Back to Nova Southeastern University
Hone your skills to work with individual groups, couples, and families and consult with organizations using a systemic, relational perspective. With a Master of Science in Couple and Family Therapy degree from Nova Southeastern University's College of Osteopathic Medicine, you'll benefit from close mentoring, a wide range of internships, and a close-knit community of professionals.
Choose From Three Concentrations:
- Medical Family Therapy
- Equine-Assisted Therapy
- Solution-Focused Coaching
Secure Your Future with a 100% Job Placement Rate
Receive top-quality training leading to professional positions in private practice; employee assistance programs; managed care and health care organizations; childcare and child development systems; family service agents; and other clinical and organizational settings. NSU's M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy degree continues to meet 100% job placement for its graduates.
Real Experience That Makes a Difference
When one of your classrooms is a live-supervised, on-site community clinic and you’ve got access to more than a dozen community programs focused on the good health and well-being of South Florida’s residents, you’ll get the meaningful real-world experience that shapes your purpose.
Quick Facts
For Fall Admission: June 30
Why Earn Your M.S. in Family Therapy at NSU?
Fully Accredited
NSU’s M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy is the only master’s degree program in Florida that is fully accredited with the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
COAMFTE Graduate Achievement Data for NSU’s MS in Couple and Family Therapy Program – Graduate Achievement Data (PDF)
The COAMFTF accreditation and campus location drew me in, but the stellar programming, quality professors, practicum opportunities, and deep respect for the profession made my NSU experience truly invaluable.
Siena DeLisser M.S. | in Couple and Family Therapy Alumna
You’re not just getting someone reading from a textbook and helping you understand the material in the textbook. You are getting actual clinicians who have worked in the field and actually know how to make the material applicable. They have a real deep understanding of the material and what it takes to be a successful clinician out in the field.
Tanisha McCall Graduate Student, M.S. | Couple and Family Therapy
As humans, we function in relationships, not silos of our own. So, we work with our students to understand, from a systemic and relational perspective, how to work with families and couples and individuals in order to bring people together rather than be so divided.
Natalie Rothman, Ph.D., LMFT, LMHC, CAP, CTP Clinical Director | Brief Therapy Institute/Medical Family Therapy
Frequently Asked Questions — M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy
Yes. NSU's M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy is South Florida's only program fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), the gold standard for MFT education recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Yes. The curriculum fulfills the academic requirements for licensure as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Florida and most other states. Post-graduation supervised clinical hours are also required by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling.
The program is 60 credit hours and can be completed in 2 years with full-time enrollment, including summer terms. The maximum time allowed is 5 years.
Students may specialize in medical family therapy, equine-assisted therapy, or solution-focused coaching. Each concentration adds specialized elective coursework to the core 60-credit curriculum.
The core program is offered on campus at NSU's Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus. Students complete required practicum hours at the on-site Family Therapy Clinic. Some concentration electives are available online.
NSU's M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy maintains a 100% job placement rate, placing graduates in private practice, healthcare organizations, employee assistance programs, community mental health agencies, and more.
For Summer admission the deadline is March 31. For Fall admission the deadline is June 30. An interview with the Office of Admissions is required as part of the selection process.
Graduates work as Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) in private practice, hospitals, managed care organizations, employee assistance programs, childcare and family service agencies, and organizational consulting settings. The national median salary for MFTs is $63,780 annually (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024).
Professional Licensure Disclosure Statement and Acknowledgment Form
Prospective students are expected to review the M.S. Professional Licensure Disclosure Statement and sign and submit the M.S. 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 (PDF) Acknowledgment Form (PDF)Which Degree Is Right for Me?
In addition to the Master in Couple and Family Therapy degree, the Department of Family Therapy at NSU offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Couple and Family Therapy (Ph.D.).
The biggest difference? Besides the degree type, the master’s degree program seeks specifically to produce professionals whose chief contributions will be in the clinical rather than academic sphere.
Earn a professional doctorate degree in 75-108 credit hours.
Clinical-focused, terminal degree
- Expand and enhance your existing clinical skills
- Advance your career as a couple/marriage and family therapist
Earn a master’s degree in 60 credit hours.
Clinical-focused career prep
- Develop clinical excellence and prepare for a career as a couple and family therapist in both clinical and organizational settings
Earn a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 81–114 credit hours. A master’s degree in a clinical field is required.
Advanced leadership in the field of marriage and family therapy
- Prepares you for a productive career as a professor, researcher, supervisor, or senior clinician in the field of marriage and family therapy
After Applying, What Happens Next?
If selected, you'll receive an invitation from the Office of Admissions to schedule an interview. This personal interview is the next step and does not guarantee admission. An ample amount of time and notification will be given for you to make appropriate travel, lodging, and arrival arrangements. Depending on the time of year, the review process may take a few weeks. You can check your application status at any time via the online application portal. Once a decision has been made, notification is sent via email to the address on file.