Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology (PSYD)

• Admission Requirements
• General Requirements
• Curriculum

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Program Description

The doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) has its theoretical foundations in the Biopsychosocial model and aims at preparing Health Services Psychologists. To reach its goals, the program ascribes to the Practitioner/Scholar model of training in professional psychology. The program’s curriculum is competency-based emphasizing the development of the clinical competencies used by practicing and academic Clinical Psychologists, and these are consistent 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 a one-year full time or a two-year part-time clinical internship.

Program Goals

The goals of the PsyD Program are:

1. To develop in our students an in-depth understanding of the psychological (cognitive, affective, and motivational), biological and socio-cultural basis of normal and abnormal behavior that serve 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.
3. Upon satisfactory completion of the program, a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) will be bestowed on the student.

Admissions Requirements

Every candidate for admission to the program needs to satisfy the following minimum 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 a US regional 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 - 3.0 or above (on a four-point scale) preferred*
3. GRE - score no more than five years old. (ets.org)**
4. Submit the following documents:
   1. Official transcript from all institutions attended (undergraduate and graduate)

*This requirement is for the new cohort, starting Fall 2024.

** This will not be a requirement for the Fall 2024 cohort.

2. Three 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. Official GRE scores
4. Negative criminal background check
5. An application fee

Upon acceptance, all students are required to submit a commitment form and a non-refundable enrollment deposit fee.

The PsyD Program does not require immunization records, in accordance with Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. However, students may need to submit these documents as part of their Practicum requirements and are highly encouraged to seek independent health care coverage and update their immunization records.

Applicants with masters’ degrees from a regionally accredited university in Psychology, Psychiatric Nursing, Social Work, Counseling or other mental health related fields, may be accepted to the PsyD Program. 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:

• Completion of 2000 hours in a pre-doctoral internship. The internship may be completed in the following formats: 40 hours per week during a 12-month period (Full Time) or 20 hours per week in a 24-month period (Half Time)

Clinical Psychology Programs Transfer Credit Policy

Students who apply for admission to the PHSU doctoral programs in Clinical Psychology may transfer up to 24 graduate credits from institutions accredited by the MDHEWD or MSCHE or a regionally equivalent agency. The 24 transfer credits must be approved in programs related to the field of Clinical Psychology. For the Master of Science program, PHSU will accept up to 12 transfer credit hours. Students with prior graduate work in a field outside mental health may transfer at least 18 credits depending on the nature of the program attended and the equivalency of the courses approved.

The following requirements will guide the evaluation process of those graduate courses submitted for approval:

1. Graduate courses need to be relevant to the field of Clinical/Professional Psychology
2. The requested courses were passed with at least a B grade.
3. The students can demonstrate in an objective manner or through formal written and/or oral examination that they possess the knowledge and skills expected from the courses.

The following courses are frequently equivalent within mental health disciplines and may be transferred from other graduate programs:

• Research Methods
• Test Construction
• Cognitive Assessment and Practicum *
• Group Therapy
• Motivation and Emotion
• Child Psychopathology
• Child Psychotherapy
• Professional Ethics in Psychology
• History of Psychology
• Family Therapy *
• Clinical Psychopharmacology
• Human Sexuality
• Psychology of Addictions
• Geriatric Psychology
• Supervision
• Mental Health Administration
• Forensic Psychology
• Psychoeducational Assessment *

* requires demonstration of competence

The following courses are not considered for transfer to PHSU Clinical Psychology Programs:

PSY 522 - Psychology of Personality
PSY 515 - Human Growth and Development
PSY 523 - Cognitive Psychology
PSY 541 - Fundamentals of Clinical Psychopathology
PSY 511 - Fundamentals of NeuroScience
PSY 512 - Neuroanatomy Laboratory
PSY 645 - Mood and Anxiety Disorders
PSY 658 - Projective Assessment of Personality
PSY 667 - Short-Term Psychotherapy
PSY 662 - Cognitive and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
PSY 747 - Personality and Psychotic Disorders
PSY 818 - Clinical Health Psychology

Graduation Requirements

The requirements to obtain the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology degree are:

