Home | PsyD: Program Overview:Dallas
Clinical Psychology – PsyD Programs (Doctor of Psychology)
To share the deepest pains of individuals and families in times of crisis, or to assess and summarize the cognitive/emotional resources of a human being in the pages of a psychological evaluation; these are the almost impossible tasks faced by clinical psychologists on a daily basis. What a privilege to be in a profession entrusted with so much and yet what a sacred trust to seek to engage these tasks. As you consider pursuing a profession to which so much is entrusted, only the highest standards are acceptable.
Though a student in clinical psychology must master large amounts of technical knowledge and skills, these resources are delivered to individuals in need through who you are as a person. People in crisis rarely care how much you know until they know how much you care. To achieve such a balance of personal and professional growth is the task of every program in clinical psychology, and we embrace this task out of our passion for the profession and our personal gratitude for what the profession of psychology has provided us as human beings. Our goal is to instill our graduates with a respect for clinical psychology and the people it serves.
Our Clinical Psychology doctoral program is listed with the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards and the Council for the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. This listing with the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project helps to protect the public by identifying the national standards for a doctoral degree in psychology. http://www.nationalregister.org/desig_about.html
The strength of our PsyD program lies in our commitment to student learning and mentoring, our diverse faculty and student body, and our focus on clinical practice. Our practicum training covers a wide range of training opportunities. Students can gain training experience at state psychiatric facilities, jails and prisons, mental health clinics, child and adolescent facilities, and group based private practice settings. Our faculty regularly devote part of their time to the practice of psychology and bring this real world flavor into the classroom.
Classroom experiences allow students the opportunity to develop the kind of knowledge about theory and research which is required of all clinical psychologists but, more importantly, how to translate this knowledge into professional practice. The central goal of our program is to establish the kind of academic standard of excellence essential to the integrity of our program, while at the same time pressing students to apply their knowledge to the kind of individual complexity encountered by clinicians on a regular basis.
Our practitioner scholar program is modeled on the competencies articulated by the National Council of Schools and Programs in Professional Psychology (NCSPP; www.ncspp.info) and includes the critical balance between knowledge and practice our faculty model the kind of aptitude measured on the Exam for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP), as well as the emotional aptitude which has been demonstrated to be critical in helping individuals in crisis. In this way it might be said that we educate both the mind and heart.
Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology Degree Program
The PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program at the Texas School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, Dallas and its faculty are committed to the development of attitudes, knowledge, and skills essential to the training of clinical psychologists. Our Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology degree program has been designed to educate and train students to function effectively as clinical psychologists. Our curriculum provides for the meaningful integration of theory, training, and practice. Specific goals of the program include the following:
- The preparation of practitioners of professional psychology capable of delivering effective and ethical diagnostic and therapeutic services to diverse populations of clients in need of such treatment.
- The development of students who will demonstrate their knowledge and competence in addressing the needs, values and experiences of people from diverse or underserved subpopulations by recognizing and distinguishing people from such subpopulations, differentiating their experiences and prioritizing their needs.
- The training of practitioners of professional psychology capable of systematically evaluating the effectiveness of their services through utilization of the existing and evolving body of knowledge and methods in the practice and science of psychology to enhance the applications of psychology throughout their careers.
- The education of students who will be familiar with the current body of knowledge in cognitive-affective, biological and socio-cultural bases of human behavior.
- The development of practitioners who are capable of assuming leadership both in the health care delivery system and in the training of mental health professionals in healthcare and other organizational systems.
Clinical Training Overview
Clinical training for our students involves supervised out-of-class contact with a clinical population. Through this contact, students apply theoretical knowledge, implement clinical techniques based on this knowledge, and develop the professional and personal attitudes important to the identity of a professional psychologist. Clinical training follows a developmental model of learning, where students advance through progressively more challenging levels of training. A students progress is assessed in multiple ways by several faculty members and field supervisors keeping in mind the developmental level of the student.
Students in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program generally complete two years of practicum (in the second and third years of the program) with some students opting for a third year of practicum. These clinical experiences prepare students to be successful on their pre-doctoral internship usually done in the fifth year of the program. By the end of clinical training, Texas School of Professional Psychology students receive the requisite training for effective assessment and intervention skills.
Practicum and Practicum Seminar Requirements
Practica provide opportunities for students to gain clinical field training by working under supervision of local psychologists with a clinical population in a behavioral health delivery system. Practica are an essential part of clinical training, and all students are required to participate in two years of practicum experience, typically during their second and third years of study.
