• NSU Home
• Psychology
• Departments
• Counseling

The MS Program in Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling (online format) and School Counseling (online format) are pleased to offer mandatory Residential Institutes. Students studying from a distance will gain important professional engagement and develop critical core counseling skills!

Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling students in the online format will be required to complete two three-day residency experiences (Friday afternoon/evening-Sunday afternoon). In-person residencies are completed at either the NSU Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus or the NSU Regional Campus in Orlando, Florida.

In these face-to-face experiential requirements, students focus on developing counseling skills, and faculty assist students in preparing for competency evaluations. In addition, students engage in small group activities and receive personalized feedback to hone their counseling skills and demonstrate required competencies.

CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING

After successful completion of PYCL 0502 Counseling Theories and Practice in a previous term, the first mandatory residency will be part of PYCL 0511: Introduction to Counseling Techniques, typically taken in the second semester of the program. PYCL 0511 is one counseling program’s four requisite courses for degree candidacy (matriculation); thus, it represents an important assessment and benchmarking opportunity in a supportive small classroom environment. Students will be required to pass the course and associated competencies in order to matriculate and proceed in the program.

Starting in Fall 2026, CMHC concentration students in the online format will participate in a second residency, as part of PYCL 0635: Group Theory and Practice. This course addresses group theory and practice in multiple settings with a variety of populations and age groups. Major themes include group dynamics, group process, and group stages. Students are eligible to complete this course after successful completion of PYCL 0511 and they must complete PYCL 0635 with the second RI prior to starting PYCL 0680 Counseling Practicum. Therefore, students typically plan to complete this residency in the third through sixth semesters of the program. 

The semester long 3 credit courses will include:

• 3 synchronous (live videoconference) pre-scheduled online class meetings throughout the term,
• asynchronous instruction (e.g., recorded lectures, discussion boards, quizzes, papers),
• and a three day face to face Residential Institute, held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in between weeks 5-8 of the semester term.

Students should expect weekly discussion board interactions and assigned readings supported by online synchronous videoconference learning opportunities throughout the duration of the course. Click HERE for the RI acknowledgement form.

SCHOOL COUNSELING
After successful completion of the pre-requisite course PYCL 0503 Counseling Theories for School Counseling, the mandatory residency weekend will be required as a component of PYCL 0511 Introduction to Counseling Techniques in the Winter semester.

Additionally, after successful completion of the pre-requisite courses PYCL 0503 Counseling Theories for School Counseling and PYCL 0511 Introduction to Counseling Techniques, a second mandatory residency weekend will be required as a component of PYCL 0635 Group Theory and Practice in the Fall semester.

The semester long 3 credit courses will include:

• 3 synchronous (live videoconference) pre-scheduled online class meetings throughout the term,
• asynchronous instruction (e.g., recorded lectures, discussion boards, quizzes, papers),
• and a three day face to face Residential Institute, held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in between weeks 5-8 of the semester term.

Students should expect weekly discussion board interactions and assigned readings supported by online synchronous videoconference learning opportunities throughout the duration of the course. Click HERE for the RI acknowledgement form.