PsyD in Clinical Psychology, San Diego

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Overview

The APA-accredited PsyD in clinical psychology program at the San Diego campus of CSPP follows a practitioner-scholar model that emphasizes the applications of theory and research to clinical practice. The program will help your development as a competent and professional clinical psychologist skilled in delivering a variety of clinical services to diverse populations in varied settings.

In the program you’ll have the opportunity to focus your studies on an area of your choosing in such diverse studies as behavioral health, family and child psychology, trauma-focused forensic experience, integrative psychology, multicultural and international psychology, as well as psychodynamic approaches to clinical practice.

Admissions

Learn About Admissions Requirements

Faculty

Get to Know Our Diverse Faculty

Emphasis and Experience Areas

The curriculum for the PsyD clinical program is designed to provide advanced doctoral students the opportunity to complete coursework in an area of interest or to take electives to enhance the required course offerings. This study option provides an entry to specialization which can continue at the post-doctoral level. Normally, two to four courses will be offered during the academic year from each of the following emphasis areas.

• Clinical health gives students the academic, research, and clinical training necessary to prepare students for work within the field of health psychology.
• Buddhist psychotherapy provides some exposure to the philosophical and psychotherapeutic aspects in the fundamental teachings of Early Buddhism as found in the Suttapitaka.
• Family/child psychology focusing on courses that cover clinical practice with children and their families presented from various theoretical viewpoints.
• Trauma-focused forensic experience prepares students interested in specializing in Forensic Psychology by augmenting their training with foundational knowledge of the core principles of the application of psychology to the legal system.
• Integrative psychology focusing on health and healing that incorporates multiple ways of approaching clinical practice ranging from existential to third wave therapies into psychological practice.
• Multicultural and international psychology where you’ll go beyond the traditional western, majority cultural viewpoint and explore cultural and international encounters in psychology.
• Psychodynamics integrating various psychodynamic theories and empirically supported treatments with an emphasis on unconscious processes.
• The military and veteran psychology experience area is designed to provide students with an understanding of military and veteran culture. This emphasis area will familiarize students with evidence-based interventions and resources available to clinicians treating veterans, military personnel, and their families.

PsyD in Clinical Psychology, San Diego Experience Areas

Program Information

The program’s most distinctive component is its dual emphasis on clinical practice and clinical scholarship. You’ll have the opportunity to take courses in a wide range of subjects and participate in a dissertation group—an intensive seminar which spans two years and integrates practice and directed reading in small group format in order to  prepare you to fulfill your dissertation requirement.

Research Topics

• Statistics
• Theories of personality
• Psychopathology
• Assessment
• Cultural psychology
• Integrative psychology

San Diego Program Features

Doctoral students in the San Diego clinical psychology program have the opportunity to pursue an emphasis program as outlined above, and to refine their skills by providing supervised mental health services at a variety of locations in the San Diego community.

San Diego Community Services and Placements

Accreditation

The clinical psychology PsyD program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA), which requires that we provide data on time to completion, program costs, internships, attrition and licensure. Please follow the link below for that information. We hope this information will help you to make an informed decision regarding your graduate study in higher education.

Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data (.pdf)

The California School of Professional Psychology or CSPP clinical psychology PsyD program is offered on the Fresno, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco Bay Area campuses. Each is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA).

*Questions related to a program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation.

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979
Email: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: https://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

Our Campus Location

Alliant International University
10455 Pomerado Rd.
San Diego, CA 92131

Directions to Campus

Links and Downloads

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