Graduation Requirements
To receive the Psy.D. degree in clinical psychology at the University
of Indianapolis, students must complete the following requirements within
seven (7) years of being admitted into the program:
- Successful completion of a minimum of 108 credit hours. The total
credit hours must include all required courses specified in the curriculum.
- Demonstrated competence on the Core/Clinical Competency Examination.
- Successful completion of the clinical dissertation, including
the oral defense.
- A minimum of 1200 hours of clinical practicum.
- Satisfactory completion of a 2,000 hour internship at an approved
health service training program site.
- A final cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
- Satisfactory compliance with the residency requirement.
- Satisfactory compliance with the requirements of the School’s professional
competency standards.
Qualifying Examinations
Every student in the doctoral program at the University of Indianapolis
is required to pass a qualifying examination. This examination is intended
to ensure that students have mastered the core knowledge and skills needed
to function as competent clinical psychologists.
For the first part of the qualifying exam, the Clinical Proficiency Examination,
the student submits a clinical portfolio to a faculty committee for evaluation.
The clinical portfolio should include samples from two major areas:
(a) a comprehensive psychological evaluation, including a rationale for the
instruments utilized, test protocols/raw data, and a written report with assessment
interpretations and recommendations: and (b) a therapy case demonstrating
clinical skill; a case analysis that provides background information, presenting
problem, overall treatment plan, and goals for treatment; and outcome measures
demonstrating the efficacy of interventions.
The second part of the qualifying exam is the Core Competency
Examination, which ensures that students have mastered the breadth of basic
knowledge in the field of psychology appropriate for doctoral-level practice.
Mastery of this material is evaluated through an oral exam where students
present their clinical case and answer questions concerning basic knowledge
in clinical psychology as related to the case being discussed.
Clinical Dissertation
Every student in the doctoral program must complete and defend a clinical
dissertation. The clinical dissertation requirement is designed to reflect
students' future roles as professional psychologists, who function not only
as practicing clinicians but also as scholars, local scientists, and consumers
of research. To achieve this goal, students select an area or issue that is
clinically significant and produce a written product that is both scholarly
and creative. The faculty use the written work to assess students' ability
to evaluate and synthesize knowledge gained from theory, research, and clinical
practice.
Clinical dissertations may involve any of a number of types of scholarly inquiry
such as empirical research projects; the development/implementation and evaluation
of psychoeducational programs, skills training programs, or specific clinical
intervention programs; evaluation of assessment techniques or procedures;
needs assessments and proposals (including scholarly review of the literature
in some content area); or evaluation of intervention programs through case
studies or single case designs. Depending on the nature of the project,
dissertations may also be more qualitative in design and consist of more theoretical
analyses or public policy formulations.
Clinical Practica
Practicum experiences are an integral part of the applied training
sequence in professional psychology at the University of Indianapolis. A minimum
of 1,200 hours of practicum is required of all students. Practicum
placements include a variety of settings such as inpatient mental health
units, partial hospitalization programs, community mental health centers,
correctional facilities, Veteran's Administration hospitals, outpatient clinics,
residential treatment programs, and private practice.
In these placements
students gain supervised experience in psychological assessment and testing,
psychotherapy with various types of clients, collaboration and consultation
with interdisciplinary treatment teams, program development and evaluation,
treatment planning and case management, and various other aspects of professional
psychology. In order to encourage both the breadth and diversity of experience,
students will be expected to gain experience in at least two training sites.
Practicum training involves a minimum of twelve hours per week at training
sites, although other arrangements are possible depending on agency and student
needs. Clinical practicum placements and training are coordinated through
the School of Psychological Sciences Practicum Coordinator. All students involved
in training at a practicum site must concurrently participate in a weekly
practicum seminar group at the University. These groups address a variety
of topics important to the practice of psychology and the development of a
professional identity.
Clinical Internship
The clinical internship is a capstone training experience required
of all doctoral students. The internship placement provides an integrative
experience for students where they provide a wide range of psychological services
under supervision in an organized health service training program. Most
internships are independently operated outside of doctoral training programs
and provide the student with a training stipend. Students normally complete
a one-year, full-time (2000 hour) internship during the fourth year of study
after all other program requirements have been met. A half-time internship
for two consecutive years is also possible, although these are less commonly
offered. The Director of Training, the student's academic advisor, and
members of the School's Psychological Services and Training Committee assist
students in the internship planning and application process. The Director
of Training and the Committee maintain contact with the student during the
internship year, monitor student progress, and assess the need for any remedial
efforts with the student while on internship.
Residency Requirement
In addition to formal coursework and training experiences, a crucial
aspect of doctoral study involves close interaction with faculty and fellow
students over a sustained period of time. To ensure sufficient immersion
in the professional training experience, every student is required to meet
a residency requirement. This requirement stipulates that students must
complete a minimum of eighteen (18) credit hours of graduate coursework in
not less than 9 months or more than 18 months while in the doctoral program.
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