Program Requirements

Students enrolled in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program at the Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University are required to satisfactorily complete 98 credit hours distributed as follows: assessment requirements, 18 credit hours; clinical interventions/psychotherapy requirements, 15 credit hours; diversity requirement, 3 credit hours; elective requirements, 9 credit hours; ethics and professional conduct requirements, 5 credit hours; human development requirement, 3 credit hours; psychological foundations requirements, 12 credit hours; psychopathology requirements, 6 credit hours; scientific inquiry requirements, 6 credit hours; supervision/ consultation requirements, 3 credit hours; practicum and practicum seminar requirements, 14 credit hours; and clinical research project requirements, 4 credit hours.

Matriculated students must complete all course requirements in an in-residence format. In addition, all required coursework must be completed with a final grade of “B-” or better.

Elective Requirements

Students are required to complete 9 credit hours of elective coursework. Additionally, 3 credit hours of PP8300 - Advanced Practicum  may be counted toward the elective requirements.

Professionalization Group Requirements

The Professionalization Group courses (PP7110 - Professionalization Group I  and PP7111 - Professionalization Group II ), which meet on a weekly basis during each of the two regular semesters, provide first-year students with important direction and assistance as they begin their education and training. These groups are designed to provide students with an orientation to the field of professional psychology as well as an introduction to key issues in the training and professional development of a clinical psychologist. Additionally, Professionalization Group II offers preparation in the area of scholarly and scientific writing. All students are recommended to complete both Professionalization Group I and Professionalization Group II during their first year of training.

Practicum and Practicum Seminars

Clinical Training Manual

Specific policies and procedures for all components of clinical training can be found in the Clinical Training Manual. This manual is provided to students during their first semester. Students are responsible for maintaining this manual and integrating revisions and updates as they occur. Please see the Director of Clinical Training for more information.

General Information

Students enrolled in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program at the Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University have the opportunity to gain practical experience through clinical training. Clinical training is the supervised out-of-class contact of students with a clinical population. Through the contact, students can apply their theoretical knowledge, implement clinical techniques based on this knowledge, and develop the professional and personal attitudes important to the identity of a professional psychologist. By the end of clinical training, Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University students will have been provided the opportunity to obtain the competencies necessary to become competent clinicians, possessing effective assessment and intervention skills, and practicing in an ethical manner.

During their clinical training, students advance through progressively more challenging levels of training. At each level, a student’s progress is assessed in multiple ways by multiple faculty members and field supervisors. In order to advance to the next level of clinical training, the student must pass certain courses, complete practicum and internship, and demonstrate competency in specific clinical tasks.

All students enrolled in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program   must complete a Diagnostic Practicum (PP8208 , PP8209 , PP8210 ) and a Therapy Practicum (PP8211 , PP8212 , PP8213 ) (minimum 800 hours each, usually 20 hours per week for 40 weeks). Pre-practicum (PP8140  is offered as an elective) and Advanced Practicum (PP8300 ) experiences are also available. All practicum students are also enrolled in a weekly practicum seminar led by a faculty member which meets throughout the training experience. The Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University places students in a wide variety of clinical field sites, according to the interests and needs of the students and availability of practicum sites. Training sites are selected which teach students clinical skills, expose students to relevant treatment populations, and provide supervision by experienced clinicians. The emphasis in training is on the development of the student as a well-rounded and balanced professional.

Each practicum takes place in a single agency. A practicum may not be done in a student’s place of employment, nor with a past supervisor. Practicum requirements are not waived for any student. All PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program students are encouraged to seek an Intervention Practicum site which provides a different type of experience than their Diagnostic Practicum site, in order to enhance the diversity of their training. Students are evaluated in writing once each semester by both the practicum supervisor and the faculty seminar leader. Progress is assessed in four basic areas of clinical functioning:

• Theoretical knowledge base
• Clinical skills
• Ethical and professional attitudes
• Personal and interpersonal skills.

Supervisors are encouraged to review their written evaluations with the student and provide feedback regarding the student’s clinical strengths and areas needing strengthening.

Diagnostic Practicum

The Diagnostic Practicum teaches students clinical assessment techniques and diagnostic formulation, so that appropriate clinical services can be recommended. The use of psychological testing instruments continues to distinguish psychologists from other mental health professionals. Competence in the use of these tests remains central to the identity of the clinical psychologist.

Prior to practicum placement, students complete courses dealing with the principles of testing and can learn to administer, score and interpret measures of personality, and major intelligence tests. During practicum, students have the opportunity to put to use what they have learned in the classroom. Students can learn to integrate data gleaned from several testing instruments, generate hypotheses based on patterns of psychological processes observed throughout the assessment process, develop case formulations, and prepare well written and integrated psychological reports. By the end of the practicum, students are expected to be able to demonstrate the necessary psychological knowledge base, the basic clinical assessment skills, and the appropriate professional attitudes necessary to perform effective diagnostic interviewing and psychological assessment.

