Nova Southeastern University

Nova Southeastern University is a college in Florida that also goes by the names of NSU and Nova. Established in 1964, it originally opened as the Nova University of Advanced Technology and took over part of an old Navy base for its campus. Students attending the university in its early days were graduate students who already have bachelor's degrees. Many of its programs and courses were more scientific or technical in nature, and a large number of its graduates later went to work for NASA and other government organizations. It later became NSU as it branches outside of technology and scientific programs.

Though NSU has its flagship campus in Davie, it also opened satellite campuses as a way to help other students. Its Dania Beach campus offers programs in marine biology and similar topics and gives students the chance to actually get into the water and work. Around 5% of all NSU students take classes on its North Miami Beach campus. NSU also has satellite campuses in seven different Florida cities like Tampa and Jacksonville as well as a new campus in Puerto Rico. These courses let students take courses online, from professors working for those schools and via video feeds connected to the flagship campus. Washington Monthly ranked it as one of the country's best schools, and The Economist found that graduates make a higher income than those who graduated with similar degrees.

Nova Southeastern University Accreditation Details

Regional or institution accreditation is one of the most important types of accreditation a school can have. Nova Southeastern University gained its regional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). In addition to doing extensive research into the university before giving it accreditation, SACS requires that all universities apply for renewal every decade to ensure that those campuses meet the needs of their student bodies. Nova also has accreditation for a handful of its degree programs like its bachelor's in nursing program, which has accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education granted accreditation to the university's pharmacy tech program. Some of the other program accreditation that Nova has comes from:

• American Occupational Therapy Association
• American Dental Association
• Council on Education for Public Health
• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• American Psychological Association
• American Physical Therapy Association

Nova Southeastern University Application Requirements

The Common Application is a website that many colleges and universities, including Nova, use as a way to make the application process easier for students. With one account created on the site, students can apply to dozens of colleges that use the site. Prospective students no longer need to visit multiple sites, search around to find application requirements and submit dozens of applications on those sites. The Common Application asks that students create a new account, link it a primary email address and choose a unique password. They can then select Nova from a list of schools and find all the application requirements in one convenient place.

Less than half of all students who apply receive acceptance to Nova. Admitted students typically has an ACT score of 22 or higher, an SAT score of 1000 or higher and a weighted GPA of 4.02. After filling out the application and paying the $50 application fee, students will need to submit their test scores and a high school transcript. Nova also asks that undergraduate students submit one to three letters of recommendation. Graduate students will need to submit an official score from the GRE, MCAT or a similar standardized test, submit letters of recommendation, complete the online application and mail an official college or university transcript.

Tuition and Fees

Nova Southeastern University charges a set tuition rate of $897 per credit hour for students taking classes part-time and those enrolled in its continuing education program. Students who enroll on a full-time basis pay close to $27,000 a year, which lets them take 12 or more credit hours every semester. This tuition rate also covers any required fees. The cost of room and board adds up to $11,000 to a student's cost every year. The graduate programs at NSU charge between $550 and more than $1,000 a credit hour. Graduate students are also responsible for other fees for taking part in professional seminars, doing an internship or using service centers on campus.

Anyone applying to Nova should complete the FAFSA and file it at the same time that they submit a full application to the school. The sooner they file this form, the sooner the school can determine the financial aid package given to the student at the beginning of the year. Students in its undergraduate programs can apply for a work-study program on the campus, get grants from the government and take out loans. Graduate and doctorate students may receive a combination of grants and loans as well.

Psychology and Counseling Programs

The College of Psychology at Nova is the department responsible for all undergraduate, graduate and doctoral psychology programs. it offers a BS in psychology for those who want to gain more general knowledge and a BS in behavioral neuroscience for those who want to go into research later. Nova also allows students to double major in psychology and another subject. All students must take a certain number of laboratory science programs before graduating. There is also an honors program open to qualifying students who have high grades when entering and maintain a high GPA.

Nova also offers two graduate level programs. Its Specialist Program in School Psychology teaches students how to take on leadership roles and work as guidance counselors for kids. The university offers a separate Master of Science in Psychology program. Students can pick a concentration in general counseling, school counseling, mental health counseling, general psychology, experimental psychology or forensic psychology. Graduates students typically take seminar courses and complete a thesis.

There are also three doctoral programs open to those interested in counseling and psychology. Students can earn a PhD in clinical psychology, a doctoral degree in school psychology or a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. Nova Southeastern University also has an internship program that is open to any student enrolled in an accredited doctoral level psychology program who wants to gain experience working in Florida clinical settings.