Courses

Advanced MFT Supervision prepares students in analyzing and applying relational, systemic, and ethical principles of supervision. This course addresses core competencies for new supervisors and supports students in developing their supervision philosophy. Current multicultural supervision scholarship, and cultural and contextual variables will be addressed. This course prepares MFT students in the mastery of supervision through the California BBS standards.

This course prepares students to teach in higher education and clinical education settings through a systemic, inclusive, and relational lens. Emphasizing the integration of Marriage and Family Therapy values with contemporary pedagogical frameworks. Students will engage both the theory and practice of inclusive pedagogy as they develop a personal teaching philosophy, course proposal, syllabus, and create sample teaching modules. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to articulate a coherent educator identity and apply systemic principles to the design of transformative, student-centered learning.

Program development prepares students to design, implement, and evaluate evidence-based programs that address the needs of individuals, couples, families, and communities. Students will learn to conduct comprehensive needs assessments, integrate current research into program design, incorporate cultural and contextual responsiveness, build program infrastructure, and create evaluation structures. An emphasis is placed on systemic thinking, evidence-based program planning and leadership competencies for program development within clinical, community, and MFT organizational settings.

This course prepares doctoral students to competently select, and apply assessment methods in clinical, research, and community settings. Students will analyze the strengths and limitations of instruments and determine appropriate applications within Marriage and Family Therapy.

This course is the first in a four part Applied Doctoral Project (ADP) sequence. Students identify a doctoral level applied project, grounded in systemic and Marriage and Family Therapy principles. The emphasis of this course will be placed on conceptual development of the doctoral project, scholarly research, and creation of the project proposal. The project proposal, the key deliverable of the ADP I, includes the problem and purpose statements, objectives, methodology, and scope. By the end of the course the students will submit an approved proposal that will guide all subsequent project phases.

Advanced systemic theory II examines Bowen Family Systems Theory as an applied framework for leadership, supervision, consultation, and organizational functioning. Students learn to conceptualize Bowen Family Theory principles within professional systems, manage their own functioning in supervisory and leadership roles, and apply systemic thinking to organizational challenges. Through integrated readings, case analysis, and reflective leadership practice, the course emphasizes developing a differentiated leadership role in the field of MFT capable of navigating complexity, triangles, regression, among clients, teams, and organizations.

This course focuses on the development of an in-depth literature review and refinement of the project’s methodological foundation. Students analyze, organize, and synthesize scholarly research and theoretical framework, to establish a strong basis for the Applied Doctoral Project. The course concludes with the submission of a comprehensive literature review and a refined methodology section.

This course examines organizations as complex, relational systems and prepares MFT professionals to function as organizational consultants capable of leading and facilitating systemic change. Grounded in organizational development theory, students learn to conduct systemic assessments, design interventions, mobilize stakeholders, and navigate the relational, emotional, cultural, and structural dimensions of change within an organization. The course emphasizes systemic diagnosis, feedback loops, consultant use of self within organizational contexts. Through case analysis, applied exercises, and consultation, students will develop the advanced skills to work effectively with diverse organizations.

In this course students transition from conceptualization and research to project development and implementation. Students build the primary deliverable associated with their chosen project, such as a clinical protocol, program design, curriculum, or evaluation framework. Students complete a full manuscript draft during this phase.

This course is designed to cultivate advanced clinicians with the tools and skills to intervene effectively in complex relational systems. Building on prior training in systemic theory, assessment, and clinical practice, this course focuses on elevating therapeutic competence through skill development, clinical decision making, and the application of evidence-based interventions.

The final course in the Applied Doctoral Project sequence leads students through a full manuscript completion, an executive summary, and a professional project presentation. Students finalize their project deliverables, produce the executive summary, integrate implications to the MFT field, and complete editorial revisions. The course culminates in a final oral professional presentation demonstrating doctoral level mastery of content and articulation of the project’s contributions to the field of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Advanced systemic theory III explores postmodern theories as an applied framework for advanced leadership, among clinical practice, supervision, consultation, and organizational systems. Students will engage critically with narrative, solution-focused, and other postmodern models to analyze their implications for systemic transformation across advanced leadership applications. Through case consultation, applied leadership exercises, and scholarship students will deepen their ability to integrate postmodern approaches into complex clinical work and broader leadership contexts.

The purpose of this course is to introduce the principles and methods for descriptive and inferential statistics. The course will focus on understanding how descriptive and inferential statistics can be applied to effectively interpret data. Students will be required to utilize statistical software to select basic statistical tests and interpret results. (4 Units)

The purpose of this course is to present an examination of quantitative methods and designs that are utilized in social science research. Areas of focus include measurement, sampling, and design issues in generating and testing research questions. Students will be required to utilize statistical software to select complex statistical tests and interpret results. (4 Units)

This course examines the theoretical foundations of qualitative research methods and techniques applied in social science research. Students will be exposed to a wide array of research methods, design, measurement, analysis, and interpretation techniques that are crucial in descriptive research. Students will learn how to analyze human behavior, perceptions, and reactions as well as the meanings people give to their experiences. (4 Units)