For those who want to work in the Church in marriage and the family. Married couples, pastoral workers, teachers, and counselors who wish to understand this reality more deeply and to accompany others within it. No prior theological studies are required — only the desire to serve.
Master in Marriage and Family
A two-year graduate program in the Catholic understanding of marriage and the family — academic, practical, and spiritual, for those who wish to serve the Church in this field.
Marriage and the family, seen whole.
This is a rigorous and broad formation in the Catholic understanding of marriage and the family — at once academic, practical, and spiritual. It forms both heart and mind, so that those who complete it may serve the Church wherever marriage and the family are studied, taught, accompanied, and defended. Doctrine, the human person, and the sacrament are held together, and the truth received is ordered toward a life of service.
Quick Facts
- Degree Master in Marriage and Family (MMF)
- Duration 2 years · six trimesters
- Type Professional graduate program
- Language English
- Location Schlossgasse 21, 2521 Trumau, Austria · Open in Maps
- Format Full-time residential graduate program that is academic, practical, and spiritual
- Start Autumn trimester
- Admission Open to holders of at least a Bachelor's degree or equivalent. It does not presuppose prior theological studies.
Program Essence
What this formation is made of.
The Master in Marriage and Family is a formation in the sources of the Catholic vision of marriage and the family: doctrine, Sacred Scripture, moral theology, the human person, and the spirituality and sacramentality of marriage.
It is at once academic, practical, and spiritual. It prepares students to understand this reality more truthfully, to accompany others more wisely, and to serve the Church with greater coherence in the field of marriage and the family.
The program presupposes no prior theological studies. What is asked is the desire to work in the Church in this area, and study is joined throughout to a life of prayer and community.
Who This Is For
For those who want to serve in this field.
For those who want heart and mind formed together. You do not want doctrine kept abstract or pastoral care kept shallow. You want a formation in which what you learn of the human person and the sacrament shapes how you live, pray, and serve.
For those preparing to teach, accompany, and defend. You are looking toward pastoral, catechetical, educational, and advocacy work in the field of marriage and the family, and you want the grounding to do it well, joined to prayer and community.
Curriculum
Doctrine, the person, and the sacrament.
The program moves from the foundations of Catholic doctrine, through the truth of the human person, to the spirituality and sacramentality of marriage. The full course list is available from the program office.
Foundations
- The Basics of Catholic Doctrine
- Sacred Scripture on marriage
- Moral Theology
The Human Person
- Human Love and Sexuality
- Psychology of the Couple and the Family
The Sacrament & Its Life
- Spirituality and Sacramentality of Marriage
- And further courses in the field
How You Learn
Academic, practical, and spiritual together.
The formation is at once academic, practical, and spiritual. It forms both heart and mind, so that what is studied of doctrine, the human person, and the sacrament may bear fruit in real service to the Church.
- Doctrine, Scripture, and moral theology are studied at their source.
- The human person is understood through theology and the psychology of the couple and the family.
- Study is oriented toward practical, pastoral service, not theory alone.
- Learning is joined to prayer, liturgy, and community life in Trumau.
- Presence, preparation, and shared life are part of the formation.
Catholic Formation
Heart and mind formed together.
The MMF forms both heart and mind. What is learned of marriage and the family is not held apart from life but belongs to a larger way of living: study, sacramental life, shared prayer, meals, friendship, and the daily discipline of community.
Students live and study in an international Catholic environment where the understanding of marriage and the family is never separated from worship, accompaniment, and service to the Church.
Practical Details
What applicants need to know.
- Prerequisite At least a Bachelor's degree or equivalent; no prior theological studies required.
- English English is the principal language of instruction. Applicants who have not completed at least two years in an English-speaking environment or at a school with English as the main language of instruction must submit a standardized test score, such as TOEFL iBT 75 or equivalent.
- Languages No ancient languages are required.
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Degree
Master in Marriage and Family (MMF), a professional graduate degree.
- Thesis The program concludes with a final written work in the field of marriage and the family, prepared by agreement with the adviser.
