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Studies & Degrees in Marriage and the Family

Marriage and the family is a field of study about couples and families: how they form and develop, what makes relationships work or break down, and how professionals can help. It draws on psychology, education, sociology, law and anthropology. Under this name, schools offer two different kinds of programme, and it is worth knowing which one you are looking at.

  • Marriage and family therapy is a clinical mental health profession, mainly organised in the United States. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics describes marriage and family therapists as professionals who diagnose and treat cognitive, behavioural or similar disorders in the context of couples and other relationships. Even when they treat one person, they focus on family systems.
  • Family studies and family education programmes are not clinical. They teach the anthropology and psychology of family life, parenting and family counselling, or the design of public policies that affect families.

Qualifications and levels

Master's degrees in the United States. Marriage and family therapists typically need a master's degree. Programmes cover how marriages, families and relationships function and usually include a supervised practicum or internship with clients. Examples in the SpainExchange directory:

  • Texas Tech University in Lubbock offers an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Couple, Marriage, and Family Therapy, both on campus, and runs a Family Therapy Clinic.
  • University of Phoenix offers an online Master of Science in Counseling - Marriage, Family and Child Therapy for California only, with courses aligned to the educational requirements for the California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) licences.
  • Grand Canyon University offers a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, of 74 credits, with online courses of 8 weeks. The university states that the programme does not lead to marriage and family licensure; it meets the academic requirements for the counsellor licences LAC and LPC in Arizona.

Licensing. All US states require marriage and family therapists to be licensed. A licence requires a master's degree, a number of hours of supervised clinical experience after the degree that each state sets, a state-recognised exam and annual continuing education. Programme accreditation matters here: the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) states that accredited programmes offer a curriculum that meets the requirements of state licensing boards and make it easier to transfer credits and move a licence between states.

Postgraduate diplomas in Spain. The Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC Barcelona), through its Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Familia, offers an online Postgrado en Matrimonio y Educación Familiar. It is a postgraduate diploma (diplomatura de postgrado) of 15 ECTS credits, with 100 places, and the next edition runs from 2 November 2026 to 31 July 2027. It has a module on the anthropology of the person and the family (7 ECTS), a module on developmental psychology and family education (6 ECTS) and a final project (2 ECTS). It is aimed at family counselling teachers, graduates, teachers, family mediation and counselling professionals, and parents. The university also lists an English-language version and an online postgraduate diploma in family policies of 15 ECTS credits. These are not therapy qualifications; ask the university what recognition the diploma has.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists seven active schools for this subject: six in the United States and one in Spain. The US schools include Texas Tech University, Wayne State University in Detroit, Grand Canyon University and University of Phoenix, both based in Phoenix, and Amarillo College in Texas. The Spanish school is UIC Barcelona. US programmes are taught in English; UIC Barcelona teaches its family programmes online in Spanish, with one version in English.

A US therapy degree prepares for a US state licence. Students who plan to work in another country should ask that country's professional body how the degree is treated before enrolling.

Careers

Marriage and family therapists held about 76,300 jobs in the United States in 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which projects employment to grow 14 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. Many work in private practice; others work in mental health centres, family services, outpatient care centres, schools and hospitals.

Graduates of family education and family policy programmes work in different settings: family counselling courses, schools, mediation services, public administration and non-profit organisations concerned with the family.

Frequently asked questions

What degree do I need to become a marriage and family therapist?

In the United States, a master's degree is typically required, followed by supervised clinical experience and a state exam. All states require a licence.

Does every programme with "marriage and family" in its name lead to a therapist licence?

No. Grand Canyon University, for example, states that its counselling master's degree with a marriage and family therapy emphasis does not lead to marriage and family licensure. Check with the school and the state licensing board.

Can I study marriage and the family online?

Yes. University of Phoenix and Grand Canyon University offer online master's programmes, and UIC Barcelona teaches its postgraduate diploma in marriage and family education online.

Is there a programme in Spanish?

Yes. The Postgrado en Matrimonio y Educación Familiar of UIC Barcelona is online, has 15 ECTS credits and is aimed at education and family counselling professionals and at parents.