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The Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Northcentral University is designed to provide a high quality and rigorous education and training experience for serious Learners who wish to prepare for professional life as Marriage and Family Therapists. A high standard of excellence is expected. In support of this, program Faculty Mentors are selected for their expertise and ability to support Learners and facilitate first-rate educational attainment. The program is focused on developing the skills and personal and professional growth that is requisite for effective practice in the field of marriage and family therapy. Objectives: The objectives of the Marriage and Family Therapy program are: 1. To provide the essential academic training needed to effectively practice marriage and family therapy, including marriage and family therapy theory, research, major models, professional ethics, standards of best practice, and related issues. 2. To provide and facilitate clinical training to the extent needed for competent and effective practice as a professional marriage and family therapist, including the ability to assess, diagnose, and treat clients with a wide variety of presenting issues including mental illness as defined by the DSM-IV. 3. To train program participants in the scientist-practitioner model including the ability to evaluate existing research, implement existing research into professional practice, and conduct original research. 4. To evaluate the readiness, professionalism, maturity, ethical adherence, skills, clinical insight, and competence of program participants. 5. To encourage professional development through participation in national, state, and local associations and related conferences, through conducting and presenting of original research and other scholarly work, and completion of requirements for clinical membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). 6. To provide the coursework and practicum requirements, including the client contact and supervision requirements, that are necessary for provisional licensure as a marriage and family therapist in most states. (Note: Northcentral University and its Marriage and Family Therapy programs do not guarantee that graduates will be eligible to sit for licensing exams, pass such exams, or be licensed as an MFT. Learners are individually responsible to determine and meet licensing requirements in their own home state.) 7. To encourage personal growth, intellectual accomplishment, and global awareness. 8. To teach the process of supervision of marriage and family therapy, help Learners develop a personal philosophy of supervision, and facilitate supervision practicum. 9. To guide Learners through the development of an in depth specialization in an area of research related to marriage and family therapy through completion of the dissertation process.