Training & Practica, PhD Program in San Francisco

Professional Training (Practicum and Internship)

The selection of professional training (practicum) placements for each student is guided by:

• CSPP's requirement for diverse and rigorous professional training experiences,
• The rules and regulations of the California Board of Psychology, the body charged with the licensing of psychologists in the State of California, and
• The American Psychological Association's criteria for practicum and internship training.

An important feature of CSPP's program is the process used to match students with a professional training agency and field placement that will enable students' to acquire and develop professional skills in their desired area of specialization. Students and professional training agencies engage in a carefully organized selection process in order to facilitate the most appropriate training opportunities while also providing each community agency with valuable and appropriate service. CSPP faculty members maintain ongoing relationships with professional training agencies, while CSPP students participate in clinical and ethical issues seminars that parallel their practicum experiences. This approach helps facilitate thoughtful supervision and integrates field placement clinical experience and on-campus classroom learning so that students gain strong professional practice skills prior to graduation.

Range of Placement Sites

Because of CSPP's large network of affiliated agencies, the school can offer professional training placements in community mental health clinics, adult outpatient services, hospitals, neuropsychiatric institutions, infant-parent programs, child and adolescent guidance clinics, college counseling centers, family service agencies, residential treatment centers, forensic settings, pediatric psychology programs, school-based settings, substance abuse treatment centers, and programs serving predominantly African American, Asian American, and Latino populations. The San Francisco Bay Campus places students in agencies throughout Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Solano counties. Additional placements are located in some counties outside the immediate Bay Area, including Napa, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, San Benito, and Yolo counties. Because stipends are modest and relatively scarce, particularly at the practicum level, students should not count on them to finance their studies.

Students typically begin the required internship in the fifth year. Full-time internship options include APA-accredited or APPIC-member training programs, pursued through the national selection process, or California-based internship programs approved by CSPP faculty and the California Psychology Internship Council (CAPIC). Students also have the option of completing the internship requirement for the PhD program by completing two half-time internships over a two-year period in local agencies approved by CSPP and CAPIC.