The curriculum is built upon the foundation of psychology as a science and offers comprehensive exposure to evidence-based assessment and treatment as well as research with an emphasis on clinical application and sensitivity to multicultural context and individual differences. Academic courses form the centerpiece of doctoral education and are taught by faculty who are experts in their respective fields. Unique to the program are course sequences such as the Clinical Skills Intensive, in which students meet in small groups with faculty and develop clinical skills by applying theory and research to ongoing cases.
Year 1: Fall Session
History and Systems of Psychology (2 units)
Students will examine the impact of philosophical thought on the field of clinical psychology and survey the major events and developments in the history of the field, emphasizing the contributions of underrepresented and diverse scholars and theorists.
Culture and Mental Health (3 units)
Students will focus on three major issues: 1) the role of culture in the development of psychological health and psychopathology; 2) variations across cultures in defining and understanding mental health and behavior; and 3) the importance of sociopolitical and cultural context in constructing ways to prevent and/or ameliorate psychological problems. Emphasis is placed on underserved populations in the United States and implications for mental health policy and intervention strategies.
Human Development (3 units)
Students will examine theory and research as they contribute to an understanding of human development of diverse populations. An overview of the biological, cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental factors that influence growth and development across the lifespan will be provided. This foundation will guide cultural/contextual responsive assessment and intervention strategies for addressing atypical development and assessment.
Advanced Psychopathology I: Children and Adolescents (3 units)
Students in this first course in a two-semester sequence focusing on psychopathology across the life span will survey the epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of child and adolescent psychological disorders. Students will examine biological, developmental, familial, and sociocultural factors involved in child and adolescent psychopathology. Students will critically examine the DSM-IV system of diagnosis and learn to apply it thoughtfully in their clinical and empirical work.
Practicum IA (1 unit, on campus, 6-7 hours per week, 6-8 students per section)
Fieldwork in Year 1 is designed to orient students to the practice of professional psychology. The focus is on the interviewing skills for joining with the client, understanding and respecting cultural and other contextual aspects, rapport building, and assessment, treatment planning, and referral needs. Competence in triage, awareness of appropriate treatment, provision of informed consent, and ability to recommend alternatives constitute the essence of this experience. Students meet weekly for two hours with a licensed psychologist in secondary supervision away from the clinical site to provide a broad professional perspective as part of their socialization into the profession. Emphasis is on empirically supported intervention procedures.
Year 1: Spring Session
Research Design, Program Evaluation and Quantitative Data Analysis (3 units)
Students in this first course in a two-semester sequence focusing on advanced statistics and research design will examine and understand the social scientific methods needed to critically analyze published research and apply findings to clinical settings. Students will learn methods development, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, and quantitative data analytic techniques for archival and applied research and program evaluation, and effective, culturally sensitive approaches to community engagement and dissemination of results. Ethical considerations and best practices for working with diverse multicultural populations will be integrated throughout the course.
Biological Psychology (3 units)
An exploration of the basic systems of the body with particular attention to brain structure and functioning will be surveyed. The course includes discussion of the general aspects of the common human pathophysiological conditions and syndromes and the physiological mechanisms involved in the major disturbances in psychiatric/ mental health function. The influence of the brain and neurotransmitters on behaviors, thoughts and feelings and the interaction of biological processes with emotions and cognitions will be examined.
Community Mental Health and Health Disparities (3 units)
Students will critically examine socioeconomic, sociopolitical, structures that influence health disparities and will focus on individual, group, and social determinants of disproportionate rates of mental and physical disorders among underserved communities.
Advanced Psychopathology II: Adults (3 units)
Students in this second course in a two-semester sequence focusing on psychopathology across the life span will survey the epidemiology, etiology, cultural factors, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders that typically manifest themselves during adulthood. Students will examine biological, developmental, familial, and sociocultural factors involved in adult psychopathology. Students will critically examine the DSM-IV system of diagnosis and learn to apply it thoughtfully in their clinical and empirical work.
