Department of Clinical Psychology

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology 

The Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program trains practioner-scholar psychologists in a broad range of clinical settings, with an emphasis on a holistic approach to interdisciplinary care and service to diverse and underserved populations. In this American Psychological Association accredited program, the curriculum is oriented in cognitive-behavioral theory and empirically supported treatments addressing the most current developments in psychology, while enhancing learning through practical clinical applications. The program emphasizes professional self-reflection, attention to diversity, advocacy and social justice. 

The learning in the first two years of the Clinical PsyD program is through didactic courses that cover the scientific and clinical foundations of the discipline, with inclusion of experiential components, labs for skills training, and interprofessional education. Use of standardized patient actors provides a means for gaining formative feedback on the integration of didactic and clinical skills. Completion of the first two portions  of the comprehensive examination makes students eligible to begin the dissertation process. Fieldwork and seminar experiences in the third and fourth years enable the student to integrate knowledge of theory and research in practicum experience. During this time, students are also mentored through the dissertation process. Successful completion of the first three years of coursework and comprehensive examinations confers doctoral candidate status on the PsyD student, who may then proceed to internship. Upon completion of the comprehensive examinations and admission to doctoral candidacy, students are awarded a master of science in clinical psychology. 

The internship provides the clinical psychology doctoral student with an intensive, yearlong, supervised work experience to develop, practice and integrate new clinical skills. It represents the culmination of the doctoral experience, the last practical training step before earning a doctorate in psychology. All students are required to apply to APA-accredited and APPIC internships. Graduates of the PsyD program qualify for the Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP) for partial fulfillment of the requirements for professional licensure. 

PCOM’s PsyD program in Clinical Psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association. For general information about APA accreditation or specific information about the accreditation status of PCOM’s Clinical PsyD program, please contact:

Office of Program Consultation & Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
202-336-5979
https://accreditation.apa.org/

Master of Science (MS) in Applied Positive Psychology 
The MS in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program trains students to become a powerful positive change force in communities, schools, clinics, businesses and leadership around the world. Students learn to leverage the knowledge, skills and attitudes of an outlook rooted in seeing the best in yourself and others. This program is designed to create thought leaders who rely on both science and heart to transform systems by creating “positive feedback loops.” The program is focused on creating a workforce of the future that is well-equipped with practical approaches to fostering compassion, kindness, love, and achievement on a regional, national and global scale. 

The fully online MAPP program provides foundational knowledge in the areas of positive psychology, clinical health psychology and health behavior change, with a primary emphasis on positive psychology. Upon completion of the program, students will have skills in motivational interviewing and mindfulness; be able to apply positive psychology interventions that include a focus on personal strengths, gratitude, kindness, purpose and love; have honed their scholarly writing skills and feel more confident in taking a large-scale research-informed project from concept to implementation to evaluation; and be prepared to think about positive change from a biopsychosocial perspective that includes insight into key motivational principles that are important to healthy lifestyles.