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Welcome New Graduate Students!

We are excited to have you join the NSU College of Psychology! Please see below for information about the New Student Orientation schedule, as well as departmental contact information and important links. (NOTE: THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED FREQUENTLY AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.)

New Student Orientation

Your onboarding to the College of Psychology is very important to us. So we have designed a process that consists of the following sessions:

College of Psychology Induction Ceremony (Fall 2025)

As a way to formally acknowledge our new doctoral and specialist students as they start their graduate journey with us, the College will be having an induction ceremony during the graduate student orientation. This ceremony is similar to the “white coat ceremony”, which is traditional in many clinical and medical programs.

This event will be held in August 2025 at the NSU Grande Oaks Golf Club (3201 West Rolling Hills Circle, Davie, FL 33328) MAP

The induction ceremony will serve as a rite of passage and emphasize the importance of compassionate, collaborative, evidence-based care as incoming students mark their transition from undergraduate to emerging professional.

New students will be asked to commit to self-care and to care for each other, their future clients, and the communities they serve. While advised that training will be tough, they will be surrounded by faculty and others who will serve as their mentors and role models through the completion of their training.

During the ceremony, College of Psychology faculty will present a College of Psychology cardigan to each student. (Due to space restrictions, the ceremony is limited to incoming students.)

College of Psychology Cardigan Ceremony

To symbolize the start of the academic journey of our master’s students, College of Psychology faculty will be awarding a specially designed cardigan to each student during the orientation session.

The cardigan symbolizes that students will start their training and accept the responsibility of becoming a competent, compassionate, and ethical professional. Additionally, it also serves as a reminder for students to strive for excellence.

(This event will be held in August 2025.)

Things to Note

• In order to participate in the mandatory graduate orientation sessions, please refer to the email sent to you from psychology@nova.edu.
• You will also be receiving a separate email from your academic program inviting you to their mandatory orientation session. Please register for that session as well.

Need more information?

• New graduate student orientation questions
  • Email psychology@nova.edu
• Download the new student orientation handbook
  • Orientation handbook
• Department of Clinical and School Psychology contacts
  • Clinical Psychology (Ph.D. & Psy.D.): Wendy Burrion psychaffairs@nova.edu; (954) 262-5726
  • School Psychology (Psy.D. & Psy.S.): Suzanne O'Sullivan osulliva@nova.edu; (954) 262-5826
• Department of Counseling contact
  • Pat Zawoyski zawoyski@nova.edu; counseling@nova.edu (954) 262-5720
• Department of Psychology and Neuroscience contact
  • Experimental, Forensic, and General Psychology: Regina Schenck rschenck@nova.edu; (954) 262-5757

Presentation Documents

• Alvin Sherman Library
• Center for Student Counseling and Well-Being
• How to fund graduate school
• Public Safety
• Title IX Presentation