Help Build Stronger Families with a Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy
Families are the backbone of society. They are the smallest social units, yet familial relationships are critical to mental health from the individual to the global level. As someone who has worked in or studied mental health, you probably understand how important these relationships are.
Are you eager to help couples and families work through their problems and find healing? Liberty University’s EdD in Community Care and Counseling Marriage and Family may be for you. This program is an advanced, terminal degree designed to help you counsel families. Whether you are a licensed counselor, marriage and family therapist (MFT), or ministry associate looking for further training, an EdD or PhD in marriage and family therapy online can help.
Please note: This EdD degree is not designed to meet state counseling licensure requirements. If you are interested in a state counseling license, please see our Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, or Master of Education in School Counseling.
How long does it take to get a PhD in marriage and family therapy?
If you’re considering a PhD in marriage and family therapy program online, it’s important to know what you’re committing to. Most PhD programs take approximately 7 years to complete.*
The good news is that with Liberty University’s doctorate in counseling, you can get a respected terminal degree in half the time. Our EdD in Community Care and Counseling is comparable to a PhD in marriage and family counseling – and you can earn this doctorate in just 2.5 years!
*U.S. News & World Report, at How Long Does It Take to Get a Ph.D. Degree? (viewed online June 15, 2021).
Why Choose Liberty University’s Marriage and Family Therapy Doctorate?
With Liberty University’s marriage and family therapy program, you can gain ethical, evidence-based knowledge. As a Christian university, we prioritize biblical principles to help you become a leader of integrity. You can learn to effectively minister to people in a complex, diverse society.
Here are some of the benefits of earning Liberty University’s MFT online doctorate:
- Our online EdD in marriage and family counseling is a practice-focused degree that emphasizes solving real-world problems with advanced research.
- Current state licensure in clinical counseling is not required to pursue this degree. Our program is designed to advance your skills and knowledge, whether or not you are in a licensed clinical counseling role.
- The integrated dissertation process allows you to work on this part of your education while completing other coursework. You will receive a clear, step-by-step path to finishing your doctoral studies in as little as 2.5 years.
- This EdD program contains content that will apply towards numerous marriage and family counseling certifications including Saving Your Marriage Before it Starts (SYMBIS) and Prepare and Enrich (PE).
What Will You Learn in Our Marriage and Family EdD in Counseling?
Throughout this program, our professors provide a robust foundation in research while preparing for the integrated dissertation project. You will study counseling topics such as applied counseling theories and teaching and learning techniques. You can learn how to apply your new skills to advanced counseling theories and real-world human services problems.
The EdD in marriage and family therapy will focus on specialized assessment tools and methods to help your clients develop better relationships and build stronger families. This degree will help you advance your counseling skills and apply theories to specific issues for married couples, families, and the counseling field in general.
Featured Courses
- EDCO 806 – Premarital and Remarriage Counseling
- EDCO 811 – Marriage Counseling
- EDCO 815 – Family Development
- EDCO 817 – Trauma and Current Issues in Marital Counseling
Highlights of Liberty University’s Community Care and Counseling Program
- We are recognized by multiple institutions for our academic quality, affordability, and accessibility. Our commitment to excellence also helped us rank in the top 10% of Niche.com’s best online schools in America. Earning your online degree from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.
- Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.
- By completing an integrated dissertation project, you can demonstrate your expertise and ability to apply advanced counseling theories to practical problems.
Degree Information for Liberty University’s Online Marriage and Family Therapy Doctorate
- This Ed.D. program falls under the School of Behavioral Sciences.
- Download and review the Degree Completion Plan.
- View the Graduate Behavioral Sciences Course Guides (login required).
- View the Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling Handbook for more information on the dissertation process and other aspects of this online marriage and family counseling doctoral degree.
Military Benefits for Our EdD in Community Counseling Degree
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe. Whether you are a current service member, discharged or retired from service, or the spouse of a service member or veteran, we are here to support you every step of the journey.
As a thank-you for your dedication and service to our country, Liberty is honored to serve and support you in your pursuit of online education by offering the following benefits:
- Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
- Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course)
- 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)
Potential Careers with an EdD Degree in Marriage and Family Counseling
Some of the careers you may be equipped to pursue upon graduation include:
- Academic researcher
- Church counselor
- Marriage and family counselor
- Outpatient care therapist
- Professor
- Social worker
Admission Requirements for Our EdD in Community Care and Counseling
A regionally or nationally accredited master’s degree with a 3.0 or above GPA is required for admission in good standing. Please visit our admission requirements page for more detailed admissions-related information.
All applicants must submit the following:
- Admission application
- Application fee*
- Official college transcripts
- Proof of English proficiency (for applicants whose native language is other than English)
Applicants lacking a graduate-level statistics course will be required to complete CEFS 515 Research and Program Evaluation (3 c.h.), or EDUC 518 Educational Research and Assessment (3 c.h.), or its equivalent prior to EDCO 735 in the Ed.D.
*There is no upfront application fee; however, a deferred $50 application fee will be assessed during Financial Check-In. This fee is waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required.
