ADMISSIONS AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

Given the ongoing demand for doctoral level training in professional psychology, and the limited number of students that we will admit per year, the admission process for students is expected to be quite competitive. The average GPA for those coming into the program with a Masters Degree was 3.8 and for those entering with a Bachelors Degree, 3.4.  The average scores on the Verbal and Quantitative sections of the GRE for students were 545 and 558 respectively.   

While academic background, intellectual potential and professional experience and skills will be key selection criteria, we intend to recruit students who are committed to providing service to our region.  Therefore, students should carefully consider their interests in rural and underserved populations before applying to the program.

Application for Advanced Standing:  Students who already have a Masters Degree in psychology from a regionally accredited institution can apply for advanced standing in the Psy.D. program.  In order to apply for advanced standing, a student must have completed a Masters Degree in psychology from a regionally accredited institution.  Students who are admitted with advanced standing must select to enter in either a full-time track or a part-time track by the end of their first semester of enrollment.  These tracks are described below:

                 Full-time track:  Review of equivalencies is described in the next section.  Students in the full-time track must commit to a minimum of 9 hours of coursework and practica per semester during the entire time of their enrollment.  They must also commit to taking summer coursework as needed.  As such, these students can anticipate completing the program in approximately four years.  This would assume 5-6 semesters of coursework and a full year for the pre-doctoral internship.  Students admitted to the full-time track can apply to change to the part-time track if their circumstances warrant such a change.  Although students with extenuating circumstances may drop below full-time for a given semester without changing tracks, they should recognize that this change may impact the time it will take to complete the program.  Students in this track desiring to attend part time for more than one semester may be required to switch formally to the part-time track.

                 Part-time track:  Students who apply for advanced standing and the part-time track must be able to document coursework and practicum equivalencies equal to approximately 36 hours of coursework required in the Psy.D. Program at Marshall University.  Students in the part-time track may enroll either full-time or part-time in any given semester with the exception of the Residency Year, described in the next section.  During the Residency Year, full-time enrollment is required.  Students in this track should anticipate completing the program in no less than 5 years and no more than 7 years from the date of enrollment.  Enrollment in the part-time track requires that the student meet with their academic advisor and create a timeline for completion of the program within the 7 year limit.

The specific admissions procedures will be as follows:

1.        Applications will be evaluated once per year for Fall admissions. The deadline for applications is January 15.

2.        Applicants will submit an application packet which will consist of all material listed in the Application Checklist.

3.        An admissions committee, consisting of 5 program faculty elected by the entire program faculty, will review and rank order applications based on the criteria described below.

1.  Prior academic record as evidenced in official transcripts from all previous enrollments in higher education.

2.  Current (last 5 years) scores on Graduate Record Examination (General and Subject tests)

3.  Psychology related professional and scholarly experience.

4.  Letters of recommendation. (please include recommendation forms)   

5.  Written statement of professional goals and a rationale for how the Psy.D. further the students’ career objectives. This statement will help the committee evaluate applicants’ commitment to providing professional service to the rural areas of this region, as well as their understanding of the time commitments involved in undertaking doctoral study. 

66.  Based upon the recommendation of the Admissions Committee, interviews with applicants may be scheduled as part of the admissions process.   

7.  Although a certain number of slots are reserved for residents of West Virginia and the surrounding rural, Appalachian regions, the program seeks to attract and admit qualified applicants from a wide range of ethnic and cultural groups.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The program is designed to be a five year-full time program for those entering with a bachelor’s degree.  The first four years will include coursework and graded practicum experiences.  The fifth year will involve the completion of a full-time full-year approved internship or a two year, part-time approved internship.  All students entering at the bachelor’s level will be expected to enroll full-time each semester.

Applicants accepted will be required to demonstrate that they have completed all BA level prerequisite coursework.  This includes courses in the following: introductory psychology, statistics, experimental psychology, abnormal psychology, personality, and psychometrics or tests and measurements. 

As is noted above, careful evaluation of student progress is ongoing.  Students are required to demonstrate ongoing development of academic and professional skills, as well as ethical judgment and sensitivity.   Documented poor performance in any of these areas will be the basis of efforts by the advisor and program faculty to assist the student in forming and completing a plan for improvement; continued poor performance within specified time frames will be the basis for terminating a student’s enrollment in the program.

