Marriage & Family Therapy

Application Process

Students are admitted to our program once a year. Prospective students must complete the appropriate application forms and submit them to the Graduate School before the deadline. Applications are reviewed by the fulltime faculty who then select 25-28 prospective students from the pool of applicants (based on GRE and GPA; quality of reference letters; experience, etc.) to come to the Center for a day-long group interview, which usually takes place in March.

The day-long interview is a mutual screening process. We gain more knowledge about applicants in order to select students who will contribute to the program and who will be most likely to benefit from the program. We also try to tell candidates as much about our program and the field of family therapy as we can to assist them in deciding whether our program is a good fit for them.

No one type of student is preferred. We try to attain ethnic, age, and gender diversity in selecting the most qualified applicants for admission. Each year we try to select a group of students who will complement each other and work well together.

From the pool of interviewees, we invite from 12-15 to join our program in the coming year.

To be formally invited to begin the clinical portion of the program, students also complete an additional screening process to assure they are ready to begin practicum.

NOTE: The deadline date for Master's and Post-Master's applications for Fall 2010 is January 1, 2010. Applications for Commonwealth Campus are accepted on a continuing basis. 

Program Admission Requirements

Master's Degree
Applicants for the Master's Degree must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and present evidence of ability to do graduate work including quality credit average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, a Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score of a minimum of 1000 (verbal + quantitative) and quality references. Abnormal Psychology and Statistics are recommended courses for applicants. Potential students must also have some professional or volunteer experience in a clinical setting. Individuals who do not meet these requirements can still apply, but they should justify admission via other exceptional credentials.

Please send GRE scores to Virginia Tech, code 5859.

Post Master's Certificate
Applicants for the Post Master's Certificate must hold a bachelor's and master's degree from an accredited institution and present evidence of ability to do graduate work including quality credit average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Abnormal Psychology an Statistics are recommended courses for applicants. Potential students must also have some professional or volunteer experience in a clinical setting. Individuals who do not meet these requirements can still apply, but they should justify admission via other exceptional credentials.

Admission into the Clinical Program

The faculty has the responsibility to insure the quality and competency of graduates to practice as Marriage and Family Therapists. We take pride in our graduates and make every effort to insure that they are well prepared to enter the profession. While we recognize the subjective nature of the ongoing screening process, we believe that this intensive process serves the student, the community, and the field of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Since we take our role as gatekeepers to the MFT profession seriously and because we want our students to have a successful practicum experience, we want to make sure that students do not begin practicum before they are ready. Therefore, we have an additional level of screening for admission into the clinical portion of our program. After master's degree students have completed at least 12 hours of course work they can apply to our clinical program. Post-master's certificate students must complete 6 hours of course work before applying to the clinical program. First, students submit a letter to the Clinical Director stating why they believe they are ready to begin practicum, their strengths and weaknesses, and their preferred way of working with clients. The clinical faculty review these letters and evaluate students' academic progress to date. Adjunct faculty who have had contact with candidates may be asked to provide additional input. Then students meet with the faculty to discuss the issues covered in the letter and any other concerns that may have been noted by faculty or the student up to this point. Decisions are made at this point in time whether the student is ready for practicum and if not, what needs to be done to become ready.

 

Applying to the Program (A Step-By-Step Guide)

Master's Degree

  • Go to:   Online Application
  • Once you have clicked the 'Online Application' link above, click 'Create Your Account' to set up a username and password.  Once your information has been filled out, click on the 'Submit' button.'  Then click 'Back to Main Menu' at the bottom of the page that follows.  Once you are back to the Main Menu, select 'Go to the Application' to access and begin the Application Form.
  • On the first page of the application, it will ask you to "select a campus."  Select 'National Capital Region'.
  • It will then ask you to select a "Degree Objective."  For the master's degree program, choose "Masters."  Then for Program, select "Human Development (MS)."
  • Continue filling out all pages of the application, including the supplemental section.  Your selection for the marriage and family therapy program will be in page 6.
  • A $65.00 application fee should be included for all applications to the Graduate School.
  • If you are a Virginia resident, you should also fill out the Application for Virginia In-state Tuition Rates.
  • Please send all supplemental material (three letters of recommendation with paper reference form, all transcripts, personal statement and/or writing samples) to the program office at:

VA Tech/MFT Program

7054 Haycock Rd.

Falls Church, VA 22043

  • You may also print out the application and send a paper copy to the Graduate School at Sandy Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0325.  However, Virginia Tech strongly encourages all applicants to use the on-line application.
  • For assistance, you may call our MFT program office at 703-538-8460 or the Northern Virginia Student Support Office at 703-538-8326.

Post Master's Certificate

  • Go to:   Online Application
  • Once you have clicked the 'Online Application' link above, click 'Create Your Account' to set up a username and password.  Once your information has been filled out, click on the 'Submit' button.'  Then click 'Back to Main Menu' at the bottom of the page that follows.  Once you are back to the Main Menu, select 'Go to the Application' to access and begin the Application Form.
  • On the first page of the application, it will ask you to "select a campus."  Select 'National Capital Region'.
  • It will then ask you to select a "Degree Objective."  For the post-master's degree program, choose "Graduate Certificate ." Then for Program, select "Marriage and Family Therapy."
  • Continue filling out all pages of the application, including the supplemental section.  Your selection for the marriage and family therapy program will be on page 6 of the application.
  • A $65.00 application fee should be included for all applications to the Graduate School.
  • If you are a Virginia resident, you should also fill out the Application for Virginia In-state Tuition Rates.

  • After you have submitted your application for the post-master's certificate program, please notify the program coordinator, Pat Meneely, at pmeneely@vt.edu.

  • Please send all supplemental material (three letters of recommendation with paper reference form, all transcripts, personal statement and/or writing samples) to the program office at:

VA Tech/MFT Program

7054 Haycock Rd.

Falls Church, VA 22043

  • You may also print out the application and send a paper copy to the Graduate School at Sandy Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0325.  However, Virginia Tech strongly encourages all applicants to use the on-line application.
  • For assistance, you may call our MFT program office at 703-538-8460 or the Northern Virginia Student Support Office at 703-538-8326.

Commonwealth Campus

  • Participation in the Commonwealth Campus is open to individuals who hold an earned baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited postsecondary instituation. Students enrolled in coursework in the Commonwealth Campus will be expected to meet all prerequisite course requirements or to be able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and understanding for courses prior to enrollment. Students are limited to 12 credit hours as a Commonwealth Campus student. These courses must be completed with a minimum GPA of 3.0. If a student is later accepted into a degree program, credits earned in the Commonwealth Campus will convert to the student's plan of study.
  • To apply, please print and complete the form below and mail it to the Graduate Student Services Office at the address noted on the application.
  • Download Application Here

 

Discrimination Policy

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, national origin, religion, or political affiliation.  The university is subject to Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The Age Discrimination in Employee Act, The Vietnam Era Veteran Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, Federal Executive Order 11246, Governor Gilmore's State Executive Order Number Two, and all other rules and regulations that are applicable.  Anyone having questions concerning any of those regulations should contact the Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Office, 336 Burruss Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, 540-231-7500, TDD 540-231-9460.

Individuals with disabilities desiring accommodations in the application process should contact the Dean of Students Office, 540-231-3787; TDD/PC 1-800-828-1120; Voice 1-800-828-1140 by the application deadline.