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Marriage and Family Counseling

The Master of Marriage and Family Counseling is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).  This program prepares students for licensure as professional counselor (LPC-MHSP) and/or marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in Tennessee.

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Program Benefits

  • Complete your program with a supportive cohort of students who are working toward similar goals.
  • Enjoy the collaborative learning environments made possible by our small class sizes.
  • Learn from faculty who possess the highest degrees in their fields and have relevant and valuable real-world experience.
  • Graduate from a seasoned program with a strong reputation across Middle Tennessee.

What to Expect

CACREP-Accredited-logoCP-Best-MFT-Programs-2025Whether your career goals include starting your own private practice, serving in an agency or counseling center, or leading as a counseling administrator, Trevecca’s Master of Marriage and Family Counseling can help you reach your goals. Our 60-hour program focuses on the development of your professional counselor identity. In the face-to-face class format, you’ll build a network of strong relationships with our faculty and other students that extends beyond graduation. As a student in this program, you’ll also have the opportunity to complete an internship at one of our 60+ associated agencies or centers, providing you with hands-on learning and real-time application in the field.

Why Choose Trevecca?

Founded in 1901 and a leader in online education for more than two decades, Trevecca helps students discover and pursue an individual calling by providing innovative instruction; cultivating a supportive, Christ-centered community; and establishing relationships that open doors.

Recognized nationally and locally for academic quality, Trevecca has earned a reputation for providing the world with servant leaders, problem solvers and difference makers. Trevecca’s holistic approach to education encompasses intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual growth.

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Course Descriptions

Get details on all the courses you’ll complete as you work toward this degree at Trevecca.

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Financial Aid & Costs

Financial Aid & Costs

Nearly every student at Trevecca receives some form of assistance in paying for college. Learn all about the affordability of a TNU education and options for receiving aid.

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Here’s a look at the approximate tuition rates you could expect for this program at Trevecca, including the cost per credit hour and the total tuition expense for the full degree program. Please note that rates and fees are subject to change.

Here’s a look at the approximate tuition rates you could expect for this program at Trevecca, including the cost per credit hour and the total tuition expense for the full degree program. Please note that rates and fees are subject to change.

Cost/Credit Hour

$775
Hours

60
Tuition Cost*

$46,500

*Practicum/Internship (Tevera): $220
*Practicum Extension Fee: $250
*Student Resource Fee: $150/course
*Additional fees for textbooks and required materials estimated at $150.

Application Information

  • Cycles of new students begin three times during the year: fall, spring, and summer.
  • Fall semester, apply by June 1, two new groups are taken (a Tuesday class schedule and a Saturday class schedule)
  • Spring semester, apply by October 1, one new group is taken (a Saturday class schedule)
  • Summer semester, apply February 15, one new group is taken (a Thursday class schedule)
  • Applicants are encouraged to meet semester deadline requirements. 

Minimum requirements: 2.7 GPA and 290 GRE. If an applicant is below the minimum for one of the requirements, s/he may be considered under our conditional admission policy.

Application Documents

Fill out online application
Reference Assessment Form (2 required)
Immunization Information


Application Checklist

  • Complete the online application (it's free!).
    Need help applying? Read the step-by-step instructions here!
  • Official transcript must be submitted directly to the Office of Graduate and Adult Education.

    Trevecca Nazarene University
    Attn: GRAE Admissions
    333 Murfreesboro Pike
    Nashville, TN 37210
    FAX to 1-888-517-0123
    EMAIL to SGCSAdmissions@trevecca.edu

  • Official test score report for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with a minimum score of 290 (combined verbal and quantitative).  Typically, GRE will be waived if applicant already holds a MA degree, or has an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, at times, may still be asked to submit the GRE or an additional writing sample.   
  • Two (2) completed reference assessment forms (available here) must be professional and/or academic. Applicants will need to send reference form link to their recommenders.

Admission Deadlines (per semester)

  • Fall: June 1
  • Spring: October 1
  • Summer: February 15
  • All completed application items must be received by the deadline in order to be considered for the next step in the application process.

