Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) Program Mission
The primary mission of the Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) Program at Marshall University is to train doctoral-level psychologists who are highly-skilled generalists that possess the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to meet the unique behavioral health needs of those who identify with rural, underserved, and populations who have been marginalized. Because of the program’s location in the heart of Appalachia, there is a special emphasis on understanding and meeting the needs of vulnerable populations in the Appalachian region, especially those communities in WV. In service to this specific aspect of our mission, 50% of incoming class slots are reserved for those residing in West Virginia and the surrounding central Appalachian region.
The Psy.D. program recognizes the current and past experiences of trauma, prejudice, discrimination, and oppression that have impacted rural, underserved, and communities that have been marginalized and takes responsibility for promoting the values of social justice and advocacy as cornerstones to effective clinical practice and service. The Psy.D. program is dedicated to the mission of diversifying the workforce serving those with behavioral health needs. As such, the faculty encourage and welcome students from backgrounds that have been disadvantaged and marginalized and those from groups that are underrepresented in the field of professional health service psychology. We have structured policies and committed resources to support the successful matriculation and training of students from all backgrounds, orientations, and identities and engage in active and continuous self-study to improve the inclusive, educational environment.
Training within the program fosters an appreciation for the importance of critical inquiry at all levels of clinical practice and fosters the practice. Therefore, the program will foster the value and practice of continued professional development through engagement in life-long learning.
Model and Goals
The primary objective of this program is to prepare doctoral-level professional psychologists to develop, provide, supervise and evaluate high quality mental health services for citizens of rural and other under-served communities. Through coursework, extensive field training and research experience, our goal is to prepare highly skilled generalists in professional psychology who are sensitive to the psychological and health-related issues confronting this area and are prepared to serve the communities in this region. The program will lead to the Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree; this degree is recognized nationwide as reflecting a program with a primarily applied, professional focus. Graduates typically work in applied, service-oriented positions where they work directly with clients, as well as supervise and train other professionals. All prospective students should be aware that successful progress through the program will require a major commitment, including enrollment for coursework during each summer of their time in the program; see also the description of Residency Requirements on the Psy.D. Admissions page.
Psy.D. Program Model
The philosophy of the program follows a practitioner-scholar model of education and training; consequently, graduates of the program are trained as practitioners of clinical psychology as an empirically informed field. Education and training within the program emphasize the importance of critical inquiry at all levels of clinical practice, including treatment planning for individual clients, assessment of program outcomes, and the design and execution of rigorous research. The program is dedicated to educating students for professional practice careers; therefore, the Psy.D. degree is offered. The program faculty has set forth several pertinent goals and objectives to be obtained by students during their time in the program. These goals and objectives are founded on the core competencies of clinical education and training stated by the American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation (CoA).
The program exposes students to the following primary clinical orientations: integrative behavioral, cognitive behavioral, and psychodynamic. In the context of this exposure, we encourage each student to develop an orientation that is best suited to his, her, or their style and situation. We endeavor to support students in their development, whether they prefer to remain eclectic or choose to invest in a particular theoretical orientation. The fact that the faculty represents a variety of orientations fits well with this model. Although the perspectives of clinical faculty vary, they share a common mission to provide education and training that is solidly grounded empirically. We also emphasize that multiple systemic and individual factors must be considered in developing a cooperative relationship between client and therapist that will ultimately lead to more positive life experiences for the client. There is a sharp focus on the impacts of community and culture from a biopsychosocial model of influence on human development. As such, the generalist orientation of the program serves as a model to students that the field of clinical psychology is as diverse as the human population it serves.
Program Goals and Objectives
Profession-Wide Competencies
1. The primary goal of the program is to provide high quality graduate education and training in clinical psychology with an emphasis on the role of empirical knowledge as it pertains to clinical practice. As such, students will develop the specific competencies that are the foundation of the education and training model.
Objective 1.1: Relationship/Communication/Interpersonal competence: Students are expected to develop the ability to form and maintain productive partnerships with a wide range of individuals, including colleagues, communities, organizations, supervisors, supervisees, faculty, and those receiving professional services. Students should be able to produce and comprehend oral, nonverbal, and written communications that are informative and well-integrated. They should be able to demonstrate a thorough grasp of professional language and concepts. They should exhibit effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage conflict and difficult communication well.
