Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) Requirements

Foundation Courses

The Hawai‘i School of Professional Psychology at Chaminade University of Honolulu requires applicants to successfully complete, five 3-credit undergraduate (with a C or better) or graduate (with a B or better) courses that serve as a basic foundation for coursework in clinical psychology. Foundation courses must be completed prior to starting the program. Several of these courses serve as direct prerequisites to the HSPP courses. The following undergraduate or graduate courses are required:

• Introduction to psychology or general psychology (this course may be waived if the applicant has completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Psychology)

• Abnormal psychology, psychopathology, or maladaptive behavior

• Statistics or research methods

• Two additional courses in the field of psychology

Program Requirements

Students enrolled in the Hawai‘i School of Professional Psychology at Chaminade University of Honolulu are required to satisfactorily complete 103 credit hours (domain requirements below). Students can expect 15 hours of instructional engagement for every 1 semester credit hour of a course. Students can expect to complete 30 hours of outside work for every 1 semester credit hour of a course. At least an equivalent amount of work shall be applied for other academic activities including laboratory work, internship, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

Students are responsible to retain copies of all course, practica, and programmatic submissions. This is good practice not only for efficient program processes but also for future professional practice.

Practicum Requirements

Full-time students are typically placed in Practicum I, Practicum II, and Practicum II Extension (PP8201, PP8202, PP8202E) during their second year of study and in Practicum III, Practicum IV, and Practicum IV Extension (PP8203, PP8204, PP8204E) during their third year of study. The practicum carries 3 credit hours per semester and 1 for the summer extension (totaling 7 credit hours per academic year). Practicum commitments typically begin at the start of the fall term and conclude at the end of the Summer 1 term or up to 8 weeks later (depending on whether the student is at a 10-month or a 12-month practicum site). Credit for the year is not awarded until all practicum requirements are met. That is, the Fall and Spring practica (i.e., Practicum I, II, III, IV) will not receive credit until the Summer practicum extensions are completed.  Throughout the year, the student will be required to spend about 18 – 24 hours per week or a minimum of 720 hours in the practicum training experience.

Further information regarding the practicum is found in the Hawai‘i School of Professional Psychology at Chaminade University of Honolulu Clinical Training Manual.

Diagnostic and Intervention Practicum

The Diagnostic Practicum (Practicum I, II, II-E) is designed to emphasize the observation and diagnostic interviewing of clients and provides exposure to psychological evaluation and other assessment procedures. The Intervention Practicum (Practicum III, IV, IV-E) emphasizes the aspects of therapeutic intervention. Time is typically divided into direct client contact, supervision, and indirect work such as paperwork and meetings. Practicum sites are made available through the HSPP Practicum Director. Practicum positions are volunteer (unpaid) training positions.

The practicum seminar meets weekly throughout the academic year (i.e., Fall, Spring, Summer) and allows the student to reflect on various practicum experiences and to acquire additional skills and attitudes useful in field training. The specific content and emphasis of the seminar is geared to the nature of the practicum setting, the needs of the students, and the professional expertise of the faculty member. The seminar also assists students to prepare for the Diagnostic (second year) and Intervention (third year) Clinical Competency Evaluations.

All students who enter the practicum application process must be in good standing, meet student and professional standards, and have completed the prerequisite courses prior to the beginning of practicum.

All students should be familiar with the Hawai‘i School of Professional Psychology at Chaminade University of Honolulu Clinical Training Manual. The manual provides a comprehensive overview of the practicum courses and their requirements.

Clinical Competency Evaluation (CCE)

The Hawai‘i School of Professional Psychology Clinical Competency Evaluation (CCE) is a competency-based examination that is designed to evaluate students’ mastery of major clinical assessment and therapeutic skills.

Students are expected to demonstrate clinical competence both conceptually and in application. It is also expected that students, having learned theoretical and applied bases in classroom courses, will have made use of out-of-class clinical contacts (e.g., practicum, seminar groups, supplementary supervision, visiting lecturers) to refine and extend the skills to be evaluated by the CCE. Successful completion of the CCE is a requirement for passing the Clinical Interviewing (PP7365) course and the Diagnostic Practicum (PP8201, PP8202, PP8202E) and Intervention Practicum (PP8203, PP8204, PP8204E) sequences. As a CCE is a demonstration of clinical competence, without successful completion of the CCE, students will be prohibited from continuing in their scheduled practicum sequence.

There are 3 sections to the CCE:

·        The Clinical Interviewing CCE: This CCE takes place at the end of the Clinical Interviewing course during the Fall semester of the first year.

·        The Diagnostic CCE: This CCE typically takes place in conjunction with the Practicum I, II, and II-E series during the Summer session of the year in which the student is enrolled in Practicum I, II, and II-E.

·        The Intervention CCE: This CCE typically takes place in conjunction with the Practicum III, IV, and IV-E series during the Summer session of the year in which the student is enrolled in Practicum III, IV, and IV-E.

Comprehensive Examination Requirements

All Hawai‘i School of Professional Psychology students are required to successfully complete a comprehensive examination. The successful passage of this examination marks the official acceptance of the matriculated student as a doctoral degree candidate. The material covered in the Comprehensive Examination (Comps) includes required courses outlined in the Study Plan, excluding certain courses such as electives and Professionalization Group I and II (see the Comps Manual for details). The examination requires students to integrate the material, demonstrating both mastery of the material and the ability to organize and apply what they have learned in a coherent and logical manner.

Students should demonstrate the ability to think critically, integrate ideas thoughtfully, and be self-reflective. They should further demonstrate an understanding and competency with issues of diversity.

Upon request, students who are unable to pass the Comprehensive Examination will receive information concerning their performance on the examination and assistance in constructing additional experiences and instruction aimed at enabling them to pass this program requirement. Students may take this exam up to 3 times. Three failures of this exam will result in dismissal from the program.

