Overview
Marital and Family Therapy Grad Programs Offered by California School of Professional Psychology at AIU
California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University (AIU) offers two graduate programs in marital and family therapy (MFT). The Master of Arts (M.A.) is offered at the Irvine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego campuses, and the Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.). is available in Irvine, Sacramento, and San Diego.
CSPP is now the largest of five Alliant schools and centers, preparing students for careers as clinical psychologists, marital and family therapists, and other mental health professionals. While earning their degrees, students work in a wide variety of settings, establishing themselves in the professional community as experienced practitioners. By the time students earn their degrees they have already developed a network of colleagues and professional affiliations that make them exceptionally attractive to employers as vital contributors to their fields.
Both M.A. and Psy.D. Programs Prepare Students for Fulfilling Careers as Marriage and Family Therapists
Both the M.A. and Psy.D. programs provide students with the essential training needed to pursue a career as a professional marital and family therapist. Graduates become skilled in theory, research, and clinical practice and are able to integrate individual and systemic therapeutic models in an international, multicultural environment.
Students in both the master's and doctoral MFT programs are trained to treat relational mental health issues with individuals, couples, and families, as well as in larger organizations, from a systemic perspective. As such, attention is directed to relationships and interaction patterns, with students developing skills in the mental health assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals and various relationship systems. The programs provide an integrative approach to the major systemic theories and interventions covering family therapy, psychology, marital psychology, and family psychology.
To prepare students for the clinical practicum experience, the MFT programs provide intensive theoretical and practical skill-based training. The programs place students in community-based practicum and internship situations where they get real-world training experiences with a diverse clientele
CSPP Offers Day and Night Classes at Two Campuses and State-of-the-Art Master's and Psy.D. Course Work at Every Location
The MFT master's program contains the same course work as the first two years of the Psy.D. program, so all of the program credits in the master's program transfer into the Ph.D. program. Students entering the Psy.D. program with a bachelor's degree can earn a licensable master's degree as part of their doctoral studies upon completion of the requirements for the M.A. degree.
Students may choose to specialize in select concentrations offered at their particular campus, including chemical dependency counseling, gerontology, biofeedback, and Latin American family therapy.
All classes are normally scheduled for evening hours to enable students to work during the day. Day classes are offered in San Diego and Irvine for students who prefer to schedule their classes for daytime hours.
Work-Study, Employment, and Financial Aid Options Put CSPP Graduate MFT Degrees Within Reach for All Students
Alliant's financial aid programs are available to qualified students in the form of scholarships, loans, and grants that are funded by various sources, including the federal government, state government, Alliant, and a number of other private sources. Federal and state financial aid funds are only available to students who are United States citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Predominantly offered in the form of loans, student financial aid packages may also include student employment and scholarships. Students can earn varying amounts through paid on-campus positions in admissions and field placement, part-time jobs in the community, and teaching and research assistantships.
Most students interested in school-based financial aid pursue some form of college work-study, a part-time job, or a research/teaching assistant stipend. While there are just a limited number of teaching and research assistantships available, students can also work on campus in a number of departments. With a mix of funding opportunities that can be combined in a number of different ways, the tuition, books, and fees can be offset so that all qualified, hardworking graduate students can work toward a doctorate in an exciting, meaningful, and fulfilling field of study.
A Globally and Culturally Diverse Student Body Makes Alliant and CSPP a Horizon-Broadening Experience for All
Alliant prides itself on the global diversity of its student body, with students from most U.S. states and international students from some sixty-four countries, including Cameroon, Iceland, Greece, Botswana, Portugal, and Turkey. There are over 2,600 full-time and almost 1,300 part-time students at Alliant. Women comprise 76 percent, and approximately 46 percent are from groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education.
