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Electives
Electives are offered to support students in fulfilling course requirements for licensure as a
marriage and family therapist in Florida and other states. Electives are also taken to
enhance student learning in special topics. Students may choose to take more electives
than are required or complete a Graduate Certificate in Family Systems Health Care or
Qualitative Research with permission from the Program Director. Other courses offered
within the University may be considered for elective status pending approval. In keeping
with the interdisciplinary philosophy of the School, students have the opportunity to take
electives in various specialties, such as Family Systems Health Care. Additional courses
may help students fulfill many of the course requirements for licensure in Florida (and
other states) as a marriage and family therapist.
Program Format, Leave of Absences
The residentially offered DMFT program can be completed in 3 years with the maximum
timeframe of 7 years. Full-time enrollment is considered to be at least nine credit hours
per term, fall, winter, and summer. Students must continually be enrolled to remain active
in the program. If a student cannot take classes due to unforeseen circumstances, s/he
must to apply for a Leave of Absence three weeks prior the beginning of a trimester.
Approval by the Program Director is required. Students can request a leave of absence for
no more than three terms. A student who has not registered for one entire academic year
is considered inactive and must reapply to the program. Once students complete their
Clinical Portfolio, they can conduct their external practicums at the same time as their
Applied Clinical Project (ACP) courses.
Program Specifics
Disclosure of Guiding Principle of our Programs
It is with great pride that, we, the members of the Department of Family Therapy at Nova
Southeastern University, share with our students one of the guiding principles of our
training programs.
Our programs are guided by the importance of inclusion, diversity and affirmative
practices in the classroom, coursework, clinical training, as well as all professional and
collegial relationships and interactions. We are committed to training our students in a
manner that is respectful of and sensitive to religious/spiritual beliefs, cultural traditions
and practices, gender identities and in all areas that distinguish individuals. Our goal is to
be self-reflexive practitioners, holding ourselves accountable for our commitment to our
principles.
We further strive to train students to respond to each other with the same honor and
respect. Subsequently, we expect students will treat fellow students, staff, and clients
accordingly. We stress a commitment to servicing clinical populations in an affirmative,
supportive and competent manner including but not limited to underprivileged, minority,
and socially oppressed groups, ethnic, racial, religious groups, LGBTQ individuals, foreign
nationals, individuals with different levels of ability both physical and mental, as well as
individuals of various genders, ages and socioeconomic and relationship statuses.
Ultimately, we believe that individual belief systems and values should be respected but
that those belief systems and values do not hinder the practice of affirmative therapy.
