Clinical Psychology, Psy.D. - Florida School of Professional Psychology

The primary purpose of the Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology degree program is to educate and train students in the major aspects of clinical practice. To help ensure that students are prepared adequately, the curriculum integrates theory, training, research, and practice, preparing students to work with a wide range of populations in need of psychological services and in a broad range of roles.

The Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology degree program combines relevant research, applied theory, and field experience and is designed to prepare the graduate to apply psychological knowledge in a variety of settings and roles. 

In addition to the prescribed coursework, the required curriculum for all students includes practicum field experiences and an internship. To complete the doctoral program successfully, students must demonstrate competency in a number of specific foundational, clinical, conceptual, and professional skills.

Graduates are trained in the science and practice of psychology, and are able to apply the clinical skills of observation, assessment, intervention, and evaluation to help different segments of our ever-changing society. The areas of competency are modeled, in part, after those specified by the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology and the standards of the American Psychological Association. Completing the clinical psychology program indicates that the recipient has mastered the fundamental academic and experiential elements of clinical psychology. 

Students enrolled in the Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology degree program at the Florida School of Professional Psychology at National Louis University may opt to earn
the Master of Arts (M.A.) in Clinical Psychology degree while working toward the doctoral degree. Students who wish to earn this degree must:

  • Petition for the degree
  • Complete a minimum of 50 semester hours of PsyD coursework
    • 43sh of PsyD Core or Elective Coursework
    • 7sh of Practicum and Seminar:
    • Seven of those required credit hours must be earned by successful completion of a Practicum and Seminar, with a minimum of 800 practicum training hours
    • Successfully complete the Clinical Capstone sequence (PSYD 820, PSYD 821, PSYD 821A, PSYD 822) - CCE-D associated with the Practicum and Seminar course
    • Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
    • Submit a degree finalization form to graduate to the University Registrar.
  • In addition, with approval from the Program Director, students enrolled in the PsyD program who determine that they are unable to complete the PsyD may petition to earn the MA degree. To earn the MA degree, students must meet the requirements as noted above.
  • Note that the MA in Clinical Psychology degree is not a license-eligible degree

For more information on state licensure and certification information please visit NLU’s Public Disclosures page. 

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs):

PLO/Competency One: Students will demonstrate competency in (i) the application of research and statistical methods in psychology to generate knowledge and to evaluate the effectiveness of research methods, and (ii) in the understanding of psychometric science principles and the utilization of such knowledge in psychometric testing.

a. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of research methods.

b. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of quantitative/ qualitative methods.

c. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of psychometrics.

d. Students will demonstrate the ability to independently formulate, conduct, and disseminate scholarship.

PLO/Competency Two: Students will understand and apply ethical principles and professional standards that guide the practice of clinical psychology.

a. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of the current APA Code of Ethics and the general ethical principles and standards that serve as the foundation for this code.

b. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of a model of ethical decision-making to resolve ethical issues or dilemmas.

c. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of the general professional parameters that govern professional practice.

PLO/Competency Three: Students will demonstrate competency in individual and cultural diversity by demonstrating knowledge of the major theoretical models and empirical findings and will apply knowledge about human diversity to clinical practice.

a. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the major theoretical models and empirical findings, including an awareness of social, political, economic, and cultural factors that impact individuals, institutions, systems, and communities.

b. Students will demonstrate an awareness of their own personal values, biases, and cultural identities that inform perceptions of self, other, and engagement with others.

c. Students will utilize cross-cultural skills and appropriate APA multicultural guidelines to provide services to persons with diverse cultural values and lifestyles.

PLO/Competency Four: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the requisite values, attitudes, and behaviors that exemplify their identities as professional psychologists.

a. Students will demonstrate self-reflection, self-awareness, and openness to supervision and feedback.

b. Students will demonstrate engagement in life-long learning by attending educational and professional meetings, life-long learning events, subscribing to professional journals, or presenting scholarly work.

PLO/Competency Five: Students will demonstrate effective communication competencies and interpersonal skills.

a. Students will demonstrate clear, articulate, and integrative written communication skills.

b. Students will demonstrate clear, articulate, and integrative oral communication skills.

c. Students will demonstrate effective interpersonal skills in professional interactions.

PLO/Competency Six: Students will demonstrate competency in using assessment instruments and incorporating knowledge of psychopathology in the assessment process.

a. Students will demonstrate competency in selecting, administering, scoring, interpreting, and reporting psychological tests and measures.

b. Students will demonstrate competency in integrating interview data, psychological testing results, behavioral observations, and information from other sources to formulate an understanding of presenting concerns and to make recommendations.

c. Students will demonstrate competency in identifying relevant DSM criteria and utilizing other clinical information to generate diagnostic formulations.

d. Students will demonstrate competency in applying knowledge of psychopathology to case formulation and treatment planning.

PLO/Competency Seven: Students will demonstrate competency in clinical interventions that are grounded in conceptual models of treatment and evidence-based practices.

a. Students will demonstrate knowledge of and skill in applying evidence-based clinical practices.

b. Students will demonstrate an ability to establish and maintain an effective working relationship and/or treatment alliance with clients served.

c. Students will demonstrate knowledge and competency in evaluating the effectiveness of interventions.

PLO/Competency Eight: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the models and processes of supervision.

a. Students will evidence knowledge of supervision models and practices.

PLO/Competency Nine: Students will demonstrate knowledge of consultation models and practices and demonstrate interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills.

a. Students will evidence knowledge of consultation models and the role of a consultant.

b. Students will demonstrate competency in applying consultation practices―assessment and intervention―to specific referral questions from other professionals.

PLO/Competency Ten: Students will demonstrate foundational knowledge underlying the science of psychology in the following areas: biological, cognitive-affective, and social bases of human behavior; and lifespan development and history and systems of psychology.

PLO/Competency Eleven: Students will demonstrate advanced skills in integrating knowledge derived from the foundations of scientific psychology.

In addition to the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences 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 recommendation, addressing topics/questions as established and periodically revised by the faculty. Letters of recommendation must be written by individuals who know the candidate from an academic or professional perspective and are able to comment on the candidate’s capacity for undertaking graduate studies.
  • Complete an interview with members of the program Admissions Committee (by invitation only)
  • Have successfully completed a minimum of five undergraduate courses, with a grade of "B" or better, that serve as a basic foundation for coursework in clinical psychology. Several of these courses serve as direct prerequisites to the Florida School of Professional Psychology courses. The following courses are required:
    • Introduction to psychology or general psychology (may be waived if the applicant has completed a Bachelors or Masters degree in Psychology)
    • Abnormal, psychopathology, or maladaptive behavior
    • Statistics or research methods
    • Two additional courses in the field of psychology 

Program Details:

  • Requires 112 SH for completion, including practicum and concentration hours (if student chooses to complete a concentration)
  • Successful completion of the diagnostic, therapy, and advanced practicum training totaling a minimum of 2000 practicum hours
  • Successful completion of the Capstone Sequence:
    • Comprehensive Clinical Examination- Diagnostic (CCE-D)
    • Comprehensive Clinical Examination- Psychotherapy (CCE-I)
    • Comprehensive Scientific Examination (Comps)
  • Requires successful completion of a one-year, 2000 hour, full-time pre-doctoral internship
  • Requires successful completion and defense/formal of the Dissertation
  • 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
  • Requires completion of all program requirements within seven years of matriculation into the program 
  • Students may transfer a maximum of 30 semester hours of coursework in the first year of enrollment in the program, certain rules apply

Academic Progress Requirements: 

  • Students must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher (on a scale of 4.0) 
  • Students who earn a grade below a “B” in a core course are required to retake the course. It is recommended that the course be retaken as soon as possible, due to the continued negative impact on the student’s GPA until a new grade has been received for the course. 
  • Students who earn two grades below a “B” during the course of one semester will be dismissed from the program
  • Students who earn three grades below a “B” during the entirety of the program will be dismissed

Required Courses

Assessment - 20.5 SH

PSYD 771Objective Personality Assessment

3

PSYD 771CLObjective Personality Assessment Lab

0.5

PSYD 772Projective Personality Assessment

3

PSYD 772CLProjective Personality Assessment Lab

0.5

PSYD 773Integrative Assessment

3

PSYD 773CLIntegrative Assessment Lab

0.5

PSYD 736Clinical Interviewing

3

PSYD 736CLClinical Interviewing Lab

0.5

PSYD 737Cognitive Assessment

3

PSYD 737CLCognitive Assessment Lab

0.5

and one of the following courses

PSYD 810Family and Couples Assessment

3

PSYD 871Geriatric Assessment/Introduction to Neuropsychological Screening

3

PSYD 875Child Assessment

3

PSYD 884Bilingual (Spanish) Mental Health Assessment

3

Clinical Interventions/Psychotherapy - 17.5 SH

PSYD 760Clinical Psychopharmacology

3

PSYD 801Integrative Approaches to Therapy

3

PSYD 838Interventions I

3

PSYD 838CLInterventions I Lab

0.5

PSYD 839Interventions II

3

PSYD 839CLInterventions II Lab

0.5

PSYD 860Group Psychotherapy

3

and one of the following courses

PSYD 800Dialectical Behavior Therapy

1.5

PSYD 804Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

1.5

PSYD 895GObject Relations

1.5

PSYD 895ISpecial Topics: Interpersonal Trauma

1.5

Diversity - 4 SH

PSYD 740Issues in the Assessment and Treatment of Diverse Populations

1 TO 3

PSYD 740CLIssues in the Assessment & Treatment of Diverse Populations I Lab

0.5

PSYD 744Issues in the Assessment and Treatment of Diverse Populations II

1.5

PSYD 744CLIssues in the Assessment & Treatment of Diverse Populations II Lab

0.5

Note: PSYD 740 must be taken for 1.5 SH. 

Ethics and Professional Conduct - 5 SH

PSYD 710AProfessional Issues: Ethics, Conduct, and Law

1.5 TO 3

PSYD 711Professionalization Group I

1

PSYD 712Professionalization Group II

1

Note: PSYD 710A must be taken for 3 SH.

Human Development - 3.5 SH

PSYD 701ALifespan Development I: Child & Adolescent Development

1.5

PSYD 701BLifespan Development II: Adult Development and Aging

2

Psychological Foundation - 12 SH

PSYD 700History and Systems

3

PSYD 704Cognition and Affective Processes

3

PSYD 706Social Psychology

3

PSYD 751Physiological Psychology

3

Psychopathology - 7.5 SH

PSYD 730Psychopathology I

3

PSYD 731Psychopathology II

3

PSYD 733Child and Adolescent Psychopathology

1.5

Scientific Inquiry - 10 SH

PSYD 717Research Methodology in Clinical Psychology

3

PSYD 720Statistics and Research I

3

PSYD 720CLStatistics & Research I Lab

0.5

PSYD 726Statistics, Research, and Psychometrics

3

PSYD 726CLStatistics, Research and Psychometrics Lab

0.5

Supervision Consultation - 3 SH

PSYD 750Consultation and Supervision

3

Practicum and Practicum Seminar - 16 SH

PSYD 820Diagnostic Practicum and Seminar I

3

PSYD 821Diagnostic Practicum and Seminar II

3

PSYD 821ADiagnostic Capstone Sequence – CCE-D

0

PSYD 822Diagnostic Practicum & Seminar II – Extended

.5 TO 1

PSYD 823Intervention Practicum and Seminar I

1 TO 3

PSYD 824Intervention Practicum and Seminar II

1 TO 3

PSYD 824AIntervention Capstone Sequence - CCE-I

0

PSYD 825Intervention Practicum and Seminar Extended

.5 TO 1

PSYD 826Advanced Practicum and Seminar

.5 TO 1.5

PSYD 825AAdvanced Practicum and Seminar II

1

PSYD 826XAdvanced Practicum and Seminar Extension

0

Note: PSYD 822, PSYD 825, PSYD 826 must be taken for 1 SH. PSYD 823 and PSYD 824 must be taken for 3 SH.

Clinical Research Project - 4 SH

PSYD 850Clinical Research Project Seminar

1 TO 2

PSYD 851Clinical Research Project

1 TO 3

PSYD 851XClinical Research Project Extension

0

PSYD 851ADissertation II

1

PSYD 851AXDissertation II Extension

0

PSYD 851BDissertation III

1

PSYD 851BXDissertation III Extension

0

Note: PSYD 850 and PSYD 851 must be taken for a total of 1 SH.

Comprehensive Exam

PSYD 876Comprehensive Exam

0

Internship

PSYD 890AInternship

0 TO 1.5

PSYD 890BInternship

0 TO 1.5

PSYD 890CInternship

0 TO 1.5

PSYD 890DInternship

0 TO 1.5

Electives - 9 SH

Students are required to complete 9 SH of PSYD elective coursework or one of the following concentrations: Child and Adolescents Psychology, Geropsychology, Couples and Family Therapy, Neuropsychology, or Bilingual (Spanish) Mental Health.

PSYD 805Family and Couples Therapy

3

PSYD 858Clinical Hypnosis

1.5

PSYD 865Assessment and Treatment of Substance Use and Addictive Disorders

1.5 OR 3

PSYD 868Couples and Marital Therapy

3

PSYD 869Human Sexuality

0 TO 3

PSYD 870Child Therapy

3

PSYD 872Neuropsychological Assessment I

3

PSYD 873Neuropsychological Assessment II

3

PSYD 877Geropsychology

3

PSYD 895DSpecial Topics: Forensic Assessment

1.5

PSYD 895ESpecial Topics: Child Interviewing

1.5

PSYD 895JSpecial Topics: Introduction to Mindfulness

1.5

PSYD 895MST/Working with Sexual & Gender Minority (LGBT) Individuals

1.5 TO 3

PSYD 895OSpecial Topics: Public Policy, Advocacy and Social Change

1.5

PSYD 895AWomen and Mental Illness

1.5

PSYD 895CIntroduction to Latinx Psychology

2

PSYD 895FDeath, Dying and Bereavement

1.5

PSYD 895KCommunity Psychology

1.5

PSYD 895LBusiness of Psychology

1.5

PSYD 884Bilingual (Spanish) Mental Health Assessment

3

PSYD 884CLBilingual (Spanish) Mental Health Assessment Lab

0.5

PSYD 885Bilingual (Spanish) Mental Health Interventions

3

PSYD 885CLBilingual (Spanish) Mental Health Interventions Lab

0.5

Optional Concentrations

Note: Students completing one of the optional concentrations are strongly encouraged to complete one or more of their clinical practica at a site that is related to the concentration area as well as focusing their Dissertation on a related topic in the concentration area.
Child and Adolescent Psychology
PSYD 733Child and Adolescent Psychopathology

1.5

PSYD 870Child Therapy

3

PSYD 875Child Assessment

3

PSYD 895ESpecial Topics: Child Interviewing

1.5

Geropsychology
PSYD 871Geriatric Assessment/Introduction to Neuropsychological Screening

3

PSYD 877Geropsychology

3

and

PSYD 810Family and Couples Assessment

3

or

PSYD 869Human Sexuality

0 TO 3

and

PSYD 895ISpecial Topics: Interpersonal Trauma

1.5

Couples and Family Therapy
PSYD 805Family and Couples Therapy

3

PSYD 810Family and Couples Assessment

3

PSYD 868Couples and Marital Therapy

3

or

PSYD 870Child Therapy

3

or

PSYD 871Geriatric Assessment/Introduction to Neuropsychological Screening

3

or

PSYD 875Child Assessment

3

or

PSYD 877Geropsychology

3

Neuropsychology
PSYD 871Geriatric Assessment/Introduction to Neuropsychological Screening

3

PSYD 872Neuropsychological Assessment I

3

PSYD 873Neuropsychological Assessment II

3

Bilingual (Spanish) Mental Health
PSYD 895CIntroduction to Latinx Psychology

2

PSYD 884Bilingual (Spanish) Mental Health Assessment

3

PSYD 884CLBilingual (Spanish) Mental Health Assessment Lab

0.5

PSYD 885Bilingual (Spanish) Mental Health Interventions

3

PSYD 885CLBilingual (Spanish) Mental Health Interventions Lab

0.5