Health Service Psychology, PsyD

Program Description

For students meeting all prerequisite requirements, the Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Health Service Psychology (Combined Clinical/School) program is a three-year post-Masters professional preparation program. Students whose previous Masters programs were missing a small number of prerequisites (see admissions requirements) may complete those prerequisites during their time in the PsyD program, which may extend their time in the program by up to one academic year. The PsyD program ascribes to the practitioner-scholar model of clinical training, which places greater emphasis on clinical preparation as opposed to research training.  The Program requires the completion of 57 semester hours (plus any prerequisite hours not met through the candidate’s earned Masters/Specialist degree relevant to the concentration). The curriculum consists of required and elective courses (33 hours), practicum (12 hours), dissertation (6 hours), and internship (6 hours).  The curriculum is designed to meet requirements for accreditation by the American Psychological Association.

When combined with pre-requisite coursework and experiences, students who complete the program and pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) should be eligible for licensure as a psychologist and students in the School Psychology Concentration who pass the Praxis exam should also be license eligible by state departments of instruction and eligible for National Certification as a School Psychologist (NCSP). State standards for licensure vary and it is the responsibility of candidates to be aware of state licensure laws to ensure training meets licensure standards for the state.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the admissions criteria established by the Graduate School, the program also requires the following:

Test Scores

An official GRE General Test score report from within the past five years must be provided by applicants with a cumulative graduate GPA less than 3.7. Submission of GRE General Test scores are optional for applicants with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.7 or above.

GPA and/or previous degree

At the time of enrollment, applicants must have completed a Masters or Specialist degree in clinical psychology, school psychology or closely related area that includes at least the following prerequisites. All pre-requisites must be met at the graduate level and applicants must have earned at minimum a master’s or specialist degree. Only courses for which an applicant has earned a grade of B or better will be counted towards the required prerequisites.

It is not uncommon for students to need to complete additional coursework in order to meet the PsyD program’s prerequisites, which may extend the course of the program beyond the typical three years. Students requiring 24 credit hours (one academic year) or fewer of additional coursework may apply directly to the PsyD program. Students requiring more than 24 credit hours are not eligible to apply directly to the PsyD program but may apply to our MA-level clinical or school psychology programs.

The following prerequisites apply to both the Clinical and the School tracks:

• Thesis coursework (typically 6 credit hours) resulting in a defended empirical thesis involving the collection and/or manipulation of data.
• 6 credit hours of practicum or internship.
• 6 credit hours of research methods and statistics.
• A 3-credit-hour course on cognitive and achievement testing, including hands-on practice with clients or volunteers.
• A 3-credit-hour course on psychopathology.
• A 3-credit-hour course in developmental psychology.
• A 3-credit-hour course in cognitive behavioral therapy specifically.

The following additional prerequisites apply to the Clinical Track:

• A 3-credit-hour course on objective personality assessment.
• A 3-credit-hour course in neuropsychology or biological bases of behavior.
• An additional 3-credit-hour course on psychotherapy (e.g., group psychotherapy, evidence-based therapy techniques, etc.).

The following prerequisites apply to the School Track:

• An additional 3-credit-hour course on cognitive and achievement, or other school-based testing beyond the general prerequisite.
• A 3-credit-hour course in behavioral, academic and/or school-based interventions.
• A 3-credit-hour course on professional issues in school psychology. 

Essay or Narrative Statement

A personal statement written in three (3) double-spaced pages or less describing the candidate’s:

• background and experiences in psychology
• interest in the PsyD program and specific concentration identified
• academic interests that align with departmental faculty;
• career goals
• commitment to providing psychological services to underserved and rural populations

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation solicited from professionals (ideally professional supervisors and psychology faculty) who can provide information about candidate’s:

• capacity for success in a doctoral psychology program
• interpersonal characteristics
• academic preparation
• clinical skills

Resume and/or Experience

A Curriculum Vita documenting the following criteria:

• Prior research experience (preferred criteria)
• Educational history and Other Experiences