Social Sciences

Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy

The Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy is a postgraduate programme offered by United States International University Africa through the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The programme provides advanced clinical training in marriage and family therapy, preparing graduates for professional careers as marriage and family therapists in clinical, community, and private practice settings.

The programme is a specialised form of psychotherapy that deals with family patterns of behaviour, couples relationships, and individual challenges using a systemic framework to nurture change. Students are trained in systems theories and equipped to diagnose mental and emotional disorders, working with diverse clinical populations.

Core areas of study include introduction to family therapy, child abuse and family violence, family therapy with adolescents and children, group psychotherapy, supervision in MFT, couples and sex therapy, family assessment, research methods, professional ethics and the law, and clinical psychopathology. The programme emphasises both theoretical foundations and extensive clinical practicum experience.

USIU-Africa's MFT programme holds dual accreditation from the Commission for University Education in Kenya and the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States, ensuring the highest standards are met in both jurisdictions. The programme is the first of its kind in East Africa, addressing the growing need for qualified family therapists.

The programme is designed for graduates with psychology or counselling backgrounds seeking advanced clinical training. Students complete 57 units of coursework including core courses, concentration courses, thesis, and 9 units of clinical practicum. An interview with MFT and Psychology faculty is required for admission.

Graduates are prepared for careers as marriage and family therapists, clinical counsellors, family therapy consultants, mental health practitioners, and therapy programme coordinators in hospitals, mental health clinics, NGOs, schools, and private practice.

Skills Required

Family Systems Therapy
Couples Therapy
Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis
Family Assessment
Group Psychotherapy
Child and Adolescent Therapy
Clinical Psychopathology
Professional Ethics in Therapy
Family Violence Intervention
Clinical Practicum and Supervision

Key Subjects

Introduction to Family Therapy
Child Abuse and Family Violence
Family Therapy with Adolescents and Children
Group Psychotherapy
Supervision in MFT
Couples and Sex Therapy
Family Assessment
Research Methods
Professional Ethics and the Law
Clinical Psychopathology

Certifications

AAMFT Clinical Fellow Certification
KCPA Counselling Certification

Specializations

Couples Therapy

Focuses on couples therapy including relationship dynamics, communication patterns, intimacy issues, and conflict resolution in couples.

Child and Adolescent Family Therapy

Covers family therapy with children and adolescents including developmental considerations, behavioural interventions, and family-systems approaches to child mental health.

Mindfulness-Based Family Therapy

Examines mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches in couples and family therapy including mindfulness-integrated therapy models.

Family Violence and Trauma

Focuses on family violence including child abuse, domestic violence, trauma-informed therapy, and intervention strategies for violent family systems.

Group Psychotherapy

Covers group psychotherapy theory and practice including group dynamics, therapeutic factors, and group therapy facilitation skills.

Clinical Psychopathology

Examines clinical psychopathology including assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental and emotional disorders within family systems contexts.

Family Therapy Research

Focuses on research methods in marriage and family therapy including systemic research methodologies and evidence-based practice.

Play Therapy

Covers play therapy approaches for working with children in family therapy contexts including therapeutic play techniques and child-centred interventions.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 268,500
Private, up to: Ksh 297,140
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 15 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Introduction to Family Therapy
Child Abuse and Family Violence
Family Therapy with Adolescents and Children
Group Psychotherapy
Supervision in MFT
Couples and Sex Therapy
Family Assessment
Research Methods
Professional Ethics and the Law
Clinical Psychopathology

