Clinical Psychology in Glendale

Fast Facts

Degrees

• Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)

General Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00
• 18 semester hours of prerequisite psychology course work
• GRE general test scores

Length of Program

4 to 5 years, full time

Class Size

15

Class of 2016

• Female: 77%
• Male: 23%
• Average Age: 27
• Average Overall GPA: 3.28
• In-State: 69%

Clinical Rotations

• Phoenix metro area
• Urban, rural, suburban settings

Practicum Placements

• Hospitals
• Mental health facilities
• Social service agencies
• Diagnostic centers
• Clinics

Career Opportunities

• Outpatient mental health clinics
• Outpatient substance abuse clinics
• Schools and school systems
• Social service agencies
• Research and testing services
• Management consulting firms
• Private Practice

US Employment Projections through 2016

Above average growth (15 percent) for clinical and counseling specialists, especially for those holding doctorates and those working in school settings

Median Salary (2009)

• Overall: $87,015
• 0-5 years of practice: $69,950
• 6-9 years of practice: $75,889
• 10-14 years of practice: $84,000
• 15-19 years of practice: $84,250
• 20-24 years of practice: $90,000
• 25-29 years of practice: $94,000
• 30+ years of practice: $98,250

Source: 2009 Salaries in Psychology. Center for Workforce Studies, American Psychological Association. 2010, http://www.apa.org/workforce/index.aspx (accessed 2/14/13)

Median Salary (2010):

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following are mean salaries for clinical and counseling psychologists employed in these settings, averaged across all years of experience:

Source:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S., Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-2013 Edition, Psychologists, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm#tab-5 (accessed 2/13/2013).

How much does it cost?

The estimated tuition for 2012-2013 is $27,391 with fees at $552.  Travel expenses, books and other expenses vary by student with a median cost for books of $2,020 and median travel expense of $7,793.

How long will it take?

The clinical psychology program is an accelerated program designed to be completed within 3 years of academic work and one year of internship.

Will I Be Able to Match at an Internship?

All students participate in the APPIC membership match.  So far, the Clinical Psychology Program at Midwestern University has a 100% match rate.

What is the Graduation Rate (Attrition)?

The first students graduated in 2011.  Attrition ranges from 0 to 15%.

Will I Become Licensed?

The Clinical Psychology Program at Midwestern University prepares students for licensure.  Licensure laws for psychologists vary from state to state.  Out of our current graduating class of 11 students, we have been informed that two have taken and passed the licensure exam for their states and others are currently studying and preparing for it.

The first 5 students in the program graduated in August 2011, and 3 of these are licensed in Arizona. Licensure requirements and standards for professional practice vary from state to state, and prospective students are urged to examine the requirements of the specific state in which they plan to practice. Typically, most states require at least one year of post-doctoral training to be eligible to apply for licensure. The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, http://www.asppb.org/, can provide useful information on this issue. 

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission within our competitive selection process applicants must submit the following documented evidence:

1. Completion of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
2. Minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
3. Completion of 18 semester hours or equivalent of prerequisite coursework in psychology, with a grade of C or better, including:
   • Introductory/General Psychology
   • Human Growth & Development or Personality Theory
   • Abnormal Psychology
   • Statistics or Tests and Measurements
4. Graduate Records Examination (GRE) general test scores using the Midwestern University institution code of 4160.
   • Scores will be accepted from tests taken within the last 5 years
   • For more information about the GRE, contact Educational Testing Services (ETS) at 866/473-4373 (toll-free) or visit www.gre.org
5. Three letters of recommendation
6. Demonstration of a people or service orientation through community service or extracurricular activities.
7. Motivation for and commitment to health care as demonstrated by previous work, volunteer work, or other life experiences.
8. Oral and written communication skills necessary to interact with patients and colleagues
9. Commitment to abide by Midwestern University's Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy
10. Passage of Midwestern University's criminal background check.

Application Deadline

Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis. Students are advised to complete their application files as early as possible to ensure timely consideration but no later than July 15th.

Additional Application Information

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Program Description

Program Philosophy

The Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology Program follows the practitioner-scholar model of preparation that was accepted by the American Psychological Association at the Vail Conference. This model recognizes the ongoing need in society for expertly trained practitioners in the field of clinical psychology. The practitioner-scholar philosophy dictates that competent practitioners are required to have an extensive understanding of the theoretical principles in the clinical practice of psychology and the ability to utilize the knowledge in specific clinical situations. This program has the philosophy of educating and training individuals to enter careers emphasizing the delivery of direct psychological services and consultation. Relevant theory, research, and field experiences are integrated toward the development of competent and ethical practitioners who are respectful of individual and cultural differences in the provision of psychological services.

