Clinical Psychology, Psy.D. - Illinois School of Professional Psychology
The primary purpose of the Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology degree program is to educate and train students in preparation for the practice of clinical psychology. The mission of the Illinois School of Professional Psychology is to prepare students for professional careers in clinical psychology within the practitioner-scholar tradition. ISPP graduates are equipped to provide scientifically grounded, theoretically informed, and culturally responsive psychological services. Rigorous training in the science, practice, and ethics of clinical psychology is emphasized in order to address the needs of individuals, couples, families, and organizations across diverse communities.
The Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology is designed to enable full-time students to complete the program in five years; all students are required to have at least one year of full-time residency. Full-time enrolled students attend for three full-time academic years (or the equivalent) that are dedicated to graduate coursework, including two years of practicum training during the second and the third academic years. The fourth academic year allows students to complete advanced elective courses, elect to take an advanced practicum if desired, and complete a doctoral thesis, the Clinical Research Project (CRP). In an effort to promote timely completion, the program requires students to complete the CRP proposal prior to their applying for internship training. The fifth academic year is devoted to an internship in clinical psychology.
Eligibility for Licensure
The Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology degree program is designed to prepare graduates for independent practice. The curriculum is designed to meet state licensing requirements; however, completion of the program does not guarantee eligibility for licensure as a clinical psychologist. Each state has particular requirements for passing the Examination for Professional Practice as a Psychologist (EPPP), state-specific licensing exams, and/or required postdoctoral training hours. It is the student’s responsibility to determine the requirements for professional licensure in the state they wish to practice. In addition, the M.A. along the way (the M.A. degree that is integrated into the Psy.D. program) is not a licensing eligible M.A. degree.
For more information on state licensure and certification information please visit NLU’s Public Disclosures page.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs):
1. Research: Students will critically evaluate the current and evolving body of scholarly literature in psychology and demonstrate knowledge of research methods and the ability to apply this knowledge by completing a clinical research project, and disseminating their research findings.
2. Ethics: Students will demonstrate knowledge of ethical and legal standards, application of ethical decision making processes, and ethical conduct in professional activities.
3. Diversity Application: Students will apply the theoretical and empirical knowledge necessary to address the multidimensionality of human diversity and work effectively with issues of difference.
4. Diversity Self-Awareness: Students will demonstrate self-awareness of the impact of their own social and cultural identities and biases.
5. Professionalism: Students accept responsibility for their own actions, integrate feedback from peers, colleagues, and supervisors in a non-defensive manner, and behave in a professional
manner across settings.
6. Communication: Students will demonstrate professionalism through clear and effective written and verbal communication.
7. Interpersonal Effectiveness: Students will demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage difficult communication well, forming and maintaining productive and respectful relationships with clients, colleagues, supervisors, and other professionals.
8. Assessment: Students will demonstrate competency in assessment, including the ability to select, administer, score, and interpret psychological tests. They will show an ability to make
appropriate diagnoses and recommendations for treatment that take into account both personal and cultural client strengths and challenges.
9. Intervention: Students will demonstrate competency in intervention by articulating a theory- driven case conceptualization and; developing, applying, and evaluating evidence-based
treatment plans that are grounded in a coherent orientation.
10. Supervision: Students will demonstrate knowledge of supervision models and practices.
11. Consultation: Students will demonstrate knowledge of consultation models and practices, and exhibit respect for the roles and perspectives of other professions.
12. Scientific Bases & History and Systems: Students will know and apply the scientific bases of psychology, including affective, biological, cognitive, developmental, and social psychology; and they will demonstrate knowledge of the history and systems of psychology.
In addition to the College of Professional Studies and Advancement Graduate Admission Requirements, applicants must:
- Submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
- Submit a personal/ professional goal statement with a self-appraisal of qualifications for the profession
- Submit a minimum of three professional letters of reference, preferably speaking to the applicant's academic and clinical suitability for the program.
