Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology (PsyD)

• Admission Requirements
• General Requirements
• Curriculum

---

Program Description

The doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) has its theoretical foundations in the Biopsychosocial model and aims at preparing Health Services Psychologist. To reach its goals, the program ascribed to the Practitioner/Scholar model of training in professional psychology. The program’s curriculum is competency-based emphasizing on the development of the clinical competencies used by practicing and academically oriented Clinical Psychologist and these are consonant with APA accreditation standards. The curriculum is implemented in a lock-step manner allowing students to acquire these clinical competencies in a graded and sequential manner. Therefore, the student progresses from an entry level through an intermediate level up to the advanced level of competencies achieved upon completing the academic program and the one-year full-time clinical internship.

Program Goals

The goals of the PsyD Program are:

1. Develop in our students an in-depth understanding of the psychological (cognitive, affective, and motivational), biological and socio-cultural bases of normal and abnormal behavior that serves as the foundation of clinical practice.
2. To prepare clinical psychologists for the ethical delivery of empirically supported psychotherapeutic interventions, assessment, diagnosis, consultation, education, supervision, and management when assuming the contemporary roles of the profession while adopting a life- long commitment to professional growth based upon the evolving scientific knowledge and expanding scope of practice.

Admissions Requirements

Every candidate for admission to the program needs to satisfy the following minimal requirements:

1. Bachelor’s degree (BS/BA)
   Present evidence of the successful completion of a bachelor’s degree from a college level institution accredited by the PR Council of Education or by a US accrediting organization with a minimum of 15 credits in psychology including the following courses:

Course Title	Credits
General Psychology	3
Developmental Psychology	3
Statistics	3
Abnormal Psychology (Psychopathology)	3
Experimental Psychology or Research Methods	3

2. GPA - 3.00 or above (on a four-point scale)
3. Submit the following documents:
   1. Official Undergraduate Transcript (Degree Conferred)
   2. Two letters of recommendation written by professors or individuals familiar with the applicant’s professional work and skills using the format provided with the application form.
   3. Certificate of No Penal Record (Criminal Background Check)
   4. Non-refundable application fee

Applicants with master’s degrees in psychology, Psychiatric Nursing, Social Work, Counseling, or other mental health related fields are accepted. The same admission requirements still apply. Up to 24 credits may be transferred from other graduate programs or from a master’s degree. The following requirements will guide (but not restrict) the evaluation process of those courses submitted for approval:

1. Courses need to be relevant to the field of Clinical Psychology.
2. The student must have approved the course with a minimum of a “B” grade.

Students are responsible for providing the course description or syllabus from the official catalog of the institution where they took the courses. Students with transferred grades (TR) must present the original course transcript on their conferred degree transcript. PHSU has several courses and practicum that are not substituted with courses or practicum transferred from other institutions.

Upon acceptance, all students are required to submit the following:

1. Written confirmation of acceptance
2. Non-refundable deposit of $100.00 to secure the seat in the entering class.

Selection Criteria

When evaluating the applicants, the Admissions Committee selects the best candidates. The Committee looks for accepting students of integrity and maturity that show concern for others, leadership potential, character, academic achievements, motivation, emotional stability, evidence of research experience, good performance in the individual interviews, good recommendation letters and an aptitude for working with people.

How to Apply

Application for Admission to the PsyD Program can be obtained through the University Portal (www.psm.edu) or personally at our Admissions Office.

Graduation Requirements

The requirements to obtain the PsyD Doctoral degree are:

1. Approve all required and elective courses, as well as all practicum and seminars while maintaining a good standing in the University. A minimum of 862 credits is needed to satisfy the academic requirements. Additionally, the student will complete all required clinical training hours and a 2000 hours pre-doctoral internship . The doctoral dissertation and the pre-doctoral internship do not carry credit value as they are computed by the hour.
2. Successfully complete 1100 hours of clinical practice during the first 6 semesters of the program as follows:
   1. 2 hours per week for 25 weeks of the first and second semester of the first year attending PSY 5810 /PSY 5820  for a total of 50 hours per semester.
   2. 2 hours each week of the first and second semester of the second year attending didactic sessions (PSY 6830 / PSY 6850 ) and 8 hours per week of direct clinical contact during 25 weeks for a total of 250 semester hours.
   3. 2 hours each week of the first and second semester of the third year attending didactic sessions (PSY 7860 / 7870) and 8 hours per week of direct clinical contact during 25 weeks for a total of 250 semester hours.
3. Approve the Comprehensive Examination (CE) offered by the end of the second year and the Clinical Practice Examination (CPX) to be taken by the end of the third year.
4. Approval of a doctoral dissertation directly related to the field of Psychology, preferably, on a topic related to Professional Psychology, or an Intensive Case Study.

