Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program  
 
 
Administration Building/Great Hall

For directions to the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program's location in Roslyn Heights, N.Y. click here

Program Mission

The Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University offers a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree and has as its basic purpose the training of doctoral level clinical psychologists who will exhibit professional attitudes and apply current knowledge and practice skills for the prevention and alleviation of psychological problems. The program is also committed to training students who will provide services in public sector settings to traditionally underserved groups. While the mission is to broadly train clinical psychologists, the program also seeks to provide each student with special competencies in one of three areas: family violence, developmental disabilities, or serious and persistent mental illness. The program also provides its graduates with clinical and theoretical training in two major orientations-psychoanalytic and cognitive-behavioral. The Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association (see the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, 750 First St., NE Washington, D.C. 20002-4242/ 202-336-5979), registered by the New York State Education Department and listed by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards and the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology as a designated institution offering a doctoral program in psychology. The program is based on the practitioner-scholar model of clinical training.
 

Program Requirements

The program requires a full-time [year-round] commitment in each of the four years of residency. The fifth year is spent in completion of a full-time clinical internship. Students are regularly evaluated by the faculty and clinical supervisors. Evaluations reflect continued broadening of knowledge, personal and emotional development, and an ability to employ increasingly sophisticated clinical procedures. Steady development in each area is required for the student to progress in the program.

Specific requirements for the degree are

  • satisfactory completion of 88 credits in general, clinical, professional, and elective concentration courses;
  • evaluations that reflect appropriate development of professional skills and judgment;
  • satisfactory completion of a clinical competency evaluation consisting of a case presentation, analysis, and defense;
  • satisfactory completion of year-long externships in the second, third and fourth years, and the full-time internship in the fifth year of the program
  • completion of an acceptable doctoral dissertation usually in the student's elective concentration area, including an oral presentation of findings and conclusions.
Once an applicant is accepted for admission, every effort is made to assist the candidate in the successful and timely completion of the program. Each student is provided with a faculty and peer advisor. Student support groups, instructors, and supervisors are available to help integrate the stresses and challenges of doctoral training into professional growth. Continued and reasonable expansion of professional knowledge, skills and values is the basic guidepost of a student's successful evaluation.
 
Clinical Orientations
 
Although the practice of clinical psychology is informed by a number of theoretical approaches, students in this program receive substantial didactic and practical training in two major orientations, cognitive-behavioral and psychoanalytic. One or both of these orientations influence most academic courses and both orientations are a critical part of each student's clinical experience. For example, all second year students placed in the program's Psychological Services Center, receive psychotherapy supervision from at least two supervisors, one psychoanalytic and the other cognitive-behavioral. As a result of this experience, our graduates have the background and tools to practice with one or both models. This provides them with considerable professional flexibility, necessary in the world of changing demands and possibilities.
 
 
 
Long Island University C.W. Post Campus College of Liberal Arts & Sciences