57
development/family studies programs, as many of our students come to us with this
background, referred by a trusted faculty member.
We make it a point to build relationships with other universities nationwide, including
HBCU’s and other majority minority institutions. We also offer open houses, open to the
community, and publicized through our website, where prospective students can talk with
faculty and current students. Our students and graduates themselves are a primary source
of prospective students for us, as they recommend the program to friends and colleagues.
We strive to recruit a diverse student body, in terms of age, experience, sexual
orientation, race, class, culture, gender, and national origin. We are transparent about our
values and what we offer, providing all prospective students with a statement of our core
diversity/inclusion values, and publicizing both our licensure exam pass rates and our
postgraduate employment statistics.
Retention Policy
As noted in the MS in MFT Educational Outcomes, the NSU MS in the MFT program
demonstrates a commitment to diversity and inclusion, and prepares students for the
clinical practice of family therapy, maintaining a high level of graduation and postgraduate
success in the field. Our retention policy balances our commitment to the best outcome for
individual students, with the need to maintain a positive reputation for our graduates to
ensure success in the field. The program director attends closely to the progress of
individual students during their first semester. Most of our attrition occurs during this first
semester, when students are not able to succeed academically or have underestimated the
commitment required for a graduate program. In this event, the program director meets
with the student and the faculty teaching the student that semester. Every effort is made
to work towards a mutually agreeable outcome, as for example a transfer to a less
academically rigorous, nonclinical program.
At the end of the first three semesters, when the students transition to their external
practicums, the program director again consults with faculty as to the progress of
individual students. Students having academic difficulties or low grades would have been
noted before this point, but if students have performed well academically but the faculty
has concerns about their clinical ability, Students may be asked to take additional internal
practicums above and beyond the minimum requirement. The program director and the
faculty work with individual students to maintain their progress towards graduation. If at
any time, however, it becomes clear a student is interpersonally, ethically, or academically
unqualified for the practice of marriage and family therapy, that student will be dismissed
from the program. Our goal is a high level of retention, but balanced at all times with the
need to maintain the integrity of the program and the profession.
Student Achievement
Student Assessment
The NSU MS in MFT program has a policy of continuous assessment of students and of
graduate success.
1. Assessment of students includes course evaluations and grades; practicum evaluations
(both on site and faculty supervisor evaluations); and comprehensive examination results.
We also maintain close contact with external supervisors, at agency sites, and obtain their
evaluations of our students. (See chart below for aggregated data; we also obtain
