Clinical Psychology, Doctorate
PROGRAM AIM: To train the next generation of health service psychologists in the integration of science and practice as relates to the broad and general preparation for entry level practice of ethical, socially just, culturally-competent and evidence-based diagnostic, intervention and assessment services, with particular commitment to cultural and individual difference and diversity.
The PsyD Clinical Psychology program is designed to train psychologists to provide professional psychological services to Spanish-speaking or other diverse populations. The PsyD program offers a curriculum designed to meet the needs of a multi-cultural environment with a strong social justice focus. Our practitioner-scholar model prepares students to contribute meaningfully to the field and practice of clinical psychology.
Each cohort is capped at 15 students, giving students the opportunity to work closely with peers and an expert faculty. Faculty members offer a significant amount of mentoring and advising throughout the coursework and fifth year internship.
The program is designed as a full-time, day-time five-year graduate program. Over the first four years, courses will be offered two days per week Monday through Thursday, year-round with additional research, practica and professional development activities when not in class. The program will culminate with a fifth-year, full-time clinical internship.
Embedded in the required coursework, all students are expected to complete a dissertation prior to beginning their clinical internship to help inform their practice. Students work closely with their advisor to fulfill this requirement as it relates to their chosen emphasis.
Alignment with APA Standards of Accreditation
In accordance with the American Psychological Association (APA) Standards of Accreditation, the following PROFESSION-WIDE COMPETENTCIES are foundational to the curriculum of our PsyD program:
1. Research - Demonstrates understanding and respect for research, research methodology, techniques of data collection and analysis, biological bases of behavior, cognitive-affective bases of behavior, and development across the lifespan.
2. Ethical and legal standards -Demonstrates application of ethical concepts and awareness of legal issues regarding professional activities with individuals, groups, and organizations.
3. Individual and cultural diversity – Awareness, sensitivity and skills in working professionally with diverse individuals, groups and communities who represent various cultural and personal backgrounds and characteristics defined broadly and consistent with APA policy/guidelines.
4. Professional values, attitudes and behaviors - Adherence to professional values including self-reflection, integrity, professional identity and comportment, accountability and concern for the welfare of others.
5. Communication and interpersonal skills -Develop individual and group interpersonal skills to improve and foster participation and interaction critical for achieving individual, group and diverse community goals. Able to demonstrate verbal and non-verbal congruency and ability to demonstrate engagement.
6. Assessment - Able to assess and diagnose problems, capabilities and issues associated with diverse individuals, groups and/or organization. Able to demonstrate conceptualization of problems considering the context and other relevant factors.
7. Intervention - Able to plan, implement and evaluate interventions designed to alleviate suffering and to promote health and well-being of diverse individuals, groups and organizations. Able to demonstrate conceptualization of problems considering the context and other relevant factors.
8. Supervision - Able to guide, support and direct the integration of research and clinical expertise in the context of patient factors.
9. Consultation and inter-professional/interdisciplinary skills - The ability to provide expert guidance or professional assistance in response to a client’s needs or goals. Able to use interpersonal skills needed to collaborate well with others.
Also, in accordance with the APA Standards of Accreditation “Implementing Regulations,” the following behaviors are expected by doctoral students and interns:
Professional Values and Attitudes
- Behave in ways that reflect the values and attitudes of psychology, including integrity, deportment, professional identity, accountability, lifelong learning, and concern for the welfare of others.
- Engage in self-reflection regarding one’s personal and professional functioning; engage in activities to maintain and improve performance, well-being, and professional effectiveness.
- Actively seek and demonstrate openness and responsiveness to feedback and supervision.
- Respond professionally in increasingly complex situations with a greater degree of independence as they progress across levels of training.
Communication and Interpersonal Skills
- Develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals, including colleagues, communities, organizations, supervisors, supervisees, and those receiving professional services.
- Produce and comprehend oral, nonverbal, and written communications that are informative and well-integrated; demonstrate a thorough grasp of professional language and concepts.
- Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage difficult communications well.
Clinical Practice
Practica and the final-year internship are integral to our scholar-practitioner curriculum. In the fifth- and final-year of the program all students are required to complete a full-time clinical internship. This may be a local or national placement and students enroll in a 3-unit course each semester of the final year as part of this requirement.
“En-Route” Master’s of Psychology (PsyD Program) Effective Fall 2021
Students are eligible to receive their M.S. in Psychology after successful completion of their first year (minimum 30 units) of required coursework. This degree is intended only as an “en-route” degree toward completion of the Psy.D. and is not intended as a terminal master’s degree. This degree does not allow the recipient to sit for licensure as a mental health practitioner.
Students’ eligibility is determined by the Professional Standing Committee (PSC) during the summer as part of the Annual Evaluation process. Students are then notified at the beginning of the subsequent fall semester whether they are eligible to apply for the MS degree. Once notified of their eligibility, students must submit a Graduate Declaration/Change of Emphasis Form to the Registrar's Office, apply for graduation, and pay the appropriate fee.
Admission Requirements
Grounded in social justice, our program is committed to evaluating applications holistically based on students’ capacity to contribute to the study and practice of clinical psychology.
Students who wish to apply to the PsyD program must meet minimum graduate admission requirements.
