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
Achieve Clinical Excellence as a Family Therapist
Hone your skills to work with individuals, 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. M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy program is a residential (campus-based) program offered at the main NSU Davie campus.
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.
One of the many highlights that my NSU program had was the ability to start my practicum before graduating. I was able to start seeing clients under supervision provided by a plethora of excellent NSU professors who have been doing this for a long time. I also loved the wide range of elective courses that opened the door to different approaches such as Equine Therapy, where we had our classes in a stable. How cool is that!
Ena Pena M.S., L.M.F.T.
Quick Facts
Tuition
Tuition for the 2021-2022 academic year (subject to change by the Board of Trustees without notice) is $863/semester credit hour.
Credits & Requirements
The M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy program is 60 total credits and involves a practicum project.
Application Deadlines
For Summer Admission: March 31
For Fall Admission: June 30
Delivery Options
The family therapy master’s is offered on campus. Students complete practicums at the on-campus clinical facility, the Family Therapy Clinic at the Brief Therapy Institute.
What Can You Do with a Family Therapy Master’s?
Clinical
• Private practices
• Employee assistance programs
• Health care organizations
• Community mental health agencies
• Family service agencies Hospitals
Organizational
• Managed care
• Schools
• Faith-based settings (churches, temples, mosques)
• Professional coaching
Why Earn Your M.S. in Family Therapy at NSU?
Hone Your Perspective
Learn how to practice in a time-sensitive, cost-effective manner by mastering interactional models of family therapy.
Professional Development
Fulfill course requirements for licensure in Florida and other states, practice in real clinics, and start building your professional support network through faculty, internships, and community outreach.
Specialized Electives
Explore specialties like medical family therapy, solution-focused coaching, and equine-assisted family therapy.
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).
This program also meets the educational degree completion requirements for licensure in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. protectorates.
COAMFTE Graduate Achievement Data for NSU’s MS in Couple and Family Therapy Program – Graduate Achievement Data
Learn More About the COAMFTE
Get an Edge in the Industry
Meet the needs of the times with top-quality training that is the NSU Edge. Not only will your coursework address the most pressing issues in mental health today and tomorrow but you’ll also begin carving out your path to your professional advancement starting on day one with the support of faculty, peers, and community partnerships.
About the NSU EdgeEarning Potential
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.
Explore Opportunities to Get Involved
Couple and Family Therapy M.S. Curriculum
Curriculum for the Couple and Family Therapy Master of Science is focused on brief, interactional models of family therapy, preparing you to begin practicing as soon as you graduate.
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).
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.
Admission Requirements
Ready for the Next Step?
Let’s get started! You can apply for entry in any one of the three semesters—fall, winter, or summer.
Go to Application
Complete the online application form
If you’re a first-time user, be sure to create a Graduate Account to begin.
Pay the nonrefundable application fee of $50 (USD)
You can pay this online through the application portal or send a check to the address below.
Request your transcripts
Request transcripts from all schools attended and/or agency evaluation of foreign degree to be mailed to the address below or sent electronically to electronictranscript@nova.edu.
Write a statement of interest
Please briefly explain (500-word minimum) why you are interested in the program to which you are applying, as well as your professional goals, your assessment of your abilities to manage the challenges of graduate school, and any other information you would like to provide.
Request two letters of recommendation
Provide two signed letters of recommendation on official letterhead. You may request the recommendation electronically through the application system or have it emailed to the address below.
Submitting Your Materials
Please email all documents to: admitdocs@nova.edu
Mailing Address (Domestic)
Nova Southeastern University
Enrollment Processing Services (EPS)
College of Osteopathic Medicine
M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy
3301 College Avenue
P.O. Box 299000
Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33314-9905
For students seeking admittance after attending another institution, credits may be transferred into the NSU program. Credits will be determined on a case-by-case basis and must be deemed comparable in level, content, and rigor to those within the M.S. in Family Therapy program. All transfer students must satisfy all admissions requirements and complete all admissions procedures.
Foreign nationals who reside outside the United States at the time of application, and whose native language is not English, must present evidence of proficiency in English by satisfactorily completing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Score requirements are as follows: minimum paper score = 550; minimum computerized score = 213; minimum Internet score = 79. A score of 6.0 on the International English Language Testing System (ILETS) exam is accepted in lieu of the TOEFL.
For a full list of English proficiency tests that are accepted by the university, please visit International Students. Test scores must be submitted to the admissions office. For a TOEFL application information, visit the website at TOEFL or write to:
TOEFL
Educational Testing Services
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
(609) 771-7100
Applicants who have attended foreign universities or colleges are required to have their academic credentials evaluated for U.S. institutional equivalence. While there are several credential evaluators, the most widely used companies are listed below, or visit NACES.
World Education Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 745
Old Chelsea Station
New York, New York
10113-0745
(212) 966-6311
www.wes.org
Josef Silny & Associates
7101 SW 102nd Avenue
Miami, Florida 33173
(305) 273-1616
www.jsilny.org
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
P.O. Box 514070
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203-3470
(414) 289-3400
www.ece.org
International students are encouraged to contact the Office of International Student Services at (954) 262-7240 or 800-541-6682, ext. 27240, or by emailing International Students or visiting the International Students web page.
Questions About
the Program?
Contact Ashleigh Bennett
at abennet1@nova.edu or call
954-262-0530.
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.