Psychology, Clinical-Community

College of Liberal Arts
Department of Psychology
(907) 474-7012
http://psyphd.alaska.edu

Ph.D. Degree

Minimum Requirements for Degree: 115 credits

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The joint Ph.D. program in clinical-community psychology with a rural indigenous emphasis is a partnership between the departments of psychology at UAA and UAF. The program focus includes clinical, community and cross-cultural psychology with an emphasis on indigenous, Alaska Native and American Indian psychology. This UAF-UAA partnership integrates the strengths and resources of both departments to advance academic excellence, promote innovative and practical research, and provide solid graduate training in clinical-community psychology. The program ensures that graduates have obtained the full range of clinical training mandated for doctoral-level clinical psychologists and will be adequately prepared for licensure as psychologists. Accreditation for the program is being sought from the American Psychological Association.

Graduate Program--Ph.D. Degree

1. Complete the admission process including the following:
   1. Compliance with the university requirements for a doctoral degree and admission to graduate studies as detailed in the UAF catalog.
   2. Minimum of a bachelor's degree (B.S. or B.A. or B.Ed.); major in psychology or related field preferred.
   3. Minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0.
   4. Course work in the areas of abnormal psychology, statistics, research methods and one of the following: personality, clinical psychology, social psychology or community psychology.
   5. Letter of intent describing the applicant's interest and purpose in studying clinical-community psychology, the reasons why a Ph.D. in clinical-community psychology at UAA/UAF is sought at this point in the applicant's professional development, and demonstrating an understanding of relevant professional ethics.
   6. Professional vita, including documentation regarding academic, research and professional experiences, special projects and activities, and recognitions or honors.
   7. Three professional references (preferably curriculum or research advisors, major course instructors with whom the student had contact in more than one course, and/or supervisors).
   8. Lifetime criminal background check and disclosure statement (to be completed upon notification and before final acceptance into the program).
2. Complete the general university requirements as outlined in the UAF catalog.
3. Complete the Ph.D. degree requirements as outlined in the UAA/UAF catalogs.
4. Complete the following as part of the Ph.D. program requirements:
   1. Cultural Immersion: Before beginning the first semester of formal enrollment in the program, students must participate in a two-week cultural immersion experience at a rural/indigenous site. This experience will be coordinated by the directors of clinical training (DCTs) and will also be attended by at least one faculty member per campus who teaches in the Ph.D. program. The experience is not graded but must be completed before students are allowed to register for courses.
   2. Course work: Students must complete 26 required courses (for a total of 70 credits), 18 credits of dissertation, 18 credits of predoctoral internship and 9 credits of electives. Students must accumulate a minimum of 115 credits to graduate and must have completed all required course work. The following 26 courses are required:
      PSY 601--Clinical/Community/Cross-Cultural Integration Seminar (3 years, 1 credit per year)--3 credits
      PSY 602--Native Ways of Knowing--3 credits
      PSY 603--Alaska & Rural Psychology--3 credits
      PSY 604--Biological and Pharmacological Bases of Behavior--3 credits
      PSY 605--History and Systems--1 credit
      PSY 607--Cognition, Affect, and Culture--3 credits
      PSY 611--Ethics and Professional Practice--3 credits
      PSY 612--Human Development in a Cultural Context--3 credits
      PSY 616--Program Evaluation and Community Consultation I--3 credits
      PSY 617--Program Evaluation and Community Consultation II--3 credits
      PSY 622--Multicultural Psychopathology--3 credits
      PSY 623--Intervention I--3 credits
      PSY 629--Intervention II--3 credits
      PSY 632--Community Psychology Across Culture--3 credits
      PSY 633--Tests & Measurement in Multicultural Context--3 credits
      PSY 639--Research Methods--3 credits
      PSY 652--Practicum Placement - Clinical I--3 credits
      PSY 653--Practicum Placement - Clinical II--3 credits
      PSY 657--Quantitative Analysis--3 credits
      PSY 658--Qualitative Analysis--3 credits
      PSY 672--Practicum Placement - Community I--3 credits
      PSY 673--Practicum Placement - Community II--3 credits
      PSY 679--Multicultural Psychological Assessment I--3 credits
      PSY 681--Substances of Abuse in Alaska--1 credit
      PSY 682--Substance Abuse Assessment and Treatment Planning--1 credit
      PSY 683--Clinical Interventions in Substance Abuse--1 credit
      Electives--9 credits
      PSY 686--Predoctoral Internship--18 credits
      PSY 699D--Dissertation--18 credits
      Minimum credits required:--115
   3. Clinical-Community Competency: Students must demonstrate clinical-community competency before being allowed to apply for internship. Clinical competency is demonstrated through preparation of a clinical-community portfolio that will be evaluated by an ad hoc committee consisting of four clinically trained faculty members (two per campus) who teach in the doctoral program. Criteria for the portfolio will be clearly defined and samples will be provided for students.
   4. Research Competency: Students must demonstrate research competency before being allowed to register for dissertation credits. Research competency is demonstrated through preparation of a research portfolio that will be evaluated by an ad hoc committee consisting of four research-trained faculty members (two per campus) who teach in the doctoral program. Criteria for the portfolio will be clearly defined and samples will be provided for students.
   5. Advancement to Candidacy: Before students are allowed to register for dissertation credits, they will be reviewed for performance by the joint UAA/UAF Ph.D. committee, using existing university standards and forms for advancement to candidacy. Review will be based on faculty experience with students to date, submitted paperwork and student's progress through the program. Feedback from the review will be provided to the student by her or his advisor. Students must have cleared research and clinical-community competencies before being able to request advancement to candidacy.
   6. Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Defense: Before commencing data collection for a dissertation project, students must defend their proposal to their dissertation committee. The defense must be based on a written dissertation proposal to be distributed to the dissertation committee after approval by the dissertation chair. The defense will be an oral presentation to the committee by the student and will not be a public meeting. For data-collection-based dissertations, the proposal must also be approved by the UAA or UAF Institutional Review Board before data collection can commence.
   7. Doctoral Dissertation: A doctoral dissertation must be carried out successfully and approved by a doctoral dissertation committee. The dissertation committee will consist of at least four members. It is recommended that the dissertation chair be on the same campus as the student. There must be at least one committee member from each psychology department at UAF and UAA. Content areas can vary widely, but must be related to clinical, community, or cross-cultural issues and applicable in Alaska settings.
   8. Advancement to Internship: Students must apply to the local director of clinical training (DCT) before being permitted to apply for a predoctoral internship. DCTs will review the students' course work, assure that all prior milestones have been mastered (i.e., clinical-community competency, research competency, doctoral dissertation defense and advancement to candidacy) before approving the student for internship and before writing a letter of support for the student (typically required by all approved internship sites).
   9. Predoctoral Internship: A full-time, one-year predoctoral internship is required. This internship should meet the criteria laid out by the American Psychological Association; selection of an Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers-approved internship is encouraged. Placements in Alaska are preferred, but not required.
   10. Strict compliance with APA Ethical Guidelines is required throughout participation in the degree program. Violations can result in immediate dismissal from the program and failure to graduate. Completion of an annual disclosure statement is also required. Affirmative answers may result in dismissal from the program and failure to graduate. The disclosure statement may be viewed at http://psyphd.alaska.edu.