Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical and School Psychology
The Doctorate in Psychology that is known by the abbreviations PsyD is a combined-integrated program in Clinical Psychology/School Psychology. It represents a unique teaching model since it fuses the traditional areas of clinical psychology and school psychology in a generalist approach. The intention is to provide graduates a professional formation that allows them to combine and to integrate the knowledge and the skills of two specialization areas, clinical psychology and school psychology. In contrast to an exclusive training in one or the other area of specialization, the graduates of this combined-integrated program will be able to perform the roles and functions of both specializations in a unifying manner, with multiple populations, ages, conditions and in varied scenarios, from the school to the clinical scenarios.
The Program also integrates clinical experience with academic preparation in a scholar-practitioner model of training. Students are trained in the theoretical foundations of psychology, evaluation techniques, the intervention procedures, program evaluation and research, and in administration and supervision. Special emphasis in the professional preparation for the delivery of psychological services to people throughout the life cycle. Conceptually it integrates and combines in the design of the program the definitions of each of the two areas of specializations. These are:
Clinical Psychology
As a general practice specialization, clinical psychology concentrates in the understanding, evaluation, prediction, prevention and relief from the problems related to intellectual, emotional, biological, psychological and social functions. It emphasizes the identification of behavioral maladjustment, disability and mental disorders, as well as the improvement of psychological function and prevention of dysfunction. What distinguishes clinical psychology is the range of the problems that it deals with and the characteristics of the population it serves.
School Psychology
It is related to the science and practice of psychology with children, young people, families and apprentices of all ages and with school processes. It recognizes the schools as a crucial context for development. One of the essential roles of school psychology professional is to synthesize the data obtained from the development and contextual mechanisms. It also must transfer them to the adult people who are responsible for promoting the healthful growth and the development of children and young people. Its work scenarios include an ample rank of contexts or environments such as schools, work centers, the health centers centered in schools and medical facilities, of social or reformatory services.
The Metropolitan Campus and the San Germán Campus are authorized to offer this Program.
Competencies Profile of Graduates
Research:
- Formulate research or other academic activities that contribute to the scientific and professional knowledge of psychology.
- Conduct scientific research or other academic activities.
- Critically evaluate scientific research in psychology.
- Disseminate research or other academic activity through publications and professional presentations at local and international levels.
Ethical and Legal Standards:
- Identify the ethical principles of the American Psychological Association and the Code of Conduct of the Board of Psychologists of Puerto Rico, the regulations and policies that guide the practice of the psychology of health services.
- Apply ethical principles in decision making to solve the dilemmas that emerge in professional practice.
- Evidence of ethical behavior in their professional work.
Individual and Cultural Diversity:
- Distinguish recent theoretical and empirical knowledge to address diversity in professional research, training, supervision/consulting, and service activities.
- Evaluate how the individual's history, culture, attitudes, and prejudices affect the way he interprets and interacts with different people.
- Effectively manage individual and cultural differences in their work with various individuals and groups.
- Appreciate individual and cultural differences in the performance of all professional functions.
Values, Attitudes and Professional Behaviors:
- Reflect the attitudes and values of psychology in their behavior, including integrity, professional behavior, identity, accountability, life-long learning and concern for the well-being of others.
- Perform activities aimed at maintaining and improving their performance, well-being and professional effectiveness.
- Consider with openness and sensitivity the retro information received in supervision.
- Demonstrate professionalism in complex situations, with a high degree of independence, as you progress in your professional training.
Communication and Interpersonal Skills:
- Maintain respectful links with colleagues, communities, organizations, supervisors, supervised, and participants of psychological services.
- Generate effective oral and written communications.
- Evidence of effective interpersonal skills that favor the proper management of communication challenges.
Evaluation:
- Apply assessment methods using the best available empirical literature that reflect the science of measurement and psychometry.
- Use information from multiple sources and appropriate methods to address the objectives and questions generated in the evaluation and diversity characteristics of the service recipient.
- Interpret the results of the evaluation following recent research, standards and professional guidelines to document conceptualization, classification and case recommendations.
- Generate effective and sensitive oral and written communications of the findings of the assessment of diverse populations.
Intervention:
- Maintain effective relationships with participants in psychological services.
- Design specific intervention plans based on evidence according to service goals.
- Perform interventions documented by: recent scientific literature, evaluation findings, diversity characteristics, and contextual variables.
- Modify evidence-based approaches effectively when there is ambiguity in their application.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the psychological intervention.
Supervision:
- Evidence knowledge of supervisory models and practices.
- Apply supervisory models and practices.
Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary Consulting and Skills:
- Evidence knowledge of professional consulting models and practices.
