Curriculum

The Psy.D. program has eight categories of training goals that organize our curriculum:

  1. Basic Foundations in Psychology,
  2. Professional Skills,
  3. Cultural Competence,
  4. Evidence Based Assessment,
  5. Evidence Based Intervention,
  6. Supervision,
  7. Consultation, and
  8. Research.

Graduates of this program will demonstrate proficiency and expertise in each of these areas.

Program Overview

Students will complete a minimum of 114 credit hours spread across five years, with the fifth year dedicated to a full-time pre-doctoral clinical internship, as required by the American Psychological Association. Of the required credits for the Psy.D. at West Chester University, 12 credits (or four courses) will be elective courses. Students will be required to choose between one of two specialty tracks: Child and Adolescent Health or Post Traumatic Stress. In consultation with his/her advisor, each student will select 4 elective courses that support the student's specific training goals and that enhance learning in the student's specialty track. Elective courses and practicum training experiences will provide students the opportunity to gain depth of training and expertise in their chosen specialty area (i.e., Child and Adolescent Clinical Health or Post Traumatic Stress).

First year students will complete required clinical courses in preparation for their clinical practice training which begins in Spring of Year 1, when students start their psychology clinic practicum experience in the WCU Community Mental Health Clinic. The WCU community clinic is an on-campus clinic serving both the campus community and the broader West Chester area community. Training in the clinic will extend through the Summer of Year 1 and the Fall and Spring of Year 2. In addition, Year 2 students complete required courses, including remaining core and foundational courses. Training in specialty areas begins in the third year, with advanced practicum assignments through off-campus partner agencies and elective courses focused on either Child and Adolescent Clinical Health or Post Traumatic Stress. Third year students also complete courses in program evaluation, as well as clinical supervision and consultation in clinical practice. In Year 4, students continue their advanced practicum training and elective coursework, while completing their dissertation.

Comprehensive exams, due by the end of the Summer term of Year 3, will be case oriented, based on actual cases from the student's practicum experiences, with an oral defense. Students must pass their comprehensive exam prior to applying for clinical internship. Students will apply for clinical internship during Year 4 (and complete clinical internship during Year 5 - 3 credits total). Until the program receives APA accreditation (which we project will occur by the time our first cohort graduates), it will not include a track for non-traditional students; for the first 5 years of the program we will restrict admission to full-time students. PsyD students will be expected to be on campus for classes, clinical practicum, and dissertation research during the work week during the Fall, Spring, and Summer of years 1, 2, and 3 of the program.

An overview of the curriculum for full-time graduate students in the WCU PsyD program is presented below.

Click Here to View the Sample Psy.D. Program Plan 

Students with an MA in Clinical Psychology

Students who have completed their MA (in Clinical Psychology, Counseling, or Social Work) at another institution or within a WCU department other than the Psychology Department may transfer up to 12 credits from their MA program to the WCU PsyD program, with approval from the Director of Clinical Training. Students who have already earned an MA in Clinical Psychology from WCU will continue their clinical training upon entering the WCU PsyD program. These students will be able to apply the courses completed in the WCU clinical MA program toward their PsyD requirements (up to 30 credits). This may reduce their time to degree completion to 4 years (1 year reduction) or reduce the number of credits required of students during their first 3 years of the PsyD program. Students who have already earned the WCU Clinical Psychology MA will take advanced clinical practicum in the Fall and Spring semester of Year 1 of the PsyD program where they will begin their doctoral training within the WCU Community Mental Health Clinic.