The purpose of this Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology program is to train clinical psychologists in the necessary competencies to provide services to individuals, families, and groups, as well as offer training in assessment and evaluation. We seek to train students in a holistic, dynamic, and integrated perspective so they may contribute to high-quality clinical interventions in multiple areas of interest.
Available at our San Juan campus, the program’s training philosophy, which prepares students to become competent doctors of psychology, is based on the practitioner-scholar model. In line with the training model, the program focuses on students’ professional growth and self-awareness, as well as the development of cultural sensitivity in the provision of clinical services. It provides students with the opportunity to address issues of cultural and individual diversity, work with a wide range of client populations, and practice in multiple settings and in a variety of professional roles, such as clinicians, administrators, supervisors, and consultants. Students are encouraged to consider the best research evidence integrated with clinical competencies and skills to promote positive therapeutic outcomes.
The resolutions of the 1973 Vail Conference advocate for the development of a professional training model determined by the skills program graduates would need in order to function effectively in the particular roles they have chosen. The practitioner-scholar model is best suited for training psychologists whose primary roles will be in the area of direct professional practice, which is the focus of the Albizu University (AU) Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology program. The model aims to produce professional clinical psychologists who bring a scientific approach to the multiple areas in which they practice.
The goals for research training in programs adhering to the practitioner-scholar model are to help students develop:
- Sufficient basic skills to be able to design and execute competent outcomes in professional and, in some cases, academic contexts with the support of properly trained consultants.
- A basic understanding of and respect for the scientific basis of the discipline.
- Sufficient methodological understanding to enable them to be effective consumers of scientific knowledge.
Program Details
Credits and Other Requirements
95 credits (from 2020 curriculum), 10 clinical practicums, Pre-Doctoral Internship, Dissertation
Academic Level
Doctoral degree
Duration
5 years
Request Information
Program Director:
Dra. Aixa Negrón
787-725-6500, ext. 1508
[email protected]
P.O. Box 9023711
San Juan PR, 00902
Program Highlights
- Alumni from our Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology program qualify for internships with the American Psychological Association (APA), and can apply for a license in both Puerto Rico and the United States.
- Students in this program can work on research projects and take combined courses with other AU programs.
- This program also promotes cross-institutional collaborations with other universities such as the Harvard School of Public Health, South Carolina School of Medicine, the University of Connecticut, and Bay State.
In Focus
- This program is offered on our San Juan campus, online, and in a hybrid modality. It also includes lectures and clinical practicums.
- Students in this program acquire skills in dialectic behavioral therapy, certifications in autism and forensic psychology, as well as clinical training in substance abuse disorders.
- The members of our faculty have more than 20 years of experience. They are published professionals who have presented in the APA Convention and received several awards.
- Applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree in an accredited university with a minimum 3.25 grade point average (GPA).
- A complete application for admission. Access the following link to fill your application: https://albizu.elluciancrmrecruit.com/Admissions/Pages/prospectinquiry.aspx. You can also attach your admission documents in PDF format.
- Official transcripts of institutions where you have previously studied.
- Results of the Graduate Studies Admission Examination (EXADEP) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Only the scores from exams taken within the last five years will be accepted.
- Two (2) letters of recommendation (in accordance with AU format).
- Negative criminal record certificate, which you can request online at https://www.pr.gov/.
- Original health certificate
- Proof of hepatitis-B vaccination
- Certificate of Vaccination of the Department of Health (PVAC-3, green form) for applicants who are 21 years of age or younger. For more information, visit: http://www.salud.gov.pr/Dept-de-Salud/Pages/Unidades-Operacionales/Secretaria-Auxiliar-de-Salud-Familiar-y-Servicios-Integrados/Division-de-Inmunizacion-Vacunacion.aspx
- International students must present the evaluation of their academic credentials certified by a duly authorized agency.
- Applicants who did not pursue a bachelor’s degree in psychology must approve 15 credits (5 courses of 3 credits each) in psychology to qualify for an admissions assessment to the selected graduate program.
Once the Admissions Office has received all the required documentation and the interview has been completed, academic program advisors will reach out to successful candidates to provide program direction and guidance.
After all the required documentation is received and an interview completed by the Office of Admissions, academic program advisors reach out to successful candidates with program direction and advisement.
- A completed and signed application form accompanied by the appropriate fee submitted by the established deadline.
- Official transcripts from all previous undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) institutions attended, showing that the following conditions have been met:
-
- Previous academic work must include courses in statistics, research methods, developmental psychology, and abnormal psychology. This coursework requirement will be waived for applicants with a score of 600 or higher on the GRE Psychology Test.
- The transcripts should include any conferred degree.
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education is required.
- Applicants enrolled in institutions of higher education outside the United States whose standards of training are substantially equivalent to the standards of training of those institutions in the United States will also be considered.
- Official GRE scores from exams taken within the last five years.
- Three (3) letters of recommendation from current or past professional contacts (in accordance with the AU format).
- A current curriculum vitae that summarizes the applicant’s credentials.
- A personal statement describing the applicant’s professional goals and academic objectives.
This program is accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation (CoA).
For information about accreditation, please contact:
APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
750 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
Phone: 202-336-5979
Email: [email protected]
Albizu University students must fulfill the following requirements to achieve the doctoral degree:
- No more than two (2) “C” grades of in elective courses.
- Completion of a minimum of three (3) years of full-time residency in the program.
- Satisfactory completion of 95 credits.
- Satisfactory completion of at least 1,125 practicum hours, conducted through Albizu practicum, with no more than one (1) NP, W, or AW in any practicum.
- Satisfactory completion of the clinical examination with no more than two (2) NPs.
- Satisfactory completion of all seminars, with no more than one (1) NP, W, or AW in any seminar.
- Satisfactory completion of all course laboratories, with no more than one (1) NP, W, or AW in any laboratory.
- Satisfactory completion and approval of a doctoral dissertation, with no more than one (1) NP in the dissertation, whether consecutive or not. For all dissertations, candidates must obtain written approval from the Research Training Program confirming they have met the standards for research design prior to collecting data. For dissertations with human participants, candidates must obtain written approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for ethical practice in research involving human subjects prior to collecting data (please see the Dissertation Manual and IRB Procedures Manual).
- Fulfillment of all institutional obligations.
- Good standing in the program (i.e., no disciplinary action pending or academic or practicum probation). Students readmitted after an academic dismissal who once again fail or drop (whether by a withdrawal or an administrative withdrawal) the course, laboratory, practice, seminar, or degree exam for which the academic dismissal was originally granted will be dismissed from the program without the possibility of reapplying for admission to the same program.
- Satisfactory completion of the clinical examination (PSYD-605) with no more than two (2) NPs.
- Satisfactory completion of a 2,000-hour predoctoral internship in clinical psychology on a full-time basis (40 hours per week) during a one-year period, or part-time (20 hours per week) during a two-year period in a program-approved facility.
- Recommendation from the program faculty for the doctoral degree. Students seeking the degree must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the faculty, the professional, ethical, and personal attributes described in the current General Policies and Disciplinary Procedures Manual.
Applying for this program?