- Complete an interview with members of the program Admissions Committee
Note: All applicants are automatically admitted to both degrees, M.A. and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, if admission criteria are met and acceptance by the Program Admission’s Committee is granted. Undergraduate students who apply for the Psy.D. degree, can choose to be considered for acceptance into the M.A. program if not granted acceptance into the Psy.D. program. Those students who are offered admittance into the M.A. program in place of the Psy.D. program can re-apply for the Psy.D. program during year two of the M.A. program. For Psy.D. Admission, an undergraduate degree grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0) or a conferred graduate degree grade point average of 3.25 (on a scale of 4.0) is required.
Program Details:
- Requires 98 SH for completion, including practicum and concentration hours (if student chooses to complete a concentration)
- Successful completion of the diagnostic and therapy practicum training totaling 1,250 practicum hours
- Successful completion of the pre-doctoral internship totaling 2,000 hours
- Requires completion of all core courses with a grade of "B" or better with an overall program GPA no lower than 3.0 on a scale of 4.0
- Satisfactory performance on the Diagnostic Capstone I & II, Therapy Capstone I & II, and Science Capstone
- Successful completion and defense/formal presentation of the Clinical Research Project
- Requires completion of all program requirements within seven years of matriculation into the program
- The Illinois School of Professional Psychology will consider requests to apply up to 15 SH of coursework completed with a grade of B or higher from another NLU graduate and/or doctoral program for which the degree was awarded toward the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology program. Courses must have been completed no more than 5 years prior to the start of the PsyD program. Each request must be approved through the Application of Credit toward Multiple Graduate Programs form.
Required Courses
Core Courses - 68.5 SH
| PSYD 703 | History and Systems of Psychology | 3 |
| PSYD 705 | Biological Bases of Behavior | 3 |
| PSYD 707 | Cognition and Affective Processes | 3 |
| PSYD 708 | Personal and Professional Development Group | 1 TO 2 |
| PSYD 709 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSYD 710 | Professional Issues: Ethics, Conduct, and Law | 1.5 TO 3 |
| PSYD 718 | Statistics | 3 |
| PSYD 719 | Health and Human Dysfunction I | 3 |
| PSYD 722 | Health and Human Dysfunction II | 3 |
| PSYD 723 | Research Methods | 1.5 TO 3 |
| PSYD 732 | Child and Adolescent Development | 3 |
| PSYD 735 | Clinical Supervision | 1.5 |
| PSYD 738 | Clinical Interviewing | 1.5 TO 3 |
| PSYD 741 | Issues in the Assessment and Treatment of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Populations | 3 |
| PSYD 742 | Cognitive Assessment | 3 |
| PSYD 752 | Personality Assessment | 4 |
| PSYD 753 | Survey of Diversity and Multicultural Psychology | 3 |
| PSYD 755 | Consultation in Diverse Settings | 1.5 |
| PSYD 761 | Clinical Psychopharmacology | 3 |
| PSYD 802 | Person-Centered and Experiential Theory and Therapy | 3 |
| PSYD 805 | Family and Couples Therapy | 3 |
| PSYD 806 | Psychoanalytic Theory and Therapy | 3 |
| PSYD 809 | Cognitive Behavioral Theory and Therapy | 3 |
| PSYD 819 | Science Capstone Examination | 0 |
