Program Director: Zephon D. Lister, PhD
The PhD program in Systems, Families, and Couples prepares students to be scholars in the field of Family Science. This PhD program offers a Family Studies specialty (non-clinical) and a Couple and Family Therapy specialty (clinical). Some courses in this program are shared by both specialties, e.g., Statistics, Health and Illness in Families, and Advances in Family Sciences. In addition, there are 22 units that are unique to each specialty. The program expects students to develop expertise in empirical research methods as well as skill in teaching. The MFT specialty also expects students to demonstrate skill in clinical practice/supervision.
This program is COAMFTE-accredited. Graduates of the PhD program in Systems, Families, and Couples are multiculturally informed and well prepared to serve as ethically competent leaders who advance the marital and family therapy profession. Our alumni most often work as faculty members in academic and clinical programs, social and behavioral science researchers, clinic directors, advanced clinicians and clinical supervisors, both nationally and internationally. Additional career paths that our alumni have taken have included organizational consultation and ministry.
Requirements of the program include:
The PhD in Systems, Families, and Couples program represents advanced study over and above a standard master's degree curriculum in the field. Acceptance into this program is based on an integrated evaluation of the following criteria:
Students who are accepted into the PhD in Systems, Families, and Couples program may apply for a variety of work study and department funded research, teaching, and administrative assistantships awarded by the Department of Counseling and Family Sciences. These typically pay about $20 per hour and do not include tuition remission.
Students may also apply for need-based financial aid, such as a loan or other work-study programs on campus. Departmental awards are contingent on the availability of funds. Students accepted into the PhD program with specialty in Couple and Family Therapy are eligible to and encouraged to apply for the AAMFT minority fellowships.
Students may apply for financial aid by writing to:
Student Financial Aid Office
Student Services
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, CA 92350
Email finaid@llu.edu
Phone 909-558-4509
One of my favorite things about Loma Linda University is the diversity of the classes. I’m able to engage with people from a lot of different backgrounds with varying experiences, which creates great opportunities for learning.
For information on our student demographics, as well as student and faculty achievement information, please click here.
The program is consistent with Loma Linda University's vision of transforming lives through whole person health care. Our mission is to bring health, healing, wholeness, and hope to individuals, families, and communities through education, research, clinical training, and community service. The PhD in Systems, Families, and Couples program accomplishes this by preparing scientist-practitioners who will advance the body of knowledge through which marital and family scientists and marital and family therapists promote the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. The program is organized around nine guiding concepts: relational systems, wholeness, social forces, healing power of relationships, diversity, empirical process, education and prevention, spirituality, and worldwide focus. The student learning outcomes flow from these guiding concepts.
Students entering an MS degree program within the Department of Counseling and Family Sciences in academic year 2022-2023 who are interested in obtaining certification in Play Therapy or Drug & Alcohol Counseling will receive a tuition waiver for the certificate program of their choice. Students interested in this benefit are required to enroll in elective courses specified by their academic advisor. Given available spaces, students enrolling in the Systems, Families, and Couples PhD program may also take advantage of this benefit. Tuition waivers do not apply to any units used to support the student's primary degree program.
*Applications received by the priority deadline are reviewed first and receive admission responses earlier. Applications received after the priority deadline and before the standard deadline are reviewed as they are completed until the program has reached capacity. If you have any questions about when your application might be reviewed, please contact the program director.