Have questions? Contact the enrollment counselor with your questions at hambrefe@trevecca.edu or 615-248-1546.

Faculty

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Course Descriptions

Get details on all the courses you’ll complete as you work toward this degree at Trevecca.

Helping Relationships
CSL 5260
Provides an orientation to the counseling profession. Characteristics of effective counselors, nature of the therapeutic relationship, and the process of counseling will be addressed. Students will learn and demonstrate the essential skills involved in building an effective helping relationship. Students will be introduced to practicum/internship guidelines and expectations, interview and resume writing skills, client record keeping, and other aspects of the practicum/internship experience.
Credit Hours: 3
Lifespan Development
CSL 5220

Looks at the survey of research throughout the entire lifespan including findings in the areas of physical, emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal growth and development.

Credit Hours: 3
Group Therapy and Process
CSL 5430

Examines group techniques and application to counseling settings. Various ethnic and socioeconomic groups will be emphasized.

Credit Hours: 3
Advanced Abnormal Psychology
CSL 5240

This course is designed to provide an understanding of patterns of abnormal behavior including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and personality disorders. This course covers the domains of psychopathology as it is represented in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Credit Hours: 3
Counseling Diverse Populations
CSL 5250

An overview of counseling strategies useful with varied populations. Counseling skills helpful with clients of different racial, economic, religious, and sexual orientations will also be examined.

Credit Hours: 3
Ethical Standards and Legal Issues
CSL 5472

Emphasizes the development, understanding, and application of ethical standards in the theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. The Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) will be studied along with other professional standards of practice and credentialing. There will also be a focus on state rules and regulations and licensure requirements for LPC-MHSPs and LMFTs.

Credit Hours: 3
Introduction to Psychological Research
CSL 5100

Designed to give an introduction to research strategies with an emphasis on counseling and psychological problems. Emphasis will be on the development of a proposal for a major research project or thesis.

Credit Hours: 3
Introduction to Psychological Testing
CSL 5441

An overview of test construction, selection, and application will be the focus of this course. Legal and ethical administration of tests for ability, intelligence, attitudes, values and personality will also be examined. Experience in taking and administering sample instruments will be provided.

Credit Hours: 3
Career Counseling and Professional Development
CSL 5230
An examination of the current trends in career development and life choices. The students will develop a knowledge base concerning career theories, techniques, and assessments for exploring the interests, aptitudes, and values of clients in order to assist them in making reasoned career and lifestyle decisions. The course will also focus on the student's personal career choice in the mental health field, career options, professional opportunities and identity development including a culminating paper on the student's preferred model of therapy. Characteristics that lead to success in the field, the developmental journey of a counselor, and self care are topics covered in this course.
Credit Hours: 3
Marital LifeCycle
MFC 5511

With the marital life-cycle as a structure, this course will examine the marital relationship as an interactive and changing system. Particular attention will be given to the predictable challenges presented to couples in the form of demands for adaptation, the identified characteristics of marital health, and various changes experienced in both the institution of marriage and spousal roles during the past few decades.

Credit Hours: 3
Divorce and Divorce Adjustment
MFC 5510

A study of the contemporary family through the avenue of the divorce experience. The primary concern will be an understanding of the cultural influences that fostered a rise in the divorce rate, the changes that this phenomenon has precipitated in American society, the impact of divorce upon the entire family unit, and the adjustments required for healthy family functioning.

Credit Hours: 3
The Child in the Family System
MFC 5512

Designed to review theories and research in child development by identifying normal and anticipated behavior from birth through adolescence within the family context. The ability to recognize what constitutes deviations from the anticipated behavior will also be identified with practical suggestions for intervention.

