Yes. This program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association. You can find more details about the program’s accreditation here.
The program is based on the practitioner-scholar model of professional training and emphasizes a cognitive-behavioral theoretical orientation. Evidence-based practice, psychological science, psychological theory, ethics and professional standards, and sensitivity to and awareness of diversity and individual differences are embedded throughout the curriculum.
We understand that the study of human behavior cannot be pursued without deep appreciation of the sociocultural context within which individuals operate. The practice of psychology must take into account the client’s multiple and intersecting identities and these must be considered alongside diagnostic assessment, integrated within case conceptualization, and appreciated throughout the treatment planning process. We are committed to training psychologists who demonstrate cultural humility; who deliver culturally-informed and culturally-responsive services that center the individual’s dignity, worth, and value; and recognize the sociocultural contexts within which individual’s function. Topics related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are covered across the curriculum.
On average, we receive approximately 300 applicants per year. Of those, approximately 75-100 are invited to interview and approximately 15-20 students are admitted to the program. Therefore, the acceptance rate is approximately 6%.
All students can expect to have 1200-1800 hours of clinical work experience by the end of their time in the program. On average, students who apply to internship have approximately 850 direct clinical (intervention + assessment) hours, which makes our students highly competitive when applying for internship.
The program offers a scholarship for students with financial need who demonstrate a commitment to underserved and/or historically marginalized populations. Incoming students are eligible to apply during the summer prior to enrollment. Students who receive this scholarship will be expected to incorporate some focus on underserved and/or historically marginalized populations into their clinical dissertations and participate in doctoral program committees related to the enhancement of education related to diversity and individual differences. The scholarship offers partial tuition remission each year for four years. Application for the scholarship is optional. Decisions regarding the scholarship are made after admissions decisions, and do not influence who is admitted to the program.
Additionally, a limited amount of tuition reduction funding is available for full-time students in exchange for part-time work in the Training Clinic or Psychology Department. Typically, when such positions become available, advertisements for the positions are distributed via e-mail to provide students with opportunities to apply. The amount of funding varies depending on amounts allocated to the Program. Examples of student employment positions include:
Yes, all students are required to complete a clinical dissertation. However, unlike a Ph.D. dissertation, it is practice-focused and may be a theoretical, quantitative or qualitative study. In its execution, the student will be held to rigorous standards of planning, scholarship, and research, and the finished product is expected to be journal length and ready for submission to a professional journal.
Yes. Each student is assigned an academic mentor upon entry into the program. The faculty is committed to providing necessary and regular advice and guidance to students. Mentorship and strong student-faculty relationships are a central component of our training philosophy and the mission of La Salle University broadly. Students will also work closely with a faculty advisor who serves as their Dissertation Chair (this may or may not be the same person as the academic mentor). Additionally, all students receive clinical supervision from faculty supervisors.
Although students who apply to our program are admitted to the program (not specific faculty labs), we recognize that alignment between student and faculty interests is an important factor in the success in and satisfaction with the program. Match between students’ interests and faculty areas of expertise are thus considered as part of a prospective student’s application for admission. When students enroll, we do our best to ensure that they are matched with a faculty member (both as an academic advisor and dissertation chair) who have overlapping interests. Students are assigned an academic advisor in their first semester of study (in Fall). Students typically obtain a Dissertation Chair in the Spring of their first year. Sometimes, a student’s dissertation chair is the same as their academic advisor, but that is often not the case.
Faculty who serve as academic advisors include: Dr. Armstrong, Dr. Bowenschulte, Dr. Goetter, Dr. Fingerhut, Dr. Rushworth, and Dr. Zelikovsky.
Faculty who most commonly serve as dissertation chairs include: Dr. Armstrong, Dr. Cardaciotto, Dr. Goetter, Dr. Fingerhut, Dr. Montague, Dr. Roth, Dr. Rushworth, and Dr. Zelikovsky.
Our program’s courses and the majority of program events are held in-person.
A student is eligible to get their Master’s (MA) degree after all aspects of Level I and II have been met successfully. On a traditional timeline, this would occur in August after completing Level II. To obtain the MA degree, the student must pay a graduation fee. A student is not required to obtain their MA on the way to obtaining the Psy.D. degree.
The program curriculum is designed to be completed in a 5-year full time progression. That said, some students’ circumstances require a more flexible, part-time option. The program has a partial part-time option that allows two levels of the program to be completed over 4 calendar years for a maximum time frame of 7 years from entry to degree completion.
Classes are typically held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and are scheduled both daytime and evening.
The Psy.D. Program is intended to be completed full-time, or part-time for a limited period of time until a student can resume full-time status. Students are aware that successful doctoral study requires prioritization and commitment on the part of the student. It is difficult to maintain outside work while attending the Program. However, the Program does not have authority to determine how students spend their time outside of the Program. Moreover, it is understood that some students have to undertake employment to assist with the costs of graduate education. If students do pursue outside employment, it is their responsibility to ensure that they are able to maintain commitment to their doctoral studies and Program-related clinical training. Students and prospective students should be aware that clinical positions held outside the program cannot be counted as hours on the APPIC application.