Overview: PsyD & PhD Degree Programs in Clinical Psychology
CSPP at Alliant offers two different kinds of doctoral degree programs in clinical psychology: PhD degree programs and PsyD programs. Both are offered on multiple campuses.  The PhD in Clinical Psychology is offered on the Fresno, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco Campuses. The PsyD in Clinical Psychology is offered on the Fresno/Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco Campuses. Students may not apply to both a PsyD and a PhD program in clinical psychology in the same year
PhD & PsyD: What's the difference? The PhD is traditionally the more academic, research-oriented degree, while the PsyD degree develops skills associated with clinical practice. The PsyD usually takes about four years to complete while the PhD requires five years. CSPP's PsyD and PhD programs share many common elements, including strong research and field placement components. Competencies Developed by Doctoral Students All clinical doctoral students are expected to develop competency—both knowledge and skills—in seven areas: - interpersonal/relationship;
- general assessment, appraisal, and ascertainment;
- multifaceted multimodal intervention;
- research and evaluation;
- consultation/teaching;
- management/supervision;
- and quality assurance.
By the time of graduation, they should also demonstrate a mastery of knowledge-based, research-based and practice-based competencies appropriate to their educational specialty. I. Knowledge-based competencies Students are expected to have knowledge of the basic concepts and principles of the substantive content areas appropriate to their chosen specialty and to have the ability to evaluate these concepts and principles. II. Research-based competencies The capstone of the PhD degree is an independent scholarly work representing an original contribution to knowledge. Students are expected to develop sufficient knowledge and the empirical skills needed to conceive and carry out independent scholarly investigation. The canons of science and scholarship, rather than any specific methodological paradigm, are the focus of research and are the bases for evaluating findings. The PsyD program incorporates similar foundations of research and statistical competency and trains students to be discriminating consumers of research. Students conduct an applied clinical doctoral project (sometimes termed doctoral research project or clinical dissertation). This project includes a thorough review of the professional literature as well as the production of a doctoral paper, case study examination, program plan or evaluation, videotape, or training manual. All students must demonstrate an understanding of scientific inference, the knowledge and skills necessary for the formulation of hypotheses, the systematic gathering of data and the selection of suitable quantitative and/or qualitative methods for the analysis of data. Research competency includes knowledge of the techniques and methods of inquiry available to the professional psychologist. III. Practice-based competencies: Students are expected to become practitioners who demonstrate commitment to the intellectual and scholarly enterprise of psychology. They are expected to have knowledge about human behavior (normal and abnormal human development) including intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group and community or organizational behavior. For competent professional functioning, students are expected to demonstrate specific skills related to their specialty areas such as psychological diagnosis and assessment, intervention procedures and strategies, consultation, supervision and program development and evaluation. Beyond effective functioning in settings reflecting their chosen professional specialty, they must be able to demonstrate the application of their skills to a range of problems. Each student is required to develop competencies in working cooperatively with a range of groups including professionals, paraprofessionals and community groups or businesses which may vary in ethnic, socioeconomic, or other demographic dimensions. In addition, students develop skills that help them provide consultation and supervision to human service personnel. Finally, graduates must demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to ethical standards of psychology as defined by the APA. They must be able to apply this orientation to their interpersonal transactions, specific problems in practice, teaching and research. Graduates must manifest mature self-awareness, including demonstrated sensitivity to their own motivations and impact on others, especially clients and colleagues. In addition, they must evidence capacity for and commitment to, self-review, continuing education and professional development. Excellent interpersonal, communication, judgment and problem-solving skills combine with the competencies described above to define an effective professional psychologist. Students’ development of these knowledge, research, practice and interpersonal competencies inform decisions for retention in the program. Overview of PhD and PsyD Programs The standard clinical doctoral programs at CSPP begin with entry at the graduate level and lead to the PsyD or PhD through a sequence of courses and field experiences integrating theory, research and practice. In the first and second years, all programs provide an extensive background in the foundations of psychology; they develop students’ basic scientific understanding and practice skills. Students participate in clerkship or practicum experiences requiring 8-20 hours of student time per week in their first and/or second years, depending on their choice of degree program and campus. At this level, students receive training in specific skills, such as psychological assessment, evaluation of clients and programs, and intervention and psychotherapeutic techniques. They are also introduced to the roles and ethical practices of professional psychologists. Students may participate in individual therapy and other personal and professional development activities. In fulfilling the individual psychotherapy requirements, students may not utilize therapists who are CSPP faculty members or their field placement supervisors. CSPP does provide some referrals to psychotherapists who work with students at reduced cost. Students who have recently fulfilled this requirement prior to enrollment and who can adequately verify that their previous psychotherapy sessions have fulfilled the school’s requirements may not have to repeat the requirement. During the second or third year, students must pass formal evaluations which may include written
