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Courses | Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology

Below are the course requirements for this academic program. For more program details, including graduation requirements and learning outcomes, visit Biola's academic catalog.

Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology

Although Rosemead does not offer a terminal Master's program, a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology is granted after the completion of the first two years of the Psy.D. program, including:

  1. A minimum of 55 semester credits in psychology coursework (including at least one semester of practicum and one psychotherapy lab course).
  2. A minimum of 6 semester credits in theology/integration coursework.
  3. A minimum of one year of resident graduate work at Rosemead.

Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology

  1. Coursework (Total Credits)
    While the doctorate is not awarded simply for completion of stated coursework, there are basic credit requirements for the degree (123 semester credits).
    Psychology Courses: Students must complete a minimum of 82 semester credits of psychology coursework. These 82 credits must include 58 credits of required psychology courses, 18 credits of practicum, and 6 credits of psychology elective courses.
    Psychotherapy Lab Electives: In addition to the two required psychotherapy lab courses (RSLB 705 & RSLB 707) taken in the second year of the program, students must complete 12 credits of elective psychotherapy lab courses. These are taken in the third year and fourth year of the program.
    Theology Courses: Students must complete 15 credits of theology coursework.
    Integration Seminars: Students must complete 9 credits of integration seminars.
    Dissertation Research: Students must complete 5 credits of dissertation research, consisting of the Doctoral Research Seminar I-III sequence. In RSDS 701, students are administered the research proficiency examination in which students demonstrate their ability to critically evaluate a clinically relevant psychological empirical journal article. 
  2. Progress Evaluations
    At the end of the first and second year in the program, students are evaluated on their general progress toward completion of degree requirements. This information is gathered through an evaluation form and communicated to students in a progress letter. These evaluations include review of progress made toward several field-related and school-specific competencies (e.g., academic skills, clinical abilities, research capabilities, interpersonal interactions, professional values, diversity awareness, ethical practice, theological/integrative knowledge, etc.). Because all of the evaluated areas are integral to the practice of clinical psychology and a distinctive of Rosemead's program, competencies not met in any of them may result in program termination. However, the general objective of the evaluations is to provide feedback conducive to continued growth and development toward successful completion of the degree, high quality of service to clients, and high level of professional competence. Procedures and processes for the evaluations are specified in the Rosemead Student Handbook.
  3. Comprehensive Examinations
    All students must pass a set of doctoral-level comprehensive examinations covering the following areas: (1) Assessment & Diagnosis, (2) Treatment & Research, (3) Ethics, and (4) Integration of Psychology/Theology.
    These examinations are scheduled annually and serve as the major means of evaluating a student's suitability to continue studies toward the doctorate. The examinations may be taken after completion of 75% of the coursework and must be successfully completed prior to the Professional Qualifying Examination.
    Only one retake of the examination is allowed. The dates of the Comprehensive Examinations are specified in the Academic Calendar.
  4. Professional Qualifying Examination
    All doctoral students must successfully complete an examination that evaluates the student's readiness for a full-time internship. It may be taken any time after the comprehensive examinations have been passed and must be completed prior to acceptance of an internship. Only one retake of the exam is allowed. The examining committee may require the student to complete additional coursework, practicum, or other professional growth experiences prior to beginning the internship. See the Professional Qualifying Examination Guidelines in the student handbook for further details.
  5. Internship
    All students are required to successfully complete a one year, full-time clinical internship prior to graduation. All internships are to be approved in advance by the Clinical Training Committee. For further details, refer to the Internship Guidelines in the student handbook. Also, all students need to meet with a graduate academic records and degree specialist in the Office of the Registrar to have their internship eligibility confirmed one year prior to their internship. Internship fees are listed in the Internship course section (RSTN 731). There is some provision for students to complete this requirement in two years at half-time.
  6. Professional Growth Requirement
    Students must receive certification of completion of the professional growth requirement from the Director of Clinical Training. 86 hours of professional growth is required (e.g., therapy, spiritual direction), at least 50 of which must be individual therapy. See Professional Growth Requirement Guidelines in the student handbook for further details.
  7. Dissertation
    Students must complete a dissertation involving an empirical study, program evaluation, or a critical review and synthesis of research on a selected, psychologically relevant topic. Detailed information is found in the Student Dissertation Guidelines in the student handbook. 
  8. Final Oral Examination
    The final examination is an oral defense of the dissertation before the doctoral committee and other invited professionals.
Core Requirements
RSDS 701Doctoral Research Seminar I2
RSDS 702Doctoral Research Seminar II1
RSDS 703Doctoral Research Seminar III2
RSLB 705Brief Psychodynamic Therapy3
RSLB 707Cognitive Behavior Therapy3
RSPY 501Introduction to Psychotherapy1
RSPY 502Advanced Statistics3
RSPY 504Evidence-Based Practice: Beyond Treatment Manuals2
RSPY 515Introduction to Psychopathology3
RSPY 530History and Systems of Psychology3
RSPY 561History of Psychoanalytic Thought2
RSPY 601Research Design3
RSPY 603Cognitive-Affective Aspects of Behavior3
RSPY 607Biological Aspects of Behavior3
RSPY 608Social Psychology3
RSPY 615Advanced Developmental Psychology3
RSPY 622Multicultural Psychology I: Identity, Humility, and Social Justice3
RSPY 626Multicultural Psychology II: Conceptualization, Assessment, and Psychotherapy3
RSPY 641Measurement and Assessment I: Cognitive Assessment3
RSPY 642Measurement and Assessment II: Personality3
RSPY 643Measurement and Assessment III: Performance-Based Measure (Rorschach)3
RSPY 681Pre-practicum I1
RSPY 682Pre-practicum II2
RSPY 688Practicum Consultation 16
RSPY 689Practicum Continuous Enrollment 20
RSPY 691Practicum I2
RSPY 692Practicum II2
RSPY 693Practicum III2
RSPY 694Practicum IV2
RSPY 695Practicum V2
RSPY 696Practicum VI2
RSPY 711Seminar in Ethical and Professional Issues3
RSPY 713Principles and Practices in Clinical Supervision2
RSTH 610Scripture3
RSTH 620Human Nature3
RSTH 630Sin, Evil, and Suffering3
RSTH 640Kingdom Flourishing3
RSTH 650Spiritual Theology and Formation3
RSTN 731Full-Time Internship in Clinical Psychology 30
RSTN 733Internship in Clinical Psychology-Continuation0
RSTP 601Integration I: Foundations of Integration3
RSTP 602Integration II: Clinical Integration3
RSTP 603Integration III: Relational Integration3
Elective Requirements
Students must take the following for elective credit:
RSLB Psychotherapy Lab Electives12
RSPY Psychology Electives6
Co-Curricular Requirements
Professional Growth Requirement
Published Dissertation
Total Credits123
1

RSPY 688 must be taken multiple times for a total of 6 credits.

2

RSPY 689 must be taken three times in the summer terms after second year, third year, and fourth year.

3

RSTN 731 must be taken twice.

 

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