Overview
Ph.D. Programs in Clinical Psychology Are Comprehensive at Alliant's California School of Professional Psychology
All first- and second-year course work at California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) provides an extensive background in the foundations of psychology to develop students' basic scientific understanding and practice skills. Students' clerkship or practicum experiences require 8 to 20 hours of time weekly in their second and/or third years. At this stage students get training in specific skills. They learn how to do psychological assessments, evaluate clients and programs, intervene as necessary, and develop psychotherapeutic techniques. They are also introduced to the varying roles and ethical practices of licensed clinical psychologists.
In the second or third year students have to pass formal evaluations, including written preliminary and/or comprehensive examinations, in order to move on to their doctoral candidacy. Each individual program establishes its own specific means for evaluating students. Evaluations typically focus on a student's expected research competency, demonstrated academic ability, interpersonal skills, and grasp of basic theoretical foundations in psychology.
For third-, fourth- and fifth-year students, the curriculum includes advanced training in the analysis and function of applied research, professional ethics and issues, intervention techniques, theoretical studies, psychopharmacology, and clinical supervision. Students also participate in dissertation preparation and presentation, field placements, personal/group growth experiences, and a wide array of elective courses.
Final Years of Study Allow Specialization, Substantial Internship Work, Supervisory Experience, and a Jump on Licensure
The required course work is substantial, but in the final years students have time to develop special interests. Internships of 20 to 40 hours per week solidify students' professional skills and afford them valuable supervisory experience. Clinical internships meet, and in some instances exceed, the 1,500 hours of pre-doctoral internship required by the California Board of Psychology for licensure. CSPP doctoral course requirements fulfill all of the California state licensing requirements, in some cases even exceeding them. The clinical psychology curricula all reflect four areas of study, namely, applied research, professional skills, professional concepts, and personal growth. Each school year a student's course work covers both required courses and electives from each area.
Work-Study and Part-Time Jobs Combine with Stipends and Financial Aid to Make Alliant Degrees Affordable for All
Alliant offers qualified students financial aid such as loans, grants, and scholarships funded by the federal government, state programs, various private sources, and Alliant itself. Most federal and state financial aid funds are only made available to United States citizens or permanent residents. Aid packages come predominantly in the form of loans and may include scholarships and funds derived from student employment. In fact, Alliant's wide-ranging programs offer work-study and employment that pay varying amounts for on-campus positions (admissions, field placement), part-time jobs in the community, and teaching and research assistantships.
Most students interested in school-based financial aid pursue some form of college work-study, part-time job, or research/teaching assistant stipend. While the number of teaching and research assistantships is limited, a mix of funding opportunities can be combined in a number of different ways. For qualified students, there are always ways that the tuition, books, and fee costs can be offset so they can work toward a doctorate in an exciting, fulfilling field of study.
Clinical Psychologists Help People in Private Practice and as School Counselors, Intervention Specialists, and Teachers
Students who earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology in programs at the CSPP have gone on to work in many significant positions in the U.S. and around the world. While earning degrees, students work in a broad range of settings, thus establishing themselves in the practitioner community as competent, well-prepared professionals. By the time students earn their Ph.D.s, most have developed an evolving network of colleagues and professional affiliations that make them particularly attractive to employers. For example, some work as therapists, teachers, researchers, and consultants to business, law enforcement, and academia. Others become intervention specialists, clinical psychologists in private practice, school counselors, or mental health professionals in the armed services. In addition, CSPP's clinical psychology graduates become lecturers, instructors, and professors, teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels in both public and private institutions and in colleges and universities around the world.
Four California Cities, Each With a Unique Lifestyle, Host Alliant's Doctor of Philosophy Program in Clinical Psychology
Every city that Alliant chooses for a campus or program location has a personality of its own, offering students a range of styles and environments from which to choose. The Ph.D. in clinical psychology program at CSPP is offered in San Francisco, Fresno, Los Angeles and San Diego.
San Francisco is a truly international city. It sits atop seven hills overlooking the Bay and exuding a unique charm. It is a creative, expressive, activist community at the forefront of fashion, art, politics, and culture, mainstream and otherwise.
Fresno, roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, is the gateway to Yosemite National Park and the majestic Sierras. It is a center of agriculture and both "Wild West" and Mexican-American culture.
Los Angeles is the media center of the world, with film, television, radio, and publishing among its biggest industries. From the beaches and the coastal mountains to the Angeles National Forest, everything in the way of recreation and outdoor fun is available, pretty much year-round, from art and music to theme parks and surfing.
San Diego is the southern "jewel" of the Southern California coast. Home to a number of universities with extensive libraries and research centers, it is an educational hub that doubles as a top vacation destination, with a wealth of cultural, artistic, dining and entertainment options.
