Getting in and getting money: A comparative analysis of admission standards, acceptance rates, and financial assistance across the research–practice continuum in clinical psychology programs.

The diversification and proliferation of doctoral programs in clinical psychology call for their periodic comparative analysis to inform prospective applicants, their advisors, and the entire field. The authors surveyed directors of the 232 American Psychological Association (APA)–accredited doctoral programs in clinical psychology (98% response) regarding application numbers, acceptance rates, financial assistance, and credentials of incoming students. Results are summarized for all clinical programs and then separately for 6 types of programs along the practice–research continuum: freestanding PsyD, university professional school PsyD, university department PsyD, practice-oriented PhD, equal-emphasis PhD, and research-oriented PhD. Lower acceptance rates and higher Graduate Record Examination scores were strongly associated with programs oriented toward more research training; for example, research-oriented PhD programs admitted far fewer applicants (7% vs. 50%) than did freestanding PsyD programs. Freestanding PsyD programs awarded significantly less full financial assistance to incoming students (1% vs. 89%) and required 1 less year to complete than did PhD programs. Overall, PhD-level students were more likely to secure an APA or Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers internship than were PsyD students. The authors conclude with observations about the historical changes and heightened differentiation of doctoral training in clinical psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The PsyD: Heterogeneity in Practitioner Training.

The paucity of research on PsyD programs has led to unsubstantiated generalizations and uniformity myths about practitioner training. The authors collected information on the admission rates, financial assistance, theoretical orientations, and selected characteristics of American Psychological Association (APA)-accredited PsyD programs in clinical psychology (89% response rate). Systematic comparisons were made between PsyD programs housed in university departments, university professional schools, and freestanding institutions to describe the differences and commonalities among the heterogeneous PsyD programs. Empirical comparisons were provided among APA-accredited PsyD, practice-oriented PhD, and research-oriented PhD programs in clinical psychology to highlight the distinctive features of PsyD programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Selecting a doctoral program in professional psychology: Some comparisons among PhD counseling, PhD clinical, and PsyD clinical psychology programs.

Directors of American Psychological Association-accredited doctoral programs in counseling psychology (95% response) and clinical psychology (99% response) provided data regarding number of applications, credentials of incoming students, rates of acceptance, and the theoretical orientations and research areas of the faculty. The acceptance rates of PhD clinical and PhD counseling psychology programs were comparable (6% vs. 8%), despite the higher number of applications (270 vs. 130) to clinical programs. Compared with clinical students, counseling students were more likely to represent ethnic minorities and have master's degrees, but were otherwise similar in academic credentials. Clinical faculty were more likely to be involved in research with pathological populations and associated with medical settings, whereas counseling faculty were more involved in research concerning career processes, human diversity, and professional issues. These results should alert applicants and their advisors to robust differences across these specializations and should enhance matching between programs and students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Career experiences of doctors of psychology.

Surveyed 184 graduates (mean age 37 yrs) of 9 PsyD programs to determine the professional activities in which they were engaged, satisfaction with careers and graduate training in professional psychology, and public acceptance of the PsyD degree and compared the results with similar data on PhD clinicians. Most Ss were primarily engaged in direct professional services in professional settings. They were generally satisfied with their careers in professional psychology and significantly more satisfied with the graduate training they had received than were clinical psychologists trained in traditional PhD programs. More Ss reported that the PsyD degree was an advantage rather than a disadvantage when competing for jobs with candidates who had other degrees. PsyD Ss were found to be active joiners of professional associations. 91% of PsyD Ss who applied for licensure or certification encountered no difficulty due to their degree. Almost no unfavorable attitudes toward the degree were perceived among clients, employers, or colleagues. It is concluded that fears about perception of the PsyD as a second-rate credential are unfounded. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training for independent practice: A survey of graduate programs in clinical psychology.

Administered a questionnaire to 112 directors of clinical training programs to investigate the types of training opportunities relative to independent practice that doctoral programs in clinical psychology are offering students. Findings indicate that 87% of PsyD programs and 35% of PhD programs offered some training. Results indicate that private practice as a professional activity for psychologists has become more accepted, that increased training is being offered, but that negative attitudes toward private practice still remain in a small sector of academia. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Survey of current clinical and research trends in clinical psychology.

Surveyed directors of 115 clinical PhD and PsyD psychology programs with accreditation from the American Psychological Association to explore trends in the training of clinical psychologists. The most popular area of clinical research appeared to be behavioral medicine/health psychology. The most popular specialty clinics allowing training in a specific domain of clinical psychology were family therapy, behavioral medicine, neuropsychology/rehabilitation, and couples therapy. Ss in PhD programs were more likely than those in PsyD programs to subscribe to a cognitive-behavioral/social-learning orientation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate Study in Psychology: 1971-2004.

