Nova Southeastern University, founded in 1964 as a graduate institution for physical and social sciences, originally was called the Nova University of Advanced Technology. In 1994, Nova University merged with Southeastern University of the Health Sciences to form Nova Southeastern University, adding the Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Pharmacy, Optometry and Allied Health to the university.

NSU is the largest independent institution of higher education in the Southeast, and it is the 6th largest independent institution nationally. It is located on a beautiful 300-acre campus in Fort Lauderdale and has more than 26,000 students.

Nova Southeastern University has three commonwealth campuses that are centrally located to Southern Florida. Specifically, they are located in Broward and the Miami-Dade counties. Nova Southeastern University also has two international long distance education centers, for students who study international business, which are located in both The Bahamas and Jamaica.

NSU offers a wide variety of degrees and programs through several academic divisions - associate's, bachelor's, master's, educational specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees a wide range of fields.

Distance Education
Nova Southeastern University initiated distance education programs in 1972. It is a pioneer in the area of distance education. It was the first university in the United States to offer graduate programs in an online format, with the creation of the electronic classroom. NSU has been offering online programs and programs with an online component since 1983. NSU was also the first to use the Unix system to host online courses, and one of the first to use the Internet to support instruction.

Distance education is delivered through a variety of instructional delivery systems. Methods of delivery to students located at sites far-off from the main campus include online course delivery systems, synchronous meetings in an electronic classroom, traditional classroom instruction with a live instructor on-site, compressed interactive video, and audio teleconferencing.

Accreditation
Nova Southeastern University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Financial Aid
Nova Southeastern University offers a variety of financial resources available to students: Federal Grants, State Grants, Loans, Scholarship, Student Employment, and Florida Prepaid College Plan.