Doctor of Psychology, Clinical Psychology

Faculty

Elizabeth List (Department Chair)
Sarah Marion

Mission

The Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Clinical Psychology is focused on training students to be practitioner-scholars who integrate faith into clinical work as clinical psychologists. The PsyD program is built on three pillars:  clinical competence, academic rigor, and faith integration.  Graduates of this program will be prepared for licensure in the practice of clinical psychology, which takes many forms including, but not limited to, psychotherapy/counseling, psychological and cognitive assessment, and program administration.

Program highlights include:

  • Course delivery in late afternoons/evenings and some weekends for your convenience.
  • Utilization of a cohort model to increase support and camaraderie among the students. 
  • The PsyD program is designed to be a dual entry-point 4-year or 5-year program, accommodating those entering directly from a psychology BA program or those with an MA degree in a social science field.
  • The full 5-year program, for those entering directly from a psychology BA program, consists of 118 credits - 4 years of coursework and a dissertation, with a final pre-doctoral internship year. Those entering with an MA degree bypass the first two semesters, allowing for a second entry-point into the PsyD program.  This program consists of 101 credits - a little over 3 years of coursework and a dissertation, with a final pre-doctoral internship year.
  • The program includes a 3 or 4-year full-time academic residency requirement depending on entry, followed by a full-time 1-year internship experience.
  • New cohorts for the pre-PsyD track begin in August of each year.  Cohorts for the Accelerated track begin in May of each year. The application deadline is January of the previous fall.

Accreditation

NNU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The NNU PsyD program will be submitting an “Intent to Apply” application to the American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation in the spring of 2023. 

PsyD Admissions Requirements

Application Requirements for NNU's PsyD in Clinical Psychology Program include the following:

  • GPA: 3.0 Undergraduate; 3.5 MA/MS
  • Prerequisites:
    • FOR BACHELOR'S STUDENTS ONLY: Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from an accredited college or university OR a minimum of 18 credits of Psychology that must include:
      • General Psychology or Introduction to Psychology
      • Developmental Psychology (covering the Lifespan)
      • A Research Methods or Psychological Statistics class
      • Abnormal Psychology
    • FOR MASTER'S STUDENTS APPLYING FOR ACCELERATED STANDING: Master's degree from a related field (Counseling, Psychology, Social Work).
  • Necessary Application Documents for ALL Applicants:
    • Personal Statement
    • Submit a written essay (no more than 4 pages) that covers the following:
      • Why do you want to be a psychologist and what interests you about the field?
      • What experiences in your life have prepared you for being a good psychologist?
      • What unique qualities do you possess that will assist you in becoming a psychologist?
      • The reasons behind selecting this particular program and Northwest Nazarene University.
      • How you anticipate this degree will impact your role in the community.
    • CV or Resume
    • Academic Writing Sample
      • A writing sample that is representative of your best academic writing (i.e., thesis, journal article, and/or academic paper). The sample should provide evidence of research-based writing and include citations from outside sources. The writing sample should follow APA formatting (double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, margins, etc.).

There will be an interview evaluation and students will be subject to a background check in determining acceptance into this program.

Provisional Admission Acceptance

Any student who is admitted into the NNU PsyD programs through an exception process will begin with an academic standing of Provisional Admission.  This standing will be in effect during the 1st semester of the student's enrollment at NNU.  NNU reserves the right to conduct an evaluation of the student's progress after the first semester, and those students who do not meet the regular admission standards may be administratively withdrawn from the university.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. To prepare students to be culturally and ethically competent entry-level providers of mental health services with the necessary general knowledge in the discipline of Psychology (DSKs).
  2. To prepare students to be culturally and ethically competent entry-level providers of mental health services with the necessary Profession-Wide Competencies in the discipline of Clinical Psychology (PWCs).
  3. To equip students to ethically integrate psychological theory and application through the four pillars of NNU’s mission: Transformation, Truth, Community, and Service.

Mission Statement

The mission of the program is to develop diverse-minded health service psychologists who are creative and redemptive agents of change, willing to work to transform themselves and others, and serve the broader community.

Academic Standing and Dismissal

Doctoral Students

In order to continue in good standing in the program, students must meet the following criteria:

  • Maintain a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA.
  • All courses must be completed with a B- or higher.

Students failing to maintain these standards will be notified and may be subject to probation.  If on probations for a total of more than 2 terms through his/her doctorate study, the student may be dismissed from the program.

Attendance and Grading Standards

The PsyD program is dedicated to providing an environment in which students demonstrate the profession-wide competency of communication and interpersonal skills. Much of this is provided by way of lectures, presentations, and in-class activities where instructors have the ability to determine if students can demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage difficult communication.  Therefore, the PsyD program has the following expectations:

  • Students are expected to attend all classes for the full duration of the class period.
  • Students are expected to arrive to class in a timely manner, attend class regularly, and participate in integrated learning tasks.  Integrated learning tasks will include (but are not limited to) small group exercises, discussion, in-class activities, quizzes, and other participation activities.
  • Students are expected to read all assigned material prior to attending class.
  • In order to successfully complete courses, a student must complete all required assignments, exams, and exercises assigned.  

If a student misses a class*, will be late or must leave early, it is their responsibility to: 

  • Inform the instructor prior to the class (each instructor will note in their syllabus the best way to contact them).
  • Acquire the lecture notes and/or handouts from their classmates or Canvas (the instructor is not responsible for getting this information to the student).
  • Write a summary of the course content of the missed class, per the instructor’s direction, and have the paper to the instructor of the course the following week. 

*Repeated absences or tardiness may warrant referral to the PsyD Student Progress Committee (SPC).

Late Work

Late written assignments may be evaluated for a grade; however, late assignments will receive an initial deduction of 20% off of the total earned points and an additional 10% deduction off of the total earned points for each subsequent day the paper is late.  Presentations must be given on the scheduled day.

Course Failure

The minimum passing course grade for PsyD Courses is B- (80%).  A course grade below 80% is considered a course failure and will appear as an F on academic transcripts. The student who earns a failing course average (< 80%) at the end of the semester may petition for re-examination.   See the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Handbook for more information.

Transfer of Credit

The NNU PsyD program is based on skills and competency.  There are two tracks available, one for students with existing Bachelor's degrees, the second for those students with Master's degrees.  For more information regarding these requirements, please see NNU PsyD Admissions Requirements and Applications Process.  This approach means transfer of credits will be kept to a minimum.  These will be handled on an exception only basis.  For those that are allowed, they must be from an accredited institution, must have received at least a "B" letter grade, and be approved by the program chair.

Master's of Psychology

For those students entering the Pre-PsyD track, there is an option to receive their Master's in Psychology Degree after completing two years or 41 credits (Pre-PsyD courses). This degree is only an option for those students who have applied for and been accepted into the entire Pre-PsyD Program. It is not an option for students who enter the PsyD Accelerated track.