Specific program curriculum requirements can be placed into the following categories:

Undergraduate prerequisites, Foundational coursework, Foundational clinical training, Advanced professional coursework, Advanced clinical training and Research training

UNDERGRADUATE PREREQUISITES

For entry into the program prerequisites include the following coursework: Introductory or General Psychology, Statistics, Experimental Psychology or Research Methods in Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Personality, Psychometrics or Tests and Measurements in Psychology.

Additional coursework in psychology and in related disciplines is likely to strengthen a candidate's application.

SAMPLE CURRICULUM COURSES:

• Individual Psychotherapy/Interviewing

• Integrated Assessment Course and Practicum *

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

• Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

• Differential Diagnosis and Treatment Planning

• Behavior Therapy

• Cognitive Psychology

• Intermediate Behavioral Statistics

• Advanced Social Psychology

• Advanced Studies in Human Sexuality

• Biological Bases of Behavior

• Child and Family Diagnosis/Therapy

• Clinic, Community, and Rural Practicum

• History and Systems

• Psychopharmacology

• Geropsychology

• Group Therapy

• Advanced Quantitative Methods or Advanced Qualitative Methods

• Rural Psychology

• Community Psychology

*  Please note that personal self-disclosure may be an aspect of this course.

 
RESEARCH TRAINING :  Our professional practitioner-training model includes a strong emphasis on applied research. The research sequence is structured as an integrated series of methodological seminars for practitioners. Building upon prior coursework in experimental psychology, introductory and intermediate statistics and psychometrics, students will learn more advanced strategies for conceptualizing applied research problems, designing appropriate strategies for data collection and using appropriate methods to analyze and interpret results. Course content will emphasize data based approaches to solving the applied problems that psychologists are likely to face in their professional roles, such as evaluating clinical outcomes, conducting needs assessments, validating clinical assessment tools, and developing and evaluating clinical programs.  The sequence culminates with each student conducting a Doctoral Research Project supervised by a doctoral committee and research chair.

PRACTICUM:  Beginning in the first year, all students will participate in Vertical Supervision teams.  These teams will consist of students and all phases of training, with the exception of internship, and will be lead by a faculty clinical supervisor.  Students in the second year of training will complete two semesters of practica in the university training clinic.  Third year students will complete two semesters of practica in approved community settings.  Fourth year students will complete two semesters of practica at an approved rural site.  Students should note that rural training sites require a substantial time commitment.  These sites are often quite a distance from campus and may, in some cases, involve overnight stays.  All practicum placements will be at training sites with which the psychology department has prior written agreements concerning training and supervision criteria.  Additional information regarding practica can be obtained by consulting the website or contacting the Program Coordinator.

Students who enter with advanced standing will have their clinical therapy and assessment skills evaluated during an initial semester placement in the training clinic.  If they are able to meet the specific competency benchmarks set by the clinical faculty, they will be eligible to begin practicum placement with the third year community placements.  They will be required to complete two semesters in an approved community setting as well as two semesters in an approved rural setting, in addition to the evaluation time spent in the training clinic.

INTERNSHIP: All students will complete a doctoral internship in professional psychology at an approved site during the final year of the program. Internships in professional psychology are the equivalent of one year of full time training completed in no less than 12 months and no more than 24 months. APA-accredited internships are preferred but exceptions can be made, particularly for cites that are not accredited but are listed in the APPIC national match.  A limited number of slots will be available in local internships but these are not sufficient to serve all students.  All incoming students are strongly encouraged to apply for internships through the national APPIC match.

RESIDENCY YEAR REQUIREMENT

All students will be required to complete an academic year of “residency”. The purpose of the residency year is to enhance students’ identities as professional psychologists, promote active, cooperative learning beyond the formal classroom environment and foster a sense of cohesion among students and faculty.  During this academic year, students will be required to enroll for a minimum of 9 credits per semester (i.e. full time status), and will be required to participate in designated activities beyond specific course requirements. For all students (Route 1 and Route 2 admissions, part- and full- time) the residency will correspond with the year in which they are enrolled for doctoral research credits and 2 semesters of practicum. Required residency activities will include, at a minimum, seminars, coursework and doctoral research activities throughout the academic year.