PsyD Outcomes | Roberts Wesleyan University

Learn about educational outcomes and training framework of the Doctor of School/Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program.

This page covers:

program aims
discipline-specific knowledge areas
profession-wide competencies
research and dissertation requirements
clinical practicum and internship training
student outcome data

Together, these components reflect the program’s commitment to preparing ethical, evidence-based practitioners for professional practice in clinical and school psychology.

Program Aims

Program Aim One

To prepare doctoral level practitioners of health service psychology who can ethically deliver effective, evidence-based psychological services in a variety of settings with diverse populations.

The program is designed to ensure that students have attained the necessary discipline-specific knowledge that provides a foundation for the practice health service psychology, including graduate level knowledge of:
- History and Systems of Psychology
- Affective Aspects of Behavior
- Biological Aspects of Behavior
- Cognitive Aspects of Behavior
- Developmental Aspects of Behavior
- Social Aspects of Behavior
- Advanced Integrative Knowledge of Basic Discipline-Specific Content Areas
- Research Methods
- Quantitative Methods
- Psychometrics
The program is designed to ensure that students have attained the necessary profession-wide competencies for the practice of health service psychology, including competencies in:
- Research
- Ethical and legal standards
- Individual and cultural diversity
- Professional values and attitudes
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Assessment
- Intervention
- Supervision
- Consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills

Program Aim Two

To prepare practitioners who can articulate how religion and worldview intersect with psychological concepts, with a particular emphasis on the Christian faith.

A view of spirituality and religion as important aspects of human diversity
An ability to identify spiritual and religious experiences, practices, and beliefs that have the potential to positively and negatively impact psychological health
Knowledge of how to effectively provide psychological services to clients from diverse spiritual and/or religious backgrounds, affiliations, and levels of involvement

Courses

Get a taste of your future knowledge and skills by viewing all PsyD courses below.

View Course Descriptions View Academic Plan

Dissertations

Research Philosophy

The mission of the program is to prepare practitioners of health service psychology who can ethically deliver evidence-based psychological services to diverse populations in both clinical and school settings, and who can integrate the science and practice of psychology with principles of the Christian faith.

This focus on preparing students for the practice of health service psychology with diverse populations is reflected in our practice-based research model. The program seeks to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice, teaching students to value research-based clinical practice, to be effective consumers of psychological research, and to become evidence-based practitioners.

The research sequence and dissertation requirements were designed to promote the utilization of research in addressing applied problems relevant for the professional practice of clinical/school psychology. Applied research projects have pragmatic goals of addressing practical problems with insights drawn from psychological science. The focus on using research to inform and improve services to vulnerable populations is entirely consistent with the Christian heritage and mission of our program.

Thus, the dissertation requires the completion of a project related to the applied practice of clinical/school psychology and the demonstration of the ability to bridge the gap between research and practice. The projects will have a heavy focus on making an impact on the practice of clinical or school psychology. A variety of types of projects can be acceptable, including intervention projects, program evaluation, survey projects, systematic investigation of a problem, program or service development project, etc. Applied research projects may utilize a variety of research designs, including qualitative, quantitative or mixed method paradigms.

Clinical or School Research

Our goal is to help students not only demonstrate their competency in research, but also to develop a personal valuing of the use of research to inform the professional practice of psychology.

The dissertation occurs simultaneously with the School Psychology Internship, and many students will choose to focus on a research issue relating to their school setting. The program has developed partnerships with large, diverse school districts who welcome the opportunity to have doctoral students engage in practice as interns and conduct research in their school district.

Other students may wish to develop research ideas relating to experiences in clinical placement sites. The issue or problem of focus for the project will be identified by the student in consultation with program faculty, and with input from internship site administrators as appropriate. Initial steps in the dissertation process will be supported by two research methods classes to provide structure and feedback.

Competencies Demonstrated

The research and dissertation sequence is designed to systematically develop the following competencies:

APA

Quality and rigor to have the potential to contribute to the scientific, psychological, or professional knowledge base.
Conduct research or other scholarly activities.
Critically evaluate and disseminate research or other scholarly activity via professional publication and presentation at the local (including the host institution), regional, or national level.

