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A detailed look at Mercer's COAMFTE-accredited family therapy degree — cost, curriculum, admissions, and Georgia licensure readiness.
Only a handful of COAMFTE-accredited master's programs in Georgia prepare students specifically for LMFT licensure, and Mercer University's Master of Family Therapy was the first in the state to earn that distinction. Housed within the School of Medicine on Mercer's Macon campus, the program pairs a licensure-aligned MFT curriculum with direct access to medical-school faculty, interdisciplinary training settings, and a clinical pipeline rooted in central Georgia's underserved communities.
That medical-school integration is the program's clearest differentiator, but it also means on-campus attendance, private-university tuition, and a relatively small cohort size. For applicants weighing those trade-offs against other master's in marriage and family therapy options, the details matter more than the headline.
Before diving into the details, here are the essential facts about Mercer University's Master of Family Therapy program. This was the first master's-level MFT degree in Georgia to earn full COAMFTE accreditation, a distinction that signals rigorous clinical training and strong alignment with national licensure standards.
The short answer: yes, and the accreditation proves it. Mercer's Master of Family Therapy holds full COAMFTE accreditation, the recognized gold standard for marriage and family therapy education in the United States.1 It was, in fact, the first master's-level MFT program in Georgia to earn that distinction. COAMFTE accreditation tells you the curriculum, clinical training, and supervision standards have been independently verified, and it smooths the path to licensure in every state that requires a degree from an accredited program. If accreditation status is high on your checklist (and it should be), Mercer clears that bar decisively.
This program is built for students who want a clinically immersive, medically integrated training experience and are willing to be on the ground in Georgia to get it. Housed within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Mercer University School of Medicine, the Master of Family Therapy draws on a biopsychosocial and spiritual framework, with dedicated coursework in diversity, social justice, and care for underserved populations.3 If you value small-cohort mentorship, direct faculty access, and the chance to train alongside medical professionals, Mercer is a strong fit.
Consider alternatives if you need a fully online or hybrid MFT degree, if minimizing tuition is your top priority, or if you intend to build your career in a region far from Georgia and would benefit from a program that places students across multiple states. Mercer's strengths are real, but they are most valuable to students who can commit to an in-person, Georgia-centered training experience.
Understanding exactly what you will pay is one of the hardest parts of evaluating any graduate program, and MFT degrees are no exception. Here is what Mercer publishes for the 2025, 2026 academic year and how those numbers stack up against the broader landscape of COAMFTE-accredited programs.
Mercer charges $1,028 per credit hour for its MFT program.1 On top of that, expect a facilities and technology fee of $17 per credit hour (or a $150 flat fee per semester, depending on enrollment), plus a total practicum fee of roughly $240 across the program. When you combine tuition and fees across all required coursework, the university estimates first-year costs at about $28,206 and second-year costs at about $22,092, bringing the total tuition-and-fees bill to approximately $50,000 to $52,000.
Because Mercer is a private university, there is no in-state versus out-of-state tuition differential. That single rate can be a genuine advantage if you are relocating to Georgia or crossing state lines for the program, since public university out-of-state surcharges can easily double or triple a tuition bill.
Keep in mind that the university also publishes a broader cost-of-attendance figure (around $112,900 across two years) that bundles in estimated living expenses, health insurance, books, and personal costs. That number is useful for financial planning but should not be confused with what Mercer itself charges you directly.
Several avenues can offset these costs:
Practicum sites in the metro Atlanta area occasionally offer modest stipends, though this varies by placement and should not be factored into your budget as guaranteed income.
Across all COAMFTE-accredited master's programs nationwide, total tuition costs span a wide range.2 Public universities with in-state pricing can run as low as $14,000 to $25,000. Most private institutions land between $30,000 and $60,000, while high-end private programs can reach $70,000 to $110,000. Mercer's estimated total of $50,000 to $52,000 sits in the middle of the private-university band. You are not getting bargain-basement pricing, but you are well below the premium tier, and the absence of an out-of-state surcharge makes the sticker price more predictable than many public alternatives for students coming from outside Georgia. For perspective, a program like Chapman University MFT can carry a significantly higher price tag in the private tier.
If the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Scholarship is on the table for you, Mercer shifts from a mid-range investment to one of the most affordable COAMFTE-accredited options available anywhere. That possibility alone is worth exploring during your application process.
Mercer's Master of Family Therapy is a 48-credit program designed to be completed in approximately 24 months of full-time study.1 The curriculum is split into 36 credits of core coursework, 9 credits of clinical practicum, and 3 credits of electives, with professional development seminars woven throughout. That structure keeps the program lean while still covering every content area required by COAMFTE accreditation standards.
The 36-credit core spans the foundational domains you would expect from an accredited MFT program:
The three elective credits give students limited room to explore a topic of personal or professional interest. While the program does not formally advertise named concentration tracks (such as a standalone medical family therapy or trauma certificate), Mercer's affiliation with its School of Medicine positions students to engage with integrated behavioral health content. Students curious about that overlap can learn more about medical family therapy training requirements. If you are specifically seeking a deep specialization in areas like child and adolescent therapy, sex therapy, or trauma, ask the program director whether directed-study or elective options can accommodate that focus, or whether you would need post-graduate training.