Modules

10 in the programme

Introduction to Family Therapy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines foundational theories and models of family therapy including structural, strategic, systemic, and post-modern approaches to family therapy practice.
Family Assessment
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers family assessment techniques including genograms, family mapping, assessment instruments, and systemic assessment frameworks for clinical practice.
Research Methods
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers quantitative and qualitative research methodologies for conducting original research in marriage and family therapy.
Professional Ethics and the Law
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines professional ethics in therapy practice including ethical decision-making, legal frameworks, confidentiality, and the AAMFT code of ethics.
Child Abuse and Family Violence
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers child abuse and family violence including identification, assessment, intervention, reporting requirements, and trauma-informed approaches.
Family Therapy with Adolescents and Children
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines family therapy approaches for working with children and adolescents including developmental considerations, play therapy, and family-systems interventions.
Couples and Sex Therapy
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers couples therapy and sex therapy including relationship dynamics, communication patterns, intimacy issues, and sexual dysfunction in clinical practice.
Clinical Psychopathology: Assessment and Diagnosis
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines clinical psychopathology including diagnostic classification, assessment tools, and treatment planning for mental and emotional disorders.
Group Psychotherapy
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers group psychotherapy theory and practice including group dynamics, therapeutic factors, group process, and facilitation skills for therapy groups.
Clinical Practicum and Thesis
Year 2Semester 29 creditsCore
Clinical practicum involving 500 hours of supervised therapy practice plus original research thesis on a marriage and family therapy topic, demonstrating clinical competence and research mastery.

Specialisations

Couples Therapy
Focuses on couples therapy including relationship dynamics, communication patterns, intimacy issues, and conflict resolution in couples.
Child and Adolescent Family Therapy
Covers family therapy with children and adolescents including developmental considerations, behavioural interventions, and family-systems approaches to child mental health.
Mindfulness-Based Family Therapy
Examines mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches in couples and family therapy including mindfulness-integrated therapy models.
Family Violence and Trauma
Focuses on family violence including child abuse, domestic violence, trauma-informed therapy, and intervention strategies for violent family systems.
Group Psychotherapy
Covers group psychotherapy theory and practice including group dynamics, therapeutic factors, and group therapy facilitation skills.
Clinical Psychopathology
Examines clinical psychopathology including assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental and emotional disorders within family systems contexts.
Family Therapy Research
Focuses on research methods in marriage and family therapy including systemic research methodologies and evidence-based practice.
Play Therapy
Covers play therapy approaches for working with children in family therapy contexts including therapeutic play techniques and child-centred interventions.

A day as a student

A typical day involves attending lectures on family therapy theory, couples therapy, or clinical psychopathology at USIU-Africa's School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Students engage in role-play exercises practising family therapy techniques, including systemic interventions, circular questioning, and genogram construction. The programme includes extensive clinical practicum where students work with real clients under supervision, conducting family therapy sessions in clinical settings. Case conference discussions allow students to present their clinical work and receive peer and faculty feedback. Students participate in supervision sessions where their recorded therapy sessions are reviewed. Guest lectures from practising marriage and family therapists provide clinical insights. Those in the thesis phase conduct independent research on family therapy topics, working on their thesis under faculty supervision.

The trade offs

In its favour

Dually accredited by CUE Kenya and WASC USA, ensuring international recognition and the highest academic standards.
Programme includes 500 hours of clinical practicum, providing extensive hands-on clinical training under professional supervision.
First MFT programme in East Africa, addressing growing demand for qualified family therapists in Kenya and the region.
Programme incorporates cultural diversity of Kenya, training therapists to work with diverse populations including marginalised communities.

Against it

Private university fees are significantly higher than public university alternatives for psychology and counselling programmes.
Only offered on campus with no distance learning option, limiting accessibility for students outside Nairobi.
Requires an interview with faculty for admission, adding an extra admission barrier beyond academic qualifications.
Students without psychology background must complete prerequisite coursework, extending programme duration and cost.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 241 social sciences courses

Public171k to 269k

171k at Maseno University269k at University of Nairobi

Private178k to 297k

178k at Catholic University of Eastern Africa297k at United States International University Africa

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

UoN Counseling Psych 268.5K/yr. USIU MFT 297K/yr. CUEA 178K/yr. Maseno unverified.

USIU-Africa offers financial aid for students demonstrating need. HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. AAMFT may offer student grants for MFT research and training.