NASP

Demonstrate the ability to evaluate and use research methods, statistics, and program evaluations to gather data about school systems, programs, and classroom environments.
Demonstrate the ability to understand current research in the field that is directly applicable to her/his functioning as a professional School Psychologist.
Demonstrate the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and prevention practices.

Faculty Mentorship

Once a student has submitted a draft of their concept paper to the instructor of DPSY 6010, a faculty member in the doctoral program will be appointed to serve as their dissertation committee Chair. This appointment will be based on the interests, expertise, and availability of faculty. The committee member(s) are selected because they have expertise and interest in the topic or methodology. The reader works with the dissertation chair to mentor the student and ensure the quality of the research.

Writing the dissertation manuscript and the defense of that manuscript are typically done during the student’s final year in the program. A dissertation is not complete until the Roberts Wesleyan University Golisano Library accepts it for publication.

Further details about the process are reviewable in the Roberts Wesleyan University PsyD Clinical Dissertation Manual.

For a complete listing of published dissertations, click here.

Publications & Presentations

Listed is a sampling of research done by faculty and students. Each semester the department hosts a Graduate Brown Bag Lunch Discussion for students. This is an opportunity for students to gather and discuss dissertation topics, research, and current issues around psychology.

PsyD Candidate, Megan Scroger, Presents at International Conference!

Professor Bascoe and PSYD Students Present at CAPS Conference!

Practicum Training

The Doctoral Program in Clinical/School Psychology follows a practitioner-scholar training model, equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for competent clinical practice. Our program is grounded in the philosophy that the training of professional psychologists is a developmental process that must foster the acquisition of foundational knowledge, clinical skills, and attitudes and values necessary for life-long learning and competent clinical practice. The Christian heritage of our program manifests in our commitment to ensure that students are equipped to professionally serve diverse and underserved populations with a high level of integrity and professionalism.

The Doctoral Program of Roberts Wesleyan University has been fortunate to have a number of committed schools, agencies, hospitals, and Field Supervisors who provide supervision, mentoring, and role modeling to our students. This includes the community-based training clinic, Westside Psychological Services, overseen by the psychology faculty at Roberts Wesleyan University. The graduate programs have a designated full-time Field Director to assist students through the field experience.

Our Field Supervisors’ commitment to the fields of School Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Mental Health Services, and to sharing their knowledge and experience is essential to the professional development of our students. Clinical training begins in the first semester of the program, with a gradual introduction to the responsibilities of a health service psychologist. Clinical training encompasses the development of knowledge and competencies within traditional classes and an extensive field training component that complements classroom learning.

Field Education Sequence

The field experience program has been designed in conjunction with the didactic course sequence, to allow students to apply what they are learning, further develop knowledge and skills introduced in the classroom setting, and develop their professional dispositions and identity. Experiences in the field are sequenced to provide progressive, varied training.

The table below outlines the field program.

	Fall	Spring	Summer
Year 1		School Based Assessment Practicum 100 hours Psychotherapy Practicum 20 hours
Year 2	Clinical Practicum - WPS 250 hours	Clinical Practicum - WPS 250 hours	Clinical Practicum - WPS 200 hours
Year 3	Advanced Clinical Practicum 250 hours	Advanced Clinical Practicum 250 hours
Year 4	School Psych Internship or Additional Clinical Practicum 300 hours	School Psych Internship or Additional Clinical Practicum 300 hours
Year 5	Doctoral Internship Clinical or School 1750 hours/year	Doctoral Internship Clinical or School 1750 hours/year	Doctoral Internship Clinical or School 1750 hours/year

2016-2023 Practicum Experiences

College/University Wellness Centers
Community Mental Health Clinics
Forensic/Correctional Facilities
Hospital/Medical Centers
Private Practices
Schools K-12
Neuropsychological Institutes
Veterans Affairs Hospitals/Centers
Child Residential Treatment Centers

Developmental Clinical Training Objectives - Year One: Introduction of Foundational Clinical Skills

