General Catalog - John F. Kennedy University

Graduate School of Professional PsychologyGraduate School ofProfessional Psychologyquarter only. Late applications will be considered on a case-bycasebasis if space is available.The following four classes are required prior to enrollment in thePsyD program. These classes need to have been taken at a regionallyaccredited university within the past ten years with a grade ofC or better in an undergraduate program or a B- or better in postundergraduatework:• Diversity-related class• Introduction to Psychology• Survey course on Theories of Personality• StatisticsTransfer CreditStudents holding a master’s degree may be eligible to transfer upto 18 units of credit. Students requesting course transfer creditneed to have attained a grade of “Credit” or a letter grade of B orhigher from a regionally accredited institution. The course(s) inquestion must have been taken within the last eight years. Studentstransferring from another doctoral program may transfer up to 30units of credit. Although transfer credit may reduce the cost of theprogram, it will not reduce the overall length of the program.Transfer credit is not permitted into the linked MA SportPsychology/PsyD programs.AdvisementAfter matriculating into the program, students are assigned afaculty advisor with whom they meet at least once per quarter.Student performance in coursework and practica is evaluated onan ongoing basis, with formal yearly reviews. Each year must becompleted satisfactorily to be advanced in the program. Failure tomeet requirements for advancement will result in a referral to theReview and Advisement Committee to remediate the difficulty. Insome instances, students may be required to supplement or repeatcertain areas of the program or to take a leave from the program.Competency AreasThe curriculum is designed around seven competency areas:relationship, research and evaluation, assessment, interventions,systemic and theoretical foundations, professional roles andconduct, and multicultural competence. A perspective of diversityis integrated throughout the coursework and clinical training.Integrated Professional SeminarThe Integrated Professional Seminar (IPS) is a key component ofthe program. This composite of courses is designed to integratecoursework with practicum throughout the program. Small groupsof students meet together with a faculty member over threeconsecutive quarters. Depending on the year, IPS emphasizesdifferent areas such as working with diverse populations, examiningone’s own belief systems, worldview, biases, group process,and clinical case presentations. The IPS provides a supportivesetting in which students may collaboratively integrate theirapplied and academic experiences.Practicum IIn contrast to both Practicum II and Practicum III which areclinical placements, Practicum I is an ethnographic placementexperience. The first-year ethnographic practicum lays thefoundation for culture- and diversity-sensitive training as well aspractice in self-reflection and self-awareness. The ethnographicexperience involves immersion in environments that provideunique and diverse cultural experiences for the trainees. Thisimmersion establishes an understanding of diversity and therelationships with power, privilege, and oppression in the practiceof psychology.To this end, the purpose of the ethnographic practicum(Practicum I) is to provide first-year doctoral trainees withexperience in an unfamiliar culture/setting. For a minimumof eight hours per week, first-year trainees engage in a culturalimmersion experience in a setting specifically selected to exposetrainees to a population with whom they have had little or no priorcontact.The ethnographic practicum (Practicum I) is not a clinical placement.Indeed, Practicum I trainees are not permitted to engagein clinical work. This placement is, however, integrally relatedto trainee development as clinical psychologists. It is one of theprincipal means by which trainees establish the foundationnecessary to work with the diversity of clients that they willencounter in their subsequent clinical placements as well as theirfuture work as professionals. This practicum (Practicum I) and itsaccompanying Integral Professional Seminar (IPS-I) are designedto focus on diversity.Practicum IIPracticum II is a clinical placement at one of over 100 availablesites. The focus of Practicum II is on the supervised integrationand application of knowledge gained from Practicum I placementexperience and ongoing doctoral coursework. In Practicum II,trainees work 16–20 hours per week to develop skills in doingtherapy including accurate assessment, conceptualization,and formulation of client cases from a multicultural/diversityperspective.Practicum IIIPracticum III again is a clinical placement at one of over 100available sites, this time for 20–24 hours per week. The focus ofPracticum III is on the supervised integration and application ofknowledge gained from previous practica and ongoing doctoralcoursework. As with Practicum II, trainees develop skills inaccurate assessment, conceptualization, and formulation ofclient cases from a multicultural/diversity perspective. However,the focus in Practicum III is extended to include advanced skillsin the development of systematic and empirically justifiable plansfor intervention with individuals, groups, or communities withinthe larger context of human diversity and social change.Pre-Doctoral InternshipTrainees apply for pre-doctoral internship when they are inthe third year of the full-time curriculum. Trainees need to be180 Graduate School of Professional PsychologyJohn F. Kennedy University