Clinical PsyD Program Overview 002 1

Summary

Dr. Jerry Kucher introduces Capella University's PsyD Doctor of Psychology program in Clinical Psychology, highlighting its flexible entry points, two-year coursework, and structured practicum and internship experiences. The program features a hybrid Year in Residence, comprehensive exams, and a dissertation under faculty mentorship. It emphasizes professional disposition and aligns with American Psychological Association standards, preparing graduates for licensure in various states.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The speaker, Dr. Jerry Kucher, is the program director for the Clinical and School Psychology graduate programs at Capella University.
• 👩‍🏫 Dr. Kucher is assisted by Megan Swisher, the Assistant Program Director, and a diverse team of core faculty from various locations across the United States.
• 📅 The PsyD program in Clinical Psychology has two entry points: Spring (April) and Fall (October), with a two-year coursework period followed by a Year in Residence (YIR).
• 🏥 The YIR involves a mix of online and in-person hybrid courses, including a 9-day extended seminar and five-day residencies at various U.S. locations.
• 📚 Prerequisite coursework must be completed before starting the YIR, and the courses within the YIR must be taken in sequence due to their cumulative nature.
• 📝 The program includes a practicum with approximately 1,000 hours of supervised experience, followed by a comprehensive clinical examination.
• 📈 After the practicum, students begin a full-time internship, which is a more advanced experience accumulating about 2,000 hours over a year.
• 🎓 The dissertation is an independent research project conducted under faculty guidance, typically completed in the fifth year of the program.
• 🔄 The program is structured in a quarter system with four 10-week quarters per year, allowing students to take one to three courses per quarter.
• 📋 Capella University does not participate in the National Matching Program and requires students to find their own internship sites, often with assistance from the university.
• 📘 The program emphasizes professional disposition, requiring students to adhere to the ethical and professional standards set by the American Psychological Association.
• 📍 Students are advised to check the current status of state licensing acceptance for Capella's PsyD degree, as the university continuously works to expand the list of accepting states.

Q & A

What is the role of Dr. Jerry Kucher in the Clinical Psychology program at Capella University?

Dr. Jerry Kucher is the program director for the Clinical and School Psychology graduate programs at Capella University, overseeing the PsyD Doctor of Psychology program in Clinical Psychology.

Who serves as the assistant program director for the Clinical Psychology program?

Megan Swisher serves as the assistant program director for the Clinical Psychology program at Capella University.

What are the two potential entry points for the Clinical Psychology program at the doctoral level?

The two potential entry points for the Clinical Psychology program are spring or April quarter, and fall or October quarter.

How long does the coursework for the Clinical Psychology program typically take to complete?

The coursework for the Clinical Psychology program typically takes two years to finish.

What is the Year in Residence (YIR) and how does it fit into the program structure?

The Year in Residence (YIR) is a year-long intensive program that begins prior to a year in practicum and continues through practicum. It is a part of the program that involves hybrid courses with both online and in-person components.

What is the difference between practicum and internship in the context of the Clinical Psychology program?

The practicum is the first supervised experience, part-time, and accumulates approximately one thousand hours of supervised experience. The internship is a more advanced, full-time experience that lasts a year and accumulates approximately two thousand hours.

How is the dissertation component of the program structured?

The dissertation is an independent research or evaluation project conducted under the guidance of a faculty mentor, usually taking place in three to four quarters.

What is the quarter system in the context of the Clinical Psychology program's coursework?

The quarter system refers to the arrangement of the coursework into four 10-week quarters per year, with courses typically taking place from January to March, April to June, July to September, and October to December.

Are transfer credits accepted in the Clinical Psychology program, and if so, under what conditions?

Yes, some transfer credits are accepted, typically for graduate courses taken at another university, but they usually only cover prerequisites and electives. Transfer credits cannot count toward the Year in Residence.

What is the process for selecting and approving a practicum site in the program?

The process involves not using one's work site for practicum to maintain professional boundaries. Dr. Laquita Cotter, the director of clinical training, assists in selecting and approving sites, ensuring they provide adequate supervision and meet Capella's requirements.

What are the professional disposition expectations for students in the Clinical Psychology program?

