In addition to didactic training, students have numerous opportunities to obtain hands-on supervised experience in testing, diagnosis, counseling, psychotherapy, and research projects related to special fields of interest.

As Florida Tech emphasizes training through direct client contact, students are expected to obtain experience in a multitude of therapeutic settings.

All students obtain two semesters of clinical practica at the university-based Psychology Clinic where they are supervised by the full-time clinical faculty, followed by a series of external practica. Typically students will receive 6-8 semesters of training in inpatient and outpatient facilities. Numerous paid and unpaid practicum opportunities exist for students to provide individual, group, couples and family therapy and testing in diverse settings. Students can tailor their practicum experiences to meet individual interests by working in:

• Community Mental Health Centers
• Local Hospitals
• University Counseling Centers
• Schools
• Prisons
• Private Practices

Because there are no other doctoral psychology programs in the immediate area, students do not have to compete for these practicum placements. Additional information regarding University-sponsored practicum opportunities may be found under specific professors' interests (Family Learning Program, Memory Clinic, etc.).

Because of the practitioner-scientist model endorsed by the Psy. D. program, we place particular emphasis on the quality and diversity of our practicum sites.
Much of your time as an advanced student will be spent practicing and applying your clinical knowledge and skills at the various practicum sites. It is through these practicum placements that you will attempt to translate your academic knowledge into the solution of real-life problems at the individual, group, and institutional levels. It is our goal to provide you with the breadth and depth of practicum experience that will more than adequately prepare you for the intensive clinical training offered by the pre-doctoral internship year. This is accomplished by providing a range of different practicum sites and by assuring, for the student, quality supervision from licensed or licensable doctoral level clinical psychologists.

Practicum sites currently utilized include:

Students can choose to participate in programs run by Florida Tech faculty members beginning in their first year of training.
The Family Learning Program offers students opportunities to work with sexually abused children and their families; the East Central Florida Memory Clinic offers neuropsychological assessment experience with a geriatric population. Both programs pay doctoral candidates for their work.

Clinical Psy.D. Practicum Handbook 2007-2008