Couple and Family Counseling

Are you interested in helping couples and families work through a wide range of relationship issues? Do you wish to gain a better understanding of the socio-historical contexts of counseling/therapy, including gender, race/ethnicity, class and sexual orientation? The fast-growing couple and family counseling/therapy profession may be a great choice for you. Our program aims to educate competent counselors/therapists who value inclusion and prize diversity. We're looking for students who want to embody integrity and culturally-sensitive ethics in the professional practice and who are committed to life-long learning, self-care and professional development.

CU Denver’s couple and family counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP.) In addition, our program plans call for the pursuit of Council of Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE​) accreditation at the earliest possible date. Our curriculum is based on the COAMFTE accreditation standards. Our mission and these standards promote: a strong commitment to diversity and cultural responsiveness; the preparation of students who practice couple and family therapy (CFT) in diverse settings with diverse client populations; CFT knowledge, theories, research and core competencies; dedication to an inclusive and diverse learning environment; and preparation of students for CFT/MFT (Marriage and Family Therapy) licensure in Colorado who can strengthen the professional identity of culturally responsive, knowledgeable and ethical CFT/MFTs in Colorado.​

Our students go on to work in a broad spectrum of settings including: 

• Private practice
• Community agencies
• University counseling programs
• Mental health centers
• Hospitals 
• Substance abuse treatment centers

Successful completion of the MA degree requires a minimum of 63 graduate semester hours.

This master's specialization is a rigorous program that includes course work (classroom and online), practicum and internships designed to prepare you for state licensure eligibility. The practicum experience in this program can't be matched by any other counseling program in the state. That's because CU Denver students get real-world counseling experience in our Counseling Center, with live supervision and constant feedback from licensed clinicians.

To complete this program, you'll take the required courses, practicum and internships. You'll also take a comprehensive exam or write a thesis. And, you'll have the option of taking the National Counselor Exam for Licensed Professional Counselors. This program also prepares you for licensure as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

Your application will include:

• Current resume or curriculum vita (please include all teaching and/or other educational certificates held and the state that issued them)
• Written Statement. 
• Three letters of recommendation. Letters should be from present or former employers, coworkers, etc. Recommendations should not be more than two years old. The recommenders are sent an email with a link to the recommendation form. When a recommender submits the form, we receive an email notifying us that a recommendation has been submitted on your behalf. The recommendation includes a space for your recommender to cut and paste their recommendation.
• One official transcript from every previous college/university attended 
  
  Please submit transcripts from (a) institutions granting previous degrees and (b) institutions from which courses have been taken that you wish to transfer into the program. Transcripts should be issued to you, collected by you, and subsequently sent to the School of Education & Human Development in the original, unopened envelopes. Instructions on where to mail transcripts are provided in the application.

All international students must meet the university’s English language proficiency requirement.

TEST SCORES: TOEFL, IELTS, OR PTE

​SCORE REQUIREMENTS:

TOEFL

Minimum TOEFL Score Accepted: 75 IBT / 537 PBT

IELTS

Minimum IELTS Score Accepted: 6.5

The TOEFL/IELTS requirement can be waived if an applicant has graduated from the ESL Academy. Information regarding other considerations for exemption, including country of citizenship/origin, and special circumstances can be found here. Please note that some graduate level programs will require a higher score on the TOEFL/IELTS and applicants should consult the department for additional details

PTE ACADEMIC

Minimum PTE Academic Score Accepted: 51

TThe Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic) is currently in a pilot review at the University of Colorado Denver. We will accept a 51 PTE Academic score with the following subscores:

CU Denver students receive over $30 million in scholarships and grant packages each year. On average, a full-time undergrad determined to have a financial need is awarded just under $7,000 (part-time undergrads received $4,000).