Program Overview

---

The Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology degree program has been designed to educate and train students so that they may be able to function effectively as clinical psychologists. To help ensure that students are prepared adequately, the curriculum is designed to provide for the meaningful integration of theory, training and practice. The PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University | Chicago is designed to emphasize the development of attitudes, knowledge and skills essential in the formation of professional psychologists who are committed to the ethical provision of quality services. Specific goals and objectives of the program include the following:

• Goal 1: Prepare professional psychologists to accurately, effectively, and ethically select, administer, score, interpret, and communicate findings of appropriate assessment methods informed by accepted psychometric standards and sensitive to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
  • Objective 1a: Accurately and ethically administer and score various psychodiagnostic instruments.
  • Objective 1b: Accurately interpret and synthesize assessment data in the context of diversity factors, referral questions, and specific objectives of the assessment, and organize and communicate results in writing and orally.
  • Objective 1c: Examine psychometric properties of psychological assessment instruments, and use that knowledge to evaluate, select, administer, and interpret psychological tests and measures appropriate for the client, the referral question, and the objectives of the assessment.
• Goal 2: Prepare professional psychologists to select, implement, and evaluate psychological interventions consistent with current ethical, evidence-based, and professional standards, within a theoretical framework, and with sensitivity to the interpersonal processes of the therapeutic relationship and the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
  • Objective 2a: Synthesize the foundations of clinical psychology, including psychopathology, human development, diagnosis, diversity, ethics, and various therapeutic models in clinical applications.
  • Objective 2b: Select, plan, and implement ethical and evidence-based interventions with sensitivity to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
  • Objective 2c: Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively implement and participate in psychological consultation and supervision.
  • Objective 2d: Demonstrate personal development and self-reflective capacity, including growth of interpersonal skills, and therapeutic relationships.
• Goal 3: Prepare professional psychologists to analyze the complexity and multidimensionality of human diversity, and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to understand diverse worldviews and the potential meaning of social, cultural, and individual differences for professional psychological services.
• Goal 4: Prepare professional psychologists to examine the historical context and the current body of knowledge of biological, cognitive, affective, developmental, and social bases of human functioning.
• Goal 5: Prepare professional psychologists to critically evaluate the current and evolving body of scholarly literature in psychology to inform professional practice.

This program can be completed in as little as four years, however most students complete the program in five or six years. Graduates of this program will be qualified for positions as licensed clinical psychologists (provided they pass the appropriate licensure examination) in five or six to seven years. The PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program is offered in a traditional, though flexible, format with classes meeting in the mornings, afternoons and evenings. This program must be completed in seven years.

Students enrolled in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program may also choose to complete one of eight optional concentrations:

• Child & Adolescent Psychology
• Client-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Diversity & Multicultural Psychology
• Forensic Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Neuropsychology
• Psychoanalytic Psychology

Clinical Training Overview

---

Clinical training refers to the supervised practical experience in which students work directly with a clinical population in a healthcare delivery system. It is designed to provide students the opportunity to apply what they have learned and to foster the skills and character necessary to become a competent therapist or counselor. Clinical training, therefore, strives to advance and integrate theoretical knowledge, clinical technique, and professional attitudes.

Successful clinical training results in the ability to accurately assess and understand a wide range of clinical phenomena. These skills subsequently serve as the basis for implementing effective intervention techniques to help and heal those in the clinician’s care.

These activities must occur within a climate of absolute respect for the client, in accordance with the ethical standards of care, and in a manner sensitive to issues of diversity and individual differences.

Through direct, supervised client contact, the Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University | Chicago strives to train ethical, qualified, and competent clinicians who deliver effective assessment and therapeutic services. To this end, the Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University | Chicago and clinical field training faculty closely monitor students’ academic progress and clinical development to help ensure academic achievement as well as clinical suitability. Thus, students’ personal adjustment, interpersonal relatedness, and professional behavior also pertain to their development as clinicians.

There are three levels of clinical training and evaluation at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University | Chicago:

• Clinical Capstone Sequence
• Clinical Practicum
• Pre-doctoral Internship

Each of these curriculum components serves to systematically refine and integrate the major training areas of theoretical knowledge, clinical skills, and professional attitudes.