The practicum sequence accounts for 9 credits and requires 500 total clinical hours, including at least 100 relational (couple or family) contact hours.1 Students also complete a minimum of 100 hours of supervision provided by AAMFT-approved supervisors. Supervision typically blends live observation, recorded session review, and group consultation, giving trainees feedback from multiple angles.
Practicum is sequenced across the second year of the program, allowing students to build foundational knowledge before entering clinical settings. Mercer maintains practicum pipelines across its three campus locations in Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah. Site types generally include community mental health centers, hospital-affiliated behavioral health programs, and university-based clinics. The university's medical school connection may open doors to integrated-care settings where therapists work alongside physicians, though specific placements depend on availability and student fit. No program can guarantee a particular site, so treat the pipeline as a strong starting point rather than a promise.
Full-time students should plan on a two-year timeline from orientation to graduation. In addition to coursework and practicum, six professional development seminars are built into the schedule. These seminars supplement clinical training with career-readiness skills such as licensure exam preparation, professional networking, and practice management basics, areas that many MFT programs leave students to figure out on their own.
Overall, the curriculum is compact and clinically intensive. It covers the content areas Georgia requires for LMFT licensure and aligns with national COAMFTE standards, which means your degree will be recognized by licensing boards in most other states as well. If you value efficiency and proximity to medical-school resources over a wide menu of elective specializations, this structure is likely a strong fit.
Completing Mercer's COAMFTE-accredited MFT program satisfies Georgia's educational requirements for LMFT licensure, so graduates should not need additional coursework. The path from diploma to full licensure typically takes about two to three years of post-graduate work. Here is the credentialing ladder, step by step.
Mercer University's Master of Family Therapy program is housed within the School of Medicine, and admission requirements reflect the rigor you would expect from a medically affiliated graduate program.1 Because specific policies can shift from one admissions cycle to the next, treating the information below as a starting framework is wise. Always verify details directly with Mercer before you apply.
The most reliable source is the Mercer University School of Medicine's official admissions page. Search for "Marriage and Family Therapy" or "MFT" to locate the current application checklist, which typically covers minimum GPA expectations, standardized test policies (GRE or MAT, whether required, optional, or waived), prerequisite coursework, and submission deadlines. The Graduate Admissions section of Mercer's website also publishes cohort-specific details such as class size limits, interview protocols, and background check requirements.
If any requirement is unclear online, contact the MFT program directly. Phone numbers and email addresses for program faculty and admissions staff are listed on the School of Medicine website, and a quick call or email can save you from submitting an incomplete application.
While Mercer's exact checklist may vary by year, most COAMFTE-accredited master's programs in marriage and family therapy request a combination of the following:
If you are exploring programs that have dropped the GRE entirely, our directory of MFT programs without GRE requirements can help you weigh your options.
Mercer's MFT program typically admits students for a fall start, but spring admission may also be available depending on the year. Deadlines can close earlier than expected when cohort seats fill, so submitting materials well in advance is strongly recommended.
If you are comparing Mercer's requirements against the broader landscape, professional sources such as the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and the Bureau of Labor Statistics offer useful context on what COAMFTE-accredited programs generally expect. These benchmarks can help you gauge whether your academic profile is competitive before you invest time in a full application.
For the most accurate, cycle-specific admissions information, go straight to Mercer's School of Medicine website or reach out to the MFT program office. Requirements, deadlines, and cohort sizes can all change, and relying on outdated information is an avoidable risk.
If you have been searching for an online path to a Mercer MFT degree, here is the straightforward answer: the program is delivered on campus. Mercer's COAMFTE-accredited Master of Family Therapy is a residential program based at its Macon, Georgia campus, and it does not currently offer a fully online or hybrid track.
This is not unusual. Most COAMFTE-accredited programs require a significant in-person or synchronous component, and the reason is rooted in the nature of clinical training itself. Marriage and family therapy demands hands-on skill building that is difficult to replicate through asynchronous coursework:
These elements are what separate a COAMFTE-accredited program from a generic counseling degree, and they are a core reason the accreditation carries weight with licensing boards.
Mercer's Macon campus serves as the program's academic home. Central Georgia provides access to a range of practicum sites, including community mental health agencies, hospital systems, school-based programs, and private practices in the greater Macon area. For a broader look at training options in the state, see our guide to MFT programs in Georgia. Students should plan to live within commuting distance of the campus and their assigned clinical placement.
While the program is residential, it does build in some scheduling accommodations. Class meetings may be structured in blocks or held during evenings to ease the burden on students who hold part-time jobs. Prospective applicants should contact the program directly to confirm the most current class schedule and whether part-time enrollment is available, as cohort-based MFT programs sometimes offer limited flexibility on pacing.
