Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology
Doctor of Psychology
The Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology offers a course of study and supervised experiences to prepare scholar-practitioners – that is clinical psychologists who combine the science of psychology with practical clinical applications. In addition to gaining a broad spectrum of information, students hone the skills required of competent clinical psychologists.
The key to the program is individualized training. The program is also designed to help students compete in a career field that is in a constant state of change.
Model of Training
The full-time program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and offers five years of intensive professional training in psychology leading to a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree. The program follows the model of training developed by the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP). This model specifies seven areas of core competency: relationship, assessment, intervention, diversity, research and evaluation, consultation and education, and management and supervision. In each of the areas, the curriculum provides substantial opportunities for learning.
Additionally, students receive training in core foundation areas basic to the science of psychology. While the primary theoretical orientation of the program is psychodynamic, students are also exposed to a number of other orientations, including cognitive/behavioral, social constructionist, interpersonal, and family systems.
Didactic and experiential components of the program are combined in the curriculum, which is designed to achieve a balance between classroom instruction and practical experience. Required areas of instruction are paralleled by relevant supervised clinical experience through a system of practicum and internship field placements. This facilitates the integration of theory with practice.
Course Locations and Schedules
Courses are held on the Main Campus in Chester, Pennsylvania. Courses are offered primarily during the day. First year students are in agency field placements on Monday and Wednesday. Second and third year students are in agency field placements on Monday and Friday. Fourth and fifth year students are in their internship placements on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Admission Criteria
Evaluation of an applicant's ability to do graduate work will be based on past academic performance and high scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Applicant's will have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution; GPA of 3.2 or better; a GRE score at or above the 70th percentile range which must have been taken within the past 5 years; supplementary statement describing career goals, motivation, and clinical experience, three letters of recommendation, a $50 application fee, and an autobiography. All applications and supporting materials are due by December 15.
At the time of matriculation, a course in statistics as well as abnormal psychology or psychopathology, and research design or experimental psychology are required.
Program Completion
There is a three-year core curriculum that includes sequential courses in five major areas: foundations of professional practice, including ethics, psychopharmacology, social, learning, history and systems, research, and neuropsychology; psychopathology (child and adult); including diagnostic nomenclature and individual psychodynamics; diagnostic techniques, including cognitive evaluation, projective testing, objective testing, and family systems analysis; intervention techniques, including psychoanalytic psychotherapy, behavior therapy, group therapy, family therapy, and cognitive problem-solving approaches; developmental psychology, which assumes the understanding of the whole person in the life cycle. The final two years of study provide intensified and expanded course work in three tracks; basic professional-theoretical psychology, diagnostic techniques, and intervention training.
The total program, including the internship for the Doctor of Psychology degree, comprises five full-time years. The PsyD program has been accredited by the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242).
Transfer Credit
Students may be excused from those courses that are equivalent to courses that have been taken at the graduate level if the student has earned a grade of B or better and if the program deems that the course is comparable to the Widener course. Only one course may be waived per semester at the discretion of the faculty. Additionally, an elective or upper level course must be selected to make up the waived credits.
Exclusively Affiliated Internship
Students are in field placement during each of the five years of training. The first three years are practica, which are introductory experiences designed to acquaint the students with a variety of clinical settings in which they can develop fundamental skills in the six core competency areas. Each practicum offers progressively more responsibility and patient/staff interaction.
The last two years of the program comprise the accredited internship. The internship experience includes didactic course work and internship rotations at various sites. The “exclusively affiliated” internship with its various rotations is unique to Widener University’s PsyD program. In most programs, students must apply for appropriate internships independent of the graduate program.
Although our students do apply, interview for, and are accepted to our various rotations sites, the internship itself is embedded in the program and relieves the student of the apprehension and inconvenience of an external process. The APA-approved internship is carried out on a half-time basis during the fourth and fifth years. It is accredited by the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, (202)336-5979.
Joint Degree and Other Programs
We offer several certificate and joint degree programs for the Doctor of Psychology:
Tracks or Certificate Programs
The Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology has tracks in school psychology, neuropsychology, and biofeedback certification.
The school psychology track leads to Pennsylvania certification as a school psychologist and is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
The neuropsychology track prepares students to function as independent professional practitioners of clinical neuropsychology.
Curricular Clusters
Curricular clusters are possible in: cognitive/behavioral therapy, cross-cultural psychology, family therapy, forensic psychology, group psychotherapy, health psychology, organizational psychology, and psychoanalytic psychology.