Admissions
ADMISSIONS
Interested in a career in marriage and family therapy? UNLV’s program welcomes applications from students who aspire to work with individuals, couples, families, and groups on mental health, behavioral, and/or relational concerns.
Admission decisions are based on a competitive process that consists of a review of the following:
- Grade Point Average (GPA)
- GRE Scores (Verbal and Quantitative Sections)
- Letters of Recommendation
- Personal Statement
- Ethics and Morality Essay
- Department Admissions Application
- On-campus Interviews (for those applicants who are invited for an interview)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 15
Get started by following the application process described below. You are responsible for the timely submission of all requirements. Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission.
- Review the application requirements and submit your application online through the UNLV Graduate College
- Please carefully follow the instructions for the online application process. Remember you, may save your work in the application and then log back in using your user name & password, so you do not need to complete this application all at one time. However, once you hit the final SUBMIT button at the end of the application you cannot re-enter or make any additional changes.
- Click here to go to the online application
- More information about admissions can be found at http://graduatecollege.unlv.edu/
- Note: We are no longer accepting paper applications sent directly to the department.
- Complete the GRE (Graduate Record Examination)
- Your application should include your scores on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE General Test. Students accepted into the program typically score 450 or above on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE (Note: the GRE must be taken by applicants within the last five years).
- As part of your test fee, you may request that scores be sent to as many as four graduate institutions. Be sure to have your results sent to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Your scores will be sent to you and UNLV in 10-15 days following the test. You can also request at a later date that your scores be sent to UNLV, but you will be charged an additional fee.
- When you complete the UNLV Graduate College online application, please enter your GRE scores. Your application will not be considered complete without your GRE scores. We will then verify the scores you report with the official scores sent to UNLV. In order to be admitted to the program, we must have the official scores sent to the university.
- More information about the GRE can be found at www.ets.org/gre/
- Note: Only applicants possessing doctoral degrees are exempt from the GRE requirement.
- Complete the MFT Department Admissions Application and submit it online through the Graduate Program Supplementary Information section of the online application
- Complete and submit online the following two essays. Applicants should upload these through the Graduate Program Supplementary Information section of the online application
- Personal Statement: Write a brief, autobiographical essay outlining your interest in becoming a marriage and family therapist. Please include a discussion of your personal and family background and how your experiences have led to your decision to pursue a career as a marriage and family therapist. Please also include a discussion of your professional goals. (Please type – four-page maximum)
- Essay on Ethics and Morality: Write a brief essay in response to the following statement: “The society in which we presently live has redefined ethics in such a way that it is separate from morality. This separation of ethics from morality decreases the importance of morality and moral behavior in our lives and in society – much more than when ethics and morality were linked.” (Please type – two-page maximum)
- Personal Statement: Write a brief, autobiographical essay outlining your interest in becoming a marriage and family therapist. Please include a discussion of your personal and family background and how your experiences have led to your decision to pursue a career as a marriage and family therapist. Please also include a discussion of your professional goals. (Please type – four-page maximum)
- Upload copies of transcripts (if available) of all undergraduate and previous graduate work into the online application and have official copies of transcripts sent to the UNLV Graduate College:
- Note: If you are unable to upload copies of your transcripts into the online application, you must send a copy directly to the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy. However, we strongly encourage you to upload copies of your transcripts in the online application in order to expedite the review of your application.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Graduate College
FDH 352, Box 451017
4505 S. Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89154-1017
- Submit three letters of recommendation
Applicants should request letters of recommendation from three individuals. Ideally, these recommendations should come from professors, professionals in the mental health field, and/or employers who can address your qualifications and potential for graduate study, the field of marriage and family therapy, or both. (Friends, family members, and acquaintances are not acceptable references.) - It is preferred that applicants request letters through the online application, which directs recommenders to submit their letters electronically. Instructions are outlined within the online application (click on the "Recommendations" link). However, if the recommender cannot send the letter electronically, he or she may send the recommendation directly to the department.
- It is your responsibility to follow-up with your references to make sure the deadline is met.
- Applicant Interviews
Upon review by the department Admissions Committee, a select group of applicants will be invited to participate in interviews with the department faculty on campus.
Applicants are responsible for making sure all materials arrive by the January 15th deadline. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Stephen Fife, Graduate Coordinator, at (702) 895-3117 or stephen.fife@unlv.edu.
Graduate Assistantships
A limited number of graduate assistantships are offered on a competitive basis each semester. If you are interested in applying for a GA position within the department, please complete the Financial Support Information section of the online application. GA applicants must also submit an application to the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy. It is also highly recommended that you upload your Resume/CV in the Graduate Program Supplementary Information part of the online application. Please visit the Graduate Assistants webpage for more information.
