Doctor of Philosophy in
Couple and Family
Therapy (Ph.D.)

Students complete four internal practicums at our onsite training facility, the Brief Therapy Institute, under the live supervision of a program clinical supervisor, with a team of no more than 6 students, for 6 hours every week throughout the term (one practicum per term - a total of four terms of internal practicums). Details regarding the practicum and the clinic are available in the Policies and Procedures Manual of the Brief Therapy Institute. Policies and Procedures are required reading, and all policies are available online at https://osteopathic.nova.edu/ft/resources/bti-policies-procedures.pdf. In-depth discussions of all policies are a part of internal practicums.

Background checks and fingerprinting are required of all students. Drug screening is also required of all students in compliance with NSU policies. Students need to contact the program director for details related to these processes.

Students also complete an internship of three consecutive terms, designed to provide them with a full-time advanced practice experience. Students must complete all curriculum requirements and pass Clinical Portfolio before registering for the internship.

Students are mentored through weekly supervision with program clinical supervisor while they are enrolled in the internship courses. If the program clinical supervisor is unavailable, the program director arranges weekly supervision coverage for the students.

We stress a commitment from our students to serving clinical populations in an affirmative, supportive, and competent manner including but not limited to underprivileged, diverse, underserved, minority, and socially oppressed groups, ethnic, racial, religious groups, LGBTQIA+ individuals, foreign nationals, individuals with different levels of ability both physical and behavioral, as well as individuals of various genders, ages, health, socioeconomic and relationship statuses.

A total of 1,000 clinical hours and 200 supervised hours are required to complete the program. At least 400 of the 1000 required clinical hours must be relational with couples and/or families in the room. Out of 1000 client contact hours, 200 hours can be alternative. A minimum of 200 supervision hours with at least 100 hours via observable data live/video/audio is required. If students are unable to complete their hours within 4 terms of internal practicum and 3 terms of internship, they will need to continue to register for the internship course until they have completed the required hours. Students must keep a copy of all completed and signed forms and documents during their entire program and for future needs.

The Clinical Portfolio is a capstone experience designed to assess how students met various aspects of the program’s learning objectives and outcomes. Similar to a doctoral-qualifying exam, the Clinical Portfolio is an important benchmark in progressing toward candidacy. Students demonstrate the full range and depth of their clinical skills, theoretical knowledge, and scholarly writing.

As part of the graduation requirements, all students who have not met the requirements of starting their dissertation process must have an Annual Review at the end of each year. This Annual Review consists of an evaluation of the student’s academic progress, clinical progress, professional and ethical conduct, and level of attainment of the program’s student learning outcomes. The Annual Review is also utilized for the collection of feedback from students about the program and support services by the institution. This review is conducted in a manner needed for each individual student, such as, but not limited to, a meeting with a faculty advisor or program director, or via email. 

After completing the research courses and meeting all other curriculum requirements, students are required to complete a dissertation. Ph.D. students conduct an original research study in the field of couple/marriage and family therapy under the mentorship of their dissertation committee members. Students are required to have a minimum of one monthly meeting with their dissertation committee chair. A minimum of 9 dissertation credits (three credits per term for three terms, for a duration of one year) are required to complete the dissertation. If students are unable to complete their dissertations within nine dissertation credits (three credits per term for three terms), they will need to continue to register for dissertation credits until they have completed their dissertations.

Prospective students are expected to review the Ph.D. Professional Licensure Disclosure Statement and sign and submit the Ph.D. Informed acknowledgment of potential differences in MFT licensure requirements across state/provincial regulatory bodies Form to the program office before making enrollment decisions and financial commitments. The program director and faculty discuss the information with the prospective students, as mentioned in the links below, during the admission interviews. Prospective students are welcome to contact the program director in case of inquiries (see links below for more information).

Professional Licensure Disclosure Information

Acknowledgement Form