Clinical Psychology, Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)
Offered in: Chicago
Based on a practitioner-scholar model, the overall goal of the PsyD Program at Roosevelt University is to train clinical psychologists who can diagnose and treat psychological problems. We expect that
- graduates demonstrate the requisite general knowledge and skills of intervention and assessment necessary for the ethical and competent practice of psychology,
- students address psychological problems and disorders using critical inquiry, and
- students engage in productive and professional relationships with others.
To reach these goals, we use the American Psychological Association's profession-wide competency model for health service psychology described in the Standards of Accreditation:
I. Research. Students engage in research and scholarship that contributes to the scientific, psychological, or professional knowledge base; conduct, critically evaluate, and disseminate this research and scholarship results.
II. Ethical and Legal Standards. Students are knowledgeable regarding the APA ethical principles, ethical codes of conduct, laws, policies, and guidelines for professional practice. Students behave ethically at all times in academic, research, clinical, and community settings.
III. Individual and Cultural Diversity. Students reflect on how their own identities and personal background impact their worldview and interact with others. Students also develop knowledge around culturally competent and culturally fair services with diverse individuals and groups. Awareness and knowledge around individual and cultural diversity are integrated into all aspects of their academic, research, and clinical work.
IV. Professional Values and Attitudes. In all research, academic, and clinical roles, students seek to comport themselves to reflect the values and attitudes of the field of psychology.
V. Community and Interpersonal Skills. Students engage in productive and effective interpersonal relationships with others, including peers, colleagues, supervisors, faculty, and those receiving their professional services. They engage in effective interpersonal, verbal, nonverbal, and written communication throughout their academic and clinical work.
VI. Assessment. Students develop extensive knowledge around the science of measurement and psychometrics of psychological assessment tools and select and use psychological assessment tools effectively with those receiving psychological services. Students interpret and effectively communicate the results of psychological assessment accurately and sensitively.
VII. Intervention. Students develop effective and productive relationships with those receiving psychological services. An important focus is implementing evidence-based practice, or practice informed by empirical literature, knowledge of clinical theory and models, and the service recipient’s own preferences, needs, life circumstances, and cultural backgrounds. Also, as consistent with evidence-based practice models, students use assessment to monitor progress in therapy and guide treatment planning and clinical decision-making.
VIII. Supervision. Students become knowledgeable about supervision models and practices.
- IX. Consultation and Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary skills. Students develop knowledge regarding other professions’ roles and consultation practices to facilitate effective interdisciplinary care that will benefit the recipients of psychological services.
In addition, interested and qualified students, after completing a master's degree, may teach undergraduate psychology courses with the guidance of the Instructor Development course. Our university home also allows students to enhance their psychological training with relevant experiences from other disciplines.
Admission
Candidates for admission to the PsyD program must have either a bachelor's or a master's degree in psychology or a closely related field and must have completed the following courses with at least a 3.0 (B) grade-point average: General Psychology, either a Statistics or Research Methods course, and Abnormal Psychology. Deficiencies in prerequisite courses may be completed at Roosevelt University but will not count toward the PsyD degree. Students entering with a bachelor's degree will earn a master's degree (modified from the terminal MA offered by the Department of Psychology) during their progress through the doctoral program.
Applicants must submit:
- Online PsyD application form.
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework.
- Three letters of recommendation from academic and professional references. The professional references should be psychologists, professors, or other related professionals who can provide information regarding academic, clinical, research, and/or interpersonal skills.
- A personal statement. The personal statement should demonstrate a clear, well-articulated understanding of the expectations and responsibilities of graduate training in clinical psychology, strong career motivation, and well-formulated career plans.
- A curriculum vitae (CV). This is similar to a resume. The CV details relevant educational/academic, professional, research, and clinical experiences.
- $40 application fee.
Selected applicants are invited to an interview that is required before admission is granted.