Practicum IB (1 unit, on campus, 6-7 hours per week, 6-8 students per section)
Fieldwork in Year 1 is designed to orient students to the practice of professional psychology. The focus is on the interviewing skills for joining with the client, understanding and respecting cultural and other contextual aspects, rapport building, and assessment, treatment planning, and referral needs. Competence in triage, awareness of appropriate treatment, provision of informed consent, and ability to recommend alternatives constitute the essence of this experience. Students meet weekly for two hours with a licensed psychologist in secondary supervision away from the clinical site to provide a broad professional perspective as part of their socialization into the profession. Emphasis is on empirically supported intervention procedures.
Year 1: Summer Session
Research Design, Program Evaluation and Qualitative Data Analysis (3 units)
Students in this second course in a two-semester sequence focusing on advanced statistics and research design will continue to examine and understand the social scientific methods needed to critically analyze published research and apply findings to clinical settings. Students will learn methods development, research designs, and qualitative data analytic techniques for archival and applied research and program evaluation, and effective, culturally sensitive approaches to community engagement and dissemination of results. Ethical considerations and best practices for working with diverse multicultural populations will be integrated throughout the course.
Scientific and Professional Ethics and Standards I (3 units)
This course features the roles and responsibilities of psychologists according to the laws and ethical principles governing all modalities of practice, including consultation, teaching, psychotherapy, psycho education, research, and supervision. Particular emphasis will be given to the APA Guidelines and Principles, family law, and statutes covering mental health practice for psychologists in California, and legal mandates pertaining to behavioral health services involving children and adults. Specific focus will be on the ethical and legal implications of practice in diverse communities.
ProSeminar in Clinical Practice and Research with Diverse Populations (1 unit)
Students, faculty and staff from USF, community organizations and other universities will present their prevention and clinical intervention programs, applied community research, and program evaluation efforts. Students, faculty and staff will engage in discussions of issues including community collaboration, application of clinical approaches, methods development, and interpretation and dissemination of results with diverse populations.
Year 2: Fall Session
Learning and Cognition (3 units)
This course will cover the major theories of learning and cognition, with particular emphasis on their impact on assessment and treatment in current clinical practice. Content will include instrumental (operant) and classical (respondent) conditioning and social learning theory, as well as theories of cognition, memory, and problem solving. Multicultural factors associated with learning theories and procedures will be integrated throughout the course.
Behavioral Health within a Cultural Context (3 units)
This course presents several theoretical frameworks that examine how health behaviors are developed, influenced, and changed via attitudes within a social and cultural context. Specifically, classic and contemporary theories of attitudes and attitude change, and compliance-gaining strategies and their relationship with changing health behaviors and culture will be covered. Special attention will be given to the understanding and application of these factors to underserved populations and addressing health disparities in behavioral health settings.
Survey of Clinical Interventions I: Humanistic, Psychodynamic, Interpersonal (3 units)
Students will review the clinical and research literature on relationship-based approaches to treatment of mental health problems. Major theories and approaches in the humanistic, psychodynamic, and interpersonal traditions of psychological treatment will be examined, as well as the empirical support for such interventions. Cultural factors and application of these interventions with diverse communities will be examined.
Intellectual Assessment (3 units)
Examines the theoretical background, rationale and validity of the major contemporary tests of intellectual ability and development of skills in the administration of major instruments of intellectual assessment. Emphasis is given to the professional and ethical responsibilities associated with application of assessment to diverse populations.
Practicum 2A (2 units, off campus, 12 hours/week, 4 - 6 students per section)
Fieldwork in Year 2 builds upon the first year in practicum and extends exposure and training to include more complex treatment planning and intervention. Severe, chronic disorders, diverse settings and cultural considerations, specialized areas of assessment and intervention, and collaboration with allied professionals are integrated into training objectives. Students are involved in community agencies and clinics with multi-problem clients. Diverse skills, including brief psychotherapy, psycho-education, case management, and advocacy are emphasized in 3 hours per week of group supervision.
