Best institutions to study Medical Family Therapy/Therapist
A program that prepares individuals to work with patients and their families who are experiencing emotional, physical, relational and spiritual difficulties related to acute and chronic illnesses.
2 U.S. institutions graduated 7 Medical Family Therapy/Therapist students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 51.1511, a specialization of Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (CIP 51.15), and leads most directly to the Marriage and Family Therapists occupation (BLS SOC 21-1013).
About Medical Family Therapy/Therapist programs
A program that prepares individuals to work with patients and their families who are experiencing emotional, physical, relational and spiritual difficulties related to acute and chronic illnesses. Includes instruction in cultural context, ethics, family dynamics, family therapy, gender, human development, marriage counseling, psychopathology, research design and methods, sexuality, and systems thinking.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Medical Family Therapy/Therapist program prepares individuals to support patients and their families facing emotional, physical, relational, and spiritual challenges related to various illnesses. This program is ideal for those interested in a career that combines mental health with family dynamics and seeks to improve the well-being of families in healthcare settings.
Students in this program will gain essential skills in active listening, critical thinking, and effective communication. Coursework covers areas such as family therapy, ethics, human development, and systems thinking, equipping graduates with the knowledge needed to develop individualized treatment plans and address complex family issues.
Credentials awarded
What Medical Family Therapy/Therapist graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Doctor's degree - research/scholarship7 graduates / yr · 2 institutions100%
Graduates over time
Medical Family Therapy/Therapist completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 12 |
| 2022 | 12 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 7 |
CIP 51.1511 was introduced in CIP 2020, so the series starts when institutions began reporting under the new code.
Top 2 institutions for Medical Family Therapy/Therapist, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Carolina University Greenville, NCPublicDoctoral | 5 | 63% | — |
| 2 | Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MOPrivate not-for-profitDoctoral | 2 | 80% | $24,886 |
Offered in 2 states
Where Medical Family Therapy/Therapist graduates come from. Each state links to all Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions programs offered there.
| State | Institutions | Graduates / yr | Top institution by graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 1 | 5 | East Carolina University5 / yr |
| Missouri | 1 | 2 | Saint Louis University2 / yr |
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 21-1013, Marriage and Family Therapists, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Medical Family Therapy/Therapist program can pursue careers as Marriage and Family Therapists or Healthcare Social Workers. The job outlook is promising, with a projected growth rate of 12.6% and approximately 7,700 annual openings. The median wage for this field is $63,780, and a Master's degree is typically required for entry-level positions.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 51.1511
The occupations the NCES crosswalk maps this 6-digit code to, with BLS pay and 10-year outlook.
| Occupation | US median pay | Growth | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Marriage and Family Therapistsprimary SOC 21-1013 | $66,940 | +12.6% Much faster than average | ~7,700 | Master's degree |
Healthcare Social Workers SOC 21-1022 | $67,880 | +7.7% Faster than average | ~18,400 | Master's degree |
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Related careers
Skills & knowledge in Medical Family Therapy/Therapist programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this specialization most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
Abilities that matter most
Day-to-day work activities
What graduates do on the job
- Encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner.
- Ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors.
- Develop and implement individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems, destructive patterns of behavior, and other personal issues.
- Maintain case files that include activities, progress notes, evaluations, and recommendations.
- Counsel clients on concerns, such as unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, or financial difficulties.
- Collect information about clients, using techniques such as testing, interviewing, discussion, or observation.
Tools and technology used
Other Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions specializations
The 13 other 6-digit CIP codes under Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (CIP 51.15).
- Mental Health Counseling/CIP 51.1508
Counselor 12,033 graduates / yr305 institutions - Substance Abuse/CIP 51.1501
Addiction Counseling 6,319 graduates / yr387 institutions - Marriage and Family Therapy/CIP 51.1505
Counseling 4,547 graduates / yr138 institutions - Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsCIP 51.15993,932 graduates / yr111 institutions
- Clinical/CIP 51.1503
Medical Social Work 3,398 graduates / yr53 institutions - Psychiatric/CIP 51.1502
Mental Health Services Technician 2,776 graduates / yr77 institutions - Community Health Services/CIP 51.1504
Liaison/ Counseling 2,189 graduates / yr102 institutions - Genetic Counseling/CIP 51.1509
Counselor 402 graduates / yr36 institutions - Clinical Pastoral Counseling/CIP 51.1506
Patient Counseling 217 graduates / yr18 institutions - Trauma CounselingCIP 51.1513214 graduates / yr17 institutions
- Psychoanalysis and PsychotherapyCIP 51.1507limited data10 graduates / yr1 institutions
- Hospice and Palliative CareCIP 51.1512limited data5 graduates / yr2 institutions
Show 1 more CIP codes with no U.S. programs reported+
- Infant/
Toddler Mental Health Services51.1510
No institution reported completions for these codes in the latest IPEDS year, so they have no page.
See all Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions programs →
Common questions
What is the focus of the Medical Family Therapy program?+
The program focuses on helping patients and families cope with emotional and relational difficulties related to health issues.
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop skills in active listening, critical thinking, and effective communication, among others.
What career opportunities are available after graduation?+
Graduates can work as Marriage and Family Therapists or Healthcare Social Workers.
What is the job outlook for this field?+
The job outlook is much faster than average, with a growth rate of 12.6% and about 7,700 annual openings.
What is the CIP code for Medical Family Therapy/Therapist?+
Medical Family Therapy/Therapist is CIP 51.1511 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (CIP 51.15). NCES defines it as: A program that prepares individuals to work with patients and their families who are experiencing emotional, physical, relational and spiritual difficulties related to acute and chronic illnesses. Includes instruction in cultural context, ethics, family dynamics, family therapy, gender, human development, marriage counseling, psychopathology, research design and methods, sexuality, and systems thinking.
How many institutions offer Medical Family Therapy/Therapist programs?+
2 U.S. institutions reported Medical Family Therapy/Therapist graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 2 states, awarding 7 credentials in the year. That is 0.0% of all Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions graduates.
How much do Medical Family Therapy/Therapist graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The Marriage and Family Therapists occupation, which Medical Family Therapy/Therapist most directly leads to, pays a median of $66,940 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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