University of Southern California

Department of Marriage & Family Therapy

About the Program

Last Updated: 
January 01, 2009

The MFT master's degree program in the Rossier School of Education at USC trains highly competent MFTs who are proficient in working with diverse client populations in a pluralistic society. Students serve clients in urban communities, providing individual, couples, and family therapy, for children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly population from a wide variety of backgrounds, with various therapeutic issues. The program provides personalized attention to students, including small class sizes, active advisement/mentorship, and a cohort model; immersing students in a small, tight-knit learning community. Students come from a variety of training backgrounds, not just psychology, and are graduates of nationally and internationally recognized institutions. Graduates meet eligibility requirements for licensure in California and most other states. Our students are aggressively recruited for internship/employment positions post-graduation, and often return to USC to participate in alumni and recruitment events, wanting to continue their alliance with USC and the MFT program.

Program Overview

Program Administrator: 
Dr. Ginger Clark
Department Emphasis: 
Area Percentage
  General Counseling & Therapy45%
  Family Therapy33%
  Research & Measurement17%
  Human Development5%
Campus Enrollment: 
33,500
Programs Options: 
Master's

Graduate Program

Director: 
Dr. Ginger Clark
Courses Offered: 
  • The Counseling Process
  • Professional Identity, Law and Ethics for Counselors
  • Theories in Counseling
  • Counseling Through the Lifespan
  • Psychopathology: Advanced Techniques for MFTs
  • Research Methods and Data Analysis for Counselors
  • Theories of Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Measurement Procedures for Counselors
  • Career Development: Theory and Practice
  • Psychopharmacology and the Effects of Substance Abuse
  • Psychotherapy with Children and Adolescents
  • Child and Elder Abuse and Domestic Violence
  • Practicum in Counseling
  • Group Counseling: Theory and Process
  • Perspectives on Human Sexuality
  • Couples Counseling
  • Cross-Cultural Counseling: Research and Practice
  • Field Work in Counseling a/b
  • Master's Seminar a/b

Master's Level

Program Options: 
  • Marriage & Family Therapy

Faculty

Faculty at University of Southern California