| PSYD 816A | Diagnostic Capstone Sequence | 0 |
| PSYD 818A | Psychotherapy Capstone Sequence | 0 |
| PSYD 847 | Adult Development and Aging | 3 |
| and | |
| PSYD 721 | Advanced Quantitative Methods | 1 TO 3 |
| or | |
| PSYD 724 | Advanced Qualitative Methods | 1 |
General Electives - 4.5 SH
Students must choose 4.5 SH from the list of courses below:
| PSYD 756 | Neuroanatomy and Pathology | 3 |
| PSYD 762 | Integrated Healthcare Psychology | 1.5 |
| PSYD 764 | Extended Empathic Responding I | 1.5 |
| PSYD 765 | Extended Empathic Responding II | 1.5 |
| PSYD 766 | Self-Care for Mental Health Professionals | 1.5 |
| PSYD 808 | Play Therapy | 1.5 |
| PSYD 812 | Foundations of Mindfulness | 1.5 |
| PSYD 813 | Science Capstone Preparation | 0 |
| PSYD 827 | Civil Psychology and Law | 3 |
| PSYD 844 | Introduction to Health Psychology | 3 |
| PSYD 853 | Advanced Practicum and Seminar | 1 TO 3 |
| PSYD 854 | Advanced Clinical Psychology Practicum & Seminar II | 0 TO 1.5 |
| PSYD 858 | Clinical Hypnosis | 1.5 |
| PSYD 866 | Theories and Contemporary Issues of Motivation and Emotion | 3 |
| PSYD 867 | Psychology, Stress, and the Human Body | 3 |
| PSYD 895H | Special Topics: Sleep Wake Factors and Psychopathology | 1.5 |
Advanced Intervention Electives - 3 SH
Students must choose 3 SH from the list of courses below:
| PSYD 789 | Advanced Group Leadership I | 1.5 |
| PSYD 790 | Advanced Group Leadership | 0 TO 1.5 |
| PSYD 833 | Advanced Person-Centered Therapy and Supervision | 3 |
| PSYD 840 | Psychology and Trauma | 3 |
| PSYD 841 | Dialectical Behavior Therapy | 1.5 |
| PSYD 842 | Pain Assessment and Treatment | 1.5 |
| PSYD 845 | Advanced Child Neuropsychology | 1.5 TO 3 |
| PSYD 848 | | 1.5 |
| PSYD 861 | Advanced Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy | 3 |
| PSYD 862 | Advanced Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and Supervision | 3 |
| PSYD 863 | Advanced Family and Couples Therapy | 3 |
| PSYD 864 | Advanced Treatment of Anxiety Disorders | 1.5 |
| PSYD 882 | Neuropsychological Assessment I | 1.5 |
| PSYD 883 | Neuropsychological Assessment II | 1.5 |
Diversity Electives - 3 SH
Students must choose 3 SH from the list of courses below:
| PSYD 754 | Psychology of Women | 3 |
| PSYD 767 | Exploring Diversity I | 1.5 |
| PSYD 768 | Exploring Diversity II | 1.5 |
| PSYD 828 | Criminal Psychology | 3 |
| PSYD 829 | Child and Family Forensics | 3 |
| PSYD 835 | Adult Neuropsychological Assessment | 1 TO 3 |
| PSYD 836 | Treatment and Diagnosis of ADHD | 1 TO 3 |
| PSYD 845 | Advanced Child Neuropsychology | 1.5 TO 3 |
| PSYD 846 | Fundamentals of International Mental Health Work | 3 |
| PSYD 867 | Psychology, Stress, and the Human Body | 3 |
| PSYD 881 | Geriatric Assessment/Introduction to Neuropsychological Screening | 1.5 TO 3 |
Integrated Assessment Electives - 3 SH
Students must choose one of the following courses:
| PSYD 769 | Integrated Forensic Assessment | 3 |
| PSYD 770 | Integrated Projective Assessment | 3 |
| PSYD 774 | Integrated Neuropsychological Assessment | 3 |
Professionalization Group - 0 SH
Practicum - 12 SH
| PSYD 815 | Diagnostic Practicum & Seminar I | 1 TO 3 |
| PSYD 816 | Diagnostic Practicum & Seminar II | 1 TO 3 |
| PSYD 817 | Intervention Practicum and Seminar I | 1 TO 3 |
| PSYD 818 | Intervention Practicum and Seminar II | 1 TO 3 |
Clinical Research Project - 4 SH
Note:
PSYD 849 must be taken for a total of 3 SH.
