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The Psy.D. program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), and is designed to meet the competency goals of both the APA and the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP).
(Committee of Accredatation, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242: Phone: (202)336-5979)
The Psy.D. Program at Florida Tech accepts approximately 20 students each year. As a result, the program remains small and cohesive. The low faculty-to-student ratio permits opportunities for individual student attention and mentoring. There is a colleague-in-training atmosphere that encourages students to work closely with faculty members. Numerous research opportunities exist for students to collaborate with faculty on new or ongoing projects for their doctoral research.
Graduate student assistantships are available to students that enable them to work together with faculty. In addition, a variety of committees, including a student-faculty relations committee, encourages faculty/student interaction and communication.
The full-time faculty of the School of Psychology teach required and elective courses. Adjunct faculty offer special seminars in focused areas and provide off-site practicum supervision. The full-time faculty has achieved local, regional and national prominence in the field of psychology and offers a variety of theoretical orientations and areas of clinical and research interest.
Students receive didactic training through both classes and seminars during their first four years followed by one year of supervised internship training. The curriculum follows a practitioner-scientist model that emphasizes clinical training and professional development. This is based on the roles most practicing psychologists fill in their careers and allows students to become competent in providing services to those in need of psychological intervention. Students receive a sound psychological knowledge base through course work, extensive practical training at a variety of inpatient and outpatient sites, and experience in conducting research.
The curriculum emphasizes knowledge and skills needed to work with diverse clients in a multitude of settings. In addition to traditional training in theory, psychological assessment and intervention skills, the curriculum also integrates the acquisition of critical thinking skills needed for the practice of psychology.
Program Goals and Objectives
The overarching goal of the Psy.D. program is to prepare qualified students for post-doctoral entry into the field of clinical psychology. To accomplish this, the program has the following three sub-goals, along with their corresponding specific objectives:
Goal #1 – The preparation of graduates with strong and continually developing clinical competencies. Objectives – The development of clinical competencies in the domains of
a. Relationship.
b. Assessment.
c. Intervention.
d. Research and Evaluation.
e. Supervision, Consultation, and Administration.
Goal #2 – The preparation of graduates whose clinical competencies are informed by, and in turn inform, the scientific and theoretical knowledge base of the discipline of psychology.
Objectives – The development of knowledge bases in the domains of
f. Biological Bases of Behavior.
g. Cognitive/Affective Bases of Behavior.
h. Social and Cultural Bases of Behavior.
i. Individual Differences.
j. History and Systems of Psychology.
Goal #3 – The preparation of graduates who will respect and value cultural and individual differences and whose work will be guided by the highest of ethical and professional principles and standards.
Objectives
k. Development of a strong knowledge base and sensitivity to cultural and
individual differences.
l. Attainment of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to become
ethical and professional clinical psychologists.
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