1. Approve all required and elective courses, as well as all practicum and seminars while maintaining good standing in the University. A minimum of 86 credits is needed to satisfy the academic requirements. Additionally, the student will complete all required clinical training hours and 2000 hours in a 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 practicum during the first 6 semesters of the program as follows:
   • 8-10 hours on practicum and 1 hour and 40 minutes attending didactic sessions per week of the second semester of the first year attending PSY 5810  for a minimum of 100 hours for the semester.
   • 20-25 hours on practicum and at least 1 hour and 40 minutes per week attending didactic sessions during the first and second semester of the second year (PSY 5820  and PSY 6850 ) for a minimum total of 250 hours per semester with at least 100 direct client contact hours per semester.
   • 20-25 hours on practicum and at least 1 hour and 40 minutes per week attending didactic sessions during the first and second semester of the third year (PSY 6830  and PSY 7860 ) for a minimum total of 250 hours per semester with a minimum of 100 direct client contact hours.
   • 20-25 hours on practicum and at least 1 hour and 40 minutes per week attending didactic sessions during the first semester of the fourth year (PSY 7870 ) for a minimum total of 250 hours per semester a minimum of 100 direct client contact hours.
   • Students also have the option to accrue additional practicum hours during the elective summer practicum courses.
3. Approval of the Comprehensive Examination offered at the end of the second year and the Clinical Practice Examination (CPX) to be taken at the end of the third year.
4. Completion of 2000 hours in a pre-doctoral internship. The internship may be completed in the following formats: 40 hours per week during a 12-month period (Full Time) or 20 hours per week in a 24-month period (Half Time).
5. Present a research project (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 Masters 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. Refer to the PsyD Handbook addendum for further information.

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
NG	No Grade
W	Withdrawal
AW	Administrative Withdrawal

In order 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.

Dissertation

A student registered in the dissertation course will be considered a full-time student. The cost of the dissertation course will apply as published in the applicable tuition & fees document. The grading system will be IP for In Progress, P for Pass, and NP for No-Pass. The maximum time allowed will be in accordance with the program time frame.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Introduction

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.

Scope

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

General Requirements

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.

PROGRAM	STANDARD	MAXIMUM
Clinical Psychology Doctorate	5 years	8 years

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.

Definition of half-time: Students with an academic load of 3 to 5 credits per semester will be considered half time students.

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.

Completion of Program Requirements

Course Requirement: Students must complete all courses within the established time frame. The Program requires a total of 86 credits.

Performance Requirement: A student 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 Promo on Commitee.

Comprehensive Examination (CE) Requirement: A Comprehensive Examination must be taken upon completion of the second academic year. A passing score in the exam is a requirement for candidacy to the Doctoral Degree.

Clinical Practice Examination (CPX): Approval of the Clinical Practice Examination is required upon completion of the last academic year before the Clinical Internship.

Dissertation Proposal: Approval of Dissertation Proposal by the Dissertation Committee and submission of the proposal to the institution’s IRB is required before submitting the application for internship.

Doctoral Dissertation Requirement: A Doctoral Dissertation with oral defense is required for graduation. The data obtained from the dissertation project could be organized in an article format, per APA publication guidelines.

Pre-doctoral Internship Requirement: Students must complete 2000 hours of a pre-doctoral internship.

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 Psy.D. Program.

Grade Requirement

In order 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.
• 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.
• The No Grade (NG) will only be used under specific circumstances preventing a faculty member from submitting the corresponding grade for that course. For example, external practicum/ internship sites are delayed in the submission of students’ feedback or evaluation reports to the schools or programs. For detailed information about the institutional policy, refer to the Institutional Catalogue

Professional Behavior Requirement

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.

Appeal Process

Students may be dismissed from the program for academic or professional issues. Students notified that they are to be dismissed from the Psy.D. program have the right to appeal the case to the Dean of the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences (SBBS) within seven working days after receiving the notification.

The Appeal or Due Process presented below must be followed:

• The Dean of SBBS will evaluate the appeal and the student’s record. Rejection of the appeal by the Dean is final. If the Dean has a reasonable doubt about the student’s capacity or academic record, he/she can appoint a three-member Ad-Hoc Committee to re-evaluate all evidence.
• The Ad-Hoc Committee will notify the student in writing of the date and time when the case will be heard. The Ad-Hoc Committee has forty-eight (48) hours to submit the report. 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. All decisions made by the Dean are final.

Financial Aid Eligibility

Financial Aid eligibility is contingent upon satisfactory academic progress. It is the student’s responsibility to request reinstatement of financial aid.

Enforcement

The Dean of Enrollment Management and Student Success 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 Campus Director, the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and the Dean of Enrollment Management and Student Success, as well as the Director of Clinical Psychology, Registrar and Financial Aid Director will receive all pertinent data to ensure proper enforcement of the policies set forth.