Year 2: Spring Session
Sociocultural Bases of Behavior (3 units)
Students will review both theories and techniques of understanding and utilizing group dynamics within social psychology. Students will also focus on the implications of social psychology/social cognition for the practicing clinician with particular reference to multi-cultural issues and their relevance to mental health models and psychological practice. Special emphasis will be placed on philosophical, cultural, economic, and sociopolitical elements that have influenced behavior change through history.
Survey of Clinical Interventions II: Behavioral and Cognitive (3 units)
Students will review the clinical and research literature on behavioral and cognitive approaches to treatment of mental health problems. Major theories and approaches in the behavioral, cognitive, and cognitive-behavioral traditions of psychological treatment will be examined, as well as the empirical support for such interventions. Cultural factors and application of these interventions with diverse communities will be examined.
Personality Assessment (3 units)
Students learn the administration, scoring, and interpretation of objective and projective tests that assess the personality and the social/emotional functioning of children, adolescents, and adults. Emphasis is placed on the integration of cognitive, intellectual, and personality test data in presenting a comprehensive and culturally congruent assessment of individuals.
Practicum 2B (2 units, off campus, 12 hours/week, 4 - 6 students per section)
Fieldwork in Year 2 builds upon the first year in practicum and extends exposure and training to include more complex treatment planning and intervention. Severe, chronic disorders, diverse settings and cultural considerations, specialized areas of assessment and intervention, and collaboration with allied professionals are integrated into training objectives. Students are involved in community agencies and clinics with multi-problem clients. Diverse skills, including brief psychotherapy, psycho-education, case management, and advocacy are emphasized in 3 hours per week of group supervision.
Year 2: Summer Session
Survey of Clinical Interventions III: Marital, Family, Group (3 units)
Students will review the clinical and research literature on marital, family, and group treatment of mental health problems. Major theories and approaches in these traditions of psychological treatment will be examined, as well as the empirical support for such interventions. Cultural factors and application of these interventions with diverse communities will be examined for each theory.
ProSeminar in Clinical Practice and Research with Diverse Populations (1 unit)
Students, faculty and staff from USF, community organizations and other universities will present their prevention and clinical intervention programs, applied community research, and program evaluation efforts. Students, faculty and staff will engage in discussions of issues including community collaboration, application of clinical approaches, methods development, and interpretation and dissemination of results with diverse populations.
Qualifying Exams (1 unit)
Required for the Masters Degree in Psychology, the Qualifying Exam, given at the end of Summer of Year 2, assesses students’ breadth of knowledge across the courses offered in the first two years of the program (Foundations of Clinical Psychology, and Psychological Assessment and Theories of Change) by means of a written exam and oral defense of the exam. Students must pass the qualifying exam before beginning work on their Professional Project in Year 3.
Year 3: Fall Session
Behavioral and Systems Assessment (3 units)
This course presents the fundamentals of behavioral assessment, including identifying behaviors to be changed and examining them in an environmental context (functional assessment) with respect to situational, cultural, maturational, spiritual, and health factors.
Neuropsychological Screening and Assessment (3 units)
Students will be introduced to standard approaches to screening and assessment of neuropsychological functioning in children, adolescents, and adults. Content will include development, administration, and interpretative methods used in assessment and review of results. Emphasis is given to the professional and ethical responsibilities associated with assessment of diverse populations.
Professional Project Proposal Development (1 unit)
In this first course of a five-semester sequence, students meet in a weekly seminar to formulate and develop their Professional Project Proposal. Discussion of background clinical and research literature, needs of diverse communities and individuals, design of interventions and evaluation methods, and approaches to data analysis and interpretation are reviewed and articulated orally and in writing.
