Is It Right for You?
Depending on your post-graduate school career plans, different degrees may be suitable for your professional development. An important distinction remains between the Ph.D. and the Psy.D., which has rapidly changed in the past few years. The Psy.D. is now the recognized degree in psychology for clinical practitioners, whereas the Ph.D. offers a primary orientation in research and academics.
Program Distinctives
- A solid academic curriculum that prepares students for California psychology licensure examinations and clinical practice
- An emphasis on Family Psychology, the discipline that considers individual, interpersonal, and environmental factors which impact human behavior
- An academic schedule that allows students to continue working in Southern California while they pursue their doctorate
- A Christian values orientation that informs the practice of psychology and courses that provide a structure for the integration of ethics, theology, and psychology
- Faculty who maintain active careers in the profession and bring their experience to the classroom
- Two entry pathways: one for students who already have an existing master's degree in psychology or a closely related discipline; another for students entering directly from the bachelor's degree or with a master's degree in a discipline other than psychology
You Set the Pace
APU's Psy.D. Program offers a less-intensive, five-year curriculum plan, in addition to the traditional four-year program. This option requires one to two fewer courses per semester, allowing students to pursue part-time employment or uphold family responsibilities during their studies.
 Ken McGill '03
Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology: Family Psychology Counselor Azusa Pacific University Counseling Center |
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"As a working professional with a family, I needed a format that worked with my busy schedule. Academic integrity, comprehensive clinical training, and faith integration also weighed heavily on my decision. APU delivered on all counts. I am not only excellently prepared for licensure as a clinical psychologist, I am enabled to provide the highest quality of psychological care from a Christian perspective." |
Academic Psychology Licensure
The APU Psy.D. Program fulfills the graduate education requirements in the
state of California for licensure as a psychologist. Students seeking licensure
in California may obtain information regarding requirements by contacting:
Board of Psychology
1422 Howe Ave., Ste. 22
Sacramento, CA 95825-3200
(916) 263-2699
www.psychboard.ca.gov
Students seeking licensure in another state should contact the appropriate examining
board in that state.