Objective 1.2: Assessment competence: Students are expected to develop competency in clinical assessment as evidenced by understanding empirical literature and gain knowledge of the science of measurement, basic psychometric theory, and interpretation skills. In addition, students should be able to demonstrate the use of sound assessment methodologies including collecting relevant data using multiple sources and methods based on goal(s) and referral question(s). Students will also learn and address how relevant diversity characteristics of the service recipient should also be taken into account. Students will be able to interpret assessment results based on current research and professional standards and guidelines. This will inform case conceptualization, classification, and recommendations. Students will learn to guard against decision-making biases and distinguish the aspects of the assessment that are subjective versus objective. This competence should allow the student to describe their patient as a fully functioning person, to plan a course of intervention, and to assess intervention outcomes. Students will also demonstrate the ability to communicate orally and in written documents the findings and implications of the assessment in an accurate and effective manner that is sensitive and appropriate to a range of audiences.
Objective 1.3: Intervention competence: Students are expected to demonstrate their ability to maintain effective relationships with recipients of psychological services. Students will demonstrate the ability to develop evidence-based treatment plans that align with service delivery goals. Interventions are expected to be informed by current scientific literature, assessment findings, diversity characteristics, and contextual variables. Also, students will demonstrate the ability to modify evidenced-based treatments when appropriate, based on continuous evaluation of intervention effectiveness.
Objective 1.4: Research and evaluation competence: Students must demonstrate the substantially independent ability to conceptualize an appropriate, logical research question, frame it in terms of an operational definition, and develop a sound method for addressing the question to formulate research or other scholarly activities (e.g. critical literature reviews, dissertation, efficacy studies, clinical case studies, theoretical papers, program evaluation projects, program development projects, or doctoral research projects). This ability should result in research or scholarly activity that is of sufficient quality and rigor to have the potential to contribute to the scientific, psychological, or professional knowledge base. Students must be able to execute the plan and analyze the quantitative and/or qualitative data in a rigorous and systematic manner and be able to conduct research or other scholarly activities. In addition, students should be able to critically evaluate and disseminate research or other scholarly activity via professional publication and presentation at the local, regional, or national level.
Objective 1.5: Consultation, Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary, and Education competence: Students are expected to demonstrate competence with respect to Interdisciplinary/Interprofessional Consultation and Treatment. They will articulate the roles of a psychologist on an interdisciplinary care team in multiple settings, with specific emphasis on rural primary care settings. This includes distinguishing consultation from direct intervention. They will demonstrate an understanding of primary, secondary, and tertiary models of prevention/intervention as part of an interprofessional team. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the unique roles that other professionals play in these settings with respect to both behavioral and physical health care practices. Students will express an understanding of different service delivery models (e.g., co-located, integrated, etc). and how roles differ in each model and how these models may function differently with respect to different populations (e.g., rural/urban; income-limited/unstably housed, geriatric, psychiatric). Finally, students will articulate an understanding of the challenges and solutions to integrating multiple legal and ethical guidelines across disciplines so all professional concerns are addressed for the good of the patient.
Objective 1.6: Management and Supervision competence: Students will become knowledgeable in the areas of organization and supervision of psychological services, including supervision models and practices. Students will demonstrate this knowledge in their ability to provide formal and informal supervision to less experienced students.
Objective 1.7: Legal and Ethical competence: Students are expected conduct themselves in an ethical manner in all professional activities. To do so, they will have knowledge of and act in accordance with: 1) the current version of the APA Code of Ethics; 2) relevant laws, regulations, rules, and policies governing health service psychology at all levels (organizational, local, state, regional, and federal); and 3) relevant professional standardized and guidelines. Students should be able to recognize ethical dilemmas as they arise and apply ethical decision-making processes in order to resolve the dilemmas.
Objective 1.8: Individual and Cultural Diversity competence: Students will understand the significant impact cultural differences have on clinical practice and be able to articulate those impacts in reference to specific clinical cases. This includes an understanding of how the student’s own personal/cultural history, attitudes, and biases may affect how they understand and interact with people different from themselves. Students will be able to identify cultural differences in an academic sense through knowledge of the current theoretical and empirical knowledge base as it relates to addressing diversity. This includes integrating awareness and knowledge of individual and cultural differences in the conduct of professional roles and activities (e.g., research, services, and other professional activities). Students should also be able to demonstrate this knowledge base by articulating and applying an approach to working effectively with diverse individuals and groups. This includes engaging in program planning and service delivery that conveys that the differences are appreciated. Students should also be able to apply a framework for working effectively with areas of individual and cultural diversity not previously encountered over the course of their careers which includes the ability to work effectively with individuals whose group membership, demographic characteristics, or worldviews create conflict with their own.
