SFL Mission:
The School of Family Life is committed to enhancing the quality of life of individuals and families within the home and communities worldwide. Accordingly, the mission of the School of Family life is to:
Provide instruction that fosters commitment to the principles in The Family: A Proclamation to the World.
Conduct research that contributes to the understanding and enhancement of human development, temporal well-being in the home, and marriage and family relationships.
Help students develop the attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and skills that characterize persons of positive influence—in their own marriages and families, in their professions, in church and public service and other personal relationships.
In the School of Family Life, we are committed to creating community of belonging that provides all persons the opportunity to thrive.
Why Marriage & Family Therapy
Aiding in the University’s overall purpose of strengthening students in the tasks of home and family life, social relationships, civic duty, and service to mankind, the mission of the BYU MFT MS Program is to educate marriage and family therapists to advance a relational perspective on the practice and science of improving the health and well-being of individuals, couples, and families. In the program, students are instructed and challenged to develop competency in the areas of theory, clinical practice, and research. This is done in an environment that is committed to understanding and respecting multicultural diversity.
1. Diversity of training. There are nine full-time clinical faculty in the program. Each of them represents a different orientation toward therapy. Students are exposed to a wide variety of theoretical models and are taught to apply them in treatment.
2. Hands-on experience. The clinical training program emphasizes closely supervised and intense practicum experience. Students begin seeing clients during their first semester and are enrolled continuously for 24 months of practicum. For 1-4 hours each week during this time, faculty members use video recordings and live observation to supervise students’ clinical work.
3. Training facilities. Our training program has the finest clinical and videotape facilities in the country. There are 16 on-site therapy rooms and a videotape operations center operated by video technicians who record each therapy session. In addition, 11 of the therapy rooms have one-way mirror observation capability for live supervision. The BYU Comprehensive Clinic also houses a computer lab with data analysis capabilities that MFT students frequently utilize for entering case notes on the clinic's confidential and secure system.
4. Program selection. There are two degree programs designed to help students attain their career goals- the MS program and PhD program. All students will integrate research and clinical practice in their program. Generally, the MS program requires 2 full years including spring and summer terms. The PhD program typically takes about 3-4 years to complete (Typically longer when waiting for positive reviews from peer-reviews journals). 5. Accreditation. Each program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
6. Licensing. Since Utah licenses Marriage and Family Therapy as a profession, our program of study helps students meet licensing requirements in Utah and transfers to other states. In addition there are many internship and employment opportunities available that are not available in unlicensed states. State licensure also qualifies family therapists for reimbursement from most insurance companies.
7. Recreation and cultural activities. BYU is nationally recognized for several of its sports programs (football, volleyball, golf, and others) and is located near world-class skiing, fishing, and hiking areas. Symphonies, theaters, ballet, and opera are some of the many cultural activities available in Provo and nearby Salt Lake City.
8. Non-Discriminatory Admission Process. Admission to Brigham Young University is nondiscriminatory. The university admits persons of any sex, race, creed, religion, or national origin who meet the university's academic requirements and agree to abide by its standards of behavior. Qualified handicapped students are also admitted. You can find our full Non-Discrimination and Diversity statements below.
9. Financial Assistance. BYU is ranked #1 for financial assistance and affordability in the US
Why Marriage, Family and Human Development
The Marriage, Family and Human Development Program centers on theories, research and practices related to optimal human development within the context of family life. Graduates from this program are not licensed to practice marriage and family therapy. It is not an applied degree, but a research-focused academic degree. It provides a life-course perspective by which human development and family behavior can be understood and improved.
About the Program
The MFHD Graduate Program in the School of Family Life was organized in 1980. Faculty members in the program represent a wide diversity of training and interests. They have expertise in family science, resource management, human development, home and family living, and family and consumer science.
The program has an international reputation for excellence in preparing students at the Master's and Doctoral level. The faculty and students regularly publish in prestigious journals. Books are published each year by the faculty. Each publication is designed for a different audience, ranging from highly technical theoretical and research based articles to textbooks and articles for lay audiences.
The Mission of Brigham Young University:
“Assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life”
The Mission of the School of Family Life:
“Provide education in prevention and intervention that promotes quality family living across generations.”
The MFHD graduate program fulfills these missions by helping students:
1. Learn the dominant theories, main research findings, and contemporary issues in the MFHD research literature.
2. Learn the general research methods used in MFHD and become competent in applying these methods to research questions in the field.
3. Contribute to their self-selected area of scholarly specialization through original research.