Socialization to health service psychology (focus on areas of clinical and school)
Foundational scientific knowledge
Clinical Interviewing and diagnosis
Intervention foundations
Assessment foundations

Developmental Clinical Training Objectives - Year Two: Development of Clinical Skills

Foundations of intervention and assessment skills through practicum experience
Integration of theory and practice
Foundational understanding of individual and cultural diversity in relation to clinical practice
Foundations of legal and ethical standards to clinical practice
Foundations of evidence-based intervention skills

Developmental Clinical Training Objectives - Year Three: Consolidation of Clinical Skills

Development of intervention and assessment skills through practicum experience
Advanced Integration of theory and practice
Continuing development of competencies relating to individual and cultural diversity
Development of ability to apply legal and ethical standards to clinical practice
Development of evidence-based intervention skills
Conceptual integration of psychology and principles of the Christian faith

Developmental Clinical Training Objectives - Year Four: Development of Professional Identity

Theory and skill development in consultation
Theory and skill development in supervision
Advanced development of skills in assessment, diagnosis, case conceptualization, intervention, and case conferences
Development of research competencies relating to clinical/school issues

Developmental Clinical Training Objectives - Year Five: Transitioning to Professional Leadership Role

Consolidation of clinical skills during internship
Professional identity consolidation
Development of skills in consultation, supervision, and advocacy

Pre-Doctoral Internship

The pre-doctoral internship represents the culminating experience for students in the PsyD program. Its purpose is to provide intensive, supervised experience in the roles and functions of the practicing psychologist, as well as to provide a broad exposure to the educational and community environment of the internship site. The internship may occur on a full-time basis over a period of one academic year or on a half-time basis over a period of two consecutive academic years.

The ideal internship provides a balance between breadth and depth of experience. This growth experience requires regular and consistent contact with supervisors, which in turn allows for the natural evolution of the intern from student to professional.

Applying for an Accredited Pre-Doctoral Internship

Students have options for completing their pre-doctoral internship. Students are expected to complete internships that are accredited by the American Psychological Association or that meet the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) member criteria. APPIC criteria and other information can be found at http://www.appic.org.

These internships are high-quality training experiences that are paid and are available nationally.

Faculty support is provided to students throughout the application process. Students at Roberts have been highly successful in obtaining accredited internships.

Applying for a Designed Pre-Doctoral Internship

Although students are encouraged to seek internships through the APPPIC process, the program recognizes that this will not be possible for all students. Because few APA-approved school psychology internships exist, students who wish to complete their internship in a school setting may need to find an internship outside of this process. Some students may wish to combine a clinical site with a school site for a specialized internship that fits their interests.

Additionally, APA accredited internships are highly competitive and often involve relocation.

For students who are unable to relocate, a local internship can be developed in consultation with the program.

Partial Summary Statistics 2020-21 Internship

Outcome	Number of Students	Percent
Students who sought or applied for internships	9	100%
Students who obtained internships	9	100%
Students who obtained paid internships	7	77%
Students who obtained APA/CPA accredited internships	5	55%
Students who obtained other internships that were not APA/CPA-accredited	4	45%

Accreditation

The PsyD and MS School Psychology programs are approved by The New York State Board of Regents and fully accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) through August, 2030.

Masters in School Psychology Program Annual Report and Student Outcomes Data https://apps.nasponline.org/standards-and-certification/graduate-education/index.aspx?id=958221

Additionally the PsyD program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) through November, 2033.

https://accreditation.apa.org/contact

apaaccred@apa.org

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation

750 First Street NE

Washington, DC 20002-4242

Telephone: (202) 336-5979

TDD/TTY: (202) 336-6123

Fax: (202) 336-5978

We are also currently a Doctoral Program Associate (DPA) member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral & Internship Centers (AAPIC).

Roberts Wesleyan University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the Association of Colleges and Universities of the State of New York, Rochester Area Colleges, Rochester Regional Library Council, the Association of Free Methodist Educational Institutions, the Council of Independent Colleges and Universities, and the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities.