COAMFTE's mission is to promote best practices for Marriage and Family Therapy educational programs through the establishment, review and revision of accreditation standards and policies, and the accreditation of graduate and post-graduate educational programs.
The Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education ("COAMFTE" or "the Commission") is the accrediting agency for marriage and family therapy education and training. In 1974, The initial Committee on Accreditation was established. In 1975, The first Manual on Accreditation containing standards for accreditation of graduate degree and post-degree programs was published. In 1978, the Committee was restructured and renamed the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). COAMFTE began its accreditation activity in 1978.
COAMFTE is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as the only accrediting agency for graduate degree and clinical training programs in Marriage and Family Therapy in the United States and Canada since CHEA’s inception in 1997. COAMFTE is also a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA) since 1995. COAMFTE was recognized by the United States Office of Education from 1978 until the Commission's unanimous decision to end USDE recognition in 2013. For more information this decision, please click here . The Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is a non-governmental organization that recognizes accrediting bodies and works to foster and facilitate the role of accrediting bodies in promoting and ensuring the quality and diversity of American post-secondary education. CHEA recognition provides external validation and recognition for COAMFTE as a specialized professional accreditation agency for the MFT field. The Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA) is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to enhancing the quality of higher education through specialized and professional accrediting agencies. ASPA membership ensures that COAMFTE stays current with best practices in accreditation and fosters consistency and innovation in its accreditation processes and procedures.