Students may opt to apply for a master’s in science in Clinical Psychology (MSCP) degree after completing 52 credits, completing practicum requirements from the first two years, and passing the Comprehensive Examination. Because the MSCP is a non-terminal degree, students will not attend graduation exercises after completing this degree.

Grading System

All courses and grades obtained will appear on the student’s academic record, including transferred courses from other institutions.

The Program has established evaluation criteria for the successful completion of courses. These criteria are made available to the students at the beginning of the course. The grading system for graduate students is as follows:

Letter	Grade
A	100% - 90%
B	89% - 80%
C	79% - 70%
F	Failed (below 70%)
E	Extended
I	Incomplete
IP	In Progress
P	Pass
NP	Not Pass
W	Withdrawal
AW	Administrative Withdrawal
NG	No-Grade Reported (under special circumstances)

To graduate, the student should complete all requirements and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.00. Satisfactory Academic Progress is required for financial aid eligibility and will be reviewed on a yearly basis.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

This policy has been established to ensure an acceptable time frame for completion of the academic program and the minimally accepted quality of performance. This policy also ensures that the Student Financial Aid requirements set forth by federal regulations are met.

This policy applies to all Clinical Psychology (Psy.D) Doctoral Students enrolled at Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU).

General Requirements

1. Time Frame for completion of the Academic Program
   A Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student will be allowed a maximum time frame of three years of enrollment beyond the standard required for the completion of the program (five years). Summer enrollment is considered part of the academic year for the purpose of this measure.
   
   The total years for completion of a degree include those graduate courses accredited on admission to our program.

Program	Standard	Maximum
Clinical Psychology Doctorate	5 years	8 years

1. Definition of a full time - students with an academic load of 6 credits or more per semester will be considered full time doctoral students. Students registered in doctoral dissertation are also considered full time students.
2. Definition of half time - students with an academic load of 3 to 5 credits per semester will be considered half time students.
3. Definition of less than half time - students with an academic load of less than 3 credits per semester will be considered less than half time or part-time students.

 

2. Completion of Program Requirements
   1. Course Requirement
      Students must complete all courses within the established time frame. The Program requires a total of 86 credits.
   2. Performance Requirement
      Students must complete each academic year with a minimum grade point average of 3.00. Any student failing to meet this standard of performance will be referred to the Students Promotion Committee.
   3. Comprehensive Examination (CE) Requirement
      A Comprehensive Examination must be taken upon completion of the second academic year. Passing the exam is necessary to qualify for the doctoral degree. Detailed information about the CE can be found in the Program Handbook.
   4. Clinical Practice Examination (CPX)
      Approval of the Clinical Practice Examination is required upon completion of the last academic year before the Clinical Internship. Details on the CPX are included in the Program Handbook.
   5. Dissertation Proposal
      Approval of Dissertation Proposal by the Dissertation Committee is required before submitting the application for pre doctoral internship.
   6. Doctoral Dissertation Requirement
      A Doctoral Dissertation with oral defense is required for graduation.
   7. Pre-doctoral Internship requirement:
      Students must complete 2,000 hours of a pre-doctoral internship.
   8. Professional Behavior Requirement
      The students should conduct themselves in accordance with the norms for professional conduct set forth by Ponce Health Sciences University, the corresponding accreditation agencies, and the Clinical Practice Manual of the PsyD. Program.

Grade Requirement

To graduate, the student should complete all requirements and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.00. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is required for financial aid eligibility and will be reviewed on a yearly basis.