Objective 1.9: Professional Values, Attitudes, and Behaviors competence: Through their behavior, students will reflect the values and attitudes of the field of psychology. This includes integrity, honestly, deportment, professional identity, accountability, punctuality, reliability, lifelong learning, and concern for the welfare and safety of others. Their development of a professional identity will begin to emerge and they will use resources, such as supervision and literature, to continue their professional development. They will engage in self-reflection regarding their personal and professional functioning, including activities to maintain and improve their performance, well-being, and effectiveness. As they progress through the program, students will demonstrate a greater degree of independence in increasingly complex professional situations. Students will conduct themselves in a professional manner, including attire, across different settings. They will also actively seek and demonstrate openness and responsiveness to feedback and supervision. Students will recognize and work to resolve situations that challenge the adherence to professional values and attitudes.
Objective 1.10: Advocacy competence: The definition of professional advocacy is speaking or acting on behalf of an individual or group to uphold their rights or explain their point of view. In other words, it involves supporting a collective, impactful voice for those who are lacking in power in the larger structure. Competence in advocacy involves the development of skills to advocate at the individual, group, community, national and international level and is often in service to social justice and improving public policy. Because the mission of the Psy.D. program rests heavily on advocacy, all students will be required to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and attitudes that reflect competence in the practice of advocacy and the principles of social justice. Students will demonstrate through words and actions their understanding of the centrality of advocacy and the role it plays in individual clinical practice as well as its importance in the broader field of psychological science. They will demonstrate their currency of knowledge with areas of social justice and advocacy practice that are related to their professional goals and intentions. Students will also demonstrate an understanding of the role played by basic, applied and social action research in promoting social justice through advocacy. Students will actively engage in all levels of advocacy during their time in the program and will be able to effectively articulate their role and the process of engagement as well as the outcome of each activity. Students will be expected to understand and explain their use of models of engagement (e.g., individual, systemic, family, legal) for advocacy in their approach to modifying and utilizing the processes as the situation demands. Finally, students will integrate being a Citizen Psychologist into their professional identity and will begin the process of lifelong advocacy for the public good.
Discipline Specific Knowledge
2. The second goal is to ensure that the clinical training of students is thoroughly grounded in the broad scientific areas of psychology, and their integration, often referred to as Discipline Specific Knowledge.
Objective 2.1: Students will demonstrate knowledge in the following broad areas of scientific psychology: biological aspects of behavior; cognitive and affective aspects of behavior; social aspects of behavior; history and systems of psychology; psychological measurement; research methodology; and techniques of data analysis
Objective 2.2: Students will demonstrate knowledge in the following scientific, methodological, and theoretical areas of psychology: individual differences in behavior, human development, dysfunctional behavior and analysis, and professional standards of ethics.
Program Specific Competencies
3. Rural areas, underserved populations, and those who have been marginalized are characterized by unique needs that are not often met by service delivery models and therapeutic modalities developed primarily in urban settings. Therefore, a third goal is to promote an understanding regarding the impact of being part of a rural, underserved, and/or marginalized culture has on clinical practice.
Objective 3.1: Students will develop an understanding of the diverse forces at work with rural, underserved, and/or populations that have been marginalized that can and do impact various aspects of human development and community functioning.
Objective 3.2: Students will be able to articulate alternative service delivery models that may improve access and use of behavioral health services for those who are rural, underserved, and/or populations that have been marginalized.
Internship acceptance rates. For the academic year 2024-2025, 15 students applied for internship placement with acceptance figures as follows:
- Percent obtaining internships: 100%
- Percent obtaining paid internships: 100%
- Percent obtaining internships at APPIC sites: 100%
- Percent obtaining internships at APA sites 100%
Attrition. At present, the overall attrition rate is 3% (2020-2024).
Admission Requirements
Applying to the Psy.D. Program
Prerequisite Coursework
Applicants must have completed a minimum of 18 undergraduate semester hours of psychology, including statistics, experimental psychology or research methods, and abnormal psychology in order to be considered for admission. Please note that some courses may have undergraduate prerequisite coursework attached to them. While these undergraduate courses are not required for admission, they must be taken prior to a student’s enrollment in those courses with such prerequisites.