Students are expected to conduct themselves according to the ethical and professional standards established by the American Psychological Association, demonstrating fitness for the profession, the ability to take critical feedback, and maintain professional relationships with clients.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Introduction to the PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology

Dr. Jerry Kucher introduces the PsyD Doctor of Psychology program in Clinical Psychology at Capella University, highlighting its structure and faculty. The program is directed by Dr. Kucher and Dr. Megan Swisher, with a diverse core faculty from across the U.S. The program offers two entry points and requires two years of coursework, a year in residency (YIR), practicum, internship, and a dissertation. The YIR includes hybrid courses with both online and in-person components, leading to a practicum of approximately 1,000 hours and an internship of about 2,000 hours. The program culminates in a dissertation, typically completed in the fifth year.

05:03

📘 Coursework and Year in Residence Details

The script outlines the quarter system of the program, with orientation and a first course for new students. Students typically take one to two courses per quarter, with each course requiring about 15 hours of work per week. Academic and professional advisors assist students in planning their program pace. The year in residence (YIR) is mandatory, involving hybrid courses with in-person components and intensive five-day residencies at various U.S. locations. The YIR starts and ends with a nine-day extended seminar and must be completed within 12 months. Transfer credits are allowed for prerequisites and electives but not for the YIR.

10:03

📚 Year in Residence Coursework and Exams

The Year in Residence (YIR) is described in detail, including the courses on the helping relationship, psychological assessment, personality assessment, integrated psychological report writing, and ethics. Each quarter has a specific focus, and the YIR concludes with a Practice Readiness Exam consisting of a Knowledge Test and a Clinical Skills Demonstration. Successful completion of the YIR is necessary before starting the practicum.

15:04

📝 Practicum and Clinical Competency Exam

After the YIR, students begin their practicum, a supervised clinical training experience at an approved site. The practicum lasts for three quarters and accumulates at least 1,000 hours of supervised experience. Students are not allowed to use their workplace for the practicum to maintain professional boundaries. The practicum is followed by the Clinical Competency Exam (CCE), where students present a detailed case study and undergo an oral examination.

20:06

🏥 Internship and Dissertation Requirements

The script explains the internship process, which requires students to find their own sites, with Capella's assistance if needed. Internships must have at least two supervisors and should include other doctoral students in training. Internships are full-time, lasting one year and accumulating approximately 2,000 hours. Following the internship, students complete a dissertation, a data-driven research project under faculty supervision, which may involve qualitative or quantitative analysis.

25:07

🌐 Professional Dispositions and Licensure

The importance of professional dispositions is emphasized, including the ability to receive critical feedback and maintain professional relationships with clients. Students are expected to adhere to the ethical and professional standards set by the American Psychological Association. The script also discusses the process of state licensure, noting that Capella's PsyD degree is accepted for licensure in various states, but students must stay informed about their intended state's requirements.

📩 Admissions Process and Interviews

The final paragraph outlines the admissions process, where viable candidates are invited for interviews with faculty members. Each interview is 30 minutes long, and candidates must attend both to be considered for admission. The outcomes of the interviews can result in admission, denial with the opportunity to reapply, or denial without the possibility of reapplication.

Keywords

💡PsyD

PsyD stands for Doctor of Psychology. It is a professional doctorate degree in psychology that emphasizes clinical practice and is the focus of the program discussed in the video. The PsyD program at Capella University is designed to prepare graduates for clinical practice in psychology, with an emphasis on direct service to patients, which is a central theme of the video.

💡Clinical Psychology

Clinical Psychology is a branch of psychology focused on the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental health disorders. In the context of the video, the PsyD program specializes in Clinical Psychology, preparing graduates for direct clinical practice, as evidenced by the program's coursework and supervised experiences such as practicum and internship.

💡Year in Residence (YIR)

The Year in Residence (YIR) is an intensive, immersive component of the PsyD program where students engage in practical training and preparation for practicum and internship. It is a critical phase in the program that builds on prior coursework and involves hybrid courses with both online and in-person components, as mentioned in the script when discussing the structure of the program.

