Dec 14, 2024  
Academic Catalog 2023-2024 
    
Academic Catalog 2023-2024 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Psychology with an emphasis in Clinical Psychology, PhD (with optional concentrations)


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The PhD in Clinical Psychology Program’s mission and aims are aligned with Fielding’s mission to create a more humane, just, and sustainable world, and with Fielding’s values of academic excellence, community, diversity, and social justice. A core mission of the program is to foster inclusion of adult students from diverse and under-represented populations, including students of color, those living in rural or remote locations, adult learners with families, and students currently in the military or those who are spouses of military members.

Consistent with this overarching mission and general aims, The PhD program has four specific aims, which students must achieve by the time of graduation.

  1. Students will demonstrate doctoral-level discipline-specific knowledge that represents the scientific and theoretical knowledge areas of the discipline of psychology (i.e., history and systems of psychology and the affective, biological, cognitive, developmental, and social bases of behavior).
  2. Students will demonstrate doctoral-level conceptualization, evaluation, analysis, and integration of discipline-specific knowledge across the curriculum.
  3. Students will demonstrate doctoral-level ability to understand and critique research; design, conduct, analyze, and communicate theoretically informed research; and conduct research in a manner that is culturally sensitive and consistent with legal code and ethical standards, including the APA ethics code.
  4. Students will demonstrate doctoral-level competence in the profession-wide competencies, including conducting evidence-based diagnosis, assessment, and psychotherapy; and applying theory and research to develop case conceptualizations, treatment plans, and interventions that are consistent with legal and ethical standards and individual and cultural diversity factors.

The PhD offers a master’s along the way , as well as the option to declare a concentration in some of the most exciting growth areas of psychology:

  • Forensic Psychology
  • Health Psychology
  • Neuropsychology
  • Social Justice and Diversity

The program is designed to prepare students from diverse backgrounds to achieve entry-level knowledge and competencies required for health service psychologists who will be generalists. More specifically, the PhD program’s general aims are graduating students who (1) produce empirical and scholarly research that advances knowledge in the field and (2) deliver evidence-based practice as health-service psychologists. Academic coursework, clinical training, and research experiences are integrated at each stage of the student’s development within an ethical and culturally-sensitive context.

Required PhD Coursework:


Effective date: 09/01/2023

Theoretical Orientation Course


One 4cr theoretical orientation course, consistent with the Practicum Case Seminar series you select:

Practicum Case Seminar Tracks


8cr (four terms) of one of the following Practicum Case Seminar tracks, to include six training days and ten case presentations:

  • PSY-620  Practicum Case Presentations, 0 semester credits
  • PSY-621  Clinical Training Days, 0 semester credits
  • PSY-629A1 -A4 Practicum Case Seminar: Psychodynamic, 2 semester credits each
  • PSY-629B1 -B4 Practicum Case Seminar: Cognitive/Behavioral, 2 semester credits each
  • PSY-629C1 -C4 Practicum Case Seminar: Humanistic/Experiential Psychotherapy, 2 semester credits each

Clinical Practicum and Internship


Research Requirements


Other Requirements


  • Attendance at professional development seminar meetings for years one-three as follows:
    • a minimum of 5 days during the first year of the program
    • a minimum of 3 days during the second year of the program
    • a minimum of 2 days during the third year of the program
  • Attendance at a minimum of one week-long residential in each of your first two years

Electives (8 credits)


See this sample list. A Clinical PSY elective is a course that is not part of the required curriculum, is offered by Clinical faculty, worth 2 credits or more; and involves graded assignment(s), activities, or tests, in addition to other possible activities that are evaluative in nature. When the required curriculum can be met by selecting from among a number of courses, courses not used to meet the required curriculum can count as an elective. For example, students are required to take one of the following: PSY 701B or 701C.  As such the course that is not taken as part of the required curriculum can be used as an elective.  

For a full listing of available electives, see the Courses section of this catalog for courses with a PSY prefix and Note of “elective.” 

Residency Hours Completion


Residency consists of two main requirements: 1) 600 clock hours face-to-face with Fielding faculty at Fielding sessions and professional development seminars, and 2) two days at local/state/regional/national/international professional psychology conferences.

Total Semester Credits: 179


Optional Concentrations


Forensic Psychology Concentration Requirements


  • 4 semester credits
  • 2 semester credits
  • 1 semester credits
  • 500 cumulative hours of forensic experience (inclusive of direct and indirect service as well as supervision), e.g. in a forensically oriented practicum or internship, a forensic rotation under supervision of a licensed clinical psychologist with forensic experience. (Forensic work as part of a paid employment does not fulfill this requirement). Students are encouraged to clear their rotation with the Director of the Forensic Concentration prior to fulfilling this requirement.

One of the following:


  • A first author published research paper on a forensic topic or first author conference poster or paper
  • 6 additional units of forensic courses, such as: PSY-626, other courses from the 765A-G core (not already completed as part of above requirements), PSY-770 
  • (PhD only) A forensically oriented dissertation, with at least one committee member who is a member of the forensic concentration faculty.
  • 18 semester credits

Health Psychology Concentration Requirements


Practicum


A minimum of 240 hours of practicum be completed in Health Psychology

PhD students:


Dissertation must be on a Health Psychology topic

RCP Students:


Publishable quality research paper

Neuropsychology Concentration Requirements


Required


Concentration Meetings (attend 4)


Neuropsychology Concentration Meetings will take place at each of the 3 sessions: Winter, Summer and Fall. These evening meetings will involve a mix of discussion and presentations related to clinical issues, training and professional issues, Q&A about neuropsychology practice, guest presentations, etc. Students must attend and participate in 4 of these meetings.

Case Presentation (attend and present)


Attendance at one in-person Neuropsychology Case Presentation day at session. To complete the concentration, each student will present one case at one Case Presentation Day.

Additional Requirements (choose one option)


OPTION 1: Take one additional 4 credit term course in neuropsychology (e.g., PSY-774 Neuropsychological Care of TBI ) and complete 5 days of in-person session seminars that qualify for the neuropsychology concentration (see partial list below).

OPTION 2: Do not take an additional course, but complete a total of 9 days of in-person session neuropsychology offerings (see partial list below).

Social Justice and Diversity Concentration Requirements


Required


  • 4 semester credits
  • 150 hours (including both direct and indirect hours) of clinical experience or one internship rotation focused on serving an underserved population.  May be substituted with 150 hours of community service related activities with an underserved population.
  • Research via dissertation, research practicum, new publication, or new conference poster/paper presentation on a topic related to social justice and diversity in clinical practice. This topic could include, but is not limited to, issues pertaining to underserved populations, mental health disparities, prejudice, discrimination, stigma, and promoting equity.

8cr of Electives


Choose 8 credits from credit-bearing seminars occurring at national sessions and/or special topics courses (up to no more than 4 credits) chosen from topics linked to this concentration, including but not limited to:

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