Funding options

USIU-Africa Financial Aid
HELB Postgraduate Loan
AAMFT Student Grants

Scholarships

3 recorded

USIU-Africa Financial Aid
ScholarshipKsh 100,000
USIU-Africa students demonstrating academic merit and financial need, applied for through the financial aid office.
HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
AAMFT Student Grants
ScholarshipKsh 150,000
MFT students conducting research in family therapy, administered through AAMFT. Availability varies.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: The programme is offered on campus only with intake in September (Fall). Duration is 2 years. Students complete 57 units including core courses, concentration courses, thesis, and 9 units of clinical practicum. Caution money of KES 2,100 is payable once and refundable.

How you are assessed

4 components

Continuous Assessment
Coursework30% of the mark
CATs, therapy technique demonstrations, case conceptualisation papers, seminar presentations, and ethical dilemma analyses conducted throughout each semester.
Final Examination
Examination30% of the mark
End-of-semester examination covering family therapy theory, psychopathology, and professional ethics, including essay questions and case analysis.
Clinical Practicum
Practical20% of the mark
500 hours of supervised clinical practicum across three semesters, assessed through supervisor evaluations, case presentations, and therapy session reviews.
Thesis
Research20% of the mark
Original research thesis on a marriage and family therapy topic, demonstrating research competence and clinical knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

Dually accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE) in Kenya and the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States, ensuring the highest standards are met in both jurisdictions. This dual accreditation makes the degree recognised internationally.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Statutory accreditation for all Kenyan universities and their degree programmes.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
International accreditationRequired
US regional accrediting body. Dual CUE and WASC accreditation ensures the programme meets standards in both Kenya and the United States.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Marriage and Family Therapist
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Provides systemic family therapy to individuals, couples, and families in clinical settings, addressing relationship dynamics, mental health, and family system challenges.
Clinical Counsellor
High demandKsh 85,000 to Ksh 300,000
Provides clinical counselling services in hospitals, mental health clinics, or private practice, applying family systems approaches to mental health treatment.
Family Therapy Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 380,000
Consults on family therapy practice and programme development for organisations, NGOs, or government agencies, providing expertise in family systems interventions.
Mental Health Practitioner
High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 320,000
Works in mental health settings providing assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental and emotional disorders using family systems frameworks.
School Counsellor
Moderate demandKsh 75,000 to Ksh 250,000
Provides counselling and family therapy support in school settings, addressing student mental health, family dynamics, and behavioural challenges.
Therapy Programme Coordinator
Moderate demandKsh 95,000 to Ksh 350,000
Coordinates therapy programmes for hospitals, NGOs, or mental health organisations, managing clinical services and family therapy interventions.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as marriage and family therapists, clinical counsellors, and mental health practitioners in hospitals, mental health clinics, NGOs, and private practice.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Genogram Software
SoftwarePrimary
Software for creating genograms and family diagrams used in family assessment, therapy planning, and systemic analysis of family patterns.
SPSS
SoftwarePrimary
Statistical software for analysing research data in family therapy, including treatment outcomes, family functioning scales, and clinical research.
NVivo
Software
Qualitative data analysis software for analysing interview data, therapy session transcripts, and case studies in family therapy research.
DSM-5 Clinical Assessment Tools
Software
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual assessment tools used for clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning in mental health practice.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Marriage and family therapy is just couples counselling.
The programme covers systemic therapy addressing family dynamics, child and adolescent mental health, psychopathology, family violence, and clinical diagnosis, far beyond basic couples counselling.
You need a psychology degree to apply.
While a psychology degree is preferred, applicants with non-psychology degrees can be admitted by completing psychology prerequisite coursework prior to full admission.
Family therapy is not relevant in African contexts.
The programme incorporates cultural diversity of Kenya and trains therapists to work with diverse populations including marginalised communities in African contexts.
This degree is only for private practice.
Graduates work in hospitals, mental health clinics, schools, NGOs, government agencies, and international organisations, applying family therapy skills across diverse settings.
Marriage and family therapy is the same as counselling psychology.
MFT specifically uses systemic and relational frameworks to address mental health issues within family contexts, complementing but distinct from individual-focused counselling psychology.
There is no demand for family therapists in Kenya.
Kenya's growing mental health awareness, increasing family stress from urbanisation, and rising divorce rates create strong demand for qualified family therapists.