General Catalog - John F. Kennedy University

Graduate School of Professional Psychologyregistered for the relevant number of internship units for eachquarter in which they are accruing internship hours.JFK University PsyD trainees may apply for full-time or part-timeinternship programs that are accredited by CAPIC, APPIC, orAPA. To be considered full time, trainees must work a minimumof 35 hours per week. A full-time internship is completed in fourquarters at nine units per quarter for a total of 36 units.Comprehensive Written ExaminationThe comprehensive examination is similar to the written examinationfor California licensure. A comprehensive written examconsisting of 200 multiple choice questions is administered at theend of the second year.Clinical Proficiency ExaminationIn the spring of year three, students present a written clinical casereport to two faculty members who examine the student on thecase.Satisfactory ProgressSatisfactory levels of proficiency in all competency areas in courseworkand practica must be met by each student to proceed tothe next year of the program. Failure to meet requirements foradvancement to the next year may result in a student’s beingrequired to supplement or repeat certain areas of the program or astudent’s termination from the program.MA Degree in Clinical PsychologyA student will be awarded a MA degree in Clinical Psychologywhen he or she has satisfactorily completed all first- and secondyearcourses, is a student in good standing, and has passed thecomprehensive written examination. This degree is non-terminaland non-licensable. Students who come into the PsyD programwith an MA in Psychology are not awarded a second master’sdegree.Clinical Dissertation ProjectThe clinical dissertation project is an intensive study in an area ofinterest. Projects must reflect the program’s emphasis on diverseor underserved populations as well as the Doctor of Psychology’sclinical focus. The dissertation should integrate research findings,relevant literature, and original thought, deriving input from thepopulation under study and contributing to the field of appliedpsychology. Traditional quantitative methodologies may beutilized or students can explore and utilize other research forms.Projects may take the form of a program evaluation, theoreticalexploration, meta-analysis, case study or series of case studies,phenomenological study, ethnography, grounded-theory exploration,or other qualitative methodology. The dissertation proposalmust be completed prior to accepting a pre-doctoral internship.Dissertation ExtensionStudents who have not completed a clinical dissertation projectprior to beginning the internship must register for PSD 7302Dissertation (0.5 units) and pay a dissertation fee for each quarterthat the dissertation remains unfinished. PSD 7302 may be takena maximum of three times for credit (1.5 units). The student mustcontinue to retake PSD 7302 until the dissertation is complete,but will not receive more than 1.5 units in total. (Students whobegan prior to fall 2006 may take PSD 7302 four times for credit.)Advancement to CandidacyIn order to advance to candidacy at the end of year three of theprogram, each student must have satisfactorily completed allcoursework, practica, the clinical proficiency exam, and yearlyreviews and successfully defended the clinical dissertation proposal.The student may then enter into an approved internship andbegin the final phase of the program.Individual PsychotherapyAll students in the Doctor of Psychology program are requiredto complete at least 50 hours of individual psychotherapy withinan 18-month time period prior to beginning internship. Psychotherapymust be with a licensed therapist. Students do not receiveacademic credit for psychotherapy.LicensureCompletion of the PsyD from John F. Kennedy University preparesstudents to sit for the Psychologist Licensing Examination.The licensure process is regulated by the California Board ofPsychology which currently requires a minimum 3,000 hoursof board-approved supervised training. Licensing statutes andregulations are subject to future legislative or administrativerevisions. Doctor of Psychology students will be kept informedabout licensing requirements and any changes that occur. ThePsyD program maintains an active relationship with the licensingboard.The Board of Psychology may be contacted directly at:1422 Howe Avenue Suite 22Sacramento CA 95825-3200phone: (916) 263-2699eMail: bopmail@dca.ca.govwebsite: http://www.psychboard.ca.govDegree RequirementsTo receive the Doctor of Psychology, the student must completethe following:• After admission to the Doctor of Psychology program, allacademic requirements must be completed in residence.• A minimum grade of B- is required in each course appliedto the degree.• An overall grade-point average of 3.0 must be achieved inall work for the PsyD.• Candidates for doctoral degrees are required to file aPetition for Degree and pay the required fee by February 15of the year prior to beginning internship.• A comprehensive written examination in year two anda clinical proficiency exam in year three, internship,psychotherapy, dissertation, and course requirementsas outlined above.Graduate School ofProfessional PsychologyJohn F. Kennedy UniversityGraduate School of Professional Psychology 181