Admission & Application Requirements

• Transcripts from ALL colleges/universities you’ve attended
  • You may upload official OR unofficial transcripts to the application, or send them to gradadmission@plu.edu.
    • If you are a PLU student or alum, you do not need to submit your PLU transcripts.
  • Note: While we will accept unofficial transcripts at the application stage for domestic students, you must submit official transcripts from all colleges/universities before you enroll in a PLU graduate program.
  • If you are an international applicant, you must submit official transcripts with the credential evaluation. See the International Applicants section for more information.
• Personal Statement – Short Essay Responses
  • You’ll be asked to respond (maximum 200 words each) to the following five questions:
    • With all of the helping professions available, why does marriage and family therapy feel like the right fit for you?
    • Tell us about yourself. How do your different proximities to power shape your interactions with others? (Resource: Wheel of Intersectionality)
    • What does it mean for differences to strengthen us? Give an example from your personal life.
    • How would you create a space in the program that feels supportive for individuals who share your identities and for individuals who have different identities?
    • What are your professional goals post-graduation?
• Resume
  • Upload your resume to the application portal that includes your:
    • Employment history
    • Significant academic, professional and community achievements
    • Honors and awards
• Recommendation Forms/Letters
  • Your two recommendations may be either academic or professional. (If you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate program or are a recent graduate, at least one academic recommendation is encouraged.)
  • The application system will send an email to your recommenders, after which they must submit the PLU Graduate Recommendation Form. They will have the option to also include a letter of recommendation.
• Application Fee
  • Pay the non-refundable $65 application fee.
  • Note: The application fee is waived for all current PLU students and alumni.

If you need to submit additional documents after submitting the online application, you can email them to gradadmission@plu.edu.

If you are an international student, you must submit official transcripts (with a credential evaluation), proof of your bachelor’s degree completion, and provide proof of university-level English language proficiency.

• Official Transcripts & Credential Evaluation
  • You must submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. International transcripts must be translated to English, and must be submitted for international credential evaluation by any organization on the AICE list or NACES list before being sent to PLU.
  • SpanTran is listed as a NACES-approved international credential evaluator and has created a custom application for PLU that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. You can access their application here: SpanTran Application – Pacific Lutheran University.
• Degree Diploma
  • You must provide official proof of your bachelor’s degree completion. You can email a copy to gradadmission@plu.edu.
• Proof of University-Level English Proficiency
  • Proficiency in English is required for graduate study at PLU. Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency.
  • For the MFT, proficiency can be demonstrated by the official score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Duolingo, or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS):
    • Minimum TOEFL-iBT score: 80
    • Minimum Duolingo score: 120
    • Minimum IELTS score: 6.5
  • The English proficiency requirement can also be met if applicants have completed one of the following:
    • A bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a regionally-accredited institution in the United States.
    • A baccalaureate degree or higher from a recognized college or university in an English-speaking country or region, including Australia, Canada (other than Quebec), Great Britain, Ireland, or New Zealand.
    • Both primary and secondary education in an English-speaking country or region, including Australia, Canada (other than Quebec), Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United States. Students are considered to be a native English speaker.
    • A recognized Intensive English Program (IEP) in the United States and received an English proficiency level equivalent to the required minimum TOEFL/Duolingo/IELTS scores of the applied program.
    • Other waiver conditions may be allowed subject to the determination of the MFT program.
• I-20 Processing
  • An I-20 form (Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant Student Status) will be issued only after the student has been admitted and paid the non-refundable $300.00 enrollment deposit and has returned all required acceptance forms. The I-20 form should be taken to the U.S. Consulate when requesting a visa to come to the United States for a graduate program.
  • The following items are not required for the application to be considered for admission, but are required prior to issuance of an I-20. To expedite admission processing, applicants should consider submitting the following with application documents:
    • Declaration of Finances form, including proof of financial support. Certification of finances from banks or embassies is permissible.
    • Copy of passport picture page
    • Address and associated phone number to which to send the I-20 via courier service

Once the applications are reviewed, candidates advancing to the next stage of review will be invited to an interview appointment (notifications for interviews are sent via email between late February and early April).

Interviews are held in group settings either in person or virtually. Each session is about four hours long. During the interview session, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the MFT program and meet with faculty in small groups as well as individually.