Clinical Psychology, Psy.D.
Graduate Degree
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Program Overview

Our doctoral students in Clinical Psychology learn from faculty who practice cutting-edge techniques in the field of psychology. The Clinical Psychology Doctorate program provides our students with an intense focus on Psychology in 5-6 years. Students who already have a Masters Degree in psychology, with a clinical emphasis, from a regionally accredited institution can apply for advanced standing in the Psy.D. program.  To be considered Advanced Standing, applicants should have successfully completed graduate-level coursework consistent with the first 2-years of the PsyD program curriculum and be prepared to enter into our training clinic upon admission. Our program houses both a full-time and part-time track for students.

Our program sets forth 10 goals for our students:

  • Knowledge Base of Psychology
  • Research Methods in Psychology
  • Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology
  • Application of Psychology
  • Values in Psychology
  • Information and Technological Literacy
  • Communication Skills
  • Sociocultural and International Awareness
  • Personal Development
  • Career Planning and Development

Among the courses that are offered in the Clinical Psychology Doctorate program are Individual Psychotherapy/Interviewing, Cognitive Psychology and Chemical Dependency.

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Program Highlights
Outreach

The Psy.D. program in Psychology prepares students for the opportunity to work on projects with faculty throughout the community. Research is conducted off campus at various sites in West Virginia, such as schools, prisons and community centers. We’re also host to a Behavioral Health Speakers Bureau, where we bring in experts on many different topics.

Diversity

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.

Accredited

The program is accredited by the American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation.

Career Opportunities
Our Psy.D. program has a nearly 100% job placement rate. The 2019 median pay for psychologists is $80,370 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The job outlook in the field of psychology from 2019-2029 is 3%. Employment of clinical, counseling and school psychologists is projected to grow because of an increased demand for psychological services in hospitals, social service agencies, mental health centers and schools.
  • Addiction Counselor
  • Mental Health Counselor
  • Professional Counselor
  • Clinical Social Worker
  • Marriage and Family Therapist
  • School Psychologist
  • Organizational Psychologist
  • Sports Psychologist
Admission Information

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, official report of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test (scores may not be more than five (5) years old), 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. It is recommended that scores on the Verbal section not be lower than 150 and scores on the Quantitative section not be lower than 141. Likewise, it is recommended that applications have a minimum combined total on those two sections of 297. 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.