Required prerequisites for Diagnostic Practicum placement and additional policies and procedures related to practicum training are described in the Clinical Training Manual.

Intervention Practicum

The Therapy Practicum teaches intervention skills. The Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University does not favor a particular theoretical orientation. The faculty and curriculum represent many major clinical orientations. Students are encouraged to keep an open mind about their theoretical orientation in order to get the full benefit of this exposure. With time and experience, students will settle into a theoretical orientation and have the opportunity to develop the personal style that best suits them as individuals. The Therapy Practicum presents an opportunity for this kind of learning. Students are cautioned that it is unrealistic to expect that they can participate in the entire spectrum of clinical experiences and therapy modalities in their Therapy Practicum. The Therapy Practicum is designed to provide an opportunity for the student to work in an established program in a way that is mutually beneficial to the training site and to the student’s professional growth. The learning that takes place in such an environment will transfer to other clinical situations and become an integral part of the foundation for sound clinical practice.

Required prerequisites for Therapy Practicum placement and additional policies and procedures related to practicum training are described in the Clinical Training Manual.

Elective practicum

Doctoral students accumulate a minimum of 1,600 hours of supervised clinical experience before starting the internship. However to be competitive for internship sites, students are strongly encouraged to accumulate as many hours as possible. Students are encouraged to pursue additional training through pre-practicum or specialty/advanced practicum experiences in order meet the student’s specific interests in specialized settings. However, only 3 credit hours of additional practicum can be counted towards graduation requirements

Pre-Practicum Experience

The pre-practicum experience is designed to offer direct clinical training experiences to students with limited mental health exposure prior to applying for regular practicum training. Additionally, direct observational experience is possible. The out-of-class training is with a clinical population in an approved mental health setting. The goal of the training experience is to allow students who have completed a portion of their assessment classes an opportunity to interview clients, administer formal assessment instruments, score and interpret data, and complete written reports. After completion of appropriate coursework, therapy pre-practicum experience may also be arranged. The work will be supervised by a licensed clinical psychologist. More experienced students may serve as coaches to the pre-practicum student during the training.

The pre-practicum experience will usually be completed during a single semester. Pre-practicum experiences are requested by the student, or may be recommended or required by the Clinical Training Committee. The student will be evaluated by the supervisor using the same form that is listed in the Clinical Training Manual for practicum students and will attend a concurrent seminar during the training. Required prerequisites for pre-practicum placement and additional policies and procedures related to pre-practicum training are described in the Clinical Training Manual.

Advanced and Supplemental Practicum

Students may choose to do a practicum beyond the required Diagnostic Practicum and Therapy Practicum in order to gain additional experience with specialized populations. The practicum site is obtained through the Clinical Training Department and must attend a concurrent seminar during the training. Required prerequisites and additional policies and procedures related to specialty/advanced or supplemental practicum training are described in the Clinical Training Manual.

Clinical Evaluation Competency Requirements — Clinical Evaluation Sequence (CES)

The Clinical Evaluation Sequence (CES) is a series of competency based examinations designed to evaluate the student’s mastery of major clinical assessment and therapeutic skills. The examinations take place at designated times prior to the student becoming eligible for progression in the program and internship. The CES monitors the growth and development of the student’s acquisition of appropriate skill levels for clinical practice. Demonstrating competency on each section of the CES is a prerequisite for advancing to the next level of training. Students prepare to demonstrate competency by integrating classroom theoretical work with clinical experience acquired during the practicum. The four sections of the CES and procedures for their passage are as follows:

• Diagnostic Scoring Competency: Students meet the requirement by passing three Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University assessment courses with a grade of “B-” or better and demonstrating adequate competency on specific skills in each class Cognitive Assessment (PP7370 ), Objective Personality Assessment (PP7371 ), and Projective Personality Assessment (PP7372 ).
• Diagnostic Interpretation Competency: Students meet the requirement by passing Integrative Assessment (PP7373 ) with a grade of “B-” or better and demonstrating adequate competency on specific skills in the class.
• Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation-Diagnostic (CCE-D): The Diagnostic Practicum and Seminar (PP8208 , PP8209 , PP8210 ) are designed to help the student develop the necessary competency in diagnostic interviewing and psychological report writing. The student demonstrates the competency by successfully completing both a written and an oral presentation of a client case. Specific requirements for the CCE-D can be found in the Clinical Training Manual.
• Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation-Intervention (CCE-I): The Intervention Practicum and Seminar are designed to help the student develop the necessary skills in psychotherapy and case analysis. The student demonstrates the competency by successfully completing both a written and an oral presentation of a client case. Specific requirements for the CCE-I can be found in the Clinical Training Manual.

