The Ph.D. degree in systems, families, and couples follows the scientist-practitioner model in which students are expected to develop expertise in research, teaching, and professional practice. The three-to-four year, 92-unit curriculum includes two years of coursework, professional development and clinical practice leading to licensure or certification, and one year of supervised dissertation experience. The purpose of the curriculum is to develop family science scholars and practitioners who will advance theory, research, practice, and teaching in the fields of couple and family therapy and family social science. Students will be prepared for academic, professional, and clinical positions in universities, community mental health, and medical settings. Ph.D. students develop expertise in conducting original research using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches; teaching in academic and community settings; and advanced clinical practice.
The core academic curriculum is composed of 51 units of coursework in the areas of research, theory and practice. Students will then choose 18 elective units from the following content areas: (1) MFT Clinical Supervision, (2) Medical Family Therapy, (3) Advanced Clinical Practice, (4) Global Mental Health and (4) Community Mental Health. Students also take 9 units of religion.
The MFT Clinical Supervision electives fulfill the educational and practice requirements to become an AAMFT-approved supervisor.
The Medical Family Therapy electives provide the education, clinical training, and practical experiences to work in inpatient, intensive outpatient, hospital, and outpatient health-care settings.
Global Mental Health electives provide an interdisciplinary academic experience designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives needed to address mental health within global contexts.
Advance Clinical Practice electives provide students the opportunity to further develop their clinical awareness and skills in the areas of social context, self of the therapist, and the integration of spirituality into the clinical practice.
The Community Mental Health electives focus on areas of skill development for community mental health practice including program development and evaluation as well as organizational development, assessment, and administration.
Students study the work of original thinkers in systems, families, and couples as well as the most recent developments within the fields of family studies and family therapy. They develop a critical understanding of the theoretical and philosophical foundations of the field, critically examine the interplay between the biopsychosocial-spiritual dimensions of relationships, become conversant in the current issues in the field of family science, and contribute to the discourse regarding them. Students will use this knowledge to advance the fields of family therapy and family studies.
Students develop skills and a critical understanding of the process of research and evaluation related to families and interventional work. A scientist-practitioner model is used to equip them with the ability to develop, consume, and apply research in professional practice. Students will develop expertise in social science statistical analysis; quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method research methodologies; and grant writing.
The program provides experiential and didactic training for teaching in higher education and community settings. Through didactic training, students will be exposed to current trends and best practices in teaching. Students will examine various teaching and learning paradigms with the intention of helping them develop their own epistemology and philosophy of teaching. They will test and grow this epistemology through experiential training as they assist with courses (e.g., develop syllabi, lecture, and assignments) under the supervision of a faculty member. Students will be given opportunities to assist, facilitate, or co-facilitate courses on their own.
Students will apply a critical understanding of theory and research to work with couples and families, larger communities, and organizations. They will develop an in-depth understanding of clinical theory and its application to clinical practice. Advanced supervised clinical training and family life education opportunities will be provided throughout the course of the program. Additionally, students in the couples and family therapy specialty will develop skills as an AAMFT-approved clinical supervisor.
The program encourages students to develop a clear understanding of themselves, and it invites reflection and consideration of the impact of their personal values, social positions, and contexts on their clinical and scholarly practices. Students are supported in the development of their strengths as they create epistemological frameworks and ethical consciousness to guide their research and practice. They are encouraged to engage beyond their local community to include experiences in wider cultural, social, and global contexts.
By the end of this program, the graduate should be able to:
For information regarding funding opportunities, see Student Aid in the financial polices section of this CATALOG.
Students who are accepted into the Ph.D. degree in systems, families, and couples may apply for work-study and department-funded research, teaching, and administrative assistantships awarded by the Department of Counseling and Family Sciences. Departmental awards are contingent upon the availability of funds.
The Ph.D. degree program in systems, families, and couples is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), the accrediting body for the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), 112 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: (703) 838-9808; email: coa@aamft.org.