💡Practicum

A practicum is a supervised, practical experience in a student's field of study. In the video, the practicum is described as the first supervised clinical experience for students in the PsyD program, accumulating approximately one thousand hours of supervised experience, which is an essential part of training for future psychologists.

💡Internship

An internship is a more advanced, full-time supervised experience that follows the practicum. The script specifies that the internship is a year-long experience that accumulates approximately two thousand hours, marking a significant step in the professional development of students in the PsyD program.

💡Dissertation

A dissertation is an original research project that is a requirement for many doctoral degrees, including the PsyD. In the video, the dissertation is described as an independent research or evaluation project conducted under the guidance of a faculty mentor, typically completed in the final years of the program.

💡Hybrid Courses

Hybrid courses combine online learning with in-person sessions. The script mentions that the Year in Residence courses are hybrid, requiring students to engage in both online asynchronous work and intensive in-person components, reflecting a blend of flexibility and direct interaction with faculty.

💡Transfer Credits

Transfer credits refer to the acceptance of graduate courses taken at another institution towards a student's current degree program. The video script notes that Capella allows some transfer credits, typically for covering prerequisites and electives, but not for the Year in Residence or practicum/internship experiences.

💡Comprehensive Exam

A comprehensive exam is a test that assesses a student's mastery of the material covered in their program. The script describes a Clinical Competency Exam (CCE) as part of the comprehensive exam sequence, which includes a detailed case presentation and an oral examination, serving as a checkpoint for students before proceeding to internship and dissertation.

💡Professional Disposition

Professional disposition refers to the attitudes, values, and behaviors that contribute to effective and ethical professional practice. The video emphasizes the importance of professional disposition in the PsyD program, including the ability to receive feedback and relate professionally to clients, aligning with the ethical standards set by the American Psychological Association.

💡State Licensing

State licensing refers to the requirements and processes set by individual states for professionals to legally practice in their field. The script mentions that Capella's PsyD program degree is accepted for licensure qualification in various states, but students must stay informed about the specific licensing requirements of the state in which they intend to practice.

Highlights

Introduction to Dr. Jerry Kucher, Program Director of Clinical and School Psychology at Capella University.

Megan Swisher serves as Assistant Program Director and core faculty come from various states.

The PsyD Doctor of Psychology Program in Clinical Psychology is directed by a diverse team of faculty.

Program has two entry points: Spring or Fall, with a two-year course duration.

Year in Residence (YIR) is a pre-practicum year involving hybrid courses and in-person intensives.

Practicum involves approximately 1,000 hours of supervised experience.

Internship is a full-time, year-long experience accumulating about 2,000 hours.

Dissertation is an independent research project guided by a faculty mentor.

Courses are arranged in a quarter system with 10-week quarters.

Students are expected to work 15 hours per week on asynchronous online courses.

Academic and professional advisors assist in planning the program pace.

Transfer credits are allowed for prerequisites and electives but not for YIR.

Prerequisite courses are mandatory before starting the YIR.

YIR includes a nine-day extended seminar and five-day residencies at various U.S. locations.

Practice Readiness Exam is required after YIR and before practicum.

Practicum sites must be separate from work sites to maintain professional boundaries.

Internship sites must meet specific criteria, including having at least two supervisors.

Dissertation preparation course and registration for dissertation credits are mandatory.

Professional disposition is continuously assessed throughout the program.

Capella is working to expand the list of states that accept their degree for licensure.

Admission process includes interviews with faculty members.

