The PhD Clinical Psychology Program at Palo Alto University (PAU) is deeply committed to educating well-rounded clinical psychologists who are capable and competent as both researchers and clinicians. Students are taught to be science minded while appreciating the larger role of psychology in alleviating suffering in the world. This balance includes learning to value evidence-based clinical models while maintaining the responsibilities psychologists have to their community, society, and profession. An outstanding faculty of clinicians and researchers provide rigorous classroom instruction, clinical supervision, and research mentoring to help students find the right balance for them. Working within a training model best described as practitioner-scientist, students systematically move through five years of coursework and practica to acquire PhD level competence and capability in the areas of psychological theory, research, and practice. The PhD Clinical Psychology program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).
Degree Requirements
The PhD in Clinical Psychology program requires a minimum of 3 full-time academic years of graduate study (full-time is defined as at least 27 units per year; starting in Year 5, full-time is defined as a minimum of 3 units per quarter) and completion of an internship prior to awarding the doctoral degree. The program is typically completed in approximately five years: three years for academic course work, one year for the dissertation and one year for internship. At least 2 of the 3 academic training years (1st-3rd year required coursework) must be at the PAU PhD in Clinical Psychology program, and at least 2 years of which must be in full-time residence.
Students must also complete at least 2 years of practicum clinical training (2nd and 3rd year in the program; however, most, if not all, students also complete an additional external practicum in their 4th year of the program), 2000 hours of doctoral internship clinical training, and an empirical dissertation to complete the graduation requirements.
Curriculum
The program of study for the PhD in Clinical Psychology is informed by the American Psychological Association’s (APA’s) guidelines for doctoral education in clinical psychology, and emphasizes the integration of scientific research and clinical practice. The PhD in Clinical Psychlogy Program includes intensive study in five areas: basic theoretical concepts in psychology, research, psychological evaluation, psychotherapy theory and process, and clinical foundations and field experience. In addition, students have the opportunity to focus a minimum of 18 units of elective coursework in specific areas of interest. The five areas of required courses are Psychological Science, Research, Psychological Evaluation, Psychotherapy Theory and Process, and Clinical Foundations and Field Experiences.
Psychological Science Foundation
Graduate course work in psychological theory provides a firm grounding in scientific psychology and places current theory and research in the larger context of the history of psychology as a discipline. The curriculum examines human behavior from many perspectives. Courses address the biological, cognitive, and affective bases of behavior, social and cultural influences on human development and behavior, individual differences, as well as the psychology of multicultural and special interest groups.
The graduate courses required in this area are:
Basic Theoretical Concepts in Psychology
| PSYS800 | Psychological Science I: History &Systems | 3 |
| PSYS801 | Psychological Science I: Child & Adolescent Development | 1.5 |
| PSYS802 | Psychological Science I: Cognitive Bases of Behavior | 2.5 |
| PSYS804 | Psychological Science II: AffectiveBases of Behavior | 2.5 |
| PSYS805 | Psychological Science II: Bio Bases of Behavior: Biological Psychology | 2.5 |
| PSYS807 | Psychological Science III: Adult Development & Aging | 1.5 |
| PSYS809 | Psychological Sci. III: Bio Bases of Behavior II: Psychopharmacology | 2.5 |
| PSYS811 | Psychological Science III: Social & Personality Psychology | 3 |
| CLIN825 | Professional Standards I: Identity Discipline Culture | 1 |
| CLIN826 | Professional Standards II: Practicum Prep & Advising | 1 |
| CLIN827 | Professinal Standards III: Internship Prep & Advising | 1 |
| CLDV800 | Cultural Diff: Cross Cultural Issues in Psychology | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 25 |
Research
Research Course work in both quantitative and qualitative research methods and statistics prepares students to critically evaluate current research and to undertake dissertation research. After successfully completing the Research Methods and Statistics courses in the first year, students are required to pass the Research Competency Examination. Participation in small faculty-led research labs involves students in ongoing research projects, facilitates the development of mentoring relationships, and assists students in dissertation planning. Six consecutive quarters of research lab participation (generally taken in the second and third academic years) are required.
Dissertation units are typically completed during the fourth academic year.
The graduate courses required in this area are:
Research
| MTHD808 | Research Methods & Statistics I | 4 |
| STAT809 | Research Methods & Statistics II | 4 |
| STAT810 | Research Methods & Statistics III | 4 |
| DISS800 | Dissertation Research | 10 |
| RSGP8XX | Research Labs | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 48 |
Psychological Evaluation
The curriculum in psychological evaluation and assessment includes basic concepts in psychopathology and clinical diagnosis, theoretical bases of testing and test construction, and practical training and experience in the administration, scoring and interpretation of tests. Psychopathology course work is usually completed in the first year, while psychological assessment courses are required in the second year. Assessment Competency is measured through passing grades in the courses of the assessment sequence (ASMT800, ASMT826, and ASMT815) and a passing grade on the final assessment report of ASMT815.
