What is the Typical Curriculum of a PysD Program?
The training for clinical psychologists has traditionally been focused on training the doctoral student first in science and then in practice. However, because we are seeing such an increased demand for psychologists –a 7% increase between 2023 and 2033 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics– many graduate students end up going right into clinical services, rather than into academia.
SEE ALSO: How to Become a Clinical Psychologist
The main goal of the typical PsyD program is to provide academic, practicum, internship and research experience relevant to the profession, all built on the vital scientific base upon which competence and knowledge in the field rest. One of the major goals of the curriculum is to ready students to be lifelong consumers of research in the field.
Clinical skills are developed through theoretical and practical courses that focus on assessment and intervention. These classes are usually supplemented by several types of supervised practicum experiences. A PsyD curriculum will train doctoral students to excel as clinicians, private practitioners, mental health consultants, and instructors of psychology.
The overall goal of a PsyD curriculum is to ensure graduates:
- Understand the knowledge base for providers of psychological services
- Understand and use critical clinical skills for practitioners that are influenced by science
- Evaluate and employ findings based on science for professional practice
Most doctoral students in most PsyD degree programs will need to complete around 120 credits and pass a clinical competency exam. You also will probably have to complete an internship that is about one year in length. Courses that you take will include the subjects of general psychology, methodology and intervention. Some of the classes you may take in your program are:
- Adult Psychopathology
- Child and Adolescent Development
- Adult and Older Adult Development
- Professional Ethics
- Assessment and Intelligence Testing
- History and Systems of Psychology
- Psychobiology
- Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
- Interviewing Assessment
- Clinical Practicum
- Psychopharmacology
- Statistics
- Consultation and Supervision
In some programs, you also can choose to specialize in various areas of clinical psychology. Every concentration has a set of electives, a practicum and research.
Typical concentrations are:
- Forensic psychology
- Health psychology
- Mental illness
- Family psychology
- Neuropsychology
- Psychodynamic psychotherapy
More About Clinical Training
Your clinical training practice will give you strong assessment, intervention and consultation experiences that you can build upon in your practice. Students will have the chance to go over placements that are approved by the school and express which are their preferences. Students usually need to finish two years of practicum, which will usually occur in their 2nd and 3rd years of residency. Every practicum placement will be for a year, most of the time.
Most programs will have a clinical competency examination which you have to complete no later than 30 days before the end of the year. The test will evaluate how well you understand assessment and intervention, and also your ethical knowledge.
More About Research Training
A Psy.D. student will be expected to show a strong capacity for critical thinking and also gain an understanding of methodology for empirical inquiry and how to use the results. You may be required to complete a directed study research project, which will give you the chance to participate in many types of advanced research. This effort will usually culminate in your dissertation, which you need to defend in front of a faculty committee.
May 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics labor market information for Psychologists is based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed March 2025.