Transcripts

hello I'm Dr Jerry Kucher program

director for the clinical and school

psychology graduate programs at Capella

University

I'm pleased to take you on this tour of

our psyd doctor of psychology program in

Clinical Psychology

I direct the program with the able

assistance of Megan Swisher Dr Swisher

serves as assistant program director

my home is in the Boston area

Dr Swisher resides in Texas and our

excellent core faculty come from all

over the United States

our director of clinical training Dr

lakita Cotter lives in the Baltimore

area

doctors Amy Donovan and Weston Edwards

live in Minnesota

Dr Lisa fayley is from Rhode Island

Dr Rebecca lower is from Virginia

Dr Gloria Montes diorta is from Florida

Dr Christy Mueller resides in Hawaii

and Dr Danny Shahara

is from Pennsylvania

this excellent team of core faculty is

supplemented with adjunct and part-time

faculty as needed throughout the program

you can expect to encounter all of the

core faculty at various points during

your program with us

the clinical psychology program at the

doctoral level has two potential entry

points

spring or April quarter

and fall or October quarter

the coursework typically takes two years

to finish

and the program begins prior to a year

in residency we refer to that as the yir

and continues through practicum

after completing all coursework students

begin dissertation and internship

the eurom residence starts in July

and ends the following June

prerequisite coursework must be

completed before attempting the year in

Residence

and the courses in the year in Residence

must be taken in sequence

because each of those courses Builds on

prior skills and helps to integrate them

in building a solid degree program

there's a practicum which is the first

supervised experience that will run over

approximately three quarters and

students will accumulate approximately

one thousand hours

of supervised experience

The Internship is the second and more

advanced experience that's a full-time

experience as opposed to the part-time

practicum

and that takes a year and accumulates

approximately two thousand hours

the dissertation is an independent

research or evaluation project conducted

under the guidance of A Faculty mentor

usually in three to four quarters

this graphic will help you to see the

program as it moves toward completion

during years one through three students

take courses including all of the

prerequisite and elective classes

at some point during that three year

period

students will also complete a year in

Residence

the year in Residence which I'll talk

about in more detail shortly includes

practical training and preparation for

practicum and internship

it involves hybrid courses

where the course is taught partially

online and where students fly in to a

central location for in-depth practice

with senior faculty clinicians

the two

non-course

elements are the practicum and

internship

these are supervised clinical training

experiences also accompanied by contact

from

power faculty members guiding you

through the process

and finally

we have the dissertation typically done

in year five which is an independent

research project that students conduct

under the leadership and direction of A

Faculty mentor

the coursework is arranged in the

quarter system

with four 10-week quarters that are

described here Q one two three and four

January to March April to June July to

September and October to December

there is an orientation prior to

beginning

and there's a first course taken by all

new students in the first quarter

most students attempt one to two courses

per quarter

sometimes up to three courses per

quarter

the typical course will take a student

about 15 hours of work per week

and because many of our students have

family responsibilities or are working

you may be limited in what you can

reasonably accomplish

you will have an academic advisor and a

professional advisor who will work with

you to plan your program so that you can

proceed at a pace that works for you

courses are typically five credits each

and they are online asynchronous courses

meaning that you can log in and work on

the course at any hour of the day or

night that you wish to do so

the year in Residence courses on the

other hand

do have an in-person component which

I'll talk about more in a moment

we do allow some transfer credits the

transfer credits may be graduate courses

that you have taken at another

University

but typically we will only recognize

transfer courses as covering

prerequisites and electives

the

transfer credits cannot count toward the

year in Residence

and experience that you may have in

other settings

cannot count toward the practicum or

internship experience

you will have an advising team who will

work with you to lay out a plan for you

and you will have to complete certain

prerequisite courses before you plunge

into the year in Residence

this will provide you with the

background skills and academic content

that you need to succeed during those

intensive year in Residence courses

Learners Who start their program in the

spring

Can Begin The Residency after one year

of coursework

Learners who begin the program in the

fall may start residency the following

summer if they have completed all of the

prerequisite courses by that time

and the successful completion of the

year in Residence is required before

students go out to their practicum

experience their first experience of

providing service

this is an example of the April Start

sequence and how this would work for a

student

as you see the courses begin with an

orientation and first course in the

spring semester

and then the student begins to complete

all of the prerequisite and core courses

that they would need to be able to start

residency in the summer of their second

year

The Residency or year in Residence then

follows for four quarters at the end of

which the student takes the practice

Readiness examination

successful completion of that practice

Readiness examination is required prior

to entering the practicum experience

after completing a number of practicum

hours in their last quarter of practicum

which you see here in the fourth year

during quarters one or two

the student will take a comprehensive

clinical examination and I'll give you

more details about the examinations

completing that examination then leads

to eligibility for starting the

internship and the dissertation

for students who intend to begin their

program in October

again we would start with the

orientation and first course followed by

prerequisite and core courses

hopefully you would line up all of the

prereqs and the core courses that you

need prior to residency so that you

could begin taking your year in

Residence in the summer following your

entry

and as you see in the schedule you would

then complete your year in Residence

followed by the practice Readiness exam

and the clinical skills demonstration

which you see as pre and CSD in the

sequencing

followed by the rest of your courses as

you go on to practicum

as you take your clinical comprehensive

exam

as you then proceed to your internship

and dissertation

the year in residency or yir

is required and involves in-person

learning as opposed to Simply the online

asynchronous courses all of the yir

courses are hybrid meaning that there

are components of them which you do

asynchronously in completing readings

and assignments and then there's an

intensive in-person component

during some quarters of that year there

may be two hybrid courses because of the

way that the year in Residence programs

are timed

the year in Residence always starts and

ends with a nine-day extended seminar in

the late spring or early summer

each quarter summer fall winter and

spring between the July extended seminar

will include a five-day residency

the residencies are scheduled to take

place at various predetermined locations

in the United States

once started you need to complete your

year in residency within 12 months

if you have specific questions about the

year in residency you can reach out to

Dr Weston Edwards whose email address is

listed below Dr Edwards can fill you in

on specific details of the residencies

that you may have questions regarding

the yir course and exam schedule can be

seen in this illustration

during the first summer quarter there's

a nine-day residency that deals with the

helping relationship and fundamentals in

Clinical Psychology

which is a nine-day program

followed by a residency on psychological

assessment with a focus on cognitive

achievement and adaptive testing

the following quarter we do personality

assessment and mental health as the

primary residency Focus

in the winter quarter that follows that

we do integrated psychological report

writing and case conceptualization

this is where you put together your

ability to assess people your

understanding of therapy relationships

how to use test data and other

assessment factors to write

comprehensive reports about your

patients and to do treatment planning

and intervention

in the Spring quarter the final quarter

of the year in Residence

you will have courses in theory and

evidence-based practice and also in

ethics and standards of professional

practice in psychology

these activities will all lead to a

practice Readiness exam practice

Readiness exam which has two parts the

clinical knowledge exam which is a

written exam and a clinical skills

demonstration

those two tests exams must be passed as

part of the practice Readiness exam

in order to progress to your field work

on profit

the practice Readiness exam

which occurs at the end of your year in

Residence has two components

one is a multiple choice exam which we

refer to as the Knowledge Test

and that presents you with clinical case

formulations or clinical case material

about which you then answer multiple

choice questions

after you pass that exam after you pass

the Knowledge Test you are engaged in a

clinical skills demonstration with two

faculty members one of them simulates

being a patient who you interview

this will typically occur over Zoom

and you'll have a period of time to

interview the faculty member pretending

to be a patient and then at the end of

that period you'll come back into the

zoom conference with the two faculty

members and present your formulation of

the case and treatment recommendations

completion of these two practice

Readiness exams qualifies you to

progress on

to the practicum experience

the practicum is your first supervised

practice experience and this occurs at

an approved site with approved

supervision

it begins after you've passed both parts

of the practice Readiness exam typically

no earlier than the fall quarter after

you finish your year in Residence

it has an online course component where

you check in weekly in real time with

your capella supervisor

you also have

on site supervision from the clinical

supervisor at the training site

one important thing to pay attention to

since many of our learners

have had some mental health practice

experience or maybe working in a mental

health employment site

is that we do not allow you

to

use your work site

as a practicum site

this is disappointing to some learners

but it's very important that we keep

good professional boundaries

in separating your learning at capella

with any other work assignments that you

might have

this will be processed through Dr Carter

who's our director of clinical training

who will help guide you in ways to

select your site and get it approved

sites will typically last three quarters

and they are typically part-time

and help you accumulate at least a

thousand hours

including 500 hours of direct contact so

for example if part of the time is

supervision part of the time is record

keeping

we still would want you to have at least

half the time in face-to-face contact

with real clients

most practical sites do not offer

stipend some do a stipend is not

required from Capella's perspective

but if you have questions about what our

requirements are for practicum sites or

want more information about that you can

contact our director of clinical

training for the doctoral program

Laquita Cotter whose email address is

listed below

[Music]

end of your practicum experience you

will take the third part of the

comprehensive exam sequence which is

known as the CCE the clinical competency

exam

and the way that that works is that you

select a case a clinical case a patient

or client who you have worked with or

followed in your

practicum experience and you will do a

detailed write-up in case presentation

on that patient

you'll get Specific Instructions for how

to choose

a patient to write up an instructions on

how to write it up and your practicum

faculty will assist you with that

the written report that you prepare will

be independently reviewed by two faculty

members

and then you'll have an oral examination

on the content of that exam

again this is

much like a professional discussion

on your assessment your opinion of the

patient your diagnosis your formulation

and your treatment plan

[Music]

the next step in your degree program is

completion of an internship

which is a one-year full-time experience

we model our criteria on those used by

the American Psychological Association

and the association for psychology

post-doc and internship centers

standards

capella is not an APA accredited program

at this time so Learners are not able to

participate in the National matching

program of apic at this time

Learners must find their own internship

site this sometimes poses a challenge

but for many cappella Learners

there's not much interest in seeking

internship sites nationally that may be

far from your home

in this particular case we can assist

you in trying to find

appropriate training sites in your

vicinity

an internship site

that we will approve must have at least

two supervisors

and should include other doctoral

students who are in training at the same

time so you're not the only doctoral

student in training at the facility

some Learners are able to remain at

their practicum sites for internship

um and you may not complete your

internship at your place of employment

for the same reasons that you may not do

your practicum at your place of

employment

internship is at least 2 000 hours over

at least one year

and because they're full-time positions

internships are typically compensated by

the site or you're training

please take note that some states may

require more hours than two thousand

hours if capella requires

so you do want to keep in mind the

criteria of the state in which you hope

to be licensed as you go about choosing

your internship site

the dissertations that are done at

capella are data-driven research

projects these demonstrate your ability

to conduct an independent research

study under supervision They may involve

qualitative inquiry

meaning interview material They may

involve quantitative study which

includes detailed statistical analyzes

They may involve program evaluation

there are different options available

and your dissertation Mentor will

discuss these with you

prior to starting your dissertation

Learners must complete the dissertation

preparation course which is part of your

learning plan and sequence

Learners must register for at least two

quarters of dissertation course credits

and many Learners do require more than

two quarters to complete and write up

their dissertation

the dissertation work does follow a set

of Milestones that are set up to help

keep Learners on track

and you would have a mentor working with

you throughout the process

one of the things that's very important

in professional practice is professional

disposition your skills as a

professional in addition to your skills

in clinical techniques

this includes an ongoing assessment of

your Fitness for the profession and your

professional disposition

can you take critical feedback in a

non-defensive way and learn from it can

you relate to your clients in a

thoroughly professional manner even if

the clients are in distress

we expect Learners to conduct themselves

according to the ethical and

Professional Standards established by

the American Psychological Association

at all times in all Communications

including interactions with faculty

staff clinical supervisors and other

Learners in the program

on our website at the link shown below

you can learn the current status of

states that accept

Capella's side e degree as a

qualification for licensure

we are constantly working to expand the

number of states that will accept our

capella degree but if you have any

doubts or concerns

you should look for the state in which

you intend to practice on this list

please note that we cannot guarantee in

advance that every one of our Learners

will be able to meet the requirements of

every State's licensing board

State Licensing boards are responsible

for determining whether a person is

eligible so you would need to stay on

top of your State's licensing

requirements

[Music]

so what happens next

you've been deemed a viable candidate

for admission

and you will be invited to interviews

with two different faculty members so

watch for email invitations for those

interviews

faculty members have set aside time each

week to conduct these interviews if you

can't meet at the scheduled time it may

delay your interview for one or more

weeks so please make every effort to

accommodate the two interviews

each interview is 30 minutes long and

you need to attend both interviews in

order to be considered for admission to

the program

one of three actions will happen you may

be offered admission

you may be denied but given the

opportunity to apply again under some

suggested circumstances

or you may be denied admission and not

invited to apply again

thank you for your interest in Capella's

doctor of psychology program in Clinical

Psychology

I hope to get to meet many of you

during residencies in the program over

the next few years

have a good day