During each year of practicum, students also participate in a practicum seminar on campus. Students enrolled in practicum meet in a weekly year-long practicum seminar led by a faculty member. Students are expected to demonstrate mastery of the necessary psychological knowledge base, learn basic clinical assessment and intervention skills, and demonstrate appropriate professional attitudes throughout the practicum. These practica allow the student to reflect on practicum experiences and to acquire additional skills and attitudes useful in field training. The specific content and emphasis of the seminar varies according to the practicum setting and focus of the enrolled students and the professional expertise of the faculty member.
Pre-doctoral Internship
All doctoral degree program students are required to complete a full-time year long equivalent internship as a condition for graduation. This intensive and supervised contact with clients is essential for giving greater breadth depth to the students overall clinical experience. Typically, full-time students will begin the internship during their fifth year of enrollment. Students obtain a pre-doctoral internship by participating in the national match process through the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC).
The Clinical Training Department actively provides guidance and support for students throughout the internship search process in both group and individual formats. One unique element of this match for TSPP students is the opportunity to apply to our own APPIC member local consortium of psychological service providers in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area,t the Greater Southwest Consortium. We developed and supported this APPIC member local consortium for our students and the consortium is only available to our students.
Research and Scientific Literacy
The philosophy of the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program faculty with respect to research, research skills, and the Clinical Research Project (CRP) is consistent throughout the program. In our practitioner-scholar model, we expect our students to understand research and apply these research findings as a primary resource for their clinical work. We expect our students to read current research articles and understand the methods and statistics, draw appropriate conclusions from research, and critique research in terms of internal and external validity.
All of these skills are important and necessary when integrating information in our field and, more generally, in being a qualified clinical psychologist. We do not expect that most students will be involved in publishing large-scale scientific studies. They may, however, be involved in case studies, program evaluation research, and quantitative and qualitative research.
Clinical Research Project (CRP)
Each doctoral degree program student is required to develop a Clinical Research Project (CRP) as a requirement for graduation. The CRP is intended to provide students with an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and thought about a particular clinical area, to demonstrate the ability to analyze methodological issues, and to produce an original piece of scholarly work in the field of clinical psychology. Types of projects that are acceptable for the CRP include a broad range of qualitative and quantitative methods.
Graduation Requirements
To receive the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology degree, the student must fulfill the degree requirements of the program, which include:
- Satisfactory completion of all requirements in the program of study, including passage of comprehensive exams
- Satisfactory completion of 98 semester credit hours, including internship
- Completion of these requirements within seven years of matriculation into the program
Licensure
The Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology degree programs at Argosy University, Dallas and Argosy University, Seattle meet the “Guidelines for Defining ‘Doctoral Degree in Psychology’” as implemented by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology (National Register) Designation Project (www.nationalregister.org).
Matriculation through the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program curriculum is designed to help prepare students to sit for the national licensure examination. Licensure requirements and standards for professional practice vary from state to state; therefore, prospective and enrolled students are urged to examine the requirements of the specific state in which they plan to practice. State licensure requirements may be obtained from:
Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards P.O. Box 4389 Montgomery, Alabama, 36103, 332.832.4580www.asppb.org
Tuition Data for this program at
Argosy University, Dallas
Below is the current tuition cost for this program for a full-time student completing the entire program in normal time. All tuition and fees are subject to change.
| Books & Digital Resources | $3300 |
| Program Fees | $4239 |
| Room & Board | $0 |
| Tuition | $113876 |
| |
The financial aid office uses an estimate of direct and indirect costs to determine how much financial aid a student may be eligible for. Direct costs include tuition, fees, some books and supplies, and institutional housing. Indirect costs include estimates of other living expenses, transportation and personal expenses. Housing costs may be considered direct or indirect. Examples of the costs of attendance estimates used can be found by clicking here.
*optional where available
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Gainful Employment Information for this program –-
Program Costs
Q:
How much will this program cost me?
Below is the institution tuition cost for this program for a full-time student completing the entire program in normal time. All tuition and fees are subject to change.
| Books & Digital Resources | $3300 |
| Program Fees | $4303 |
| Room & Board | $0 |
| Tuition | $114162 |
| |
*optional where available
Median Debt
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Success
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What percentage of students find employment in their field or a related field?
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For more information on job opportunities in this field of study, see the following links on career paths that may be open to you after studying in this field: The job opportunities links are for general information purposes. The program you have selected could have different outcomes. Please check with your admissions registrar for detailed information.
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