This article traces the evolution of graduate study in psychology in the United States and Canada during the past 3 decades. The authors summarize the 2003-2004 characteristics of graduate programs and departments in psychology and compare these data to those obtained in 1970-1971, 1979-1980, and 1992-1993. The most recent data were obtained from the 2005 edition of Graduate Study in Psychology and were based on 495 institutions, 601 departments, and 1,970 graduate programs. Information is presented for both entire departments (e.g., faculty characteristics, student profiles, admission criteria, Graduate Record Examination and grade point averages, tuition costs, financial assistance) and individual graduate programs (e.g., areas of study, number of applicants, acceptance rates, enrollment statistics, retention rates). Particular attention is devoted to the emergence of PsyD programs in professional psychology, the ascendancy of neuroscience programs in academic psychology, and the steady rise in acceptance rates across programs over the past 33 years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional interests and career aspirations of graduate students in professional psychology: An exploratory survey.

Graduate students in American professional psychology programs (N = 498) were surveyed to examine differences between specialty area (clinical vs. counseling), degree type (PhD vs. PsyD), and gender with respect to demographics, training models, theoretical orientations, career aspirations and reasons for choices, research productivity, and expected salaries. Clinical and counseling students differed with respect to training models, theoretical orientations, career aspirations, and expected salaries, whereas PhD and PsyD students differed with respect to training models, theoretical orientations, career aspirations, and research emphasis. The changing gender composition in professional psychology is unlikely to have a dramatic effect given their professional similarities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Selected outcomes of accredited programs.

For a representative sample of 149 accredited doctoral programs, 3 types of outcomes are reported: activities of students, time to degree, and employment settings of graduates. Comparisons of activities on the basis of program specialty area yielded a difference only for the activity of providing professional services (with clinical?>?counseling?>?school). Comparisons on the basis of degree type (PhD, PsyD) yielded differences for all activities except providing professional services, with PhD students and faculty reporting higher median levels of involvement. Students in PhD programs require significantly longer (approximately 1.5 years) to complete their degrees than do PsyD program students. Graduates' employment settings tend to be consistent with the specialty area of their doctoral programs with interesting shifts from initial to subsequent employment. Recommendations are made for expanding outcome assessment of graduate education and training in professional psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Educational facilities and financial assistance for graduate students in psychology: 1966-67.

This report is similar to previous ones on educational facilities and financial assistance for graduate students in psychology. Institutions with graduate programs in psychology are listed, with information supplied by the respective departments. There is no evaluation of these programs and no implication of approval of them by the American Psychological Association, except those doctoral programs in clinical psychology and in counseling psychology that are indicated by the phrase, "PhD in clinical and counseling APA-approved." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Educational facilities and financial assistance for graduate students in psychology: 1959-1960.

This report is similar to previous articles on educational facilities and financial assistance for graduate students in psychology. Institutions with graduate programs in psychology are listed, with information supplied by the respective departments. Schools not returning up-to-date information are not included, for no listing is based on information of previous years. There is no evaluation of these programs and no implication of approval of them by the American Psychological Association, except those doctoral programs in clinical psychology and in counseling psychology that are indicated by the phrase, "PhD in clinical and counseling APA-approved." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

From Leipzig to Luxembourg (via Boulder and Vail): A history of clinical psychology training in Europe and the United States.

Are European models of clinical psychology training similar to those in the United States, or do they still stress the Wundtian tradition of research and scholarship? The development of PsyD programs in the United States has accelerated over the past 2 decades, but have there been similar developments in Europe? This article traces the development of research-oriented training in clinical psychology from Wilhelm Wundt through Lightner Witmer to the Boulder and Luxembourg models. It also traces the PsyD from the original suggestion made by Leta Hollingworth in 1918 to the present. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teaching of controversial and empirically validated treatments in APA-accredited clinical and counseling psychology programs.

Surveyed the directors of 126 American Psychological Association (APA) accredited clinical and counseling psychology PhD and PsyD programs to determine whether they teach controversial memory recovery techniques for suspected childhood sexual abuse and the controversial technique, facilitated communication. The authors also asked about training in empirically validated treatments. Results show that counseling psychology programs were more likely than clinical psychology programs to teach memory recovery techniques, and counseling programs were less likely to discourage the use of both memory recovery techniques and facilitated communication. More emphasis on research, less on practice, and a higher percentage of behaviorally-oriented faculty was related to less training of controversial techniques. Empirically validated treatments were reportedly taught more in clinical than in counseling psychology programs and in programs that emphasize research and have a higher percentage of behaviorally-oriented faculty. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Substance abuse training in APA-accredited doctoral programs in clinical psychology: A survey.

A survey addressing training provided in the area of substance abuse was mailed to all 160 doctoral clinical psychology programs provisionally and fully accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). A total of 95 replies were received (59%). This study was conducted to ascertain whether levels of doctoral training in this area have changed appreciably since comparable surveys by J. A. Selin and S. Svanum (1981) and B. Lubin et al (1986). Because of the considerable increase in number of APA-accredited PsyD programs since the previous 2 surveys, it was also possible to compare relative levels of training in substance abuse in PhD, PsyD, and combined PhD/PsyD programs. Survey results did not suggest that substance abuse training either has changed markedly over time or differs substantially across types of degree programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On reasoning from predicates: The PhD is not a professional degree.

Counters E. J. Shoben's (see record 1981-26598-001) arguments in favor of retaining the PhD degree as the most appropriate credential for professional practice. It is argued that (1) the ability to think critically and to write in a scholarly manner can be demonstrated by other means than the writing of a dissertation and the awarding of a PhD (accreditation standards and licensing regulations require a doctorate not a PhD); (2) although most faculty in professional schools and practitioners have a PhD, this reflects the fact that until recently no PsyD degrees were awarded; (3) psychology is solidly established enough as a profession to win acceptance of a separate professional degree; and (4) methods are proposed for preventing the PsyD from being perceived, incorrectly, as a watered down degree. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Qualifications of assessment faculty in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs: An analysis of American Psychological Association membership data.

The first results from the Study of Training in Psychological Assessment in APA-Accredited Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs are based on an analysis of American Psychological Association (APA) membership entries from the Directory of the American Psychological Association, 1997 Edition (APA, 1997a) for 316 APA members identified by 84 clinical doctoral programs as teaching assessment courses. These faculty members had a wide range of interests but only 21% listed assessment as a primary or secondary interest area. They have considerable postgraduate experience (M?=?17 years) and include accomplished psychologists (14% are APA Fellows) and accomplished practitioners (11% hold American Board of Professional Psychology Diplomates). Those who taught in PsyD and PhD/PsyD programs were less likely than those teaching in PhD programs to hold an academic position as principal employment but more likely to belong to state psychological associations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluative comparison of PsyD and PhD students by clinical internship supervisors.

Internship supervisors evaluated the preinternship preparation of 67 PsyD students and 228 PhD students in regard to several core clinical skills and general dimensions of professional competence. In contrast with previous studies that suggested serious dissatisfaction among supervisors with the general quality of preinternship training, most interns evaluated individually in this study were considered at least adequately prepared for most kinds of clinical work. Except for slight superiority of PsyD students in "sensitivity" and of PhD students in "scientific attitude," there were no reliable differences between interns from practitioner programs and those from scientist-practitioner programs. For future evaluation research, the need to move beyond ratings to performance-based measures of competence is imperative. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical and counseling psychology: Can differences be gleaned from printed recruiting materials?

Students and professionals alike often ask, "What is the difference between clinical and counseling psychology?" An even more basic question for educators and trainers is, "Are students accurately informed of the differences between the two specialties?" To address this question, we examined recruitment and application materials from 227 APA-accredited doctoral programs in counseling psychology (CoPhD, n = 56), clinical psychology PhD (ClPhD, n = 137), and clinical psychology PsyD (ClPsyD, n = 34). It should be noted that 83% of both clinical and counseling psychology programs, respectively, were represented in the data. An eight-page coding instrument was used to examine similarities and dissimilarities between each discipline. The results of this study suggest few differences in program or faculty characteristics, student and faculty demographics, or admission and training requirements, as advertised in program recruitment materials. Implications of these findings are discussed and directions for future research are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Need for the doctor of psychology degree in professional psychology.

The Vail Conference on professional training in psychology recommended development of explicitly professional programs and use of the PsyD degree to certify competence in professional psychology. Policies governing use of the degree, however, as well as the concepts of professional function which degree titles should symbolize, continue to be controversial. Opponents of the Vail Conference recommendations have argued that professional psychologists are most appropriately regarded as scholar-professionals, and have urged award of the PhD degree upon completion of graduate training in such fields as clinical psychology. As counterargument, a multiple definition of the term scholar-professional is stated, and the surplus meanings implied by scholarship are shown to be either false, misleading, or redundant. The difficulties that arise from using the PhD degree as a credential of professional competence are then discussed, and the advantages of employing the PsyD degree both affirmatively, as a certificate of professional competence in psychology, and restrictively, to exclude inadequately trained people from the practice of professional psychology, are asserted. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An examination of Doctor of Psychology interns.

Questionnaire data from 9 clinical interns who were candidates for the Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree showed that Ss (1) viewed their clinical skills and training as superior to those of clinicians' receiving the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree; (2) had received training similar to that of PhD candidates in the areas of psychotherapy, psychological evaluation, and psychodiagnostic assessment; (3) had adequately developed their research and writing skills; and (4) had not experienced difficulty in receiving placements. Findings support the value of the PsyD degree, although problems regarding its professional acceptance are noted. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)