Master of Science in Family Therapy

“The MSFT program at Friends is student-focused, it is professionally relevant, it is well-respected and it is a family. What other graduate program can boast that its alumni return to teach, supervise, volunteer and host students on a regular basis?”

Erin Cavanaugh, Family Therapy Graduate 2011

Costs & Value

Getting an MFT graduate degree has great long term success and value. With the competitive advantage, higher salary and real world experience that comes from a graduate degree, it only makes sense to pursue a graduate degree! Did you know that those with a graduate degree earn almost 20% more than those that only have an undergraduate degree? Read more reasons why it pays to get a graduate degree.

What jobs can you get with a master’s degree in family therapy?

Marriage and family therapy is an ideal profession for those who value helping others discover positive change in the midst of personal and relationship struggles. A family therapy degree at Friends University prepares you with the theoretical, clinical, multicultural and interpersonal competencies for eventual licensure and practice as a Marriage and Family Therapy mental health professional. Current Marriage and Family Therapy graduates are working as counselors, therapists and social workers.

With a high job growth in therapy degrees over the next decade, there has never been a better time to get a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. The need for jobs in social work, therapy and counseling is expected to grow 22% by 2028.

Counselor or Therapist Degree?

Are counselors and therapists the same thing? While titles like “counselor” and “therapist” are often used interchangeably when identifying health professionals, there are distinct differences that are key to helping you make the right degree choice.

A degree for counselors, therapists and social workers

The MSFT program trains students in the context of a relational and systemic perspective and strives to produce ethically sound clinicians who are competent in multicultural, theoretical, clinical, and interpersonal domains.

Psychotherapy with individuals, couples and families all require specialized knowledge and training as well as personal inspiration. Our COAMFTE (Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education) accredited program offers extensive training and experience providing care to others in personal distress. Each year advanced students in the program collectively provide more than 10,000 hours of relational services to individuals, couples and families. In this, we believe we have created a unique graduate training experience that offers you these practices and more.

The Master of Science in Family Therapy Program at Friends University is pleased to provide a public portfolio of program information in compliance with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. This information includes but is not limited to the MSFT program’s mission statement, program goals, student learning outcomes, faculty information, demographic data, student achievement data, and policies and procedures supporting the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Friends University. To access the information, please select the following link to the MSFT LiveText Portfolio Management System (www.livetext.com), select the “visitor pass,” and enter the following code: 340BA284

Accreditation

The marriage and family therapy graduate degree at Friends University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), 112 S. Alfred St., Alexandria, VA 22314 (703-838-9808), coa@aamft.org.

Application Deadlines

Wichita Application Calendar

The Master of Science in Family Therapy program information meetings are for program applicants to learn about the MSFT Program in Wichita and for program faculty to meet with prospective students about the 24 month, 60-credit degree, COAMFTE accredited degree program. All applicants are required to attend one informational meeting. In addition, there are officially three interview rounds during the academic year. A potential fourth round will only be held if the program has openings. Early applicants have the first option on the limited number of available seats in the program and are encouraged to apply early.

Early Admission Application Review and Interviews

Deadline to complete early applications: Friday, October 3, 2025 
Early applicant Interviews: Monday, October 27, 2025
Application Decision letters sent: Friday, November 14, 2025 
Early Bird Deposit Deadline: Friday, December 5, 2025 

Second Application Review and Interviews

Deadline for Round 2 applications: Friday, January 23, 2026 
Second Round Interviews: Monday, February 16, 2026 
Application Decision letters sent: Friday, February 27, 2026 
Deposit Deadline: Friday, March 20, 2026 

Third Application Review and Interviews

Deadline for Round 3 applications: Friday, March 1, 2026 
Third Round Interviews: Monday, March 30, 2026 
Application Decision letters sent: Friday, April 17, 2026 
Deposit Deadline: Friday, May, 2026 

Fourth Application Review and Interviews: (only held if program spots are available) 

Deadline for Round 4 applications: Friday, May 15, 2026 
Fourth Round Interviews: Monday, June 8, 2026
Application Decision letters sent: Friday, June 19, 2026
Deposit Deadline: Monday, July 6, 2026

MSFT Pre Program Academic Orientation

Monday, July 13, 2026 (Wichita) planned/hosted by MSFT faculty & staff. 

If you would like to know more about the Master of Science in Family Therapy program, please contact Crystal Roach at crystal_roach@friends.edu or 316-295-5658.

For public information regarding graduation rates, national exam pass rates and other learning measures, a public portfolio is available at www.livetext.com and entering 340BA284 into the Visitor Pass section.

