Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology
School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy
Using the Practitioner-Scholar model, the Fuller Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) trains professionals to provide psychotherapy and assessment services and to develop, implement, and evaluate innovative treatment programs. Working with diverse populations is a feature of our program.
Prestige
Fuller ranked highest among Christian Integrative Clinical Psychology Programs by US News and World Report 2022.
100%
Internship match at
APA-accredited sites
for 2023
5 years
DURATION OF PROGRAM
APA
ACCREDITED
Integration
OF PSYCHOLOGY AND THEOLOGY
Study with faculty like these:
PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY AND PHD PROGRAM CHAIR
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Explore other members of our renowned School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy faculty here.
Admissions
Admission Requirements
To be considered for the PsyD program, applicants must submit an online application, essay responses, a CV, four recommendations, official transcripts from a bachelor's degree, and must have sufficiently completed psychology coursework in preparation for a doctoral program. You can find specific requirements here.
Admission Deadlines
Online application opens August 1
Early application and file completion deadline: November 1
Please note, the $50 application fee will be waived if you submit the application online by November 1.
Final application and file completion deadline: December 1
You can find additional information regarding deadlines, admissions requirements, and interview dates here.
Tuition and Affordability
The full tuition for Fuller’s PsyD degree can be found here. Attending this program is an investment in your future. Learn more about the kinds of support available to you to potentially offset this cost below, or by visiting the Paying for Grad School page or searching for scholarships here.
Scholarships and Fellowships
If eligible, PsyD students may receive a need-based scholarship covering up to 15% of tuition, as well as federal loans. A variety of merit-based scholarships are available, ranging from $1,000 to $45,000. Incoming students must apply for need-based aid, but will automatically be considered for merit scholarships based on their application for admission. Returning students will have the opportunity to apply for additional merit-based scholarships each subsequent academic year.
Transfer Policy
Applicants to the PsyD program may have already completed a master's degree (or related courses) in clinical psychology, marriage and family therapy, theology, or another closely associated degree. Requests to transfer these degrees and/or courses for credit toward the PsyD will be evaluated on an individual basis. These transfer requests must be petitioned after matriculation. The sole exception is that requests that may affect Fall Quarter course enrollment may be addressed by contacting the Associate Director of Academic Advising prior to matriculation.
Accreditation
The PsyD program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. Questions related to the program's accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979 / Email: [email protected]
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation
Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data
"Fuller's PsyD program has given me the opportunity to embark on a journey of integrating my faith with my practice of psychology. This process has not only shaped my theology and how I work with clients, but has also fostered my spiritual development and sense of identity and purpose."
– Lisa Kau, PsyD Graduate
Clinical Training
Year 1
You will see client actors for approximately fifteen sessions each, using person-centered therapy interventions. These sessions are videotaped and reviewed with your supervisor weekly. You will also attend class weekly to cultivate introductory psychotherapy skills. This training experience is overseen by two faculty members working closely with our director of clinical training and the chairs of both the PsyD and PhD programs.
Year 2
You will carry a caseload of around ten real clients at our in-house clinic. This practicum will be fully integrated into your classroom activities—which, through the year, will include advanced CBT and psychodynamic training—enabling you to implement what you are learning with the clients you are seeing. Licensed psychologists teach the courses and are intimately involved in supervision and consultation throughout the year.
Year 3
You will be assigned to one of 80 training sites throughout the greater Los Angeles County area to spend a full year doing neuropsychological and/or personality assessments on clients from a diversity of backgrounds. This clerkship builds upon classroom and field training you will have received in psychological assessment during your first and second years.
Year 4
You will move into a year-long, pre-internship practicum, where you will experience greater challenges in terms of the problems your clients are facing and the interventions you will utilize.
Year 5
You will complete a one-year internship at an APA-accredited internship site.
Fuller Psychological and Family Services
For over 50 years, Fuller Psychological and Family Services (FPFS) has provided affordable mental health care to individuals and families in Pasadena and its surrounding communities. FPFS offers a comprehensive array of psychotherapy and assessment services in five languages.
Research
Dissertation Requirements
PsyD students must complete a dissertation that (1) is an original scholarly work (not based on previous work) completed by the student under the supervision and guidance of the student’s dissertation chair and committee, and (2) demonstrates the student’s abilities to use research literature and a sound scholarly process to analyze, evaluate, and/or provide new information relevant to the practice of psychology.
Click here for more information on the different types of dissertations you may consider.
Research Labs
Each PsyD student is placed in a research lab where they will work cooperatively with a faculty member to complete their dissertation. Visit the Travis Research Institute or our faculty members’ bio pages to learn more about their current areas of research.
Curriculum
In the PsyD program, students are awarded a Master of Arts in Psychology after completing 88 selected units.
Coursework is divided into the following categories:
| General Psychology | 40 units |
| Clinical Psychology | 48 units |
| Psychology Electives | 12 units |
| Dissertation Research | 8 units |
| Theology | 28 units |
| Integration of Psychology and Theology | 20 units |
| Field Training | 86 units |
| Total | 242 units |
Click here for a detailed, year-by-year curriculum.
Customize your degree program to your career goals by choosing from two tracks: Neuropsychology or Culture and Community.
The Neuropsychology Track emphasizes coursework in topics including neuropsychology, pharmapsychology, and physiological psychology, and provides clinical training and research experiences in the area of neuropsychology. Find out more.
The Culture and Community Track emphasizes in-depth coursework, cultural training experiences, and research opportunities addressing particular ethnocultural and community groups. Find out more.
Upcoming Events
The Fuller Symposium on the Integration of Psychology and Theology is the annual conference held by the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.
Integration of Psychology and Theology
No other PsyD program does integration like Fuller. Our PsyD program features theology classes taught by world-class theologians from Fuller’s School of Mission and Theology. You will also learn how to integrate your theology with psychology through courses and training led by experts in integrative thought and practice.
Request More Information About the PsyD
Aims & Competencies
All School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy doctoral students develop certain competencies as preparation for practice in health service psychology, although the emphasis on each competency area may differ between the PhD and PsyD programs. Read more about the Program Aims and Competencies.
Compare the PhD and PsyD
How do the PhD in Clinical Psychology and PsyD in Clinical Psychology programs differ? Download this chart detailing the differences in emphasis within each competency area.
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get to know your admissions counselor | Liz Yoshonis
My family and I came to Fuller in 2019 from Michigan so that my husband could pursue his MDIV. Throughout those years, I fell in love with Fuller; the multicultural experience of just living in Fuller Housing, and felt personally drawn toward the School of Psychology. In 2022 I applied and was accepted into the Marriage and Family Therapy Program where I am currently a student. The program has been personally life-changing. Since my studies began, I have become a better wife, mother, and friend. The faculty is rich with knowledge and care as they excellently prepare us for future clinical work as well as beautifully integrate theology and psychology throughout the program. Now, as an admissions counselor, I have the unique opportunity to assist individuals in the process of applying to SOPMFT programs as well. It is a profound honor for me to be able to walk alongside individuals as they navigate the possibilities of how Fuller can be the catalyst for what God has created them for and ultimately affect positive change for the world.
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