Applicants must meet Loma Linda University and School of Behavioral Health admissions requirements; and give evidence of academic ability, professional comportment, and mature judgment. The Ph.D. degree curriculum represents advanced study over and above a standard master's degree curriculum in the field. Admission is based on an integrated evaluation of the following criteria:
The admissions committee uses the above criteria to evaluate applicants on each of the following equally weighted criteria:
Student transcripts will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis for the following areas of corequisite study. A plan of study incorporating these standard master's degree-level courses is available for students who have not completed these corequisites. See required master level courses.
| Theoretical knowledge in family systems/relational therapy or family science | 8 | |
| Clinical knowledge in marital and family therapy or family life education | 16 | |
| Individual development and family relations | 8 | |
| Additional study in the three areas above | 4 | |
| Professional issues and ethics in marital and family therapy or family studies | 4 | |
| Research | 4 | |
| Additional related study | 4 | |
| Total Units | 48 | |
A grade of B or better indicates a student has mastered the knowledge, skill, and professional practice performance competencies outlined by the program. In order to progress successfully and complete the degree, students must meet both course and cumulative G.P.A. standards. The University allows students to repeat two courses per degree. Course repeat expectations set by the School of Behavioral Health may be found in the general regulations section of this CATALOG.
| Theory and practice | ||
| CFSD 504 | Advanced Family Theory | 4 |
| CFSD 505 | Advanced Family Studies: Theory Construction | 3 |
| CFSD 506 | Foundations of Systems Thinking: Theory and Application | 3 |
| CFSD 519 | Teaching in Higher Education | 3 |
| CFSD 544 | Health and Illness in Families (or additional elective if taken during master's degree) | 3 |
| CFSD 546 | Multicultural and Global Mental Health 3 | 3 |
| CFSD 565 | Neurobiology of Relationships, Stress and Trauma: Family Science Applications | 3 |
| Research | ||
| CFSD 545 | Research and Practice with Couples and Families | 3 |
| CFSD 601 | Statistics I | 4 |
| CFSD 602 | Statistics II | 4 |
| CFSD 603 | Statistics III | 4 |
| CFSD 605 | Advanced Quantitative Methods | 3 |
| CFSD 606 | Issues in Family Research | 3 |
| CFSD 611 | Qualitative Research Methods I | 4 |
| CFSD 612 | Qualitative Research Methods II | 3 |
| CFSD 625 | Grant Writing | 3 |
| Electives | 18 | |
| Choose one of the following specialty areas | ||
MFT Clinical Supervision | ||
| Fundamentals of Supervision in Marital and Family Therapy | ||
Medical Family Therapy | ||
| Introduction to Medical Family Therapy 4 | ||
| Family Therapy and Medicine | ||
| Therapeutic Play for Children Affected by Illness and Injury 4 | ||
| Grief and Loss 4 | ||
Advance Clinical Practice | ||
| Practicum in Couple and Family Therapy | ||
| Practicum in Couple and Family Therapy | ||
| Practicum in Couple and Family Therapy | ||
Community Mental Health | ||
| Advanced Marital and Family Therapy Assessment | ||
| Organizational Development and Change | ||
| Program Development for Families and Communities | ||
| Program Evaluation and Monitoring for Families and Communities | ||
| Spirituality | ||
| RELE 5__ or above | 3 | |
| RELR 5__ or above | 3 | |
| RELT 5__ or above | 3 | |
| Dissertation | ||
| CFSD 698 | Dissertation Research 1 | 12 |
| Total Units | 92 | |
| Professional development 2 | ||
| CFSD 786 | Professional Development Proposal | 0 |
| MFTH 786A and 786B total combined units | 36 | |
| Professional Development Doctoral Portfolio 1 | ||
| Professional Internship in Couple and Family Therapy 1 | ||
| Total Units | 36 | |
Course repeated to fulfill total unit requirement
700-numbered courses do not count in total didactic units required for the degree
Fulfills service learning requirement
If not taken during master's degree
Doctoral degrees in systems, families and couples will be awarded when students have completed all the required coursework and the following non-course requirements:
Three (3) to four (4) years (13 academic quarters) — based on full-time enrollment
Students entering the Ph.D. program without a COAMFTE accredited master’s degree, who wish to obtain licensure in California, will be required to meet the course requirements of the M.S. in Marital & Family Therapy program. A course-by-course evaluation will be done to determine which courses in the student’s previous master’s degree program fulfill specific course requirements for California licensure.
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