- Apply professional consulting models and practices in services to individuals and their families, interprofessional and interdisciplinary groups and other professionals or organizations related to health.
- Assess the roles and perspectives of other professions in work teams in clinical settings.
Admission Requirements
- Hold a Master in Psychology from an accredited university and have approved the following courses or their equivalents: Interview Techniques and Processes, Counseling, Collaboration and School Organization, Cognitive Evaluation, Personality Evaluation, Evaluation and Psychoeducational Intervention, Psychopathology through the life cycle, Group Therapy, and Intervention Models and Techniques with Children and Adolescents. In addition, students must have completed a minimum of 500 hours of supervised practice in School Psychology.
- Have a minimum academic index of 3.25 at the master’s level.
- If the candidate has a master’s degree from an accredited university in another area of Psychology that is not School Psychology, he must take the courses from the master’s degree of the specialization School Psychology indicated previously and complete the 500 hours of supervised practice in the specialization area.
- Demonstrate proficiency in Spanish and English.
- Have passed within the last five years prior to the date of the application for admission the Entrance Examination to Graduate Studies (EXADEP) with a minimum score of 400 or its equivalent in the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
- Submit three letters of recommendation, two of which must be from professors, and one from a supervisor in a work experience, using the template provided in the University admission package.
- Present in original a negative criminal record provided by the Puerto Rico Police Department within the last 30 days of the application date.
- Have an interview with the Admissions Committee of the Program and be recommended by it.
Academic Progress Requirements
To remain in the Program students must meet the following:
- Maintain a minimum general average of 3.25.
- Students will have the opportunity to repeat only once all failed courses or practices.
- The courses of the program are approved with a minimum grade of B.
- The doctoral candidacy examination, in either one of its two parts: core or clinical, may be taken a maximum of three times.
Graduation Requirements
- Approve all the program courses with a minimum general average of 3.25.
- Pass both parts of the doctoral candidacy examination. The doctoral candidacy examination will be administered twice per year. Students may request to take the first part when they have approved all the core courses. They may request to take the second part of the examination when they have approved all the requirements of the specialization. The approval of both parts is a requirement for students to enter the doctoral internship. Students may only take the qualification examination on three occasions.
- Approve the doctoral internship in clinical psychology/counseling psychology or clinical psychology/school psychology.
- Defend and approve the doctoral dissertation.
Requirements for the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical and School Psychology
| Core Course Requirements |
16 credits |
| Major Requirements |
29 credits |
| Prescribed Distributive Requirements |
6 credits |
| Operational Requirements |
12 credits |
| Total |
63 credits |
Core Course Requirements - 16 credits
| PSYC 7010 | Human Diversity | 2 |
| PSYC 7020 | Neuropsychology | 3 |
| PSYC 7030 | Quantitative Research | 2 |
| PSYC 7040 | Qualitative Research | 2 |
| PSYC 7045 | Analysis of Qualitative Data | 2 |
| PSYC 7050 | Design and Evaluation of Psychological Programs and Services | 2 |
| PSYC 7060 | Neuroscience of Cognoscitive, Affective, and Development Processes | 2 |
| PSYC 8912 | Practicum in the Design and Evaluation of Psychological Programs and Services | 1 |
Major Requirements - 29 credits
| PSYC 7005 | Professional Standards in Clinical/School Psychology | 1 |
| PSYC 8330 | Psychological Evaluation and Intervention with Infants and Preschool Children | 2 |
| PSYC 8610 | Family Therapy | 2 |
| PSYC 8620 | Psychological Interventions in Schools | 2 |
| PSYC 8630 | Objective Evaluation of Personality | 2 |
| PSYC 8650 | Clinical Psychopharmacology | 2 |
| PSYC 8660 | Clinical Supervision and Consultancy | 2 |
| PSYC 8914 | Practicum in Psychological Evaluation and Intervention with Infants and Preschool Children | 1 |
| PSYC 8919 | Practicum in Family Therapy | 1 |
| PSYC 8921 | Practicum in Objective Evaluation of Personality | 1 |
| PSYC 8923 | Practicum in Clinical Supervision and Consultancy | 1 |
| PSYC 8985 | Integrated Practice in Clinical/School Psychology I | 3 |
| PSYC 8986 | Integrated Practice in Clinical/School Psychology II | 3 |
| PSYC 8987 | Integrated Practice in Clinical/School Psychology III | 3 |
| PSYC 8988 | Integrated Practice in Clinical/School Psychology IV | 3 |
Prescribed Distributive Requirements in Clinical Psychology/School Psychology - 6 credits.
(The student will take 3 credits in the area of School Psychology and 3 credits in the Clinical area).
Area of School Psychology
Area of Clinical Psychology
Operational Requirements - 12 credits