Application Deadline and Materials
Students are admitted to the Psy.D. program once per year for classes starting in the Fall semester. Applicants are required to submit the completed application form with all requested supplemental materials, official transcripts from degree-granting institutions, official transcripts of all previous graduate coursework, and three letters of recommendation. Completed applications along with all supporting materials must be received by the December 1 deadline to receive priority consideration for admission the following fall. It should be noted that the application process is competitive. Grade point averages for successful candidates typically range from 3.2 to 3.6. Application materials and current program information can be obtained by contacting the Marshall University Psychology Department, the Marshall University Graduate Admissions office, or by consulting the Psychology Department website at www.marshall.edu/psych.
Applicant Review Process
Applicants are divided into two groups as follows:
- Post-B.A.: This track is designed for students who either possess no graduate degree or whose graduate degree is in an area other than psychology. Students who have completed some graduate work towards a master’s degree in psychology but will not have completed the degree prior to admission to the Psy.D. program would also be a part of this track. Students accepted into this track are expected to enroll as full-time students throughout the program. A student accepted through this track may earn a master’s degree in general psychology as he or she makes successful progress toward the Psy.D.
- Advanced Standing: A student who already has a master’s degree in psychology can apply for advanced standing in the Psy.D. program. In order to apply for advanced standing, a student must have completed a master’s degree in psychology from an accepted, accredited institution. Students who are admitted with advanced standing must select to enter in either a full-time track or a part-time track by the end of their first semester of enrollment. These tracks are described as follows:
Full-time track: Students who apply for advanced standing and the full-time track must be able to document coursework and practicum equivalencies equal to approximately 36 hours of coursework required in the Psy.D. program at Marshall University. Review of equivalencies is described in the next section. Students in the full-time track must commit to a minimum of 9 hours of coursework and practica per semester during the entire time of their enrollment. They must also commit to taking summer coursework as needed. As such, these students can anticipate completing the program in approximately four years. This would assume 5-6 semesters of coursework and a full year for the pre-doctoral internship. Students admitted to the full-time track can apply to change to the part-time track if their circumstances warrant such a change. Although students with extenuating circumstances may drop below full-time for a given semester without changing tracks, they should recognize that this change may impact the time it will take to complete the program. Students in this track desiring to attend part time for more than one semester may be required to switch formally to the part-time track.
Part-time track: Students who apply for advanced standing and the part-time track are not required to document equivalencies at any particular level, although they must still possess a master’s degree in psychology from an accredited institution. Students in the part-time track may enroll either full-time or part-time in any given semester with the exception of the residency year, described in the next section. During the residency year, full-time enrollment is required. Students in this track should anticipate completing the program in no fewer than 5 years and no more than 7 years from the date of enrollment.
Graduation Requirements
Vertical Team Practica
Practica in the program are arranged according to vertical teams. Each team is led by a clinical faculty member who is a licensed psychologist. Teams are organized around a particular orientation to clinical conceptualization and treatment planning. Teams include students at all levels of training and allow newer students to be exposed to practica in which they may be placed as they progress through the program. Vertical team arrangements also allow more experienced students to become mentors to more junior students.
Comprehensive Evaluation Process
All students admitted to the program must complete the portfolio evaluation review as part of the comprehensive evaluation process. In addition, students who are admitted without a master’s degree will take a written comprehensive prior to being awarded the master’s degree.
Doctoral Research Project
All students are required to complete a doctoral research project prior to receiving their Psy.D. degree. Details of the doctoral research process are discussed in the Psy.D. Student Handbook.
Internship Requirement
All students are required to complete a one year, full time (or two year, half time) internship in clinical psychology at an approved internship training site. There are a very limited number of local approved sites and students should anticipate the possibility of relocation during this portion of the training period. Please contact the Psy.D. program director for additional information concerning this requirement.
Residency Requirement
All students are required to enroll as full time students for a one year “residency” period. For most students, this will be the 4th year, when students focus on their doctoral research and their rural practicum placements.
Rural Practicum Placement
A key component of our program is training in and supervised delivery of psychological services in rural settings. All students will spend at least one academic year (two sequential full semesters) placed in an approved rural training site. This placement will require driving to the site and may require an overnight stay each week. More information about this part of the program is available from the Psy.D. Program Director and/or the Practicum Coordinator.
Scheduling of Coursework
Courses are offered during Fall, Spring and Summer terms, with most courses offered no more than once per year. Students must plan to take courses during each term to make appropriate progress through the curriculum.
Other information about program (e.g. comprehensive exams, specific procedures for requesting evaluation of prior graduate coursework, graduate assistantships and other student funding opportunities; the doctoral program fee charged to students each semester of enrollment) is available from the psychology department; please contact the Psy.D. Program Director.