Foundation Courses

---

The Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University | Chicago requires applicants to successfully complete, with a “C” or better, five undergraduate courses that serve as a basic foundation for course work in clinical psychology. Several of these courses serve as direct prerequisites to the Illinois School of Professional Psychology | Chicago courses. The following three courses are required:

• *Introduction to psychology or general psychology 
• Abnormal, psychopathology, or maladaptive behavior
• Statistics or research methods

Two additional courses in field of psychology must also be completed.

Students must complete foundation courses before they matriculate in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program

* This course may be waived if the applicant has completed a Bachelors or Masters degree in Psychology.

Enrollment Requirements

---

Students must be enrolled at full-time status each semester except during and after internship. Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology degree program students wishing to be enrolled for less than full-time status (9 credit hours per fall/spring terms and 6 credits for all of summer) must petition the Program Dean for part-time status.

No pre-internship PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program students will be permitted to take less than the equivalent of 6 credit hours per semester, except those students who have fewer than 6 credit hours of required coursework to take prior to internship. For the summer semester, full-time status is defined as 6 credit hours or more and half-time status is defined as 3 credit hours or more. Students registered for the Clinical Research Project (see course list below) are considered half-time.

Retaking Courses

---

Students who earn a grade below a “B-” in a non-elective course are required to retake the course.

Additional Requirements for Academic Progress

---

Students must make satisfactory academic progress toward a degree by maintaining a GPA of 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0) and completing the program within seven years after matriculation. All coursework and practicum must be completed by the end of the fifth year after matriculation. The Scientific Capstone must be completed successfully no later than the end of the fifth year after matriculation.

Students who have temporarily withdrawn from Argosy University will have seven years plus the length of time that they were not enrolled, not to exceed one year, to complete the program. Students who receive a grade lower than “B-” in a core course must retake the course within the next twelve months and receive a grade of “B-” or better. Students who receive a grade lower than “B-“in a core course required for the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program, while enrolled in the MA in Clinical Psychology degree program, must retake the course no later than the end of the first twelve months after matriculation into the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program and achieve a grade of “B-” or better. Core course requirements in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program are listed under Program Requirements.

Graduation Requirements

---

 Students who are admitted into the program will be responsible for completing the program requirements that are in effect at the time of their admission. The Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University | Chicago retains the right to modify these requirements in accordance with the demands of the profession of psychology. The courses will be completed in the order recommended by the Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University | Chicago. To be eligible for graduation, students must meet the following requirements:

• A minimum of 98 semester credit hours  that includes
  • 68.5 semester credit hours of core course requirements
  • 13.5 semester credit hours of elective course requirements (Advanced Intervention and Supervision, Diversity, Integrated Assessment, Professional Practice, and General Elective)
  • 12 semester credit hours of practicum requirements (two years)
  • 4 semester credit hours of clinical research project  requirements
• Successful completion of Professionalization Group
• Successful completion of the Scientific Capstone no later than the end of the fifth year
• Successful completion of the Clinical Research Project
• Successful completion of the Clinical Evaluation Scientific Capstone
• Successful completion of a one-year, full-time internship or its equivalent
• GPA of at least a “B” (3.0 on a scale of 4.0), with no more than two grades lower than “B-,” and a grade of “B-” or better in all non-elective courses
• A completed Petition to Graduate submitted to campus administration

Students may not refer to themselves as “Doctor” or use the title of “PsyD” until internship and all program requirements have been completed. The date of formal program completion will be entered on the student’s transcript upon receipt of the bound copy of the Clinical Research Project, or upon official notification of internship completion — whichever is the student’s final degree requirement.

Program Requirements

---

Students enrolled in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University | Chicago are required to successfully complete 98 semester credit hours distributed as follows: core course requirements, 68.5 credit hours; advanced intervention and supervision elective requirements, 3 credit hours; diversity elective requirements, 3 credit hours; general elective requirement, 3 credit hours; integrated assessment elective requirements, 3 credit hours;  professional practice elective requirement, 1.5 credit hours;  practicum  and seminar requirements, 12 credit hours; and clinical research project requirement, 4 credit hours. In addition, students are required to successfully complete professionalization group and internship.