Rossier MS in Marriage Family Therapy Program

Colleges & Universities University of Southern California
1

I’m planning to attend graduate school and obtain a Master’s degree in Marriage & Family Therapy, then get licensed as an LMFT. I have a very long personal history and experience with mental illness and family dysfunction, in addition to attending therapy for 7 years. So, that’s part of why I want to be an LMFT. I have three associate degrees. I graduated from UCLA last year during COVID with a B.S. in Cog Sci, and to be honest, my GPA isn’t too competitive (3.58 cumulative), and I took a gap year after to reassess my goals. I also recently got trained and certified as a Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist, MCPSS. I’m going to soon work as a Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist just to gain experience working in the mental health field and one-on-one with consumers/patients.

I’m considering applying to the grad program at USC. My sister went to USC and recommended I apply. Is the MFT (M.S. in Marriage & Family Therapy) worth the cost of tuition at USC? Is it really hard to get into, and is it a highly competitive graduate program? I’m not sure if I should bother applying yet. I’m looking at other programs and schools too near or in LA, like The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (LA Location).

2

If you have the money for the application fees, I would apply to several programs and then compare the offers. Some graduate programs offer financial aid or merit. You can also ask to speak with somebody from USC and ask if students receive financial assistance.

As far as USC being “worth it,” I don’t know. It really depends on you as well as other factors. You might be able to speak with recent graduates of the program who can answer any questions.

You asked whether USC is competitive for your particular program. I do not have an answer for you.

Some masters degrees are highly competitive, while others are less so. Also, some schools that are highly competitive for undergrad are not nearly as competitive at the graduate level…depending on the program of course. Alternatively, some schools that are not as competitive for undergrad are very competitive at the graduate level…depending on the program.

As I mentioned, if the application fees are not a hardship I would apply to several schools and then compare. Some schools also offer application waivers- I would ask!

Best wishes!