Statement on Licensure
Acknowledgement of the General Regulatory Structure and Practice/Licensure Requirements for the Practice of Couple (Marriage) and Family Therapy
It is the policy of the Purdue University Northwest (PNW) Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) Program to inform prospective and incoming students about the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) Profession’s general regulatory structure and practice/licensure requirements. Because you are an incoming student, we are seeking your acknowledgement of and understanding of these important requirements.
There are typically 3 general requirements necessary to achieve full licensure as a marriage and family therapist in all states within the United States and provinces in Canada.
- The first step is to complete the educational requirements outlined by the state/province regulatory body as relevant to education in marriage and family therapy. The educational requirements in the first step are typically comprised of completion of a curriculum, accruing a certain number of client contact hours, and accruing a certain number of supervision hours, all of which occur within the graduate program.
- Step 2 involves the accrual of a certain number of direct client contact hours and supervision hours post-degree, defined by the state/province in their rules and regulations for the profession
- And, finally, the third step is passing an exam (written and/or oral) related to knowledge of marriage and family therapy. In some states/provinces, this exam may be able to be taken place right after graduation of your master’s degree, or it may be delayed until the completion of experience requirements (step 2).
Currently, each state has its own MFT regulatory board that oversees these requirements. As a result, the 3 general requirements outlined above frequently differ or vary from state to state. Moreover, each state may modify its requirements at any time.
When you are seeking an education in Couple (Marriage) and Family Therapy at PNW, you are working toward completing the first step toward the licensure process; therefore, the CFT Program at PNW assists you in meeting the educational requirements as you work toward licensure. The PNW CFT Master’s degree Program offers a COAMFTE Accredited onsite educational program that meets the educational requirements for many states, but has been designed to meet or exceed the requirements for the States of Indiana and Illinois. You can read more about Indiana’s and Illinois’ Requirements for Marriage and Family License on their websites as follows:
Rules & Regulations Website:
License Application & Information:
Board Website:
Students who would like to practice in other states should contact that state’s licensure board to determine their requirements for licensure.
NOTE: The Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) maintains a website that provides information about each state’s licensure requirements. Students are encouraged to check the website frequently for changes to licensure requirements.
As part of our program, you will be required to investigate and determine the requirements for the state/province in which you intend to practice upon graduation. This will typically be done when you enroll and complete course requirements for CFT 63000 Ethics & Professional Issues in CFT. If you have questions about the program’s alignment with professional licensure you may contact the Program Director: Dr. Christopher K. Belous at ckb@pnw.edu.