonzalez
  • Meghan Lacks headshot

    Meghan Lacks

    Assistant Professor

    Meet Meghan Lacks
  • William Turner headshot

    William Turner

    Distinguished Professor

    Turner holds a Distinguished Professorship in the College of Leadership and Public Service and is Special Counsel to the President for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. An expert in family, community,...

    Meet William Turner
  • Amber Kelley headshot

    Amber Kelley

    Assistant Professor and Co-Director, Marriage and Family Therapy

    Meet Amber Kelley
  • Hunter Stanfield

    Hunter Stanfield

    Assistant Professor

    Hunter was born and raised in Florence, Alabama. Before arriving at Lipscomb in August 2019, he spent formative years in Los Angeles, California; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Birmingham, Alabama; Manhattan, Kansas; and...

    Meet Hunter Stanfield
  • Dave Morgan headshot

    Dave Morgan

    Associate Professor

    Dr. Dave Morgan has over two decades of professional experience in higher education. Since 2013 he has served as a core faculty member in the Marriage and Family Therapy...

    Meet Dave Morgan

Career Paths

Marriage and Family Therapists

Marriage and family therapists help people manage and overcome problems with family and other relationships.

Play Therapist

After becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist, you can become a registered play therapist. A Registered Play Therapist will use play therapy to help clients (regardless of age) find healing and achieve the growth they desire.