Psychology, Clinical-Community

College of Liberal Arts
Department of Psychology
907-474-7012
ayphd@uaa.alaska.edu
fypsyphd@uaf.edu
http://psyphd.alaska.edu

Ph.D. Degree

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Minimum Requirements for Degree: 115 credits

The Ph.D. program in clinical-community psychology with a rural, indigenous emphasis is a partnership between the departments of psychology at UAF and UAA. Although the degree is awarded by UAF, the only doctoral degree granting institution in the UA system, students can complete the entire degree program in residence at UAA. All program courses are co-taught across campuses via video conference and all program components are delivered by faculty at both campuses. The student experience is identical regardless of students' city of residence (Fairbanks or Anchorage). The program focus includes clinical, community and cross-cultural psychology with an emphasis on indigenous, Alaska Native and American Indian psychology. As a UAF-UAA partnership, the program integrates the strengths and resources of both campuses 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 as soon as eligibility has been reached.

Students apply to the joint Ph.D. program in clinical-community psychology at both UAA and UAF. All applicants submit identical application materials to both institutions; materials are collected and evaluated by the joint UAA/UAF Ph.D. admissions committee which makes admissions recommendations to the dean of the UAF graduate school. Applicants may specify a preference for either campus as a location for their studies. For more information about the application process, visit the program website at http://psyphd.alaska.edu.

Graduate Program -- Ph.D. Degree

Admission Requirements

  1. Application deadline: Received by December 15 for the following fall admission. This is the only opportunity for program admission each year.
  2. Compliance with the university requirements for a doctoral degree and admission to graduate studies as detailed in the UAF catalog.
  3. Minimum of a bachelor's degree (B.S. or B.A. or B.Ed.); major in psychology or related field preferred. All requirements for bachelor's degree must be completed by June 30 prior to matriculation.
  4. Minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0.
  5. Minimum 3.0 grade point average in major and in all psychology courses.
  6. Course work in the areas of abnormal psychology, statistics, research methods and one of the following: personality, clinical psychology, social psychology or community psychology. All prerequisite course work must be completed by June 30 prior to matriculation.
  7. 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.
  8. Professional vita, including documentation regarding academic, research and professional experiences, special projects and activities, and recognitions or honors.
  9. 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).
  10. Disclosure statement, located at http://psyphd.alaska.edu/appprocedures.htm, must accompany the application to the program. Lifetime criminal background check must be submitted by students invited to a personal interview at least two weeks prior to the interview.

Graduation Requirements

  1. Complete the general university requirements.
  2. Complete the program and additional requirements listed below:

    Program Requirements
    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. Students entering the program with a masters degree in psychology or related field must complete at least two years of full-time course work, 18 credits of dissertation, and one year of predoctoral internship, all approved by the student's advisory committee.

  3. Cultural Immersion: During their first year in the Ph.D. program, students must participate in a cultural immersion experience as defined by program faculty. 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.
  4. Complete the following required courses:
    PSY F601--Clinical/Community/Cross-Cultural Integration Seminar (3 years, 1 credit per year)--3 credits
    PSY F602--Native Ways of Knowing--3 credits
    PSY F603--Alaska and Rural Psychology--3 credits
    PSY F604--Biological and Pharmacological Bases of Behavior--3 credits
    PSY F605--History and Systems--1 credit
    PSY F607--Cognition, Affect and Culture--3 credits
    PSY F611--Ethics and Professional Practice--3 credits
    PSY F612--Human Development in a Cultural Context--3 credits
    PSY F616--Program Evaluation and Community Consultation I--3 credits
    PSY F617--Program Evaluation and Community Consultation II--3 credits
    PSY F622--Multicultural Psychopathology--3 credits
    PSY F623--Intervention I--3 credits
    PSY F629--Intervention II--3 credits
    PSY F632--Community Psychology Across Culture--3 credits
    PSY F633--Tests and Measurement in Multicultural Context--3 credits
    PSY F639--Research Methods--3 credits
    PSY F652--Practicum Placement -- Clinical I--3 credits
    PSY F653--Practicum Placement -- Clinical II--3 credits
    PSY F657--Quantitative Analysis--3 credits
    PSY F658--Qualitative Analysis--3 credits
    PSY F672--Practicum Placement -- Community I--3 credits
    PSY F673--Practicum Placement -- Community II--3 credits
    PSY F679--Multicultural Psychological Assessment I--3 credits
    PSY F681--Substances of Abuse in Alaska--1 credit
    PSY F682--Substance Abuse Assessment and Treatment Planning--1 credit
    PSY F683--Clinical Interventions in Substance Abuse--1 credit
    PSY F686--Predoctoral Internship--18 credits
    PSY F699D--Dissertation--18 credits
    Electives--9 credits
  5. Minimum credits required:--115 credits

    Additional Requirements

  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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). Lifetime criminal background check must also be completed before students can advance to internship.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.