Couple & Family Therapy, PhD

PhD in Couple and Family Therapy
Location: AU New England
Credits for Degree: 86 semester credits
Standard Mode of Instruction: Low-residency
Standard time to completion: 60 months

This program is not designed to lead to state licensure.

Program Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy in CFT is designed to be completed in a minimum of  three years of full-time enrollment. The PhD program is offered through a low-residency format. In-person residencies are required throughout the three-year program as follows: Students must attend six 5-day-long in-person residencies (one in each of the first six semesters of the program). Residencies typically take place on or near one of the Antioch University campuses; California, New Hampshire, Ohio, or Washington. Between residencies, students work on course material both asynchronously through online assignments and synchronously through virtual (Zoom) class meetings. Students engage in clinical practice their first year and advanced practical experience in their second year (e.g., supervision, research, leadership, teaching). During these practice experiences, students will be required to attend weekly virtual (Zoom) supervision meetings, in addition to attending on-site supervision meetings at their internship placement/site.

In addition to the course requirements, degree requirements include: 

• Satisfactory performance on the Qualifying Examinations after completion of the academic coursework in the doctoral program, and satisfactory completion of a doctoral dissertation which demostrates doctoral level scholarship during the final year of the program. 

• The minimum length of time for program completion is three years (36 months), the standard time to completion is 5 years (60 months) and the maximum time to completion (with financial aid eligibility) is 7.5 years (90 months) from initial enrollment to complete all course requirements, practical experience requirements and dissertation. 

• By the conclusion of the advanced practical experience requirements, students must have spent at least one year (3 semesters) engaged in supervised clinical practice and one year (3 semesters) engaged in additional practical experience (including additional clinical work, teaching, consultation, leadership, and/or supervision). Students may take up to one additional year of professional seminar courses to continue to receive advanced practical experience supervision and up to one additional year of advanced practice professional seminar courses. Advanced practical experience placements may require criminal background checks as well as verification of up-to-date vaccinations. Students without a background in CFT will be required to take additional prerequisite coursework.