- A baccalaureate or professional degree (or equivalent foreign credential) from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, earned by the expected date of entry
- Completion of 18 semester units with "B" or better in the following courses
Required prerequisite courses:
- General or Introductory Psychology
- Abnormal Psychology
- Research Methods or Statistics
- Remaining units may be in other areas of social science
- Note: Courses may be taken at a variety of institutions
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale for undergraduate work. If your GPA does not meet the minimum requirement—or if you believe that your GPA is not a valid indicator of your ability—you may submit an application, and provide a brief statement (no more than one page) explaining circumstances or limitations that affected your GPA
Application Components & Process
All PsyD applicants are responsible for submitting the following:
PsyD Admission Application
Application Essay
Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
Résumé / Curriculum Vitae
Official Transcripts
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Admission Interview (The interview will be arranged by the selection committee, based upon successful completion and evaluation of the preceding documents.) In addition, if applicants are granted an interview, they will participate in an onsite essay as part of the admissions process.
Degree Specializations
The doctorate in Clinical Psychology has two specializations: Diverse Populations and Latinx Mental Health.
Students enrolled in the Diverse Populations specialization may select any population(s) (e.g. LGBTQ, African-American, Asian-American) in which they would like to build expertise.
Students enrolled in the Latinx Mental Health specialization will focus their dissertation research, practica and internships with Spanish-speaking populations.
Mount Saint Mary’s University PsyD in Clinical Psychology graduates are eligible to sit for licensure as a Psychologist in California. The Board of Psychology of California is the licensing authority for California and requires an exam on the laws and regulations for practice of psychology in California, as well as the national EPPP (Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology). Licenses in other states are granted by the licensing authority in those individual states and those licensing boards might require an additional exam on laws and regulations specific to that state, as well as additional education requirements. Prior to enrollment, prospective students must review the lists below to determine whether this program meets the educational requirements in a specific state. MSMU would like to help applicants and students navigate the licensure process. Contact the Director of the PsyD Program at gtravis@msmu.edu. Students may also find the contact information and licensure requirements for the licensing authority in California and other jurisdictions by visiting the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) website.
Sequence of Courses
First Year
| PSY 401 | Research Methods: Quantitative & Statistics | 3 |
| PSY 403 | Research Methods: Qualitative | 3 |
| PSY 405 | Professional Ethical and Legal Standards | 3 |
| PSY 406 | Diverse Populations | 3 |
| PSY 408 | Professional Values | 1 |
| PSY 409 | Communication & Interpersonal Skills | 1 |
| PSY 411 | Cognitive & Academic Assessment | 3 |
| PSY 412 | Clinical Psychopathology | 3 |
| PSY 413 | Personality Assessment | 3 |
| PSY 414 | Intro to Health Service Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 442 | Community Mental Healthcare | 3 |
| PSY 450 | Social Justice Immersion | 1 |
| PSY 425 | Clinical Supervision | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 31 |
Second Year
| PSY 420 | Developmental Aspects of Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 400 | History and Systems | 3 |
| PSY 407 | Culturally Fluent Interventions | 3 |
| PSY 435 | Relationship/Family Interventions | 3 |
| PSY 430 | Crisis and Trauma Assessment & Intervention | 2 |
| PSY 451A | Practicum Seminar I | 2 |
| PSY 402 | Research Design | 3 |
| PSY 421 | Cognitive Aspects of Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 404 | Psychometrics | 2 |
| PSY 451B | Practicum Seminar II | 2 |
| PSY 432 | Cognitive Behavioral Theories & Interventions | 3 |
| PSY 451C | Practicum Seminar III | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 30 |
Third Year
| PSY 423 | Critical Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 499LX | Latinx Mental Health Emphasis Course | 3 |
| PSY 434 | Child & Adolescent Interventions | 3 |
| PSY 461 | Dissertation Proposal I | 2 |
| PSY 452A | Practicum Semincar IV | 2 |
| PSY 431 | Psychodynamic Theories & Interventions | 3 |
| PSY 422 | Biological Aspects of Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 499LX | Latinx Mental Health Emphasis Course | 3 |
| PSY 462 | Dissertation Proposal II | 2 |
| PSY 452B | Practicum Seminar V | 2 |
| PSY 424 | Affective Aspects of Behavior | 2 |
| PSY 426 | Consultation & Inter-Professional/Interdisciplinary Skills | 1 |
| PSY 452C | Practicum Seminar VI | 1 |
| PSY 463 | Dissertation Proposal III | 2 |
| PSY 460 | Clinical Proficiency Exam | 0 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 32 |
Fourth Year
| PSY 471 | Dissertation I | 2 |
| PSY 453A | Advanced Practicum Seminar I | 2 |
| PSY 440 | Human Sexuality & Gender Diversity | 3 |
| PSY 433 | Contemporary/Post-Modern Theories & Interventions | 3 |
| PSY 499LX | Latinx Mental Health Emphasis Course | 3 |
| PSY 472 | Dissertation II | 2 |
| PSY 453B | Advanced Practicum Seminar II | 2 |
| PSY 441 | Clinical Psychopharmacology | 2 |
| PSY 499LX | Latinx Mental Health Emphasis Course | 3 |
| PSY 473 | Dissertation III | 2 |
| PSY 453C | Advanced Practicum Seminar III | 1 |
| PSY 436 | Group Interventions | 3 |
| PSY 437 | Addiction Interventions | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 30 |
Fifth Year
Total Credit Hours: 132
Grading Policies . Students enrolled in graduate programs at MSMU must maintain a 3.0 GPA. If they fall below this GPA, students are put on probation and given one semester to bring their grades up to a 3.0. If this is not achieved, they will be dismissed from the program.
Students must earn the grade of B- or better in each course applied toward degree requirements. Courses may only be repeated one time. The higher grade will be computed in the GPA. If a student does not earn a B- or better upon repetition of the course, the student will be dismissed from the program.