Dissertations for PsyD in Clinical Psychology

PsyD programs at the Fresno/Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco campuses require a PsyD dissertation. The Los Angeles campus requires a PsyD project in the second and third years rather than a dissertation. Completion of the PsyD dissertation or project is the major research requirement for candidates for the PsyD degree. The dissertation culminates in a substantial scholarly written product and oral presentation. The student begins the dissertation or project in the context of a small class. Work on the second part of the dissertation or project is conducted under the individual supervision of a clinical faculty and/or with the class instructor. This project or dissertation often addresses a clinical phenomenon or problem rather than conducting quantitative research as in the PhD program.

The structure of the project or dissertation varies from location to location—it may be a critique of the research literature in a specific area of psychology, a thorough analysis of multiple cases, or formal qualitative research. It provides evidence of the student’s ability to read and interpret a body of research literature and to apply it in a practical situation. Variations of the PsyD dissertation or project may also include planning and evaluating a limited program intervention, or analyzing and integrating relevant empirical data.

To search for dissertations, please visit the Alliant Library Catalog: http://library.alliant.edu/screens/dissert.htm.