Nova Southeastern University

Ph.D. in Family Therapy

Mission Statement & Program Description

Vision Statement

The Ph.D. Program in Family Therapy strives to develop students who are committed to academic and clinical innovation and prepared for advanced leadership in the field of Couples and Family Therapy. The application of systemic/relational theory is the foundation for such training and is utilized to support a vision in service to culturally and sexually diverse populations in a variety of settings. Our program further strives to uphold all professional standards in the field.

Mission Statement

The SHSS Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Family Therapy program is committed to academic and clinical innovation and excellence, preparing students to become leaders in therapy, consultation, research, and teaching. In addition, the Ph.D. in Family Therapy offers high quality clinical services to individuals, families, and others in the community. Applying a systemic (holistic and contextual) perspective to our teaching and clinical supervision, we focus on the relational strengths and resources of both students and clients with an appreciation of and respect for diversity and social justice.

Program Description

The Ph.D. in Family Therapy program prepares graduates for careers as professors, researchers, supervisors, and senior clinicians. The Ph.D. in Family Therapy at Nova Southeastern University 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)
112 South Alfred, Alexandria, VA 22314-3061
(703) 838-9808; Fax: (703) 838-9805; AAMFT

The Ph.D. in Family Therapy is a 96-credit-hour program designed for individuals holding master's degrees who wish to fully grasp both the historical as well as cutting edge theory informing the current practice of family therapy. The program is also dedicated to understanding the relationship between theoretical ideas and the variety of established and emerging schools of family therapy. The program is designed to enhance students’ clinical skills in order to become top level practitioners, while at the same time demonstrating the place of qualitative and quantitative research in this pursuit. Graduates of the program should look forward to productive careers in academic, supervisory, clinic, and community-based employment settings.

The Department of Family Therapy has full time faculty and supervisors that represent racial diversity as well as diversity in gender, age, and religion. The part-time faculty and supervisors also include cultural, gender, age, sexual orientation, and religious diversity. The student body of the doctoral program reflects the rich cultural diversity of South Florida and across the nation as far as race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and age.

The core curriculum includes:

• Four courses that explore the clinical contributions of three major systems paradigms: cybernetics, language-based, and natural systems. However, brief, interactional therapies such as MRI (Mental Research Institute), Solution-Focused approaches, Ericksonian hypnotherapy, and the Milan Associates models receive the greatest exploration. Therapies based in narrative and intergenerational and multigenerational traditions are also covered.
• Four terms of continuous enrollment in clinical practicums at the Family Therapy Clinic at the Family Therapy Clinic, the DFT on-campus clinical facility. Teams of students (maximum of 6) meet weekly with a faculty member/supervisor to work with live, community-referred cases and supervision of cases throughout the calendar year. During a student’s fourth practicum, they may choose a flexible practicum provided for students to see cases independently at the Clinic. The faculty supervisor must approve this independent placement.
• Four courses in research methods, two quantitative and two qualitative, which provide comprehensive coverage of marriage and family therapy research, statistics, various research methodologies, and computer analysis and interpretation.
• Two theory courses, one devoted to the cybernetic systems ideas of Gregory Bateson, the other to the language-based systems (e.g., social constructionism, feminism, and postmodernism).
• One course in the teaching of family therapy. This course prepares student learning and practice in becoming faculty in the MFT field.
• One course in the supervision of family therapy clinicians. This course fulfills the didactic instruction component for AAMFT Approved Supervisor status.

Clinical Internships designed to provide students with a supervised, full-time experience (three terms) emphasize relationally-focused practice and/or research. The majority of a student’s course requirements must be completed before they can begin their internship experience. They must also have successfully completed their Clinical Portfolio.

In keeping with the interdisciplinary philosophy of the School, students have the opportunity to take electives in various specialties and across other programs within the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Additional courses may support students in fulfilling course requirements for licensure as a marriage and family therapist in Florida and other states.

Many students choose to take electives to enhance their learning in special topics. Elective courses at the doctoral level may be taken with the permission of the Program Director. Elective courses available to doctoral students within the Family Therapy Department include Couples Therapy, Family Business, Organization Consulting, Grief and Loss, Academic Writing, International Counseling and Therapy, School Based Family Counseling, Advanced Bowen Systems, and all courses in the Family Systems Health Care (medical family therapy) graduate certificate program. Other courses offered within NSU may be considered pending approval from the Program Director.

During the Ph.D. program, students may also fulfill the academic requirements for becoming a Clinical Member and Approved Supervisor in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. The program's supervision course is approved for meeting the supervision course requirement for AAMFT Approved Supervisors. For licensed marriage and family therapists, additional training and supervision to become AAMFT Approved Supervisors is provided through the Brief Therapy Institute.

Program Formats

The residentially offered Ph.D. in Family Therapy program can be completed in 5 years; the maximum timeframe is 7 years. Full-time enrollment is considered to be at least nine credit hours per term, fall, winter, and summer. Once students begin their dissertation, they are considered full-time when registered for at least three credit hours per term. After taking 12 credit hours of dissertation, students may enroll in one dissertation credit hour per term and still be considered full time in the program. Students must continually be enrolled to remain active in the program. If a student cannot take classes due to unforeseen circumstances, s/he would need 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 in one year is considered inactive and must reapply to the program.

Doctoral students are provided NSU computer accounts including email and Blackboard, but must obtain their own Internet service providers, use their own computer systems and have a usable web camera. Students will use the web to access course materials, announcements, email, distance library services, subscription library databases, and other information, and for interaction with faculty and fellow students. Online, interactive learning methods are based on the use of Blackboard as a course management system. Online activities facilitate frequent student-to-faculty and student-to-student interaction. They are supported by threaded discussion boards, white boards, chat rooms, email, and multimedia presentations. In addition, Blackboard enables students to submit assignments online in multimedia formats and to receive their professors’ reviews of assignments online in the same formats.