Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements are as stated for the Master of Science in Psychology with the following additions: all students must have been recommended by the Clinical Admissions Committee of the Psychology Department.
General Requirements
All doctoral students must complete the Master of Science in Psychology, or its equivalent, as noted below. Students entering the doctoral training program at Idaho State University with a master's degree from another institution will receive full or partial credit, based on an examination of completed course work and research. The department chair, the director of clinical training, and the departmental subject matter expert(s) will review all relevant documents and determine the course work and research, if any, that will be required to compensate for omissions and/or non-equivalency.
The following requirements are all in addition to the Master of Science requirements.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Core Courses (at least 5 credits total) | 5 | |
| PSYC 7702 | Psychopharmacology | 2 |
| One additional core course from the MS clinical requirement | 3 | |
| Clinical Courses | 16 | |
| PSYC 6634 | Cultural Diversity and Individual Differences | 3 |
| PSYC 6645 | Adult Psychopathology and Treatment I | 3 |
| PSYC 6646 | Adult Psychopathology and Treatment II | 3 |
| or PSYC 6659 | Child Treatment II | |
| PSYC 6649 | Child Psychopathology and Treatment I | 3 |
| PSYC 7703 | Advanced Ethics and Professional Issues | 1 |
| PSYC 7704 | Supervision and Consultation in Clinical Psychology | 3 |
| Clinical Practica (at least 18 credits total) | 18 | |
| PSYC 5517 | Interdisciplinary Evaluation Team | 1 |
| PSYC 7724 | Community Practicum | variable |
| PSYC 7725 | Psychology Clinic Practicum | 1-2 |
| PSYC 7726 | Supervision Practicum | variable |
| PSYC 7727 | Psycho-Educational Evaluations | 1 |
| PSYC 7748 | Clinical Externship | variable |
| PSYC 7749 | Clinical Internship | 1 |
| Research (at least 19 credits total) | 19 | |
| PSYC 6637 | Multivariate Statistics and Research Design | 3 |
| PSYC 8850 | Dissertation | 1-12 |
| General Electives Transferred (up to 12 credits total) | 12 | |
| Students must apply up to 12 additional graduate credits in psychology from the MS degree. | ||
| Minimum Total Credits | 70 | |
Scholarship - Research Development
Upon completion of Area Requirements plus PSYC 6627 Statistics and Research Design I, PSYC 6632 Statistics and Research Design II, and PSYC 6650 Thesis prospectus, doctoral students are required to pass a Qualifying Exam to be admitted to doctoral candidacy. The exam samples each student's integrative writing skills and conceptual abilities. Students write independently on integrative topics from across the foundational areas of general psychology or from an individualized and focused area of scholarly research.
Students may be admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree upon satisfactory completion of the Master of Science degree (or its equivalent) and the Qualifying Exam. Candidates for the doctoral degree may not propose a dissertation (PSYC 8850 Dissertation) until admitted to candidacy.
A five-member doctoral committee will be formed by the student and his/her advisor. Three members of the doctoral committee must be fulltime equivalent faculty members of the Department of Psychology, including at least one clinical and one experimental faculty member. The fourth and fifth members must meet Graduate School requirements and include the Graduate Faculty Representative. Students will present findings and implications of the dissertation to departmental faculty, students, and community members at an open forum.
Clinical - Professional Development
All students must complete at least 15 credits related to professional development. Among these 15 credits, students must take at least 3 credits of PSYC 7725 (Psychology Clinic Practicum), 1 credit of PSYC 5517 (Interdisciplinary Evaluation Team), and at least 3 credits of PSYC 7749 (Clinical Internship). All students must perform four disability evaluations at the ISU Psychology Clinic. The remaining practicum credits can be fulfilled by taking any combination of practicum-related courses, including PSYC 7724 (Community Practicum), PSYC 7725 (Psychology Clinic Practicum), PSYC 7748 (Clinical Externship), PSYC 7727 (Psychoeducational Evaluations) or PSYC 7726 (Supervision Practicum). Progress in the development of professional skills is evaluated by faculty supervisors and the Clinical Training Committee and satisfactory evaluations of professional development by the Clinical Training Committee is a degree requirement. All practicum assignments are made by the Clinical Training Committee and students may be required to register for practicum courses beyond the minimum requirements in the interest of professional development.
All students must satisfactorily complete a one-year full-time clinical internship at a site belonging to the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers or comparable supervised clinical practice approved by the Clinical Training Committee. Concurrent enrollment at Idaho State University in 1 credit of PSYC 7749 Clinical Internship is required over the course of three semesters. Students enrolled in PSYC 7749 will be considered full-time Idaho State University students. Application to clinical internships and acceptance into clinical internships require completion of the dissertation prospectus and the approval of the Clinical Training Committee.