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Curriculum

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The Mount's PsyD program

OUR MISSION

Mount Saint Mary’s University’s Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology program trains future practitioner-scholars who reflect the various populations of Los Angeles, the nation and globe. The program is closely aligned with the mission of our University – serving the needs of traditionally underserved populations. Embedding these foci and values throughout our course of study and training, the PsyD program offers doctoral students a choice of two emphases: Latinx Mental Health and Diverse Populations. These two cutting-edge emphases are designed to meet the needs of a multicultural environment with a strong focus on social inclusiveness.

Curating the PsyD curriculum

PsyD faculty also integrate a critical theory and a social inclusiveness framework to coursework and clinical training. All PsyD students are required to complete a social inclusiveness immersion during the summer of their first year to fulfill the mission of the University and our commitment to our communities. Our practitioner-scholar PsyD program strives to successfully train and empower the next generation of psychologists and prepare them to become leaders and agents of change in Health Service Psychology and the larger world.

The curriculum is structured in accord with the goal of doctoral-level competence by containing the following elements:

  • Integration of empirical evidence and practice: Practice is evidence-based, and evidence is practice-informed;
  • Training is sequential, cumulative, graded in complexity, and designed to prepare students for practice or further organized training; and
  • The program engages in actions that indicate respect for and understanding of cultural and individual differences.

We are confident that these criteria relative to the curriculum maximize student success.

Our PsyD program is designed as a traditional, in-person program. Classes generally meet mornings, afternoons and some evenings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with first-year students expected to attend professional development seminars on-campus on Fridays. The fifth year consists of internships that are often located outside of the greater Los Angeles area, thereby necessitating online communication with faculty, staff and the Director of Clinical Training (DCT). PsyD students are required to maintain contact with the DCT throughout their internship for additional support and mentorship.

Utilizing a strict cohort model, students are required to retain full-time status for the duration of the five-year PsyD program and are expected to remain continuously enrolled each regular semester (up to and including the semester in which the degree is awarded). Courses are completed throughout the fall, spring and summer terms. Our full-time doctoral students must enroll in a minimum of 6 units per semester. The one exception is in the fifth year, when students enroll in 3 units per semester for their clinical internship program.

Degree requirements

The PsyD in Clinical Psychology program at Mount Saint Mary’s University is a five-year program that requires the completion of 120 instructional units and 9 internship units. Students will complete coursework, practicum training, clinical exams and a dissertation within the first four years of their residency at 国产传媒. In the fifth year, students will complete a full-time, one-year clinical internship program (or a two-year half-time clinical internship).

  • 120 instructional units are required for completion of the PsyD. Students are responsible for following the designed degree plan. Please note that curriculum sequencing is subject to change. See the curriculum schedule or course catalog for the full list of required courses and sequencing.
  • Students must complete the Clinical Proficiency Exam (CPE) in the summer semester of the 3rd year; this is a prerequisite for application to their internship. The CPE evaluates the student's knowledge of, understanding of and skills in clinical assessment, intervention, ethics/legal standards and cultural diversity as they apply to health service psychology. It also evaluates communication, interpersonal skills and professional values and behaviors as they relate to the profession. The CPE requires the student to successfully pass a written exam before preparing an oral case presentation.
  • Students must complete a Clinical Dissertation. The goal of the dissertation is to ensure that the PsyD student possesses advanced scholarly competencies consistent with the aims and competencies of the PsyD Program. The student demonstrates this competence by the completion of a written document and by the successful oral defense of that document. Faculty mentors prepare and guide students as they produce the document and prepare for the oral defense.
  • PsyD students must complete 9 additional internship units during their 5th year of the program, which is concurrent with their full-time, one-year clinical

Students begin the foundation of their dissertations in the first year of the program, utilizing research methods courses as a forum to explore prospective questions, topics, methodologies and methods. Beginning in year 3, course units are built into their schedules where students meet, discuss, write and defend their dissertation proposal (chapters 1-3 of their dissertation). Students are expected to assemble a dissertation committee throughout this year. Year 4 consists of dissertation completion (chapters 4-5) and defense. Our PsyD program’s objective is to support and encourage completion of dissertations prior to the fifth-year’s full-time internship.