Internship - 0 SH
| PSYD 880A | Internship in Clinical Psychology | 0 TO 1 |
| PSYD 880B | Internship in Clinical Psychology | 0 TO 1 |
| PSYD 880C | Internship in Clinical Psychology | 0 TO 1 |
Optional Concentrations
Students may also choose to complete one of the following Concentrations:
Health Psychology - 10.5 SH
| PSYD 762 | Integrated Healthcare Psychology | 1.5 |
| and | |
| PSYD 766 | Self-Care for Mental Health Professionals | 1.5 |
| PSYD 812 | Foundations of Mindfulness | 1.5 |
| PSYD 842 | Pain Assessment and Treatment | 1.5 |
| PSYD 848 | | 1.5 |
| PSYD 858 | Clinical Hypnosis | 1.5 |
| PSYD 864 | Advanced Treatment of Anxiety Disorders | 1.5 |
| PSYD 867 | Psychology, Stress, and the Human Body | 3 |
| PSYD 895H | Special Topics: Sleep Wake Factors and Psychopathology | 1.5 |
Note: Students are required to complete
PSYD 762 and choose 9 SH of the elective courses listed above. Other special topics courses may be approved by the Program Director.
Client Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy - 10.5 SH
| PSYD 833 | Advanced Person-Centered Therapy and Supervision | 3 |
| and | |
| PSYD 762 | Integrated Healthcare Psychology | 1.5 |
| PSYD 764 | Extended Empathic Responding I | 1.5 |
| PSYD 765 | Extended Empathic Responding II | 1.5 |
| PSYD 767 | Exploring Diversity I | 1.5 |
| PSYD 768 | Exploring Diversity II | 1.5 |
| PSYD 789 | Advanced Group Leadership I | 1.5 |
| PSYD 790 | Advanced Group Leadership | 0 TO 1.5 |
Note: Students are required to complete
PSYD 833 and choose 7.5 SH of the elective courses listed above. Other special topics courses may be approved by the Program Director.
Forensic Psychology - 13.5 SH
| PSYD 769 | Integrated Forensic Assessment | 3 |
| and | |
| PSYD 827 | Civil Psychology and Law | 3 |
| PSYD 828 | Criminal Psychology | 3 |
| PSYD 829 | Child and Family Forensics | 3 |
| PSYD 840 | Psychology and Trauma | 3 |
| PSYD 895M | ST/Working with Sexual & Gender Minority (LGBT) Individuals | 1.5 TO 3 |
Note: Students are required to complete
PSYD 769 and choose 10.5 SH of the elective courses listed above. Other special topics courses may be approved by the Program Director.
Neuropsychology - 13.5 SH
| PSYD 756 | Neuroanatomy and Pathology | 3 |
| PSYD 774 | Integrated Neuropsychological Assessment | 3 |
| and | |
| PSYD 835 | Adult Neuropsychological Assessment | 1 TO 3 |
| PSYD 836 | Treatment and Diagnosis of ADHD | 1 TO 3 |
| PSYD 845 | Advanced Child Neuropsychology | 1.5 TO 3 |
| PSYD 881 | Geriatric Assessment/Introduction to Neuropsychological Screening | 1.5 TO 3 |
| PSYD 882 | Neuropsychological Assessment I | 1.5 |
Note: Students are required to complete
PSYD 756,
PSYD 774 and choose 7.5 SH of the elective courses listed above. Other special topics courses may be approved by the Program Director.
Trauma Psychology - 10.5 SH
| PSYD 840 | Psychology and Trauma | 3 |
| and | |
| PSYD 766 | Self-Care for Mental Health Professionals | 1.5 |
| PSYD 841 | Dialectical Behavior Therapy | 1.5 |
| PSYD 846 | Fundamentals of International Mental Health Work | 3 |
| PSYD 848 | | 1.5 |
| PSYD 895H | Special Topics: Sleep Wake Factors and Psychopathology | 1.5 |
Note: Students are required to complete PSYD 840 and choose 7.5 SH of the elective courses listed above. Other special topics courses may be approved by the Program Director.
Students graduating from these concentrations will be eligible for licensure as clinical psychologists, with a passing score on the appropriate licensure examination. Therefore, the Illinois School of Professional Psychology has retained the elements of the curriculum that are essential to educating and training future psychologists. Students use the electives requirements portion of the Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology general degree program to satisfy the concentration course requirements. The internship, Clinical Research Project, practicum and practicum seminar time and semester credit hour requirements of the general program remain in effect, the students simply focus their direction of placement and research on the specific concentration area.