The Doctor of Psychology degree is designed to be a professional degree similar to the doctoral degrees provided in medicine, law, pharmacy, physical therapy, and dentistry. The Psy.D. has become the degree of choice for persons interested in becoming a high-level practitioner when pursuing a career in clinical psychology. The curriculum for the program does not follow any one theoretical perspective; rather, the emphasis is upon the development of the essential diagnostic, therapeutic, and consultative skills for the practice of clinical psychology.

The overall goal is to prepare students for careers in the practice of professional psychology. There are five specific goals, defined as competencies, and an emphasis on training in Integrated Behavioral Health Care.

Program Objectives

1. Research and Evaluation/Foundations of Psychological Science: This competence includes the areas of research and evaluation, test construction, statistics, scholarship, and scientific mindedness. This competence rests on the assessor's foundation of knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes in the areas of tests and measurement, statistics, qualitative methods, and experimental design. This competence also encompasses knowledge of the history of scientific psychology and its clinical applications, including the areas of physiological psychology, neuropsychology, psychopharmacology, cognitive and affective bases of behavior, history and systems of psychology, and social psychology.
2. Professionalism: This competence includes the areas of ethics, diversity (defined broadly), self-care, awareness, self-reflection, practice management, collegiality, professional problem solving, a commitment to lifelong learning, and critical thinking which underlies all subject matter and professional behavior.
3. Diagnostics & Assessment: This competence rests on the foundation of knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes in the areas of human development and psychopathology. The Diagnostics and Assessment competence requires an ability to acquire and synthesize multiple sources of data into a comprehensive, cohesive and clearly articulated communication form.
4. Intervention: This competence requires students to demonstrate an ability to intervene with clients from an articulated theoretical perspective. Intervention is broadly defined to include a variety of activities that promote or sustain well-being or provide remedial or preventative services. Intervention populations are broadly defined (e.g. individuals, groups, couples, families, communities). Students demonstrate knowledge, skills and attitudes congruent with evidence-based practice rationales and can articulate them.
5. Relationship & Communication: This competence requires a demonstration of interpersonal skills and effective written and oral communication. Ability to consult and collaborate with others, interdisciplinary teams and members of agencies and organizations is considered part of relationship skills. Evidence of ability to teach/present and manage at a developmentally appropriate level is also included. Supervisory ability (including the ability to be supervised) is part of this competence.

Integrated Behavioral Health Care Emphasis

The MWU Clinical Psychology Program emphasizes a broad and general training in psychology. In addition, emphasis on psychological practice in integrated health care settings is provided. MWU views psychologists as generalists in healthcare. Because we are housed in a medical school and healthcare environment, students have the opportunity to interact with many healthcare professionals. As part of this interdisciplinary approach, training in other related psychological activities is available to interested students, including medical psychology, rehabilitation psychology, neuropsychology, health psychology and behavioral medicine.

Mission

The Midwestern University Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology Program is designed to educate and train students in the general practice of clinical psychology, serving a diverse population of persons in need of psychological services.

Estimated Cost of Attendance (2012-2013)

• Annual: $27,391.00 Student Services Fee: $552.00
• Financial aid may be available in the form of loans, work study and scholarships http://www.midwestern.edu/Programs_and_Admission/Financial_Aid.html

Accreditation

The Clinical Psychology Program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).  Accreditation information can be obtained from the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association, 750 First Street NE; Washington, DC 20002-4242. Phone: 202/336-5979; TDD/TTY: 202/336-6123. Website: http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/index.aspx

Midwestern University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, a Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC/NCA), 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1413; 800/621-7440.

This program meets the "Guidelines for Defining 'Doctoral Degree in Psychology'" as implemented by the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project. Therefore, a graduate of this designated program who decides to apply for licensure as a psychologist typically will meet the jurisdictional educational requirements for licensing. However, individual circumstances vary, and, there are additional requirements that must be satisfied prior to being licensed as a psychologist. Please contact the state / provincial / territorial licensing board in the jurisdiction in which you plan to apply for exact information. Additional information including links to jurisdictions is available on the ASPPB's web site: www.asppb.org.

Once licensed, a graduate of a designated program is eligible to apply for credentialing as a Health Service Psychologist by the National Register of Health Service Psychologists. Graduation from a designated program typically ensures that the program completed meets the educational requirements for the National Register credential. However, individual circumstances vary, and, there are additional requirements that must be satisfied prior to being credentialed by the National Register of Health Service Psychologists and listed on the FindaPsychologist.org database. Doctoral students may apply to have their credentials banked and reviewed prior to licensure. For further information about the National Psychologist's Trainee Register and the National Register application process, consult the National Register's web site: www.nationalregister.org.

Related Links

MWU Clinical Psychology Program in Downers Grove

Clinical Psychology as a Career

American Academy of Clinical Psychology

Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB)

American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP)

American Psychological Association (APA)

American Psychological Society (APS)

Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC)

National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP)

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Psychology Links from APS

Midwestern University Clinics