Doctor of Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)

Our mission is to prepare health service psychologists to assess and treat the behavioral health needs of all populations and communities using research to guide service provision. 

Our program’s educational objectives are defined by the nine profession-wide competencies outlined by the American Psychological Association (APA) Standards of Accreditation:

1. Research: Students demonstrate knowledge, skills, and competence sufficient to produce new knowledge, critically evaluate and use existing knowledge to solve problems, and disseminate research.
2. Ethical and legal standards: Students must act in a manner consistent with current ethical and legal standards of the field.
3. Individual and cultural diversity: Students develop the ability to conduct professional activities with sensitivity to human diversity, including the ability to deliver high quality services to an increasingly diverse population.
4. Professional values and attitudes: Students demonstrate a commitment to professional values and attitudes consistent with professional standards.
5. Communication and interpersonal skills: Students demonstrate effective communication and interpersonal skills.
6. Assessment: Students demonstrate competence in conducting evidence-based assessment consistent with the scope of health service psychology.
7. Intervention: Students demonstrate competence in evidence-based interventions consistent with the scope of health service psychology.
8. Supervision: Students demonstrate knowledge of supervision models, practices, and evidence-based literature.
9. Consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills: Students demonstrate knowledge of consultation models and practices and demonstrate knowledge and respect for the roles and perspectives of other professions. 

The Psy.D. is a full-time, on-campus cohort program that typically requires four years of coursework followed by a one-year, full-time doctoral internship. Students must meet a minimum residency of at least the first three years of full-time study and are required to complete the program within seven years.

Our curriculum was designed around the APA Standards of Accreditation, with the intent to provide students with the knowledge and training to enter the field of health service psychology. This includes at least 112 credit hours, 1,500 practicum hours, 2,000 internship hours, and completion of a faculty-approved Doctoral Research Project. Additionally, students must pass a Qualifying Competency Exam — a two-part exam consisting of a written essay and oral exam — in their second year.

For more course information, please view the Psy.D. Course Descriptions.

Course Sequence

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Students have the option of specializing in one of two concentrations:

Child and Adolescent Psychology
There is a dire need for skilled clinicians who can support the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents. By selecting this concentration, you’ll be prepared to provide the highest quality services to this important population. Courses include:

• Pediatric Psychology
• Child and Adolescent Assessment
• Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy
• Advanced Child and Adolescent Psychopathology

Health Psychology 
The rise of national and international health crises has led to a shortage of providers who can address the psychological factors and impacts of medical illnesses. Through the health psychology concentration, you’ll learn how to assess and treat patients with a variety of medical conditions, increase prevention efforts, collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, and minimize morbidity and mortality outcomes. Courses include:

• Health Psychology
• Assessment in Health Psychology
• Interventions in Medical Settings
• Chronic Pain/Illness Management

For more course information, please view the Psy.D. Course Descriptions.

The Psy.D. program offers a variety of clinical practicum placements with diverse settings, populations, and communities — so you’ll gain invaluable clinical field experience under the supervision of on-site and faculty mentors. Your clinical training begins in your second year with your first practicum placement and concludes with the full-time doctoral internship.

Clinical Practicum Overview

• Year 2: Complete an assessment practicum and gain experience administering, scoring, and interpreting various psychological assessments. You’ll also attend a supplemental seminar that provides ongoing supervision and focuses on psychological report writing and diagnostic skills.
• Year 3: Complete an intervention practicum that allows you to explore different intervention approaches directly with patients. You’ll also attend a supplemental seminar that provides ongoing supervision and focuses on case conceptualization, treatment plans, and intervention skills.
• Year 4: Complete an advanced practicum that provides field experience in your area of choice, including assessment, evidence-based treatments, consultation, and/or supervision. The Advanced Practicum Seminar will help you develop and refine your skills in this area.  

Students must complete 9 credit hours of practicum courses and 1,500 clinical practicum hours throughout their clinical practicum experience.  

Doctoral Internship

The one-year, full-time doctoral internship is the capstone clinical experience of the Psy.D. program. Students are required to complete a minimum of 2,000 hours at an APA-accredited or APPIC member site. Before applying for internship, you must complete all prerequisite courses, pass the Qualifying Competency Exam, and defend your Doctoral Research Project Proposal. The internship application process typically includes the following steps:

• Students apply for internship during the fall semester of their fourth year.
• Internship sites reach out to students to request an interview.
• Interviews take place in December and January.
• Students submit a rank order list to the APPIC match portal.
• Match results are released during Match Day in February.

The Doctoral Research Project is a key requirement for completing the Psy.D. program and obtaining your degree. This research opportunity allows you to demonstrate doctoral-level scholarship in the field while pursuing a topic that aligns with your personal and professional interests.

During your third year, you’ll work closely with a project advisor to develop your research proposal and present it to the graduate committee for approval. You’ll then have dedicated credit hours throughout your fourth year to design and implement your project while receiving ongoing supervision from your advisor. At the project’s culmination, you’ll submit your project for review and participate in an oral defense in front of your selected doctoral research project committee.

The Psy.D. program will admit approximately 15 students each year, with applicants expected to meet the minimum academic requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree in psychology or a closely related field from an accredited college or university with a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA.
• At least 18 semester hours in psychology. Students with a 3.5 GPA or above in psychology courses are generally well-prepared for doctoral-level studies. Applicants may waive this requirement with a GRE Psychology Test score of 600 or higher.
• Applicants who have completed upper-level psychology courses, including 3 semester hours of statistics, will be considered preferred.
• Relevant graduate coursework with a minimum 3.5 GPA may also be taken into consideration.

Your completed application must include:

• Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
• Three letters of recommendation from academic faculty who can evaluate your qualifications for graduate study. If you have clinical work experience, you may submit a fourth letter of recommendation from your clinical supervisor.
• A statement of interest that concisely describes why you are a good fit for the program. Please include any clinical or research interests, long-term career goals, or ways you hope to contribute to the field of psychology.
• Current resume or curriculum vitae.
• Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) results are optional. You may submit GRE scores if they support your overall application. Applicants who did not major or complete coursework in psychology may choose to submit GRE scores to demonstrate they are prepared for doctoral study. 

Applications for fall 2025 enrollment open in September and should be submitted by December 15. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all seats are filled, so there is no deposit deadline.

We will review applications in January 2025 and select candidates for in-person interviews. Interview sessions will be held in February and early March. Acceptances will be sent in late March or early April.

To receive program updates and be notified once the application opens, please sign up here.

Fall 2025 Enrollment: $35,000 per academic year

Tuition rates are subject to annual change based on approval by the Board of Trustees, typically in the spring of the preceding academic year.

Financial Aid

Many graduate students are eligible for federal student loans and can apply for an income-driven repayment plan, including the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, after graduating from the program. For more information, please visit studentaid.gov or contact the Financial Aid Office. 

Accreditation by the American Psychological Association
The program is not currently APA-accredited. APA does not allow for application for accreditation until the program has matriculated its second cohort, and it is a multiyear process. The curriculum and the educational experience have been designed and built according to APA accreditation standards. As such, we intend to pursue APA accreditation at the earliest possible time.  

If you have additional questions on accreditation, please contact Joe Trunzo, associate director of the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences.