Post-Masters Certificate and Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy

Post-Masters Certificate and Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy, supports professionals to develop advanced practice skills working with couples and families. The program is designed for professionals holding master’s degrees in a variety of allied disciplines including social work, nursing, psychology, counseling, public health, pastoral/theology, education or degrees in law, family medicine or psychiatry.

The diploma and certificates provides professional development in a subject area that has not been available in Alberta for many years. The courses are led by leading experts in the field, including the Faculty of Social Work professors.
Applications Close March 30, 2024

Professional Certificate in Couple and Family Therapy

Post-Masters Certificate and Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) professional certificates (Levels 1-2) and diploma, provide professionals holding master’s degrees in various disciplines (e.g. social work, nursing, psychology, counselling, public health, pastoral/theology, education) or degrees in law or family medicine or psychiatry with advanced practice skills in working with couples and families. The professional certificates and diploma in CFT allow working professionals to access professional development in a subject area that has not been available in Alberta for many years. We are provisionally accredited by the Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (CAMFT).

The program is offered online with a social work perspective to help families facing multiple stressors (e.g. unemployment, trauma, substance abuse, children’s diagnoses/difficulties, parenting, custodial issues) and/or are underserved.

The certificates at Levels 1 and 2 are each comprised of four courses, and are pre-requisites for the Diploma which is comprised of a 350 hour supervised practicum.


Program Title:

Post-Masters Certificate and Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy  Levels 1 & 2
Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy

Credential Awarded:

Certificate in Couple and Family Therapy Level 1
Certificate in Couple and Family Therapy Level 2
Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy

Time:

Each didactic online course takes place over one semester including spring and summer. Therefore, each certificate is one year in length.

The practicum for the diploma will take one calendar year (May to April) to complete.

In-Residence Requirement:

All diploma students will attend and experience a 30-clock hour residence in early May at the Calgary Family Therapy Centre to begin their practicum which will be a work-place practicum. 

  • Students will pay a $100.00 CDN application fee to the program for Certificate 1.
  • Tuition will be assessed at $1,100.00 CDN per course.
  • There will be a $250.00 CDN program fee assessed per certificate and diploma.

Admission Qualifications for Certificates (Levels 1 and 2) and the Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy

  1. Applicants must hold a master’s degree in a related helping profession, or an M.D. (Family Medicine or Psychiatry), or an undergraduate degree in law (LLB or JD), and a minimum GPA of 3.0. Approved master’s degrees include: Master of Social Work, Master of Nursing, MSc in Psychology, Master of Counselling, Master of Divinity (pastoral or theology), Master of Public Health, or master’s degrees or higher from the fields of education, psychiatry, business, pastoral/theology, or public health.  
  1. Applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency in one of the following ways:

          a)     Successful completion of a master’s degree program, in English, at an accredited  university. 

          b)     For applicants required to provide proof of proficiency in English: a minimum TOEFL score of 580 (paper-based) or 97 (Internet-based test); or IELTS score of 7.0; or MELAB score of 83; or Level 3 on the International Foundations Program (werklund.ucalgary.ca/ifp).

  1. The student’s level of commitment to the field of family therapy and how he/she envisions his/her professional career are both important to facilitate the faculty’s ability to mentor students through the rigorous and demanding educational experiences. Students need to be open to systemic, relational, and contextual approaches to working with families.
  2. Personal understanding, exploration, and expression of one’s own family-of-origin (extended family context) in a larger social, cultural, and environmental context are indicators of self-awareness. This contextual orientation in awareness includes reflecting on the influences of culture and gender both by way of constraints/barriers as well as resources in a student’s journey in becoming a practitioner.

Required Admission Documents for the Certificate (Level 1 and 2) and Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy

  1. The application process includes a submission of the following materials:
    1. Application fee : $100.00 CDN
    2. Official transcripts from all previously attended post-secondary institutions
    3. Two (2) letters of reference from professionals who can speak to your practice capabilities. The letters should include names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of the references.
  1. Letter of intent, including:
    1. interest in applying to the program;
    2. level of knowledge and understanding of family therapy;
    3. human service work experience;
    4. affiliation with professional organizations (including conference and workshop participation);
    5. professional career goals;
    6. three-page narrative account of significant turning points in candidate’s personal/professional career of becoming a practitioner; the student would have the option (but would not be required) to make reference to significant family-of-origin issues and social/cultural/environmental context, and,
    7. commitment to completing the entire Certificate Level.
  1. Current resume
  1. We will accept applications until March 30, 2024
  2. Candidates will need to navigate to the application page and their referees should submit their admission documents to the Program Coordinator, Monica Sesma Vazquez, PhD, electronically.
  3. Your application fee needs to be paid when your application is submitted.
  4. All application documents of each candidate are reviewed by a designated faculty subcommittee.
  5. Each student candidate who has met the admission requirements with submitted documents will be interviewed.
  6. Faculty subcommittee will select students.
  7. Once students are accepted, they will need to pay the program fee electronically before course registration can begin.
  8. Those who have completed one certificate and want to advance to the next level of certificate or the diploma, will make the request to continue to the Program Coordinator.
  1. Certificate in Couple and Family Therapy Level 1

    Students will be awarded the Certificate in Couple and Family Therapy, Level 1, after they have completed the following four courses with a minimum grade of B-:

    • Systemic Approaches in Family Therapy
    • Post-Structural Approaches in Family Therapy
    • Working with Families Involved in the Mental Health System
    • Individual and Family Development 
  2. Certificate in Couple and Family Therapy Level 2

    Students will be awarded the Certificate in Couple and Family Therapy Level 2, after they have completed the following four courses with a minimum grade of B-:

    • Therapeutic Work with Family Structures and Subsystems
    • Family Therapy and Community Practice
    • Working with Sexual Identities and Dynamics
    • Ethics
  3. Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy

    To be admitted to the Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy, the student must have completed Certificate Levels 1 and 2 within the previous 4 years.

    Students will be awarded the Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy after they have completed the 350-hour, one calendar year, supervised (online) practicum. The 30-hour in residence requirements will be counted toward the 350 hours.


Post-Masters Certificate and Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy, who is It for?

The Post-Master's Couple & Family Therapy program is a great opportunity for practicing social workers to advance their skills. And also other allied health professionals. And educators. And lawyers. And... well, we'll let program co-founders Dan Wulff and Sally St. George tell you more in this video.

Learn more about our upcoming lunch and learns