Clinical Psychology

Both the PhD and PsyD programs are individually accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA). The California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) offers clinical psychology PhD and PsyD programs at its campuses in Fresno, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. The PsyD program is also offered at the  Sacramento campus. 

APA accreditation ensures that the programs meet the education and industry standards, follow the best practices of licensed psychologists, and use industry experts to teach.  For most psychologists, APA accreditation is also required for licensure by many states. 

*Questions related to each 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
(202) 336-5979
apaaccred@apa.org
https://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation)

The programs’ emphasis and experience areas include:

• Clinical health psychology
• Family/child and couple
• Multicultural community-clinical psychology
• Forensic psychology
• Psychodynamic
• Clinical health
• Integrative psychology
• Multicultural and international
• Trauma, stress, resilience

Each APA-accredited program is unique, as are its emphasis, specialization, and track offerings. Our clinical psychology program teaches the basic skills needed to work in the field of psychology. In the programs you’ll gain clinical practice experience, which helps to prepare you for entering the workforce as a clinical psychologist. Graduate students of the clinical program will be qualified to give psychological assessment in a clinical setting. If you’re looking for PhD and PsyD programs in California, please see the doctoral program pages for specifics on emphasis area offerings in the field of psychology to help you become an effective licensed psychologist.

The degree programs at our university are built on a foundation of scholarship paired with hands-on experience in psychological services. As a PhD or PsyD student, you’ll have opportunities to get professional practice through hands-on experience and internships. We have partnerships with thousands of practice sites that include hospitals, community mental health organizations, prison and correctional systems, veteran service centers, college counseling centers, nonprofits, and more.

As a doctoral student, you’ll participate in required field experiences during most years of your program. The PsyD and PhD graduate programs require participation in practicum experiences, including a range of populations and age groups. This offers extensive practical exposure and continual opportunities to apply research and theory in real-world situations. Breadth and depth are the hallmarks of clinical psychology training, with practice involving:

• Numerous evidence-based treatment modalities
• A broad range of theoretical orientations
• Multiple treatment settings
• A wide, diverse range of patient populations

Practica and internships of the clinical psychology programs are generally assigned on a one-year basis. In clinical psychology degrees, you’ll typically assume new field placement positions or complete supervised clinical hours at the beginning of each academic year so you can gain exposure to various training models. We attempt to match your interests and needs to training site offerings, although procedures for matching vary from campus to campus at our graduate school.

The culminating clinical training component of the doctoral degree is the doctoral internship. Both the PsyD and PhD program offer supervised practicum experiences, where students work in different settings. An aspiring clinical scientist can apply their theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios, such as in hospitals and psychological services center facilities. Beginning with the first year and continuing throughout the doctoral degree program, CSPP doctoral students are provided with education about the internship process. Faculty and staff provide continuous support as you build your clinical training experiences, and they provide guidance across all phases of the internship application, interview, and acceptance process. Throughout the psychological clinical science degree program, faculty actively work to develop competitive applications for APA-accredited internships and obtain internships that are a good fit for student career goals. For additional information about a graduate program’s specific internship application requirements in the psychology major, please refer to the program’s webpage.

Our faculty in the PsyD and PhD clinical psychology programs in California collaborate with their students on various research projects and our students go on to publish their work and present at local, regional, national, and international conferences. Foundational research topics include mental health, psychological study, behavioral science, and many others.

Aside from taking on the role of life-long mentor, our faculty are preparing their graduate students to become their colleagues. They expect each of their pupils to, one day, stand beside them as leaders in the field. Our clinical psychology students often attend conferences and community events with CSPP and their faculty. Whether presenting at psychological conventions or connecting with thousands of CSPP alumni, our students begin making connections in the field from the day they first set foot in our classrooms.

The clinical PhD and clinical PsyD programs prepare you for licensure as a psychologist in California and most other states. All CSPP clinical psychology doctoral students graduate with at least 1,500 hours of supervised internship experience to meet the doctoral internship placement requirement for California Board of Psychology licensure. If you plan to seek licensure in California, you must accrue an additional 1,500 post-doctoral hours.

Clinical psychology doctoral programs at CSPP have developed multicultural training to embrace consideration of diversity regarding issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, social class, and religion. This is reflected in specific required courses for all clinical students, as well as through the integration of multicultural perspectives in all courses throughout the curriculum.

The campus community’s diversity allows you to interact with the psychology department’s faculty, staff, administrators and other students from many different cultural backgrounds. Increasing self-awareness relevant to multicultural issues, increasing awareness of multicultural dynamics in larger society, and examining their implications for psychotherapy are the primary goals of the specific intercultural awareness and development courses. In these programs you’ll be asked to look at your own multicultural identity, as well as at your values, stereotypes, prejudices, and potential blind spots. A willingness to self-evaluate and self-disclose are essential to the courses.

Courses throughout the clinical psychology concentration curriculum include a focus on increasing multicultural knowledge by increasing familiarity with theory, research, and clinical practice and applications relevant to diverse populations. Elective courses and the availability of field training sites that provide experience with diverse groups offer opportunities to develop skills that enhance work with culturally diverse clients. To be a clinical psychologist is a transformative experience that goes beyond the clinical psychology PhD program or PsyD program. It’s also about making a meaningful impact on the lives of others. By understanding the critical components of the clinical program and the significance of practical experience, you’re well on your way to becoming a distinguished clinical scientist in psychology.

Alliant offers a variety of different degree programs that are approved with top accreditation. Start your professional psychology career today with Alliant.