For students who cannot relocate to Macon or commit to a fully on-campus schedule, COAMFTE accredited online MFT programs do exist at other institutions. These programs typically still require in-person intensives or regional practicum placements, but they offer substantially more geographic flexibility. The comparison section later in this article highlights how Mercer stacks up against programs with different delivery formats, so you can weigh your options side by side.
The bottom line: if you value the immersive, clinically intensive training model that COAMFTE accreditation is designed to protect, Mercer's on-campus format delivers exactly that. Just be sure the residential commitment fits your life before you apply.
Earning your MFT degree is a significant financial commitment, so it is fair to ask whether the investment will pay for itself. The short answer: demand for marriage and family therapists is strong and growing, though early-career salaries are modest, meaning you should go in with realistic expectations.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national median annual wage for marriage and family therapists was approximately $58,510 as of 2023, with the pay scale ranging from roughly $39,090 at the 10th percentile to $104,710 at the top of the field.1 In Georgia specifically, the median annual wage sits at about $58,830, closely mirroring the national figure. Early-career therapists in the state can expect to start near the lower end of that range, especially during the post-graduate supervised practice period required for full licensure.
The outlook for MFTs is encouraging. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects job growth of about 12.6 percent through 2034, well above the average for all occupations. Growing awareness of mental health, expanded insurance coverage for family therapy, and an aging population that increasingly values relational well-being all contribute to sustained demand. Georgia's mix of urban centers and underserved rural communities means licensed therapists can find opportunities in private practice, hospital systems, community agencies, and schools.
If total program costs at Mercer land in the range typical of private-university master's programs (roughly $40,000 to $60,000 depending on fees, course load, and financial aid), and your first-year salary after licensure falls near the Georgia median of about $59,000, you are looking at a payback window of roughly two to four years before the degree has "earned itself back" in net income over what you would have earned without it. This is a rough estimate, not a guarantee, but the math is reasonable for a clinical profession that offers steady demand and upward salary mobility over time.
Mercer's clinical training network is concentrated in central and metro Georgia, which gives graduates established relationships with supervisors, agencies, and healthcare systems in the Macon and Atlanta areas. That local pipeline can translate into a real hiring edge right after graduation. Keep in mind, however, that if you plan to practice in another state, you will need to meet that state's specific licensure requirements, which may include additional supervised hours or coursework. Understanding how to become a licensed marriage and family therapist in your target state is essential, because COAMFTE accreditation smooths the process considerably but does not eliminate it entirely.
To become a licensed MFT in Georgia and most other states, you must pass the national Marriage and Family Therapy Examination administered by the AMFTRB. Mercer's COAMFTE-accredited curriculum is designed to cover the content domains tested on that exam. Whether the program offers dedicated exam-prep review sessions or integrates preparation into its coursework is worth confirming with the admissions office. Nationally, first-time pass rates on the exam tend to be strong for graduates of accredited programs, which is one of the practical benefits of choosing a COAMFTE-recognized pathway over a non-accredited alternative.
Mercer's MFT program positions you in a growing field with solid median earnings and strong regional employment connections. The investment is not trivial, but when weighed against projected demand, a realistic salary trajectory, and the advantage of COAMFTE accreditation for licensure portability, the financial calculus works in your favor, especially if you plan to build your career in Georgia.
Choosing a COAMFTE-accredited MFT program means weighing cost, format, clinical depth, and how well the degree positions you for licensure in the state where you plan to practice. Below is a side-by-side look at three archetypal program profiles to help you see where Mercer fits in the broader landscape.
Mercer's placement within the School of Medicine is genuinely distinctive. Few COAMFTE-accredited MFT programs offer this level of medical integration, which matters if you see yourself working in hospital systems, primary-care behavioral health, or settings like the Veterans Administration, where COAMFTE accreditation is often a hiring requirement.1 The local practicum network in central Georgia also provides strong clinical training pipelines that online-hybrid programs simply cannot replicate at the same depth.
If affordability is your top priority, a public COAMFTE program with in-state tuition will almost certainly cost less. If you cannot relocate to Georgia, an online-hybrid program lets you complete coursework from anywhere while arranging supervised hours locally. Students who already hold clinical positions and need maximum scheduling flexibility may also find that Mercer's on-campus format is harder to manage alongside full-time work.
Mercer occupies a middle ground: more expensive than most public options, roughly comparable in cost to many online-hybrid programs, but with a clinical training model that is hard to match outside a medical-school setting. Before committing to the higher price tag, it is worth examining whether an MFT degree is worth it financially based on your expected earnings and career goals. The premium makes the most sense for students committed to practicing in Georgia or in healthcare-adjacent roles where medical family therapy experience gives a clear career advantage.
Choosing the right MFT program means weighing your clinical goals, budget, and lifestyle against what each school actually delivers. Here is a straightforward verdict on whether Mercer belongs on your shortlist.
Below are answers to the most common questions prospective students ask about Mercer University's marriage and family therapy program. Each answer reflects the program details, costs, and requirements covered throughout this article.
