Build the Clinical Skills Necessary for a Career in Psychology
PHSU St. Louis seeks PsyD in Clinical Psychology applicants with academic, personal, and professional qualifications that show outstanding potential for becoming an ethical, highly-trained, culturally-competent clinical practitioner. Applicants only need a bachelor’s degree to be considered for the PsyD and begin their path to clinical practice.
Students receive individualized attention from advisors and faculty, an in-depth understanding of psychological, biological, and sociocultural sciences, and clinical opportunities in St. Louis during the PsyD. That way, our graduates can get where they want to go in their careers.
PsyD Program Overview
PROGRAM LENGTH:
5 years
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
August 2
CREDITS:
97 credit hours
CLINICAL HOURS:
3,000+
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
Each PsyD course lays a foundation of psychological theory and science, but focuses on practicing clinical skills for the real-world, which students begin in their first semester.
Build the Clinical Skills Necessary for a Career in Psychology
PHSU St. Louis seeks PsyD in Clinical Psychology applicants with academic, personal, and professional qualifications that show outstanding potential for becoming an ethical, highly-trained, culturally-competent clinical practitioner. Applicants only need a bachelor’s degree to be considered for the PsyD and begin their path to clinical practice.
Students receive individualized attention from advisors and faculty, an in-depth understanding of psychological, biological, and sociocultural sciences, and clinical opportunities in St. Louis during the PsyD. That way, our graduates can get where they want to go in their careers.
PsyD Program Overview
PROGRAM LENGTH:
5 years
IMPORTANT DATES
CREDITS:
86 credit hours
CLINICAL HOURS:
3,000+
PsyD Admission Requirements
Each PsyD course lays a foundation of psychological theory and science, but focuses on practicing clinical skills for the real-world. Applicants to the PsyD in Clinical Psychology program should meet the following requirements:
- Prefered 3.0 GPA recommended on a 4.0 scale
- Bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited university (Note: Applicants with master’s degrees in Psychology, Psychiatric Nursing, Social Work, Counseling or other mental health-related fields, are accepted, pending the other requirements.)
- Minimum of 15 credits in psychology, including the following prerequisites
| Prerequisite Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| General Psychology | 3 |
| Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| Abnormal Psychology or Psychpathology | 3 |
| Experimental Psychology or Scientific Research | 3 |
| Statistics | 3 |
PsyD Application Process
- Gather all necessary materials:
- Official transcript from all institutions attended.
- These can be mailed or sent electronically, but they must be sent directly from the institution you attended to PHSU St. Louis in order to be considered official transcripts. We cannot accept a transcript has been forwarded by a student.
- Two letters of recommendation.
- One must be from a clinician or faculty with clinical hours, completed on official letterhead.
- Non-refundable $90 application fee
- Personal statement
- CV and/or resume
- Background Check
- We recommend Sentry Link or BackgroundCheck.com for reliable, low cost options.
- Official transcript from all institutions attended.
- Visit our application page and complete an application by application deadline.
- After acceptance, students must submit the following:
- Confirmation of acceptance
- Deposit of $100 to secure their seat in the upcoming class
- Evidence of up-to-date immunization record (must include Varicella, Td Adult, MMR and three doses of Hepatitis B)
- Fill out the Policy on Technical Standards
PsyD Admission Policies
Transfer of Credits
Students who apply for admission to the PHSU St. Louis PsyD in Clinical Psychology program may transfer up to 24 graduate credits from institutions accredited by the PR-CE, MS-CHE, or a regionally-equivalent agency.
The 24 transfer credits must be approved in programs related to the field of Clinical Psychology. Students with prior graduate work in a field outside mental health may transfer at least 18 credits depending on the nature of the program attended and the equivalency of the courses approved.
The following requirements will guide the evaluation process of those graduate courses submitted for approval:
- Graduate courses must be relevant to the field of Clinical/Professional Psychology
- The requested courses must be passed with at least a B grade.
- The students can demonstrate in an objective manner or through formal written and/or oral examination that they possess the knowledge and skills expected from the courses.
The following courses are frequently equivalent within mental health disciplines and may be transferred from other graduate programs.
- Research Methods
- Test Construction
- Cognitive Assessment and Practicum*
- Group Therapy
- Motivation and Emotion
- Child Psychopathology
- Child Psychotherapy
- Professional Ethics in Psychology
- History of Psychology
- Family Therapy*
- Clinical Psychopharmacology
- Human Sexuality
- Psychology of Addictions
- Geriatric Psychology
- Supervision
- Mental Health Administration
- Forensic Psychology
- Psychoeducational Assessment*
* – requires demonstration of competence
Please understand that the above list is not comprehensive, and other courses can be evaluated for transfer. The following courses are not considered for transfer to PHSU Clinical Psychology Programs:
- PSY 522 — Psychology of Personality
- PSY 515 — Human Growth and Development
- PSY 523 — Cognitive Psychology
- PSY 541 — Fundamentals of Clinical Psychopathology
- PSY 511 — Fundamentals of Neuroscience
- PSY 512 — Neuroanatomy Laboratory
- PSY 645 — Mood and Anxiety Disorders
- PSY 658 — Projective Assessment of Personality
- PSY 667 — Short-Term Psychotherapy
- PSY 662 — Cognitive and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- PSY 747 — Personality and Psychotic Disorders
- PSY 818 — Clinical Health Psychology
In addition to those courses, the 1100 hours of required clinical practice in the PsyD program cannot be transferred from other institutions.
For more questions pertaining to potential transfer credits, please contact our admissions office.
Readmission Policy
Ponce Health Sciences University St. Louis students dismissed from a program for academic reasons will not be readmitted to that program. No student will be allowed readmission to any program after dismissal for disciplinary reasons.
PHSU St. Louis will consider readmission for students who voluntarily withdrew from the program for medical or personal reasons and were in good standing or Satisfactory Academic Progress at the time of the withdrawal.