The graduate courses required in this area are:
Psychological Evaluation
| ASMT800 | Psychopathology & Psychodiagnosis I | 3 |
| ASMT809 | Intellectual Assessment | 4 |
| ASMT810 | Psychometric Theory | 4 |
| ASMT815 | Assessment of Personality | 3 |
| ASMT818 | Psychopathology & Psychodiagnosis II: Child & Adolescent Disorders | 1.5 |
| ASMT819 | Psychopathology & Psychodiagnosis II: Personality Disorders | 1.5 |
| ASMT826 | Assessment of Psychopathology | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 20 |
Psychotherapy Theory and Process
The curriculum in psychotherapy theory and process requires the completion of five courses that survey a variety of theoretical perspectives, clinical orientations, and treatment modalities. These courses are generally completed during the first and second academic years. Students must successfully pass an oral Clinical Competency Examination in their third year.
The graduate courses required in this area are:
Psychotherapy Theory and Process
| CLIN802 | Introduction to Psychotherapy: Evidence Based Approaches | 3 |
| CLIN803 | PsychodynamicPsychotherapy I | 3 |
| CLIN806 | Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy I | 3 |
| CLIN809 | Intro. to Child Adolescent & Family Psychotherapy | 3 |
| CLIN896 | Supervision, Consultation and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Clinical Foundations and Field Experiences
Students begin their first practicum (Practicum 2) in the Summer term of their first year after passing all required prerequisite coursework. These practica provide diverse training opportunities integrating academic skills with experiential learning and prepare students for a full clinical internship in Year 5. The initial clinical practicum experience takes place in the Gronowski Center (PAU’s outpatient community clinic), or at Kaiser Permanente, under the direct supervision of clinical faculty and supervisors. Every student is required to complete 24 practicum units before advancement to doctoral candidacy, accumulating 9 units in Practicum 2A, 2B, and 2C and 15 units in the third year in Practicum 3A, 3B, and 3C.
The graduate courses required in this area are:
Clinical Foundations and Field Experiences
Elective Courses
In addition to the required course work detailed above, PhD students must complete a minimum number of 18 units of electives, although they may choose to take more. These elective units may be focused in a particular Area of Emphasis (depth of training) or may be used to gain additional training in a variety of areas (breadth of training). Electives are drawn from the five areas described above and in several course sequences and areas of emphasis, as well as individual courses.
Areas of Emphasis
Areas of Emphasis are offered at PAU as supplemental training opportunities to the generalist PhD program in clinical psychology. These Areas of Emphasis were approved by the PAU Curriculum Committee and Leadership Council, and each involves more than one core PAU faculty member. Each Area of Emphasis includes a structured sequence of courses. Several also involve completion of a practicum at a site offering emphasis-specific training and/or completion of a research lab and dissertation in an area related to the emphasis. For additional information about each area’s requirements, visit the Area of Emphasis section of the PAU PhD website.
The Pediatric Behavioral Health Care (PBHC) Emphasis Area
The PBHC Emphasis is founded upon recent bench science, translational community studies, advances in clinical intervention, policy/funding initiatives, and workforce trends in behavioral health care. In an effort to balance the demand for skilled clinicians to enter the workforce equipped to meet the high-volume, high-intensity workloads with the short supply of genuinely well-trained doctoral level students, the faculty in the PBHC Emphasis area crafted the following curriculum. Accordingly, students enrolled in this emphasis area complete the core courses required of all clinical students and additionally 1) Successfully complete all five required courses for the emphasis area, 2) Successfully complete at least one elective within the emphasis area, 3) Successfully complete a dissertation in pediatric behavioral health care, and 4) Successfully complete at least one clinical experience in a health care setting and one child/adolescent setting. Students may also participate in PBHC area meetings and discussions.
The Diversity and Community Mental Health (DCMH) Area of Emphasis
The DCMH Emphasis provides students the opportunity to develop competency in the provision of psychological services within the public mental health sector through a combination of coursework, research, and clinical training. Community mental health (CMH) services are often different from traditional clinical psychology training; community mental health care involves the consumer and family members and is integrated with the community in collaborative interdisciplinary teams. The work also requires responsiveness to cultural and diversity issues and systemic inequities. Not only is CMH work embedded within unique approaches to care, it is devoted to the service of clients dealing with a unique combination of mental health problems (e.g., co-occurring disorders, trauma, chronic and serious mental illness) from diverse underserved and unserved communities (e.g., homeless, disability, LGBTQ+, racial and ethnic minority, indigent, elderly, rural, and/or multilingual communities). The DCMH emphasis provides students with the specialized skills and knowledge to assume a variety of roles - not only as CMH clinicians, but also as consultants, program evaluators, researchers, policy advocates, community organizers, and administrators.
The Forensic Psychology Area of Emphasis
Students in the Forensic Emphasis receive training in the broader practitioner-scientist PhD program while learning to apply their clinical and research skills to forensic issues. The forensic program emphasizes didactic learning as well as research and clinical experience.
The LGBTQ Psychology Area of Emphasis
The LGBTQ Emphasis provides doctoral students with advanced knowledge and skills to become contributors and leaders in the emerging field of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Clinical Psychology. The program includes three areas of intensive training: classroom instruction, clinical practice, and empirical research. Clinical practicum placements throughout the Bay Area that focus on LGBTQ+ populations are available.
The Mindfulness & Meditation Focus (not accepting students in 2024-2025)
The Mindfulness and Meditation Focus aims to increase clinical and research knowledge and skills relevant to mindfulness and meditation-based intervention. Students can expect to address knowledge of the theory and evidence base, clinical and community applications, outreach to diverse groups, culture and diversity, and professional and ethical considerations. Completion of the Focus requirements includes conducting research, culminating in a dissertation or other publication (such as a conference poster or co-authored publication) on a topic broadly related to mindfulness and meditation. Research can concern intervention mechanisms and outcomes or can address issues foundational to the field, such as factors related to resilience and thriving, trait mindfulness, culture and diversity, self-regulation, or transdiagnostic factors. Students in the Mindfulness and Meditation Focus gain clinical training and experience in the personal practice and implementation of a manualized, evidence-based mindfulness and meditation intervention designed to enhance positive coping and prevent and alleviate stress symptoms and related disorders. The intervention approach is the Inner Resources for Stress (IR) program, though students will have the option to adapt the current work to new populations. Students in the Focus Area complete at least one year of this supplemental clinical practicum training. Returning students can receive supervised experience conducting clinical training and supervision. In addition, students are encouraged to use mindfulness and meditation for their own self-care and to enhance their ability to be mindful therapists. (Note: The Meditation Focus is not taking new students as of the 2021-22 school year)
The Neuropsychology Area of Emphasis
The Neuropsychology Emphasis is designed for students in the PhD program who wish to develop a proficiency in clinical neuropsychological assessment. This specialization includes successful completion of a sequence of required courses on clinical neuropsychology and neuropsychological assessment in conjunction with clinical practica training experience in neuropsychological assessment, as well as successful defense of a dissertation with some component in neuropsychology. Students who fulfill the requirements of this area of emphasis obtain a certificate of completion, signifying that they fulfilled the educational requirements portion of clinical neuropsychological assessment training in a PhD 75 Clinical Psychology program based on APA Division 40 specifications. However, successful completion of this area of emphasis in Neuropsychology at PAU is only one component in the education and supervised clinical training necessary to become a clinical neuropsychologist.
The Trauma Area of Emphasis
The Trauma Area of Emphasis is aligned with the American Psychological Association’s Core Competencies for Trauma. Specialization in the Trauma Area of Emphasis provides students with specialized education and training in evidence-based assessment and treatment modalities used in trauma psychology. Although the courses offered in the Trauma Area of Emphasis fulfill the didactic education criteria, successful completion of the Trauma Area of Emphasis is only one component in obtaining the education and clinical training necessary to become a competent clinician. Further specialty preparation is expected at the doctoral and postdoctoral level. Completion of the trauma specialization requires completing a sequence of five courses focused on adult populations or children, adolescents, and families, a clinical practicum that provides experience in working with traumatized people, as well as completion of a dissertation with a trauma focus. The Trauma Area of Emphasis uses a series of benchmarks to identify and assess successful attainment of trauma competencies.
The Health Psychology Area of Emphasis
The Health Psychology Area of Emphasis is aligned with the American Psychological Association’s Core Competencies for Health Psychology. This Area of Emphasis seeks to 1) recruit, train, and mentor students to thrive as clinicians, program developers, researchers, and future leaders in integrated health care settings, 2) prepare students who exhibit cultural humility, an understanding of structural, systemic, and social determinants of health, and the agency and skills to develop community- and population-level advocacy and intervention to reduce health disparities for people of color, sexual and gender minorities, and those who hold other marginalized identities, 3) provide students with foundational knowledge and cutting-edge applied skills in core areas of Health Psychology/Integrated Care, including: health behavior theories; medical culture; interprofessional consultation and teamwork; community- and population-level advocacy and intervention; and evidence-based assessment and intervention for common presenting problems in medical settings (e.g., chronic pain, insomnia, obesity, nicotine/alcohol/other substance use disorders, chronic illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, life-threatening conditions such as cancer and HIV/AIDS), and 4) enhance students’ understanding and practice of personal wellness and resiliency skills for self, patients, and other health care providers. Successful completion of the Emphasis is only one component in obtaining the education and clinical training necessary to become a competent clinician. Further specialty preparation is expected at the doctoral and postdoctoral level. Completion of this Area of Emphasis requires completion of three required and two elective courses, a clinical practica that provides experience in a Health Psychology/Integrated Care setting, and completion of a dissertation substantively related to the field of Health Psychology.
Elective Courses
Required
| ASMT830 | Forensic Assessment | 3 |
| ASMT841 | Child Assessment | 3 |
| ASMT860 | Neuropsychological Assessment I | 3 |
| ASMT861 | Neuropsychology Assessment II | 3 |
| ASMT862 | Clinical Neuropsychology I | 3 |
| ASMT863 | Clinical Neuropsychology II | 3 |
| ASMT864 | Neuroanatomy and Neuroimaging | 3 |
| ASMT865 | Cognitive Rehabilitation | 3 |
| CLIN807 | Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy II | 3 |
| CLIN810 | Transdiagnostic Approach to Child & Family Psychotherapy | 3 |
| CLIN811 | Psychodynamic Therapy II | 3 |
| CLIN823 | EB Internet Interventions to ReduceHealth Disparities | 3 |
| CLIN830 | Adv. Ethics & Prof. Issues in Forensic Psychology | 3 |
| CLIN831 | Forensic Psychology I | 3 |
| CLIN832 | Forensic Psychology II | 3 |
| CLIN833 | Adv Forensic Seminar: Child Custody Evaluations | 3 |
| CLIN835 | Supervision, Administartion & Management in Behavioral Health | 3 |
| CLIN838 | LGBTQ Issues in Psychotherapy | 3 |
| CLIN839 | Substance Use & Addictive Disorders | 3 |
| CLIN845 | Fam. Therapy I: Family SystemsTherapy | 3 |
| CLIN848 | Developmental Psychopathology:Conception to Pubescence | 3 |
| CLIN849 | Dev. Psychopathology: Adolescence through Emerging Adulthood | 3 |
| CLIN851 | Health Psychology I | 3 |
| CLIN852 | Health Psychology II | 3 |
| CLIN859 | Clinical Emergencies: Suicidal Patient | 3 |
| CLIN864 | Foundations of Clinical Trauma Psychology | 3 |
| CLIN865 | Treatment of Trauma in Adults | 3 |
| CLIN866 | Treatment of Trauma in Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| CLIN867 | Substance Use in Youth | 3 |
| CLIN868 | Professional Issues in Clinical Child Psychology | 3 |
| CLIN880 | Community Mental Health I | 3 |
| CLIN881 | Community Mental Health II | 3 |
| CLIN882 | Serious Mental Illness | 3 |
| CLIN883 | Mental Health Disparities | 3 |
| CLIN884 | Intro Global Mental Health | 3 |
| CLIN887 | Assessment & Treatment of Trauma in Adults | 3 |
| CLIN888 | Clinical Practice of Pediatric Psychology | 3 |
| CLIN891 | Psychology of Mindfulness & Meditation | 3 |
| PSYS820 | Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience Seminar | 3 |
| PRAC803 | Clinic Practicum 2D | 0 |
| PRAC807 | Practicum 3D | 0 |
| PRAC809 | Practicum 4A: External Site | 0 |
| PRAC811 | Practicum 4B: External Site | 0 |
| PRAC814 | Practicum 4C: External Site | 0 |
| PRAC808 | Practicum 4D | 0 |
| PRAC815 | Supplemental Practicum Training | 0 |
| STAT820 | Bayesian Statistics | 3 |
| STAT825 | Adv Stat: Structural Equation Modeling | 3 |
| STAT830 | Categorical Data Analysis | 3 |
XXX
| Grand Rounds Speaker: Neuropsychology | |
Summary Units
| Course Area |
Credit Hours |
| Psychological Science Foundation (Theory) |
25 |
| Research |
48 |
| Psychological Evaluation |
20 |
| Psychotherapy Theory and Process |
15 |
| Clinical Practice |
42 |
| Electives |
18 |
| Total |
168 |