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Documents
Use these for exact requirements, course descriptions, policies, and current academic regulations.
Costs and Aid
Tuition, living costs, and financial aid.
Yearly cost estimate
Tuition
12 000 €
Regular tuition is 25 000 €. Every accepted student automatically receives the Standard ITI Scholarship.
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Total21 510 € 1 793 € / month
Financial aid
- Standard ITI scholarship: Every accepted student receives the standard ITI scholarship, which reduces annual tuition from 25 000 € to 12 000 €.
- Room stipends: ITI may offer additional help in particular cases, including room stipends tied to service on campus.
- 50% tuition reduction for a spouse: When both spouses are studying at ITI, the second spouse may receive a 50 percent tuition reduction, along with other possible tuition reductions in particular cases.
- Private loans: US private loans are available through Sallie Mae. US federal loans are not available for the 2026 to 2027 academic year.
Community service
All students are expected to contribute two hours of service per week for the upkeep of chapel, living areas, library, and other common spaces. This is part of the shared life of the university, not an optional extra.
Admissions
Everything you need to apply.
For most applicants, the best order is simple: gather your documents, ask for recommendations early, complete the online application, and then follow through quickly on language or visa requirements if they apply to you.
Your application checklist
Use this as a working list while you prepare your application.
- Deadline The regular application deadline is July 1. Do not wait until the last week to request transcripts or recommendations.
- English If you have not completed at least two years in an English-speaking environment or at a school with English as the main language of instruction, prepare a standardized English test. The handbook lists TOEFL iBT 75 or equivalent.
- Visa If you need a visa or residence permit, start early. ITI advises submitting residence permit materials before March 1, since the process can take up to six months.
After the MMF
Prepared to serve marriage and the family.
The MMF prepares graduates to work in the Church in the field of marriage and the family. It forms both heart and mind for pastoral, catechetical, educational, and advocacy work, and its fruit is a life of service.
Pastoral and catechetical work. Graduates serve in parishes and movements, in marriage preparation and family catechesis, accompanying couples and families in the light of the Church's teaching.
Marriage and family ministry. The formation equips graduates for dedicated ministry to marriage and the family, at the service of diocesan offices, associations, and ecclesial initiatives.
Teaching, counseling, and advocacy. Graduates go on to teach, to accompany and counsel, and to defend and promote the truth of marriage and the family in the Church and in society.
Service in ecclesial structures. The degree prepares graduates for responsibility within diocesan and ecclesial structures concerned with marriage and the family.
Alumni Voice
What these years become in a life.
“I came wanting to serve couples and families. I left knowing how.”
When I came to ITI, I thought I was choosing a degree. What I actually found was a formation that took the whole of marriage and the family seriously — professors who opened doctrine, Scripture, and the human person with us, and a community that prayed together and shared a common life. Slowly, what I studied and how I wished to serve stopped being two separate things. They became one movement.
The MMF gave me more than knowledge. It taught me to understand the couple and the family more truthfully, to accompany with more wisdom, and to speak of marriage with clarity and love. Today I work in marriage and family ministry, and hardly a week passes in which something from those years in Trumau does not resurface — in a conversation, in a decision, in prayer.
I am more grateful for my time at ITI than I can easily say. It gave me lasting friendships, it gave me the grounding I stand on, and it gave me the certainty that this work is worth a life. If you are discerning this path: come and see. These years will stay with you.
FAQ
Questions applicants usually ask.
Do I need prior theology?
No. The MMF does not presuppose prior theological studies. It begins from the foundations of Catholic doctrine and builds from there.
Who is the program for?
It is for those who wish to serve the Church in the field of marriage and the family — married couples, pastoral workers, teachers, and counselors.
How long is the program?
Two years, comprising six trimesters. It is a full-time residential graduate program.
Is the program residential?
Yes. The MMF is a full-time residential program in Trumau, where study, prayer, and community life belong together.
Take the next step
Apply now
If you are ready for an education where study, prayer, and community belong together, apply now. If you are still discerning, plan a visit and experience ITI in person.