Comprehensive Examination Requirements

All Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology degree program students are required to successfully complete the Comprehensive Examination.  The examination will be offered twice a year, during the Summer semester of the third year in the program.   

The Comprehensive Examination is a multiple-choice exam modeled in format and content after the EPPP national licensing exam for psychologists and will be graded on a “Pass/Fail” basis. The Comprehensive Examination may include the following content areas:  Professional Ethics, Theories of Personality, Abnormal Psychology/Psychopathology, History and Systems, Physiological Psychology, Developmental, Social Psychology, Cognition and Affect, Statistics and Research Methods, Assessment, and Diversity. The following courses must be completed prior to sitting for the exam:

• PP7000 - History and Systems  
• PP7010 - Lifespan Development 
• PP7040 - Cognition and Affective Processes 
• PP7050 - Physiological Psychology 
• PP7060 - Social Psychology 
• PP7100 - Professional Issues: Ethics, Conduct, and Law 
• PP7200 - Statistics and Research I 
• PP7300 - Psychopathology I 
• PP7301 - Psychopathology II 
• PP7340 - Issues in the Assessment and Treatment of Diverse Populations  
• PP7344 - Issues in the Assessment and Treatment of Diverse Populations II  
• PP7365 - Clinical Interviewing 
• PP7370 - Cognitive Assessment  
• PP7371 - Objective Personality Assessment 
• PP7372 - Projective Personality Assessment  

Students are responsible for all content areas of the Comprehensive Examination. Students must submit a Comprehensive Examination Request Form to the program dean during the spring semester at a date designated by the program dean. Students must take their comprehensive examination at their earliest eligibility and must successfully complete the exam by their fifth year of matriculation.

Students will be given two opportunities to pass the examination.  Students who fail the Comprehensive Examination will be permitted to sit for a second administration. Students who fail to achieve a “Pass” on their second attempt must petition the program dean for a third attempt.  A score of 70% is required to pass the Comprehensive Examination. The successful passage of this examination marks the official acceptance of the matriculated student as a doctoral degree candidate. The examination must be passed prior to applying for internship.

Clinical Research Project Requirements

General Information

All students in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program are required to develop a Clinical Research Project as a requirement for graduation. The Clinical Research Project (PP8500  and PP8501 ) is a scholarly work that is designed to provide students with an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and thought about a particular clinical area, to demonstrate the ability to critically analyze methodological issues, and to produce an original and potentially publishable piece of research and/or scholarly work in the field of clinical psychology. Students are expected to apply theoretical and scientific knowledge to the examination of a meaningful research questions related to the clinical practice of psychology. Specific policies and procedures for all components of the Clinical Research Project process can be found in the Clinical Research Project Manual. This manual is available to students through the student portal. Students are responsible for accessing the most recent CRP manual on the student portal and integrating revisions and updates as they occur.

Registration

Students begin the CRP process by taking a Clinical Research Project Seminar (PP8500 ). Students are then required to complete a minimum of 3 credit hours of CRP over a minimum of three semesters at 1 credit hour each. Students may not take more than 1 credit hour of CRP per semester.

Internship Requirements

Successful completion of a pre-doctoral internship, approved by the Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, is a requirement for graduation with the PsyD in Clinical Psychology. The internship is a year-long, organized training experience that is completed at a site within the United States or Canada.  The Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University requires all of its students to obtain internships affiliated with the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) and, where possible, American Psychological Association (APA) approved internships.

Before applying for internship, the Clinical Training Department reviews the student’s academic performance and training file. The review focuses on an intern applicant’s strengths and training needs, as stated by practicum supervisors, practicum seminar leaders, and course instructors. The Clinical Training Department, in conjunction with the program faculty, assesses whether the student has acquired solid theoretical knowledge, effective clinical skills, and appropriate professional attitudes needed to proceed with the internship process.

The student initiates and follows through with all internship application procedures. The Clinical Training Department assists in the process in a number of ways, such as supplying internship information and resource materials, providing documentation of eligibility, and ensuring adherence to APPIC internship selection procedures. Once a student is placed in an internship site, the Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University monitors the student’s progress through midyear and final evaluation forms completed by the internship supervisor.

In addition, interns evaluate their internship across a number of criteria in order to assess the quality of the training experience they received. Specific policies and procedures for internship training are described in the Clinical Training Manual.