Roosevelt considers each applicant on an individual basis and seeks diversity in ethnic and cultural background, education and life experience, and sexual orientation. Although GPA cutoffs are not strictly adhered to, a GPA of at least 3.40 for undergraduate work is typical.
Applications can be requested online here.
Standards
PsyD students must maintain a 3.25 cumulative grade-point average. Students who earn a C in a course must retake the course. Students who earn a C for either semester of practicum must repeat the entire year-long practicum sequence. Students who earn a D or F or a second C in any course will be dismissed from the program. PsyD students may also be dismissed from the program for lack of progress on the doctoral project if they do not meet a deadline decided by their doctoral project chair and the PsyD Program director.
Advising
Upon admission to the PsyD program, students meet with the director of the PsyD Program to develop a program completion plan covering all courses required for the doctoral degree, clinical training experiences, the comprehensive exam, and the doctoral project.
Requirements
All students must complete a minimum of 102 credit hours of graduate study plus 3 credit hours of internship credit for a total of 105 credit hours. In addition to coursework, students must pass the comprehensive examination, complete an introductory practicum, and complete at least two doctoral practica (supervised clinical training in the community), a pre-doctoral internship, and a doctoral project.
The standard course load for a full-time student in the PsyD program is 12 credit hours each fall and spring semester and from one to three courses in summer semesters. Students must complete at least 30 credit hours of work in a 24-month period. For at least one of those two years, the student must be at Roosevelt on a full-time basis. Thus, students must complete at least two consecutive semesters of full-time study before becoming eligible for the doctoral degree.
The PsyD program may accept credit for substantially equivalent graduate-level coursework completed at approved universities or schools of professional psychology, up to 27 credit hours. A maximum of 36 credit hours of credit may be waived with the approval of the doctoral program advisor for those entering with a master's degree; a maximum of 27 credit hours may be transferred for those entering with a BA or BS. Credit is granted only for courses in which the grade obtained was a B or higher and only if the courses were taken within seven years prior to the beginning of the student's doctoral program. Students entering with a master's degree will meet with the director of the PsyD Program to identify which required courses will be waived based on their previous graduate work. The doctoral project, internship, and at least twelve credit hours of practicum must be completed at Roosevelt University.
Courses taken in the PsyD program more than seven years before the semester in which the graduate degree is to be granted may not be counted toward the degree. There is a maximum limit of 10 years to complete all components of the program, including the pre-doctoral internship and the doctoral project. Students who have not completed the program by 10 years will be reviewed for dismissal. Students' progress will be evaluated at the seven-year point; if progress has not been adequate, students may be dismissed from the program.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Requirements | ||
| PSYC 516A | PSYCHOPATHOLOGY I | 3 |
| PSYC 516B | PSYCHOPATHOLOGY II | 3 |
| PSYC 520 | BASIC CLINICAL SKILLS | 3 |
| PSYC 620 | INTELLECTUAL ASSESSMENT | 3 |
| PSYC 625 | PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT | 3 |
| PSYC 641A | COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY I | 3 |
| PSYC 641B | COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY II | 3 |
| PSYC 642A | PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY I | 3 |
| PSYC 642B | PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY II | 3 |
| PSYC 643 | EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE | 3 |
| PSYC 644 | MULTICULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| PSYC 698A | MA CLINICAL PRACTICUM | 3 |
| PSYC 698B | MA CLINICAL PRACTICUM | 3 |
| PSYC 735 | CLINICAL SUPERVISION & CONSULTATION | 3 |
| Clinical Practicum (12 hours/4 semesters minimum) | 12 | |
