Best MFT Programs in Arkansas Online

Arkansas is home to a rural population with a diverse set of mental health needs. Among Arkansas’s most common (and most needed) mental health resources are marriage and family therapists who identify and treat common relationship and psychological issues between couples and family members.

To become a marriage and family counselor in Arkansas, you’ll need an MFT degree. In the sections below, we’ll demonstrate how to find and access marriage and family counseling degree programs in Arkansas, what type of degrees you should get, and how to get licensed as a marriage and family counselor in this great state.

What is an MFT Degree?

An MFT degree, otherwise known as a marriage and family therapy degree, is a psychology or counseling degree specializing in marriage and family therapy. The degree covers strategies to help families and couples work through common issues such as a death in the family, parenting skills, or a loss of passion in a relationship.

Why is COAMFTE MFT Accreditation Important?

Before applying to your MFT degree program of choice, you’ll need to make sure that your program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) or CACREP. This will not only ensure that your program meets the state regulations and requirements, but it will also allow you to become eligible for licensure upon graduation.

Can I Get an MFT Degree Online in Arkansas?

Online MFT programs are incredibly popular in Arkansas; however, there are a few things to know before you begin applying. For starters, there are no online MFT degree programs available in Arkansas, which means that if you apply to an online MFT program in another state, you will need to get licensed in another state before transferring your licensure to Arkansas. For example, if you enroll in a Texas online MFT program, you’ll need to get licensed in Texas and then transfer your licensure to Arkansas if you decide to move back home.

Secondly, even though your program will be available online, you’ll still need to fulfill clinical requirements in the state in which your online program is based. This usually means that you’ll need to relocate to the state that hosts your MFT programs. Here are a few examples of nearby online MFT degree programs for your convenience:

Abilene Christian University: If you’re looking for faith-based MFT programs, take a look at Abilene Christian University’s Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program located in Abilene, TX. This program combines 60 credit hours with over 100 supervision hours to create a full-scope MFT master’s degree program.

Trevecca Nazarene University: This Nashville-based Master’s of Marriage and Family Therapy is perfect for students who want to move to Music City to become licensed. Trevecca Nazarene University’s MFT program combines both online and in-person learning, including over 100 clinical hours and 60 classroom credit hours.

MFT Degree Levels

MFT degrees come at various levels, including associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees, and graduate certificates. However, the vast majority of MFT degrees available are graduate degrees, especially master’s degrees. This is because in order for marriage and family therapists to become licensed, they need to graduate from a graduate degree program—a master’s degree program at the very least.

Currently, MFT degrees that are based in Arkansas are hard to come by, but that doesn’t mean you can’t become a marriage and family therapist in Arkansas. There are plenty of MFT degree programs in neighboring states, and online MFT degree programs are available for students looking to enter this exciting specialization.

Do I Need a GRE for an MFT Program?

It depends on the program. It’s not uncommon for MFT degree programs to require a GRE to gauge your placement in math, writing, reading comprehension, etc., but these requirements are becoming less and less common. To learn if your school of choice requires a GRE to apply, take a look at your school’s admissions page.

Master's Degree in MFT

Master’s degrees are typically the most common type of degree available for MFT students. Their tuition costs range between $400 and $800 dollars per credit, and they take about 50-60 credits to graduate over a two-year timespan. Upon graduation, students who graduate from an MFT master’s degree program will be eligible to take the licensure exam. Currently, the only marriage and family counseling degree program in Arkansas is a master’s degree:

Harding University: The Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling Degree offered at Harding University offers a unique opportunity to earn two licenses within the same program—clinician and professional licenses. The program requires the completion of 60 credits and 300 work hours.

Graduate Certificate in MFT

MFT graduate certificates aren’t actually degrees, but they are a great option for students who already have a graduate degree in psychology. Graduate certificates provide an opportunity to specialize in a particular psychological study (in this case, marriage and family therapy).

Graduate certificates take about a year (or less) to complete and cost anywhere between $1,000 and $1,500 dollars. Though no MFT graduate certificates are based in Arkansas, you can find them online or in neighboring states.

Sam Houston State University: If you’re looking to specialize in marriage and family therapy and don’t mind relocating to Texas, Sam Houston State University offers a graduate certificate in marriage, couple, and family therapy that can be earned by completing 12 credits.

MFT Doctorate Degrees (Ph.D. or PsyD)

If you want to go the extra mile, getting your MFT doctorate degree is a great way to secure yourself as a marriage and family therapist. While much less common than master’s degrees, doctoral MFT degrees are very attractive on a resume. There are two types of doctoral degrees regarding marriage and family therapy — PhDs, which relate to research and theory, and PsyDs, which are more focused on clinical practice.

Doctoral degrees take anywhere from 4-8 years to complete and can be costly. On average you could be paying anywhere from $35,000 to $200,000 for your doctoral MFT degree. However, what you invest in your education will come back to you in the form of a very lucrative career and salary.

Arkansas does not host any on-campus MFT doctoral degree programs, but you can find them in neighboring states or online.

Texas Tech University: The Couple, Marriage, and Family Therapy PhD offered by Texas Tech University is a fully accredited program located in Lubbock, TX, that offers an affordable and expansive doctoral experience for MFT-focused students. Texas Tech’s program speaks for itself—students who graduated from its MFT doctoral program have had a 100% success rate on the licensure exam for the last seven years.

Becoming an LMFT in Arkansas

Earning your degree in Marriage and Family Therapy isn’t the last step to becoming a marriage and family therapist. Becoming licensed is one of the most important steps you’ll need to take before taking clients. Below is the general trajectory you’ll have to follow:

• Education: Obtain a master’s or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy or a related field from a regionally accredited institution. Ensure your program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) or an equivalent accrediting body.
• Supervised Experience: Complete the required number of supervised clinical hours. In Arkansas, you typically need to complete 3,000 hours of postgraduate supervised experience, with at least 1,500 hours being direct client contact. This experience must be supervised by a licensed mental health professional, with at least 175 hours of supervision, 100 of which must be individual supervision.
• Examination: Pass the national licensing examination. In Arkansas, this is usually the National Examination in Marital and Family Therapy, administered by the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB).
• Application: Submit an application for licensure to the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling. This usually involves providing proof of education, supervised experience, examination scores, and other required documentation.
• Background Check: Undergo a criminal background check.
• Continuing Education: Once licensed, you will need to fulfill continuing education requirements to maintain your license. In Arkansas, LMFTs must complete 36 hours of continuing education every two years.

List of MFT Degree Programs in Arkansas

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