Students’ clinical practica occur in the second, third and fourth years. The practicum functions as supervised clinical experience, allotting students real world experience in clinical settings before they engage in the full-time internship in the final year. This allows for practice application of fundamental skillsets (e.g., assessment and intervention) under the guidance of a licensed supervisor. Students’ introduction to real world experience begins with a non-clinical social justice immersion in the summer of their first year. Clinical practica are required in years 2-4 of the program. Clinical practica hours are generally 20-24 hours per week over 9-12 month contracts.

Internships are completed during the fifth, for the equivalent of one year, full-time (40 hours per week). Students’ internships ideally offer challenging experiences with a higher level of independence and responsibility. Interns assume a direct service role and may present at case conferences and interact with other staff and professionals as junior colleagues. Interns also participate intensively in consultations, psychotherapy, full diagnostic test battery analyses and other advanced or specialized activities, such as supervision and management. Additionally, internships may offer further opportunity for  students to specialize, such as working predominantly with the homeless populations or the Latinx, Spanish-speaking community.

Please note: The PsyD program currently does not accept transfer credits from other graduate programs or institutions. Thus, residency will be required for all 120 units, without exception, in order to maintain systematic quality of our PsyD coursework.

PsyD emphases

With two cutting-edge emphases, Latinx Mental Health or Diverse Populations, our doctoral program offers a curriculum designed to meet the needs of a multi-cultural environment with a strong social justice focus.

Students enrolled in the Latinx Mental Health emphasis will focus their dissertation research, practicum and internships with Spanish-speaking populations.

In establishing our emphasis of Latinx Mental Health, we set out to train mindful psychological clinicians to work in underserved, Spanish-speaking mental health communities. In order to accomplish this, we weave the perspectives of Latinx throughout both the required and elective courses in this full-time, five-year graduate program.

For the first two years of study, the Latinx Mental Health emphases will mirror that of the Diverse Populations emphases. However, while students of each emphasis will be required to enroll in the same coursework, differentiated instruction will be integrated so that students develop deeper knowledge and expertise in their chosen area. For instance, while an individual student delves deeper into issues pertaining to Latinx populations, other students in the Diverse Populations track will also benefit and gain knowledge from these discussions, and vice-versa.

By year three, students studying the Latinx Mental Health emphasis will be offered electives that help focus and refine their studies specific to Latinx communities.

The PsyD program will culminate in a fifth-year, full-time clinical internship. Students will work closely with their advisor to fulfill a dissertation requirement prior to beginning their clinical internship to help inform their practice. Internship placements may be local or national in scope. Strengthened by their practicum and internships, we anticipate that our PsyD graduates will work in health-related and social assistance organizations, as well as school districts that primarily serve Latinx populations.

Along with academic preparedness and ability to succeed in a PsyD program, students that wish to pursue the Latinx Mental Health emphasis should be able to function in a helping profession, demonstrate personal maturity, have knowledge of Spanish-speaking cultures and language and be conversationally competent in Spanish. Assessment of the latter Spanish-speaking requirement will be determined by a live interview either in-person or by video conferencing during the admission process. Students who do not meet the requirements for conversational Spanish competency may be directed for consideration to our Diverse Populations emphases.

All students will be encouraged to work closely with the Career Advisor at the Professional and Academic Resource Center (PARC) to frame their CVs and strategize their practicum, internship and job search.

Students enrolled in the Diverse Populations emphases will focus their dissertation research, practicum and internships serving a variety of clients. Students are trained in the application of critical theories. Additionally, students may elect to develop expertise, via their course papers and dissertation, in serving  specific populations.

For the first two years of study, the Diverse Populations emphases will mirror that of the Latinx Mental Health emphases. However, while PsyD students of each emphases will be required to enroll in the same coursework, differentiated instruction will be integrated so that students develop deeper knowledge and expertise in the chosen areas of emphasis. By year three, students studying the Diverse Populations emphases will be offered specialized courses that help to focus and refine their practice and studies.

This program will culminate with a fifth-year, full-time clinical internship. PsyD students will work closely with their advisor to fulfill a dissertation requirement with a goal of completing prior to beginning their clinical internship. Internship placements may be local or national in scope.

All students will be encouraged to work closely with the Career Advisor at the Professional and Academic Resource Center (PARC) to frame their CVs and strategize their practicum, internship and job search.

Research labs

Our research labs afford students the opportunity to join faculty-led research groups. Students contribute to a more extensive research team while learning new research directions and methodologies. Students also participate in various aspects of research and have the opportunity to build a collaborative and collegial relationship with faculty members. Students can work as a team or individually with a faculty supervisor.