New masters program in marriage and family counseling at Indiana Wesleyan University receives national accreditation
The Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education recently approved the online degree program at IWU for accreditation, easing the transition to professional roles for graduates.
The first cohort of students admitted into the Master of Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy (MFT) at Indiana Wesleyan University began classes in the Fall 2020 semester. Now, those students will benefit from the program receiving accreditation from The Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). Courses in the MFT program at IWU are conducted entirely online. Students earn 60 credit hours while completing the coursework that focuses on a holistic approach to family counseling, examining family systems through the lens of a christian worldview.
Building on the successful onsite MFT program, which boasts a 100 percent job placement rate, the online MFT program teaches students clinical skills and guides them in ways to integrate their faith into their future careers. The field of marriage and family therapy is recognized in all 50 states as a unique profession and all states offer licensure. The accreditation from COAMFTE comes with the added benefit of easing or bypassing the licensure process for graduates in many states. In a recent news release from IWU, MFT Program Director at IWU, Dr. Nenetzin Stoeckle, said of the accreditation, "Obtaining COAMFTE accreditation for our new virtual branch speaks of the positive standing of our onsite programs and highlights the level of content and experience our program has to offer. We are very proud to have received accreditation so early after the inauguration of our online program as it is a reflection of the hard work of our faculty, students and graduates in keeping high standards."
To receive accreditation from COAMFTE, colleges must meet five main criteria that include: Implementation of an outcomes-based education, a commitment to diversity and inclusion, the necessary infrastructure to support students and faculty, having both practice and curriculum components that support the principles of marriage and family therapy, and demonstrating the effectiveness and improvement in the program.