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MFT License Requirements

This information is a brief outline of the license requirements for someone who wants to pursue licensure as an MFT in the State of California. For more detailed information, please refer to Navigating the MFT Licensing Process.

Senate Bill 33, recently signed by Governor Schwarzenegger, makes a number of changes to MFT supervised experience requirements for hours earned on or after January 1, 2010. Information related to the changes is provided below:

• Changes to MFT Supervision/Experience Requirements
• MFT Experience Categories – Summary of Hours Permitted/Required
• Frequently Asked Questions – MFT Supervised Experience Changes Related to SB 33
• Amendments to Section 4980.43
• New Section 4980.43

Education Requirements

The Board requires qualifying Doctor’s or Master’s degree. Please see Business and Professions Code section 4980.40 (a) of the Board’s Statutes and Regulations for more information on degree qualifications

Additional Coursework Required Prior to Licensing Examination:

• Child Abuse Assessment and Reporting (7 hours)
• Human Sexuality (10 hours)
• Alcoholism and Chemical Substance Abuse Dependency (15 hours must be taken in qualifying degree program)
• Spousal/Partner Abuse Detection and Intervention (15 hours for those who entered degree program on after 1/1/2004; Course can be any length for those who entered a qualifying degree program between 1/1/1995 to 12/31/2003 Must be taken in qualifying degree program).
• Psychological Testing (2 semester units or 3 quarter units only for those who entered a qualifying degree program on or after 1/1/2001)
• Psychopharmacology (2 semester units or 3 quarter units only for those who entered a qualifying degree program on or after 1/1/2001))
• California Law and Professional Ethics (2 semester units or 3 quarter units)
• Aging and Long Term Care (10 Hours only for those who entered a degree program on or after 1/1/2004; For all others this is not a pre-licensure requirement)

Experience Requirements

• 104 weeks of supervision
• 3,000 hours of supervised work experience.

Please refer to the MFT Breakdown of Required Experience for a detailed breakdown of the required experience.

While enrolled in a qualifying degree granting institution, a MFT student gains hours as a MFT Trainee at school approved sites. MFT Trainees do not register with the Board.

Upon graduation, the pre-licensee must register with the Board as a MFT Intern in order to accrue post-graduation hours of supervised experience towards the licensing requirements.

If the pre-licensee applies for a MFT Intern registration number within 90 days from his or her qualifying degree’s conferral date, the pre-licensee can count the hours accrued in between thedegree conferral date and the issue date of the Intern registration number. The BBS honors the postmark date when checking whether or not an applicant met the 90 day window.

Examination Information

Once an applicant meets all requirements, and the Board reviews and approves the application for examination eligibility, the applicant will receive an eligibility notice to take the MFT Standard Written Examination. The eligibility notice indicates that the examination candidate must take the examination within one year of becoming eligible. Upon passing the Standard Written Examination, the applicant must pass a MFT Written Clinical Vignette Examination.

When in the exam cycle, the applicant must take an examination within one year of failing an examination or within one year of passing the Standard Written Examination. Once an applicant passes both examinations, he or she must apply for an Initial License Issuance within one year of passing both examinations in order to receive a license number.

Updated: January 24, 2010