Academic Catalog

POLICY SUMMARY

The policy provides guidance on the following aspects of the PsyD Doctoral Degree, including definitions related to:

1. General degree requirements;
2. Requirements for a student to obtain a PsyD at NAU: 

• academic requirements; 
• professional development requirements; 
• application and admission/designation requirements; 
• length of degree; 
• time parameters to complete the degree

REASON FOR THIS POLICY

The policy guides students, faculty, staff, and administrators in the development and provision of doctoral degrees at the university.

ENTITIES AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY

• Curriculum and Assessment Office
• Graduate Advisors
• Graduate College
• Graduate Deans
• Faculty
• IRA
• Office of the Registrar

WHO SHOULD KNOW THIS POLICY

• Curriculum and Assessment Office
• Graduate Advisors
• Graduate College
• Graduate Deans 
• Faculty
• IRA
• Office of the Registrar
• Students
   

SOURCES 

ABOR Policy

DEFINITIONS

candidacy: a period in a doctoral student’s studies when they are deemed ready to undertake independent and original research resulting in a dissertation after meeting certain academic milestones

clinical practice: actual clock hours that a student spends providing patient care under the supervision of a licensed individual

POLICY

The following general requirements pertain to all students pursuing the Doctor of Clinical Psychology degree. Additional program and discipline-specific requirements not addressed by this policy may be found in the program/department/school graduate handbook as well as the Academic Catalog. 

1. General Degree Requirements – Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD)

Doctoral degrees at NAU require the successful completion of a minimum of 60 units in a course of study, and many degrees require more units for completion of the degree. In addition to coursework, all doctoral degrees require their graduate students to engage in extensive and rigorous research, scholarship, practicum, and/or clinical experiences and to prove a high level of competency in their field. To complete the Doctor of Clinical Psychology degree, NAU requires study beyond the bachelor’s degree, totaling 101 units of graduate work and two thousand (2000) hours of clinical practice. 

 
2. The following requirements must be fulfilled for a student to graduate with a PsyD degree:

2.A. Academic Requirements

Students must complete all courses in an approved Program of Study (POS) totaling the number of units specified for the program and meet all academic requirements and standards set by the academic unit for the doctoral program. The POS must be approved by the student’s major advisor and other appropriate academic unit administrators designated by the program. 

All graduate students must adhere to the academic requirements and criteria outlined by their program, the Graduate College, and NAU. See NAU Policy 100319: Academic Continuation, Probation, Dismissal, and Readmission - Graduate for more detailed information. 

Graduate students must, at a minimum, meet the “Academic Requirements for Continuation in a Graduate Program” found in NAU Policy 100319: Academic Continuation, Probation, Dismissal, and Readmission - Graduate, in order to graduate. To begin the graduation process, please see NAU Policy 100334: Applying for Graduation, Graduate Students. 

2.B. Professional Development Requirement

NAU’s professional development requirement provides doctoral students the benefit and opportunity to engage in and contribute to the full spectrum of educational and professional opportunities provided by faculty and other students within their program and across the university. The Graduate College and the University Graduate Committee concur that the doctoral professional development requirement at NAU may be met in a variety of ways, some of which fit the ethos of a particular discipline or type of cohort engaged in a particular program. 

When considering appropriate standards for professional development, graduate program faculty are expected to encourage, design, provide, and monitor the professional development activities in which their doctoral students acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values appropriate to their discipline. These activities extend beyond the required coursework and may include, but are not limited to: attending and presenting at professional conferences; participation and active engagement in presentations of scholarly work, seminars, and events; assisting and engaging in various funding efforts to support research, scholarship, and creative work; and active participation in professional development opportunities offered by programs and the Graduate College. 

A minimum of 5 hours of professional development activities is required between matriculation in the program and completion of clinical practice hours.

Graduate program faculty have the responsibility of identifying and approving how the specific professional development requirement for their program will be met, in consultation with the dean of the Graduate College. Details regarding the PsyD program’s professional development requirement are listed on the program of study and verified prior to submission of the final Program of study.

2.C. Application and Admission/Designation
Minimum Admission Requirements 

• 3 letters of recommendation with at least two from faculty
• Completion of bachelor's degree in psychology, or closely-related field; or a master's degree in psychology or closely-related field
• Personal Statement
• Interview

If the undergraduate GPA is less than 3.00, a graduate GPA of a 3.25 is acceptable (minimum 18 units competed as part of a master's degree).

Students who do not have an undergraduate degree in psychology will need to complete at least five undergraduate or introductory graduate courses that are primarily psychological in content and must address these three required areas*:

• Introduction to psychology or general psychology
• Abnormal, psychopathology, or maladaptive behavior
• Statistics or research methods

*Two additional courses in field of psychology must also be completed. In addition, students who have not taken courses in the required areas must complete these classes early in their program as these courses serve as prerequisites.

Application for and Admission to Candidacy
There is no discrete candidacy stage associated with this degree.

2.D. Length of Degree

The PsyD doctoral degree requires a minimum of four full-time academic years of graduate study (or equivalent thereof) plus a full-time supervised internship prior to receiving the doctoral degree. Most students are expected to complete the program within five years of matriculation.

2.E. Time Parameters to Complete Degree

Students who are admitted to the PsyD program have seven years to complete all requirements for the doctoral degree. The seven-year period starts with the first semester of doctoral study at Northern Arizona University. If students do not complete the degree in seven years, they may petition the Graduate College for one extension of this time limit.

Responsibilities

Academic Requirements

Program faculty are responsible for creating and updating graduate programs, courses, and requirements in line with discipline-specific standards and university policy; for approving updates to Programs of Study; and for approving completion of degree requirements.

The Graduate College is responsible for updating and maintaining Programs of Study, confirming academic requirements and criteria and adherence to continuous enrollment, confirming completion of degree requirements, and conferring degrees.

Office of Curriculum and Assessment is responsible for supporting program faculty in articulating and defining program and course curricula and student learning outcomes and in accurately publishing curricular requirements in the academic catalog.

Professional Development Requirement

Program faculty are responsible for identifying and approving how the specific professional development requirement for their program will be met, in consultation with the dean of the Graduate College.