| DOCTORAL CLINICAL PRACTICUM 1 and DOCTORAL CLINICAL PRACTICUM 1 | ||
| DOCTORAL CLINICAL PRACTICUM 2 and DOCTORAL CLINICAL PRACTICUM 2 | ||
| DOCTORAL CLINICAL PRACTICUM 3 and DOCTORAL CLINICAL PRACTICUM 3 | ||
| DOCTORAL CLINICAL PRACTICUM 4 and DOCTORAL CLINICAL PRACTICUM 4 | ||
| PSYC 799 | CLINICAL INTERNSHIP (taken twice) | 3 |
| Non-Clinical Requirements | ||
| PSYC 500 | ADVANCED STATISTICS | 3 |
| PSYC 530 | ADVANCED RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| PSYC 631 | SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY | 3 |
| PSYC 633 | SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY & GROUP DYNAMICS | 3 |
| PSYC 634 | COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY & SOCIAL JUSTICE | 3 |
| PSYC 635 | PROFESSIONAL, LEGAL, & ETHICAL ISSUES | 3 |
| PSYC 636 | HUMAN DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| PSYC 638 | HISTORY & THEORETICAL SYSTEMS | 3 |
| PSYC 710 | BIOPSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| PSYC 712 | PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY | 3 |
| PSYC 716 | COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE, & LEARNED BASE OF BEHAVIOR | 3 |
| PSYC 789 | DOCTORAL PROJECT SEMINAR | 3 |
| PSYC 789Y | DOCTORAL PROJECT SEM. CONT. (Mandatory continuation of 789) 1 | 0 |
| PSYC 790 | DOCTORAL PROJECT | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| INTERMEDIATE STATISTICS | ||
| CHEMICAL DEPENDENCE | ||
| CHILDHOOD/ADOLESCENT ASSESSMENT | ||
| GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY | ||
| CHILDHOOD & ADOLESCENT THERAPY | ||
| COUPLES AND FAMILY THERAPY | ||
| EMPLOYMENT TESTING | ||
| CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| JOB ANALYSIS & PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT/DEVELOPMENT | ||
| INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN/TRAINING | ||
| INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY | ||
| CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY | ||
| NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT | ||
| ADVANCED PSYCHODIAGNOSTICS | ||
| ADVANCED PSYCHOTHERAPY SEMINAR | ||
| CHILD PSYCHOPATHOLOGY | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 105 | |
- 1
Students must complete 789Y Doctoral Project Seminar Continuation before they can receive a grade for 789 Doctoral Project Seminar
Clinical Practicum
Applied clinical experience, which includes practica and the pre-doctoral internship, is a cornerstone of the PsyD program. Students entering with a bachelor's degree complete an introductory practicum prior to beginning their doctoral practica. Students may begin their introductory practicum after they have completed eight courses (24 credit hours). These courses must include two semesters of Psychopathology, Basic Clinical Skills, either two semesters of Cognitive Behavioral Therapies or Psychodynamic Therapies, and Intellectual Assessment or Personality Assessment. Students register for and attend the MA Practicum Seminar (for six credit hours) during their introductory practicum.
Following completion of the introductory practicum, students must complete at least two doctoral practica. Students typically spend 16 to 24 hours per week at their clinical training site and attend a weekly doctoral practicum seminar during their practice. Each practicum seminar is 3 credit hours per semester, for two semesters each practicum. Most practicum site placements are for 9 to 12 months, for approximately 20 hours per week. The focus of training depends on the individual student’s needs, interests, and experience.
Students who enter the program with a master’s degree will complete three doctoral practica. If a clinical practicum was completed as part of the master’s degree, the practicum might transfer in as the introductory practicum (upon review by the PsyD director and the clinical training director), leaving two doctoral practica to be completed. Students who earned practicum credit as part of a doctoral program may transfer up to two semesters of clinical practicum upon review by the PsyD director and the clinical training director. Additional practicum credit may be transferred as elective credit at the discretion of the PsyD director. A final practicum evaluation or letter from the practicum supervisor documenting that the student has achieved the appropriate level of clinical skill should accompany any transfer of practicum credit request. No undergraduate practicum credit is accepted.
The PsyD student handbook and the clinical training manual have more details on requirements for practica and internship. Note that because the selection process for practicum placements begins early, students should begin preparing for an introductory or doctoral practicum a year before their anticipated start. The clinical training manual can be accessed at the PsyD program organization page within Roosevelt's Blackboard website, available to all current students.
Comprehensive Examination
The comprehensive examination provides an opportunity for students to review and integrate their knowledge of the theory, research, and practice of clinical psychology. The examination is taken after students have completed at least 72 credit hours of coursework, including PSYC 791A DOCTORAL CLINICAL PRACTICUM 1 and PSYC 791B DOCTORAL CLINICAL PRACTICUM 1 (one complete doctoral practicum). Students must indicate their intention to take the comprehensive examination at the beginning of the spring semester of the year in which they plan to take the examination. If a student decides to change the date on which he or she intends to take the examination, the PsyD director must be notified no later than one month prior to the examination date. If a student notifies a change after one month or does not appear on the examination day, it will be considered a failure. If a student does not pass the examination, he or she may retake it once. If the student cannot pass it the second time, the student will be dismissed from the program.
Pre-Doctoral Internship
All students must complete a 1-year, full-time pre-doctoral internship approved by the director of training. To be eligible to begin a pre-doctoral internship, students must have finished all course work and practica, passed the comprehensive examination prior to application submission, and defended their doctoral project proposal by May 15th.
Students are expected to seek internships accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) accredited internship training. Obtaining an internship is a competitive national process involving an electronic matching system. Students need to prepare to look outside of large metropolitan areas to increase the likelihood of obtaining an internship. The director of training will provide guidance throughout this process.
Students register for a total of 3 credit hours for their internship experience, divided into 1.5 credit hours in the Fall semester and 1.5 credit hours in the Spring semester. Students are considered full-time during their internship experience.
Scholarship
The scholarship component of the program’s practitioner-scholar model is addressed by several components, including coursework, the Comprehensive Examination, and the doctoral project. Students may further their scholarship skills by participating in faculty or independent research (which often involves posters, presentations, and publications). Students who have completed the requirements for the master’s degree are eligible to teach undergraduate courses in psychology once they have taken the Instructor Development Seminar (or if they are taking it concurrently with their first teaching experience). Students are paid for their teaching and may have multiple teaching opportunities.
Doctoral Project
Students develop and enhance scholarly skills pertinent to the practice of clinical psychology by completing a doctoral project. In the doctoral project, students demonstrate their ability to assess and integrate the research literature on the management and conceptualization of clinical issues. There are five types of projects: a traditional empirical study, an extended case study, a literature review on a selected topic, applied treatment and program evaluation research, and program proposals. PSYC 530 ADVANCED RESEARCH METHODS and PSYC 789 DOCTORAL PROJECT SEMINAR / PSYC 789Y DOCTORAL PROJECT SEM. CONT. help prepare students for the doctoral project. Students may begin informal work on their doctoral project at any time and are expected to begin such work by the end of their second year in the program, at the latest. At the end of the doctoral project seminar, students must have completed a formal doctoral project proposal draft and selected three faculty members who agree to constitute their doctoral project committee.
The doctoral project is to be conducted under the guidance of this three-person doctoral committee, which determines when the project is acceptable and conducts the final oral defense of the project. The final oral defense is a public event and is expected to be held on the University campus with all committee members present. At least two committee members, including the committee chair, must be full-time or half-time members of the Roosevelt University Department of Psychology faculty. The committee chair serves as the project director. One committee member may be from another program, an adjunct faculty member, or a psychologist supervising work at a practicum placement. See the current PsyD Doctoral Project Manual for details on the doctoral project.
As noted above, students must have successfully defended their doctoral project proposal by May 15th to be eligible to apply for an internship. If May 15th falls on a weekend, the proposal defense must occur by the Friday before.
Student Evaluations
The PsyD program at Roosevelt University is accountable to the profession and the public for developing the professional standards of its future practitioners. Thus the successful completion of the program entails the development of academic knowledge and skills, professional skills, and interpersonal competencies necessary to function as an effective practitioner. Professional and interpersonal competencies include, but are not limited to, the ability to cultivate and maintain productive and respectful relationships across academic and clinical settings; the ability to respond productively to feedback and change problematic behavior that interferes or has the potential to interfere with one’s ability to function as a student and trainee; and the ability to act ethically following cultural and professional standards.
The faculty provides feedback on students’ academic and professional development throughout the program. Students will be formally evaluated each year; students may be evaluated more frequently when concerns arise. Students are evaluated via a collaborative process that involves faculty and clinical training supervisors. Failure to meet the above standards may result in specific remediation requirements or dismissal from the program. Failure of a practicum or internship is also grounds for dismissal from the program.
Practice of Psychology by Graduate Students
PsyD students who render psychological services (other than practicum-related services) must report their activities to the director of the PsyD Program. If this activity is not within the student’s competence and under professional supervision, the student will be asked to desist as determined by the director. Failure to comply with this regulation will be grounds for immediate termination from the psychology doctoral program.
APA Accreditation Information
Roosevelt University's PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association. The Commission on Accreditation of the APA can be reached at:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation
Your degree map is a general guide suggesting courses to complete each term on the academic pathway to your degree. It is based on the most current scheduling information from your academic program. Your program’s degree map is reviewed annually and updated as schedules change (although you retain the same course requirements as long as you are continuously enrolled in your degree program).
Always work closely with your academic advisor to understand curriculum requirements and scheduling, as each student’s academic plan can look slightly different. A graduate course can only be repeated once; no more than two courses can be repeated.
Students may earn a minimum grade of B- in any one course in order for that course to count towards degree requirements but must earn a minimum 3.25 cumulative grade point average in order to remain a student in good standing in the program.
| Year 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | Spring | Credit Hours | Summer | Credit Hours |
| PSYC 516A | 3 | PSYC 516B | 3 | PSYC 635 | 3 |
| PSYC 520 | 3 | PSYC 641B | 3 | ||
| PSYC 641A | 3 | PSYC 620 | 3 | ||
| PSYC 644 | 3 | PSYC 631 | 3 | ||
| 12 | 12 | 3 | |||
| Year 2 | |||||
| Fall | Credit Hours | Spring | Credit Hours | Summer | Credit Hours |
| PSYC 530 | 3 | PSYC 642B | 3 | PSYC 638 | 3 |
| PSYC 642A | 3 | PSYC 698B | 3 | PSYC 789Y | 0 |
| PSYC 698A | 3 | PSYC 789 | 3 | ||
| PSYC 710 | 3 | PSYC 625 | 3 | ||
| 12 | 12 | 3 | |||
| Year 3 | |||||
| Fall | Credit Hours | Spring | Credit Hours | ||
| PSYC 643 | 3 | PSYC 500 | 3 | ||
| PSYC 716 | 3 | PSYC 712 | 3 | ||
| PSYC 791A | 3 | PSYC 791B | 3 | ||
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 | ||
| 12 | 12 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||
| Fall | Credit Hours | Spring | Credit Hours | ||
| PSYC 735 | 3 | PSYC 633 | 3 | ||
| PSYC 792A | 3 | PSYC 634 | 3 | ||
| PSYC 636 | 3 | PSYC 792B | 3 | ||
| PSYC 790 | 3 | PSYC 790Y | 0 | ||
| Elective | 3 | ||||
| 12 | 12 | ||||
| Year 5 | |||||
| Fall | Credit Hours | Spring | Credit Hours | Summer | Credit Hours |
| PSYC 799 | 1.5 | PSYC 799 | 1.5 | PSYC 799Y | 0 |
| 1.5 | 1.5 | 0 | |||
| Total Credit Hours 105 | |||||