Kansas City Application Calendar

The Master of Science in Family Therapy program information meetings are for program applicants to learn about the MSFT Program in Kansas City and for program faculty to meet with prospective students about the 24-month, 60 credit, COAMFTE accredited degree program. All applicants are required to attend an informational meeting. There are four interview dates during the 2025-2026 academic year. The MSFT Program in Kansas City offers both a day and an evening section. Applicants may select their preferred section until the section is full. To that end, applicants are encouraged to apply early to acquire their preferred section. Each section (morning and evening) have a limited seat capacity.

Early Admission Application Review and Interviews

Deadline to complete early applications: Friday, October 11, 2025
Faculty review of priority applications: Friday, October 24, 2025
Early bird applicant interviews: Friday, November 7, 2025
Application Decision letters sent: Friday, December 5, 2025
Early Bird Deposit Deadline: Friday, December 19, 2025

Second Application Review and Interviews

Deadline for Round 2 applications: Friday, December 12, 2025
Faculty review of applications: Friday, January 10, 2026
Interview for second round of applicants: Friday, January 16, 2026
Application Decision letters: Friday, February 6, 2026
Deposit Deadline: Friday, February 27, 2026

Third Application Review and Interviews

Deadline for Round 3 applications: Friday, March 6, 2026
Faculty review of applications: Friday, March 20, 2026
Interview for third round of applicants: Friday, March 27, 2026
Application decision letters sent: Friday, April 24, 2026
Deposit Deadline: Friday, May 15, 2026

Final Application Review and Interviews

Deadline for Round 4 applications: Friday, May 8, 2026
Faculty review of applications: Friday, May 29, 2026
Interview for final round of applicants: Friday, June 5, 2026
Application decision letters sent: Friday, June 26, 2026
Deposit Deadline: Friday, July 10, 2026

MSFT Pre Program Academic Orientation

Wednesday, July 15, 2026 (Kansas City) planned/hosted by MSFT faculty & staff

If you would like to know more about the Master of Science in Family Therapy program, please contact Program Director, Christopher M Habben, Ph.D., LCMFT at chabben@friends.edu or call 913-233-8706.

*As need might occur, in an effort to advance the admission process, the MSFT Program may create additional interview dates for those with completed applications.

Program Goals

• Interpersonal Competency: The MSFT program will cultivate the person of the therapist.
• Theoretical Competency: The MSFT program will prepare students to understand and apply systemic concepts. 
• Clinical Competency: The MSFT program will prepare students to develop a systemically based framework for clinical practice.
• Sociocultural Competency: The MSFT program will promote attunement, equity and inclusion.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Treatment: Students will be able to deliver treatment that fosters inclusive clinical practice for all communities.

• Regulate: Students will be able to demonstrate a capacity to regulate emotion.
• Relate: Students will be able establish healthy relationships.
• Knowledge: Students will be able to understand the systemic concepts and research outcomes of Marriage and Family Therapy.
• Apply: Students will be able to construct a therapeutic framework utilizing the systemic concepts of Marriage & Family Therapy.
• Treatment: Students will be able to demonstrate systemically based skills to initiate, assesses, diagnose, plan and deliver evidence based clinical intervention in client systems.
• Professional Conduct: Students will be knowledgeable and compliant with legal and ethical parameters of clinical care.
• Social Identity: Students will be able to demonstrate attunement to the cultural dynamics of power, privilege and marginalization related to social identity.

Featured Faculty

Dr. Chris Habben

• Professor of MFT; Kansas City Site Program Director; Kansas City Site Specialized Accreditation & Assessment Administration; Division Co-Chair
• B.A., Hope College; M.S., M.A., Fuller Theological Seminary; Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Dr. Sarah Lyon

• Assistant Professor of MFT; Kansas City Site Clinical Director; Kansas City Clinical Internship Supervisor
• B.A., University of Kansas; M.S., Oklahoma State University; Ph.D., Kansas State University

Eric Parks

• Visiting Assistant Professor
• B.A., Wichita State University; M.MFT, Friends University

Eric Parks

• Adjunct Faculty Master of Science in Family Therapy
• Bachelor of General Studies with emphasis in Psychology, Health Service Information and Policy, and Computer Science, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Master of Science in Family Therapy, Friends University

Dr. Rebekah R Reyes Adams

• Assistant Professor Marriage Family & Therapy
• B.A., Pepperdine University; M.MFT, Abilene Christian University; Ph.D., Kansas State University

Dr. Michelle Robertson

• Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy
• B.A., Midwestern State University; M.M.F.T., Abilene Christian University; Ph.D., University of Louisiana

Amanda G Spruill

• Associate Professor of MFT; Wichita Site Clinical Director
• B.S. York University; M.MFT Abilene Christian University; Ph.D. Texas Tech University

Jennifer L Walk

• Clinical Operations Manager

Alyssa Young

• Special Appointment Assistant Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy and the Assistant Clinical Director (KC)
• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of Kansas; Masters in Family Therapy, Friends University