• Students should perform at a minimum level of achievement of 80% (B) in all courses.
• Students who obtain a grade of C but maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00 must repeat the course and pass it. Up to two courses may be repeated.
• Students with a GPA below 3.00 will be referred to the Students Promotions Committee.
• A grade of “F” in any course will result in referral to the Students Promotion Committee and considered for dismissal based on overall academic performance.
• Grades of “P” (Pass) or “NP” (No Pass) are applicable to dissertation. When the dissertation activity requires more than one semester for its completion, the student receives a notation of “In Progress” (IP) for each semester and until the dissertation is approved.
• Criteria for courses with pass or no pass grade will be specified in each course syllabus.
• Grades of “P” (Pass) or “NP” (No Pass) are applicable to Practica and Internship. A grade of “NP” requires repetition and referral to the student’s promotion committee. In case of a second “NP” grade in the same practicum or internship, the student will be referred to the Students Promotion Committee with a recommendation for dismissal.
• Students cannot take failed or withdrawn courses more than twice.
• An “I” (Incomplete) grade will only be allowed under very special circumstances as determined by the professor. The student must remove the “I” (Incomplete) in agreement with the professor and must be removed by the incomplete removal date of the following academic session. For detailed information about the institutional policy, refer to the Institutional Catalogue.
• No Grade (NG) will only be used under specific circumstances in which a faculty member understands that they do not have the complete criteria to evaluate the student, given special circumstances such as a delayed evaluation. For detailed information about the institutional policy, refer to the Institutional Catalogue

Academic Probation and Financial Aid Eligibility

A student failing to meet the grade requirements will be placed on academic probation for one semester but will be eligible for financial aid. At the end of the semester, if the student has not regained SAP, he/she loses financial aid for the following semester.

If the student is dismissed, but the dismissal decision is reserved by the due process, the student loses financial aid until SAP is reestablished.

Appeal Process for Academic Probation

Students who are notified by the Program’s Academic Dean a decision of the Students Promotion Committee that he/she must repeat failed courses during the next academic year or to be dismissed from the program, have the right to appeal the decision within five (5) working days after receiving the notification.

The appeal or due process presented below must be followed.

The student will appeal in writing to the Students Promotion Committee (SPC) and include all relevant documentation to support the request. The Committee will evaluate the reasons and evidence submitted to determine if they change their initial decision. After the meeting, the SPC has 48 hours to submit its decision to the Program’s Academic Dean, who will notify the decision to the student.

If the SPC sustains the adverse decision, the student has the right to appeal to the Dean of Behavioral and Brain Sciences (SBBS). The appeal must be submitted in writing within five (5) working days after receiving the notification. The SBBS’ Dean will evaluate the appeal and the student’s academic record. The SBBS’ Dean can appoint a three-member Ad-Hoc Committee to re-evaluate all evidence. Rejection of the appeal by the Dean is final.

If an Ad-Hoc Committee is appointed, they will notify the student in writing of the date and the time when the appeal will be evaluated. After the meeting, the Ad-Hoc Committee has forty-eight (48) hours to submit a recommendation to the SBBS’ Dean. The Dean will consider the Ad-Hoc Committee recommendation and make the final decision within forty-eight (48) hours.

Any decision will be reported to the student in writing. The decision made by the Dean of the SBBS is final.

The same process described above will be followed in the case that the adverse decision made by the Committee is for non-academic reasons, such as unacceptable professional behavior. The SBBS’ Academic Dean, the SBBS’ or the VP for Student Affairs will refer the case to the SPC. If the recommendation of the SPC is to dismiss the student, the appeal process described above may be activated.

If an adverse decision is made due to non-academic reasons and the SBBS’s Dean sustains the decision after the appeal process, the student may appeal to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Any additional appeal should be submitted to the PHSU President.

Reinstatement of Financial Aid

Financial Aid eligibility is contingent upon satisfactory academic progress.

It is the student’s responsibility to request reinstatement of financial aid.

Enforcement

The Office of Student Affairs shall have primary responsibility for overseeing this policy and will provide all students upon admission to Ponce Health Sciences University, a copy of this document.

The President, the VP for Academic Affairs, and the VP for Student Affairs, as well as the Registrar and Financial Aid Director will receive all pertinent data to ensure proper enforcement of the policies set forth.

Tuition and Fees

For more details of PHSU tuition and fees please refer to: Tuition and Fees 2024-2025.pdf

ALL TUITION AND FEES ARE PAYABLE ON OR BEFORE REGISTRATION.

*Ponce Health Sciences University reserves the right to increase the tuition or other fees as deemed necessary. *