PsyD Program: Doctorate of Clinical Psychology

View the Loading... for information regarding the clinical psychology doctoral (PsyD) program as well as certificate track and concentration requirements.

Biofeedback

Explore how to use biofeedback data such as heart rate, galvanic skin response, and brain waves to inform mental health intervention. This one-year, two-semester track pairs didactic learning with hands-on clinical application at Widener’s Biofeedback Clinic and leads to certification with the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America.

Neuropsychology

Become an expert in brain-behavior relationships as you prepare for certification in clinical neuropsychology. We provide the coursework, placement, and research experience you need to become certified in clinical neuropsychology after completion of our program and the required postdoctoral experience.

School Psychology

Interested in working in schools and obtaining child clinical training? This track integrates field experience that will lead you to becoming a certified Pennsylvania state school psychologist and can be applied to certification in other states. This program is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy/Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (CBT/ACT)
• Psychodynamic Psychology
• Cross-Cultural & Diversity Psychology
• Child, Adolescent, & Family Psychotherapy
• Forensic Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Consulting Psychology

Detailed information about our concentrations, including courses and requirements, can be found in the Concentrations Manual.

At Widener, a unique clinical and internship experience is embedded in the PsyD degree curriculum.

Year 1: Pre-Practicum

The pre-practicum training is multi-modal and experiential. It offers students opportunities to learn and practice skills that are foundational to the practice of professional psychology.

Years 2–3: Practicum Training

The practicum-level placements are designed to familiarize the students with a variety of clinical settings. Each practicum offers progressively more responsibility and patient–staff interaction.

Years 4 & 5: Internship Training Program with three day a week clinical rotations

Most doctoral students in clinical psychology enter the Association for Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) match process to find a pre-doctoral internship. In contrast, our PsyD program offers a unique and fully integrated internship that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002, 202-336-5979).

This means that rather than enter the APPIC match to find an internship; our students are guaranteed a local internship placement through our in-house network of outstanding internship rotations.

Take an interdisciplinary approach to clinical psychology. A unique opportunity to obtain a master's degree in a related area of psychology, expanding your marketability and professional network as you prepare for a well-rounded career.

• PsyD/MBA (Master of Business Administration)
• PsyD/MBA - Health Care Management
• PsyD/MEd - Human Sexuality Education
• PsyD/MCJ (Master of Criminal Justice)

The  clinical psychology doctoral degree program is designed to afford an opportunity for doctoral level nonclinical psychologists to shift their career focus to the professional practice of clinical psychology. Students must have a PhD in psychology from an accredited university. The Loading... is typically 3 years of study, including the internship.

Doctoral education alone is not sufficient for licensure in the United States. In addition to requiring specific educational criteria, all states require candidates for licensure to pass a national exam after completing graduate education (the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology [EPPP]), and many states also require additional experiences for licensure, including supervised post-doctoral experiences, criminal history background checks, and personal ethical/moral references. Specific requirements for each state vary, and are developed and monitored by State Boards of Psychology. A general list of State Boards and contacts can be found on the website of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. 

The curriculum provided by Widener’s Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology meets state educational requirements for licensure as listed below. It is strongly recommended that students who expect to pursue licensing in a particular state reach out to the licensing board to confirm specific licensing requirements. The information below is accurate, as best as could be determined based on published records of state licensing requirements, as of June 2021.

Widener’s PsyD curriculum meets educational requirements for licensing in the following states

It is still being determined whether Widener’s PsyD curriculum meets educational requirements for licensing in the following states

• Puerto Rico

Widener’s PsyD curriculum does not meet educational requirements for licensing in the following state 

• California 

• Complete online application and pay application fee through PsyCAS.
• Please also pay the supplemental Widener application fee. 
• Applicants must hold a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science degree from an accredited institution. A major in psychology is desirable, but not required.
• Transcripts are required from all attended institutions. A minimum GPA of a 3.0 is preferred, competitive applicants have a 3.5 GPA or higher.
• All entering students must have completed a course in statistics, abnormal psychology or psychopathology, and research design or experimental psychology by the time they matriculate in the fall.
• Personal character and attributes of emotional maturity and stability, as well as a capacity for relating to and working with other people, are also major factors in reviewing the credentials of applicants. Evidence for these attributes is sought from records of past performance, letters of reference, autobiographical statement, and work history.
• All applications are reviewed holistically and no strict cutoffs are utilized. We aim to understand your story, motivation, and passion for this career choice via the application process, and later via on campus interviews.

Applicants are not required to take the GRE or submit scores from the GRE.

Deadline
The online application opens September 8, 2022.

An online application, including all supporting credentials, must be received by 11:59 pm EST, December 9, 2022 to be considered for acceptance into the program. We encourage all applicants to submit their application as early as possible, especially as applications are only complete once verified by PSYCAS. All acceptance decisions are made by April 1.

Supplemental Materials
All supplemental materials must be submitted through the online PSYCAS (Psychology Centralized Application Service) system:

• Essays
• 3 letters of recommendation
• Transcripts
• Optional scholarship essays (to be considered for service-related tuition scholarships)

If you are selected as a top candidate for the PsyD program, you will receive an invite to one of four Admissions Interview Days, which will include an individual interview, tour, and information sessions. Our plan is to hold interviews in person.

Various types of financial support are available to PsyD graduate students through university-based scholarships and the generosity of our university donors.

• Admissions & merit-based scholarships are available upon application.
• Additional scholarships may be available for matriculated students.