comprehensive or preliminary examinations in order to be advanced to doctoral candidacy. Each program establishes specific methods and procedures for evaluating students. Evaluations focus on a student’s demonstrated academic ability, expected competency in research, interpersonal competencies, and understanding of the basic theoretical foundations of psychology. The curriculum for third, fourth and fifth year students includes advanced training in theoretical issues, psychological intervention techniques, professional ethics and issues, psychopharmacology and supervision. Students also participate in the dissertation or doctoral project, field placements, growth experiences, and elective courses. While required coursework is substantial, in the final years there is also time to develop special interests. Internships occupy 20 to 40 hours per week, intensifying students’ mastery of professional skills and providing supervisory experience. Clinical internship requirements meet and in some programs exceed, the 1,500 hours of pre-doctoral internship accepted by the California Board of Psychology. CSPP doctoral course requirements at all campuses are designed to fulfill all of the state licensing requirements of California and in some cases they exceed the requirements. Upon a student’s successful completion of the doctoral program, the doctorate is conferred by the faculty, dean and the Board of Trustees. The faculty maintains the traditional academic prerogative to grant degrees based on their judgment regarding the candidate’s ability to function as a professional psychologist at the doctoral level. In content, the clinical psychology curricula reflect four areas of study—applied research, professional skills, professional concepts, and personal growth. A student’s coursework each year consists of required courses and electives from each of these areas, described in greater detail on the following pages.
Doctoral Research The standard clinical doctoral programs at CSPP begin with entry at the graduate level and lead to the PsyD or PhD through a sequence of courses and field experiences integrating theory, research and practice. Candidates for the PhD degree at CSPP are required to complete a dissertation. Completion of this requirement demonstrates that the student has learned investigative techniques, has made a contribution to knowledge and has developed skills that will prove useful in assuming a professional role. A dissertation committee, composed of a chairperson and two other members, helps each student develop the dissertation proposal, reads and passes on the quality of the final dissertation, and administers and evaluates the student’s oral examination. Each doctoral student is responsible for enlisting a core or research faculty member to serve as dissertation committee chairperson. Other members of the committee consist of core faculty, adjunct faculty, or consultants with special expertise in the dissertation area. Some students finish their dissertations by the end of the final year of their classroom work. The majority, however, continue their dissertation work beyond completion of other coursework. Extensions of one to three years may be granted to students demonstrating sufficient need and continued progress toward completion of the dissertation. Fieldwork & Practica All clinical doctoral students participate in required field experiences during most years of their program. This field work offers them practical exposure to a variety of settings and clients. The PsyD programs may involve more clerkship or practicum experiences than the PhD programs. The model professional training experience for CSPP students should be a broadly based sequence of placements providing exposure to a variety of evidence-based treatment modalities; various theoretical orientations in a variety of treatment settings; and a wide range of patient populations. Those students involved in special emphasis areas within the program generally have at least one placement experience with a setting and population appropriate to their area of concentration. Some of the field placements currently offered through the campuses involve a stipend. These stipends range from $200 to a few that are over $20,000 per year, depending upon the agency. Students who intern at the CSPP-supported and APA-accredited Central California Psychological Internship Consortium Association (CCPICA), which is in the Central Valley, generally receive internship stipends of $15,000 or more. The school ensures that internships for clinical doctoral students meet the licensing standards of the California Board of Psychology. Practica and internships are generally assigned on a one-year basis. Students usually assume new field placement positions at the beginning of each academic year in order to gain exposure to a variety of training models. While procedures for arranging compatible matching of field placement and student interest vary from campus to campus, the overall goal is to match student interests and needs to training site offerings. There are two models of internship training. One involves a full-time placement in an APA-accredited internship in the last year of the program. Another model of internship training involves doing two, half-time internships which are integrated within the last two years of the academic experience. Both models provide a high-quality, sequential and cumulative learning experience. APA-accredited internships are full-time and usually offer stipends. Although students are encouraged to apply for an APA-accredited internship, CSPP also offers the part-time internship option in agencies carefully selected for CSPP students.
Dissertations Both PsyD and PhD programs require a dissertation. To learn more about these dissertations, please follow the links under each individual program. To search for dissertations, please visit the Alliant Library Catalog: http://library.alliant.edu/screens/dissert.htm.
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