Concentrations in the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology Degree Program

Students enrolled in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program at the Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University may choose to fulfill their elective credit hour requirements by completing an optional area of concentrated study in one of the following areas:

• Child & Adolescent Psychology
• Geropsychology
• Marriage/Couples & Family Therapy
• Neuropsychology

Students are encouraged to supplement this education by completing an additional specialty practicum in their area of interest as well as focusing their Clinical Research Project on a related topic. Students are not required to choose an area of concentration, and may choose to complete a generalized plan of study.

Course requirements for each concentration are described below.

Faculty Advisors

Faculty advisors are available for consultation regarding student professional development, academic and training progress and other school and professional development issues.

Students are required to meet with their faculty advisor at least once each semester, for purposes of registration. It is our belief that the process of becoming a psychologist requires more than just classroom hours and practicum experience. Therefore, students are strongly encouraged to meet more often with their advisor to review their progress through the program, to discuss their performance in classes, seminars and training sites as well as for more general discussions regarding their professional direction and aspirations. Certain advising meetings may be documented in the form of a memo to the student’s file. In those cases, a copy will be sent to the student as well. Add/Drop requests must be discussed with the faculty advisor, or if unavailable, with the Program Dean, and then forwarded to the Program Dean for signature. Students must also discuss add/drop requests with course instructors whenever possible.

Changing Faculty Advisors

If a student wishes to change advisors, he/she should discuss this with the current advisor and the prospective advisor. If all parties agree to the change, the student must complete and return to Student Services a Change of Advisor Form. This form requires the signatures of the student, the current advisor, and the new advisor.

Clinical Practice Policy

We recognize the responsibility in preparing clinical psychologists to ensure that this training protects the best interest of the public. It is entirely consistent with our training goals to require that students do not engage in professional activities that may infringe upon a primary commitment to training, have a negative impact on the quality of service provided, or are inconsistent with ethical and legal standards. Therefore, the participation of students in outside work activities should be secondary to training and should also uphold and be consistent with the legal and ethical standards of the profession.

While enrolled in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program, students are specifically prohibited from being involved in private practice or the delivery of professional services unless the following standards are met:

• Appropriate state registration, certification, credentialing or licensure relevant to the practice and delivery of mental health services
• Written notification of practice to, and approval by, program dean and the training director with the provision of evidence of appropriate credentialing
• Service delivery is within the scope of the highest degree or credential obtained and does not incorporate knowledge or skills learned through involvement with the doctoral program.

Failure to comply with these policies will result in referral to the Student Conduct Committee  and may be grounds for dismissal from the program.

Policy Regarding Appropriate Subjects for Student Practice Assessment Informed Consent

All subjects used for Psychological Assessment must sign the appropriate consent form (available from the library) that must be submitted along with the report on a given subject. Students may not assess members of their immediate family, friends, Argosy University Employees, or other persons who might be involved in dual roles with the student assessor. Classmates may be appropriate for role play assessments. Assessment of the family and friends of fellow students may be appropriate as long as two conditions are met:

• That such testing does not constitute a dual relationship as delineated in the APA Code of Ethics
• That no feedback regarding the assessment results are provided to any subjects or their parents

Students should consult their instructor if there are any questions about the suitability of a given subject.

Guidelines for the Disposal of Confidential Materials

Students should shred rather than discard the following types of documents when they are not being retained for future use:

• Documents containing the names of any client or volunteer
• Documents containing client or volunteer information, even if there is no identifying information (e.g., protocols)
• Copies of used test forms
• Copies of interview, interpretation, raw data or notes related to client or volunteer assessments

Course/Credit Transfer

Transfer of Courses/Credit to the PsyD in Clinical Psychology Degree Program from an Institution Other Than Argosy University

Students may seek transfer credit for graduate coursework taken at other institutions only after enrolling at the Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University and only during the first year of enrollment.  Students must complete a Transfer Request Form and supply the syllabus, transcript, and any other relevant material for faculty review. Courses that overlap 80 percent with the Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University courses may be accepted for transfer credit.

A maximum of 30 credit hours may be transferred and applied to the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program. Students are advised, however, that only under unusual circumstances would more than one or two courses be transferred.

Transfer will be considered for graduate courses:

• Completed with a grade of “B” or higher
• Completed prior to admission to the Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University
• Earned within the five years of matriculation in the clinical psychology programs

The program does not accept for transfer any credit hours earned as military credit, credit hours by examination, credit hours by correspondence, credit hours for life experience, or graduate credit hours from non-accredited institution.

Transfer of credit hours will not be considered for courses completed elsewhere after admission to the Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University.

Petition for Course Transfer Forms are available from the Student Services Department and should be submitted to the chair of the Curriculum Committee. A student must complete one form for each course for which transfer consideration is requested. When completing a Petition for Course Transfer Form, a student should attach documentation that will facilitate a determination as to whether the submitted course is consistent with a course required in the clinical program.

The following is a list of courses that are not considered eligible for transfer: