Doctoral Degree Programs
Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology Program (PhD)
The PhD Clinical Psychology program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). The PhD Clinical Psychology Program 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 psychological theory, research, and practice.
Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision Program (PhD)
The PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision program prepares the next generation of leaders moving the counseling profession forward by training new counselors and supervisors, researching effective clinical interventions, and providing influential leadership in organizations. The program aims to prepare doctoral students to become culturally-affirming counselor educators and supervisors.The PhD Counselor Education and Supervision program strives to advance the counseling profession into the future by training leaders who promote anti-oppressive pedagogy, scholarship, supervision, advocacy, and practice. The curriculum and educational experiences, such as our innovative multiple article dissertation and internship program, are designed to prepare students for the real, day-to-day work of counselor educators.
Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology Program (PsyD)
The PAU-Stanford PsyD Consortium is a full-time, five-year doctoral program in clinical psychology. It includes three years of academic coursework, one year focused on the dissertation, and a final year completing a full-time, program-approved doctoral internship. The academic year follows a quarter system and spans nine months. Prior to internship, students complete a coordinated three-year practicum sequence that provides progressive, supervised clinical training. Upon fulfilling all program requirements, students are awarded their doctoral degree through Palo Alto University, with the degree indicating completion of the PAU-Stanford PsyD Consortium.
The program emphasizes an integrated model of training that combines academic coursework, supervised clinical practice, and research experiences throughout the student’s progression toward the doctorate. Students develop a comprehensive understanding of the scientific foundations of psychology and must demonstrate competence in addressing a range of clinical problems. A minimum of four years in residence is required, along with at least 2,000 hours of doctoral-level clinical training and successful completion of a dissertation.
Students progress as a cohort through a prescribed sequence of didactic courses in the first three years, with limited elective seminar options available in the third and fourth years. The fourth year includes advanced practicum training, the internship application process, and significant dissertation work. Upon advancing to candidacy, students earn a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology and must enroll in thirty units of dissertation credit during the fourth year, continuing to register for three units each quarter until the dissertation is completed. Additional tuition and fees apply; details are provided in the Dissertation Handbook. The fifth year is dedicated to the full-time clinical internship at an external site.