Credit Hours: 3
Techniques & Treatment Planning for Couples I
MFC 5750
Students will be presented with a variety of systems theory models specifically applied to the marital or couple relationship. Students will demonstrate the ability to conceptualize issues, develop treatment plans, and intervene in couple relationships based on both an understanding of diverse theoretical orientations and equally diverse couple problem presentations. This conceptualization will flow from an understanding of theories including but not limited to structural, trans-generational, attachment, and affect regulation models. Cohesive clinical experiences will be shared, evaluated, demonstrated, and practiced both in the classroom and in a practicum setting. Students will be expected to initiate a practicum experience that will continue into the next course, MFC 5760 Techniques & Treatment Planning for Couples II. All totaled the practicum for the two-course marriage and couple counseling sequence will be 100 hours with 45 of the 100 hours being in direct client contact (group, co-therapy, client intakes, marital and couple sessions, etc.).
Credit Hours: 3
Techniques & Treatment Planning for Couples II
MFC 5760
A continuation of MFC 5750 Techniques & Treatment Planning for Couples I. Students will be presented with additional systems theory models specifically applied to the marital or couple relationship. The ability to conceptualize issues, develop treatment plans, and intervene in couple relationships based on both an understanding of diverse theoretical orientations and equally diverse couple problem presentations will continue to be the focus. This conceptualization will flow from an understanding of theories including but not limited to structural, trans-generational, attachment, and affect regulation models. Skill demonstration, in both classroom and practicum activities, will continue culminating with each student demonstrating competency in a chosen systemic model consistent with the goals and purposes of this program. By the end of this course the students will have completed a 100-hour practicum (in association with the previous course, MFC 5700 Techniques & Treatment Planning for Couples I) of which 45 of the 100 hours will have been in direct client contact (group therapy, co-therapy, client intakes, marital and couple sessions, etc.).
Credit Hours: 3
Family Systems Theory
MFC 5250
This course introduces the theory and basic underlying assumptions of a systems framework to marriage, couple, and family counseling. The emphasis is on identifying the characteristics of healthy family functioning and conceptualizing human problems as they are related to the functioning of systems.
Credit Hours: 3
Family Interventions
MFC 5350
Introduces the understanding and practicing of family counseling and interventions. Focus will be on developing both diagnostic and intervention skills in regards to treating problems within the context of the family. Special attention will be given to differentiating between various approaches within the purview of family systems theory.
Credit Hours: 3
Crisis & Sexuality for Couples
MFC 5450
Designed to give attention to the special problems presented by (1) crisis situations and (2) sexuality. Regarding crisis presentations, common marital and couple presentations will be studied (abusive relationships, marital separation, infidelity, etc.) with attention given to both recognition and appropriate intervention strategies. Regarding sexuality, healthy and problematic areas of sexual functioning will be studied with special attention given to assessment and diagnostic skills for identifying sexual dysfunction and correspondingly appropriate treatment regimens.
Credit Hours: 3
Internship in Marriage and Family Counseling I
MFC 5610
Provides supervised experience in the practice of marriage, couple, and family counseling in an appropriate clinical setting (usually a mental health center or community agency). Activities will include face-to-face contact with individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Students will spend a minimum of 200 hours on site under appropriate supervision of which 85 of the 200 hours must be in direct client contact (internship fee). Under certain circumstances internship may be extended.*
Credit Hours: 3
Internship in Marriage and Family Counseling II
MFC 5620
To be taken in consecutive sequence with “MFC 5610 - Internship in Marriage and Family Counseling I” and preferably at the same site, the course provides a continued supervised experience in the practice of marriage, couple, and family counseling in an appropriate clinical setting (usually a mental health center or community agency). Activities will include face-to-face contact with individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Student will spend a minimum of 200 hours on site under appropriate supervision of which 85 of the 200 hours must be in direct client contact (internship fee). Under certain circumstances internship may be extended.*
Credit Hours: 3
Internship in Marriage and Family Counseling III
MFC 5630
To be taken in consecutive sequence with “MFC 5620 - Internship in Marriage and Family Counseling II” and preferably at the same site. Provides a supervised experience in the practice marriage, couple, and family counseling in an appropriate clinical setting (usually a mental health center or community agency). Activities will include face-to-face contact with individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Students will spend a minimum of 200 hours on site under appropriate supervision of which 85 of the 200 hours must be in direct client contact (internship fee). Under certain circumstances internship may be extended.*
Credit Hours: 3

*Nine (9) hours of transfer credit is allowed.
*For a complete list of courses, tracks and other relevant information, view the program's course catalog.

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