The primary purpose of the Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology degree program is to educate and train students in the major aspects of clinical practice. To help ensure that students are prepared adequately, the curriculum integrates theory, training, research, and practice, preparing students to work with a wide range of populations in need of psychological services and in a broad range of roles.
The Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology degree program combines relevant research, applied theory, and field experience and is designed to prepare the graduate to apply psychological knowledge in a variety of settings and roles.
In addition to the prescribed coursework, the required curriculum for all students includes practicum field experiences and an internship. To complete the doctoral program successfully, students must demonstrate competency in a number of specific foundational, clinical, conceptual, and professional skills.
Graduates are trained in the science and practice of psychology, and are able to apply the clinical skills of observation, assessment, intervention, and evaluation to help different segments of our ever-changing society. The areas of competency are modeled, in part, after those specified by the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology and the standards of the American Psychological Association. Completing the clinical psychology program indicates that the recipient has mastered the fundamental academic and experiential elements of clinical psychology.
Students enrolled in the Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology degree program at the Florida School of Professional Psychology at National Louis University may opt to earn
the Master of Arts (M.A.) in Clinical Psychology degree while working toward the doctoral degree. Students who wish to earn this degree must:
For more information on state licensure and certification information please visit NLU’s Public Disclosures page.
Program Learning Outcomes
PLO/Competency One: Students will demonstrate competency in (i) the application of research and statistical methods in psychology to generate knowledge and to evaluate the effectiveness of research methods, and (ii) in the understanding of psychometric science principles and the utilization of such knowledge in psychometric testing.
a. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of research methods.
b. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of quantitative/ qualitative methods.
c. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of psychometrics.
d. Students will demonstrate the ability to independently formulate, conduct, and disseminate scholarship.
PLO/Competency Two: Students will understand and apply ethical principles and professional standards that guide the practice of clinical psychology.
a. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of the current APA Code of Ethics and the general ethical principles and standards that serve as the foundation for this code.
b. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of a model of ethical decision-making to resolve ethical issues or dilemmas.
c. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of the general professional parameters that govern professional practice.
PLO/Competency Three: Students will demonstrate competency in individual and cultural diversity by demonstrating knowledge of the major theoretical models and empirical findings and will apply knowledge about human diversity to clinical practice.
a. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the major theoretical models and empirical findings, including an awareness of social, political, economic, and cultural factors that impact individuals, institutions, systems, and communities.
b. Students will demonstrate an awareness of their own personal values, biases, and cultural identities that inform perceptions of self, other, and engagement with others.
c. Students will utilize cross-cultural skills and appropriate APA multicultural guidelines to provide services to persons with diverse cultural values and lifestyles.
PLO/Competency Four: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the requisite values, attitudes, and behaviors that exemplify their identities as professional psychologists.
a. Students will demonstrate self-reflection, self-awareness, and openness to supervision and feedback.
b. Students will demonstrate engagement in life-long learning by attending educational and professional meetings, life-long learning events, subscribing to professional journals, or presenting scholarly work.
PLO/Competency Five: Students will demonstrate effective communication competencies and interpersonal skills.
a. Students will demonstrate clear, articulate, and integrative written communication skills.
b. Students will demonstrate clear, articulate, and integrative oral communication skills.
c. Students will demonstrate effective interpersonal skills in professional interactions.
PLO/Competency Six: Students will demonstrate competency in using assessment instruments and incorporating knowledge of psychopathology in the assessment process.
a. Students will demonstrate competency in selecting, administering, scoring, interpreting, and reporting psychological tests and measures.
b. Students will demonstrate competency in integrating interview data, psychological testing results, behavioral observations, and information from other sources to formulate an understanding of presenting concerns and to make recommendations.
c. Students will demonstrate competency in identifying relevant DSM criteria and utilizing other clinical information to generate diagnostic formulations.
d. Students will demonstrate competency in applying knowledge of psychopathology to case formulation and treatment planning.
PLO/Competency Seven: Students will demonstrate competency in clinical interventions that are grounded in conceptual models of treatment and evidence-based practices.
a. Students will demonstrate knowledge of and skill in applying evidence-based clinical practices.
b. Students will demonstrate an ability to establish and maintain an effective working relationship and/or treatment alliance with clients served.
c. Students will demonstrate knowledge and competency in evaluating the effectiveness of interventions.
PLO/Competency Eight: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the models and processes of supervision.
a. Students will evidence knowledge of supervision models and practices.
PLO/Competency Nine: Students will demonstrate knowledge of consultation models and practices and demonstrate interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills.
a. Students will evidence knowledge of consultation models and the role of a consultant.
b. Students will demonstrate competency in applying consultation practices―assessment and intervention―to specific referral questions from other professionals.
PLO/Competency Ten: Students will demonstrate foundational knowledge underlying the science of psychology in the following areas: biological, cognitive-affective, and social bases of human behavior; and lifespan development and history and systems of psychology.
PLO/Competency Eleven: Students will demonstrate advanced skills in integrating knowledge derived from the foundations of scientific psychology.