Practicum 3A (3 units, off campus, 20 hours/week, 4 - 6 students per section)
As students have become increasingly socialized into the profession, a clearer understanding of their role as psychologists begins to emerge in this practicum experience. Placements continue in community clinics and medical facilities, with a focus on working as part of multidisciplinary teams. Skills in collaboration, prevention, and intervention with specific bio psychosocial conditions, and flexibility in adapting to crises and unforeseen occurrences in behavioral health are emphasized in 3 hours per week of group supervision.
Year 3: Spring Session
Psychopharmacology (3 units)
Students will gain current scientific knowledge of psychopharmacology and its application to clinical problems commonly seen in a variety of settings. The course explores advanced concepts in neuroscience, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and the clinical management of target psychiatric symptoms related to psychopharmacologic treatment of various psychiatric disorders. Special emphasis will be placed on identifying the need for medication and referring for evaluation and treatment.
Consultation and Inter-professional Collaboration
Students will explore the role of the consultation process in various behavioral health settings in which the psychologist functions. Emphasis will be on the structure of different professional settings, as well as collaboration with the various professionals who work there, such as nurses, physicians, social workers, and occupational therapists, and other allied health professionals. Students will learn how to assess, enter, and function in multiple settings.
Professional Project Proposal Defense (1 unit)
In this second course of a five-semester sequence, students meet in a weekly seminar to finalize and write their Professional Project Proposal. A scholarly critical review of the clinical and research literature, an analysis of the needs of diverse communities and individuals, and the proposed design of intervention and evaluation methods, data analysis and interpretation are presented in the written Proposal, which is submitted to the student's Professional Project Faculty Committee. Students orally defend their Proposal at the end of the session.
Practicum 3B (3 units, off campus, 20 hours/week, 4 - 6 students per section)
As students have become increasingly socialized into the profession, a clearer understanding of their role as psychologists begins to emerge in this practicum experience. Placements continue in community clinics and medical facilities, with a focus on working as part of multidisciplinary teams. Skills in collaboration, prevention, and intervention with specific bio psychosocial conditions, and flexibility in adapting to crises and unforeseen occurrences in behavioral health are emphasized in 3 hours per week of group supervision.
Year 3: Summer Session
Professional Project Data Collection (1 unit)
In this third course of a five-semester sequence, students work individually under the supervision of their Professional Project Faculty Committee Chair to obtain approval from the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects for their Project. Once approved, students implement their Project intervention and data collection efforts.
Scientific and Professional Ethics and Standards II (1 unit)
Following the beginning seminar in this area, students have been presented with complex ethical and legal dilemmas in their practicum and classroom experiences, and related inter-professionally with behavioral health providers at all levels. This seminar is designed to address common issues faced by students and professionals in the field and to apply critical thinking skills to cases encountered by students and adjudicated by licensing boards, ethics committees, and in the courts.
ProSeminar in Clinical Practice and Research with Diverse Populations (1 unit)
Students, faculty and staff from USF, community organizations and other universities will present their prevention and clinical intervention programs, applied community research, and program evaluation efforts. Students, faculty and staff will engage in discussions of issues including community collaboration, application of clinical approaches, methods development, and interpretation and dissemination of results with diverse populations.
Year 4: Fall Session
Theory and Practice of Clinical Supervision (3 units)
This course will explore various principles, theories, and approaches of individual and group supervision in psychological practice. Students will have the opportunity to apply this knowledge towards their work with first year PsyD students in conjunction with a licensed psychologist.
Elective (3 units)
Professional Project Data Analysis and Writing (1 unit)
In this fourth course of a five-semester sequence, students work individually under the supervision of their Professional Project Faculty Committee Chair to complete data collection and conduct data analysis and drafting of the results, implications, and recommendations of their Project.
Practicum 4A (3 units, off campus, 20 hours/week, 4 - 6 students per section)
The final pre-doctoral fieldwork experience integrates and consolidates the first three years into a comprehensive approach to practice, and allows the student to integrate their personal worldview and background into preparation for successfully obtaining and completing an internship. Specific strategies for applying to APA internships and methods for flexibility in allowing for work-life and professional balance are stressed, in 3 hours per week of group supervision.
