PhD in Clinical Psychology

Suffolk’s APA accredited doctoral program in clinical psychology provides systematic and cumulative training in the core competencies students need to pursue careers in practice, research, or academic settings.

Our program requirements reflect our adherence to the scientist-practitioner model and emphasize the value we place on evidence-based clinical work and practice-informed research. We are committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in our program and in the broader community and we strive to prepare students to respectfully and effectively work with diverse individuals and groups.

Question & Answer Session with Clinical Faculty

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]

Program Information

Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program Manual

Our Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program manual [PDF] is available for download and contains detailed information regarding our program and faculty.

Admission Information

For details on application deadlines, application materials, tuition and program costs, and faculty mentors, please see our Admission page.

Licensure

Licensure is required for independent practice as a clinical psychologist/ health service provider. Although completion of an APA accredited doctoral program in clinical psychology may assist students in the pursuit of licensure, program completion does not lead to licensure upon graduation. States and countries vary in licensure requirements and state laws, regulations, and policies may change at any time. Depending on where you reside, in addition to completion of an accredited educational program, applicants for licensure may be required to obtain additional supervised experience (e.g., a post-doctoral fellowship), complete an exam (e.g., the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP); the MA Board of Registration of Psychologists Jurisprudence Exam), receive endorsements by other licensed professionals, or complete additional requirements.

We advise all applicants to contact the applicable state credentialing authority in the state you intend to reside in order to familiarize yourself with its specific requirements and determine if our program meets its eligibility criteria. Another potentially helpful resource is the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. Students currently in the doctoral program in clinical psychology are welcome to discuss questions you have about career planning with your research mentor and the DCT.

State Licensure

Suffolk University’s Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology currently meets the educational requirements qualifying graduates to be licensed to practice as a clinical psychologist in the following states, subject to satisfactorily meeting all other requirements for licensure in each state:

Suffolk’s program does not meet the educational requirements for licensure in the following states: California, Michigan, and New Jersey. Students interested in obtaining a license to practice as a clinical psychologist in California, Michigan, or New Jersey should contact the Board of Psychology in each of these states to determine what additional educational requirements will need to be completed in order to obtain a license to practice as a clinical psychologist in California, Michigan or New Jersey, subject to satisfactorily meeting all other requirements for licensure in that state.

Program Aims

The overarching aim of our program is to prepare students for entry-level practice in clinical psychology. We draw from a scientist-practitioner model that emphasizes the reciprocal relationship between science and practice and underscores the value of practice that is evidence-based, and evidence that is practice-informed.

In pursuit of this aim, we have developed measurable goals that students in our program must meet in order to successfully complete the program. The required coursework, training, and experiential activities we offer to help students meet these learning goals as well as their relationship to the American Psychological Association’s Profession Wide Competencies are outlined in Appendix A of Clinical Program Student Manual.

Our aims/goals are that students will:

Aim (Learning Goal) 1: Acquire and demonstrate substantial understanding of, and competence in, the provision of clinical service.

Graduates from our program will be able to meet the following learning objectives:

  1. Evaluate, select, administer, interpret, and communicate psychological assessments in a manner that is informed by knowledge of the psychometric and empirical underpinnings of different methods and relevant diversity characteristics of the service recipient.
  2. Establish and maintain effective relationships with the recipients of psychological services.
  3. Develop, evaluate, and implement treatment plans that reflect both knowledge of empirically-based principles and an appreciation for individual client characteristics and contextual factors
  4. Evaluate intervention effectiveness and adapt intervention goals and methods consistent with ongoing evaluation.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of models and methods of clinical supervision and consultation.
  6. Demonstrate ability to apply supervision models to practice and reflect and self-evaluate experience.

Aim (Learning Goal) 2: Acquire and demonstrate substantial understanding of, and competence in, research.

Graduates from our program will be able to meet the following learning objectives:

  1. Demonstrate the substantially independent ability to formulate research or other scholarly activities (e.g., critical literature reviews, dissertation, efficacy studies, clinical case studies, theoretical papers, program evaluation projects, program development projects) that are of sufficient quality and rigor to have the potential to contribute to the scientific, psychological, or professional knowledge base.
  2. Conduct research or other scholarly activities.
  3. Critically evaluate and disseminate research or other scholarly activity via professional publication and presentation at the local, regional, or national level.

Aim (Learning Goal) 3: Acquire and demonstrate substantial understanding, knowledge, awareness, sensitivity, and skill when working with diverse individuals and communities who embody a variety of cultural and personal backgrounds and characteristics across all professional roles and activities.

Graduates from our program will have developed the skills needed to meet the following learning objectives:

  1. Understand how their own personal/cultural history, attitudes, and biases may affect how they understand and interact with people different from themselves.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of the current theoretical and empirical knowledge base as it relates to addressing diversity in all professional activities including research, training, supervision/consultation, and service.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to integrate awareness and knowledge of individual and cultural differences in the conduct of professional roles (e.g., research, services, and other professional activities), including the ability to apply a framework for working effectively with areas of individual and cultural diversity not previously encountered over the course of their careers. Also included is the ability to work effectively with individuals whose group membership, demographic characteristics, or worldviews create conflict with their own.
  4. Demonstrate the requisite knowledge base and ability to articulate an approach to working effectively with diverse individuals and groups and apply this approach effectively in their professional work.

Aim (Learning Goal) 4: Acquire and demonstrate substantial understanding of, and competence in, ethical and legal standards applicable to the science and practice of clinical psychology

Graduates from our program will have developed the skills needed to meet the following learning objectives:

  1. Be knowledgeable of, and act in accordance with, the current version of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct; relevant laws, regulations, rules, and policies governing health service psychology at the organizational, local, state, regional, and federal levels; and relevant professional standards and guidelines.
  2. Recognize ethical dilemmas as they arise and apply ethical decision-making processes in order to resolve the dilemmas.
  3. Conduct themselves in an ethical manner in all professional activities.

Aim (Learning Goal) 5: Acquire and demonstrate substantial understanding of, and competence in, the professional values, attitudes and skills required of clinical psychologists.

Graduates from our program will have developed the skills needed to meet the following learning objectives:

  1. Behave in ways that reflect the values and attitudes of psychology, including integrity, deportment, professional identity, accountability, lifelong learning, and concern for the welfare of others.
  2. Engage in self-reflection regarding one’s personal and professional functioning and activities aimed at maintaining and improving performance, well-being, and professional effectiveness.
  3. Actively seek and demonstrate openness and responsiveness to feedback and supervision.
  4. Develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals, including colleagues, communities, organizations, supervisors, supervisees, and those receiving professional services.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge and respect for the roles and perspectives of other professions
  6. Produce and comprehend oral, nonverbal, and written communications that are informative and well-integrated; demonstrate a thorough grasp of professional language and concepts.
  7. Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage difficult communication well.

Program Requirements

Please visit the Academic Catalog to view Program Requirements.