Year 4: Spring Session
Elective (3 units)
Assessment and Treatment of Trauma and Substance Abuse (3 units)
This course focuses on the detection, evaluation and treatment of trauma and substance abuse in a sociocultural context. It includes the historical and contemporary perspectives on trauma and on alcohol and drug abuse, basic principles of diagnosis and assessment, and prevention and intervention strategies with diverse populations. Sociopolitical and cultural aspects of work in this area is emphasized.
Professional Project Defense (1 unit)
In this fifth course of a five-semester sequence, students work individually under the supervision of their Professional Project Chair to finalize their Project in a manuscript to be presented to their Committee. Students orally defend their Professional Project at the end of the session.
Practicum 4B (3 units, off campus, 20 hours/week, 4 - 6 students per section)
The final pre-doctoral fieldwork experience integrates and consolidates the first three years into a comprehensive approach to practice, and allows the student to integrate their personal worldview and background into preparation for successfully obtaining and completing an internship. Specific strategies for applying to APA internships and methods for flexibility in allowing for work-life and professional balance are stressed, in 3 hours per week of group supervision.
Year 5: July 1st through June 30th
Full-Time Clinical Internship at another institution (1 USF unit in Fall Session, 1 USF unit in Spring Session)
ELECTIVES
Assessment of Children and Adolescents (3 units)
Students will be introduced to objective and projective approaches to clinical assessment and evaluation of children and adolescents. Empirically supported tools used in clinics, schools, and private practice settings with diverse populations will be reviewed. Opportunities for practice in administration, interpretation, and report writing are included in the course.
Advanced Neuropsychological Assessment (3 units)
Students will be introduced to the underlying theory and administration of major neuropsychological screening tools and assessment instruments. Opportunities for practice in administration, interpretation, and report writing are included in the course.
Treatment with Forensic Populations (3 units)
Students will be provided with psychological, legal, historical, and practical concepts and methods used in forensic assessments to provide expert witness testimony in a variety of psycho-legal settings and cases. A discussion of sociopolitical factors associated with psycho-legal processes will also be discussed. The traditional roles of Psychologist and Psychiatrist in the judicial system, the assessment of competency to stand trial and issues of criminal responsibility will be analyzed during this course. Patients’ rights, confidentiality, duty to warn, and patient-doctor privileges will also be examined in this course.
Child and Family Treatment (3 units)
Students will examine the clinical and research literature on mental health treatment of children, adolescents, and families and be introduced to major approaches to working with diverse youth and their families.
Indigenous Healing Practices (3 units)
Students will learn about a wide variety of cultural healing and spirituality practices and develop strategies to aid in recognizing the role of these practices in health and illness.
Gender, Sex, Sexuality and Health (3 units)
Students will be provided with a frame of reference to understand the intersection of gender, sex, sexuality and health throughout the developmental continuum. Social constructions regarding gender norms will be critiqued from a multicultural lens along with their impact on health and health seeking behaviors. Students will also be provided with class discussions around issues related to topics such as rape and sexual abuse, transgender concerns in health, sexual dysfunction, same sex relationships and behavior, and sexual negotiation and health concerns. The psychotherapeutic implications of these issues will be addressed throughout the course.
Aging and Older Adults (3 units)
Students will explore cognitive, emotional, physical, and social theories of aging. Consultation and interventions in the context of normative aging will be discussed as it relates to retirement counseling, coping with experiences of loss, death and dying, coping with diminished physical, psychological and social functioning, as well as the impact of aging on selfhood. Students will also examine the most frequently encountered clinical syndrome in older age including cortical and sub-cortical dementia, depression and pseudo dementia and various organic syndromes of different etiologies. The different treatment options available to the elderly will be reviewed.