To be able to sit for the Comprehensive Examination, students must have successfully completed all required courses outlined in the Study Plan through the third year, including the successful defense of the Clinical Research Proposal. Courses that are transferred are considered successfully completed, but knowing the content of the respective HSPP course is the responsibility of the student. Students taking the Comprehensive Examination must be in good standing and meet student and professional standards.

Students are required to take the Comprehensive Examination no later than the end of the fifth year after matriculation in order to meet the seven-year maximum timeframe for completion of degree requirements. This examination is offered once each year in late August. Students interested in taking the Comprehensive Examination should consult the Comprehensive Examination Manual for the application, due dates, and other procedures. Further information about the Comprehensive Examination is found in the Hawai‘i School of Professional Psychology at Chaminade University of Honolulu Comprehensive Examination Manual.

Dissertation Requirements

The Hawai‘i School of Professional Psychology at Chaminade University of Honolulu requires each student to develop a dissertation (PP8501) as a requirement for graduation. The dissertation is a scholarly work that provides students with an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and thought about a particular clinical area, to demonstrate the ability to critically analyze methodological issues, and to produce an original and potentially publishable piece of research in clinical psychology. An electronic copy of the completed dissertation will be archived at the Chaminade University Library.

Students must register for the Dissertation during each semester in which they either consult with or use their dissertation advisor or committee. Registering for dissertation credit is the same as registering for a course, as students will be graded PR or NC by the chairperson based on the work the student has completed that semester. CR is given only when the entire dissertation is complete. Students must register for a minimum of 2 semesters of dissertation in order to graduate and must register for dissertation during the semesters that they conduct their dissertation proposal and final defense. Students are required to successfully defend their dissertation proposal by the end of the Summer I session of their third year to be eligible for the Comprehensive Examination. Students who are unable to do so will be required to register for dissertation credit until the proposal defense is completed. Students are required to complete their dissertation final defense prior to starting internship. Students who fail to do so will be referred to the Student Professional Development Committee to develop an intensive completion plan. Please refer to the Hawai‘i School of Professional Psychology at Chaminade University of Honolulu Dissertation Manual for detailed information.

Advanced Practicum Requirements

A number of students opt to complete a practicum (beyond the required 2 years of practicum) for further training and to accrue additional training hours. Advanced Practicum consists of a 1.5-credit Fall semester course (PP8310) and 1.5-credit Spring semester course (PP8311), which may be combined to satisfy a 3-credit elective requirement. In addition to on-site training approved by the HSPP Practicum Director, the courses include a weekly class seminar to provide further support to students. Students are expected to provide services consistent with those provided by professional psychologists in clinical settings, including assessment, interventions, consultations, research, program development and evaluation, and outreach/educational services. To be eligible for Advanced Practicum, students must be in good academic standing, have completed 2 years of the required practicum, and have successfully completed all CCEs.

Clinical Practice Policy

The participation of students in outside work activities should be secondary to training and should also uphold and be consistent with the ethical and legal standards of the profession. The Hawai‘i School of Professional Psychology program students are not prohibited from being involved in licensed private practice; however, students need to prioritize their academic responsibilities over their outside work. 

Internship Requirements  

The Hawai‘i School of Professional Psychology at Chaminade University of Honolulu requires each student to complete a one-year, 2,000 hour, full-time 12-month APA pre-doctoral internship. This intensive and supervised contact with clients is essential for providing breadth and depth to the student’s overall training experience. Typically, full-time students will begin internship during the fifth year of enrollment. To accommodate the varying start dates of internship sites, HSPP offers different internship course registration options so students meet the 3-credit internship requirement (refer to the HSPP Clinical Training Manual for details). PP8900 Internship in Fall, Spring, and Summer 3 total 3 credits (1 credit per term). The alternatives for longer PP8900 Summer 3 term are shorter PP8900 Internship Summer 1 and Summer 2 terms and are billed at 0.5 credits per term. An Internship Study Materials fee is also applied to internship costs (see preceding Tuition and Fees section).

In order to be eligible to begin the internship application process, students must complete the following requirements:

·      Make an initial application for approval by the Director of Clinical Training who will evaluate students for internship eligibility and readiness. If all requirements are met, the student will receive written approval from the Director of Clinical Training for application to internship sites, which will be a completed approval form attached to the APPIC application.

·      Successfully complete the Comprehensive Examination prior to the fall internship application process.

·      Submit a list of internship site preferences to the Director of Training. Students submit application forms directly to the internship site via the APPIC student portal and request that the school provide sealed copies of transcripts. Requests for transcripts and reference letters must be made in advance and in writing by the student.

·      It is the student’s responsibility to request letters of recommendation. The Director of Training will assist the student by providing letters of eligibility for internship when appropriate.

In order to be eligible to begin an internship, students must successfully pass all sections of the CCEs, complete all practica, pass the Comprehensive Examination, pass all coursework, pass the dissertation final defense, and be in good standing.

Graduation Requirements and Records

Students who are admitted into the Hawai‘i School of Professional Psychology will be responsible for completing the program requirements that are in effect at the time of their admission. The school retains the right to modify these requirements in accordance with the demands of the profession of psychology. The courses will be completed in the order recommended by the HSPP Study Plan. Students are responsible to retain copies and ensure accuracy of all course (e.g., assignments, reports), practicum/internship (e.g., training reports, battery logs), and programmatic (e.g., applications, petitions, waivers) submissions. This is good practice not only for efficient program processes but also for future professional practice. Students’ academic records are kept on a secured database with the registrar’s office. The clinical training files of students are stored with restricted program access within our on-campus data center servers, backed up daily and secured by antivirus and firewall solutions. The files are retained indefinitely for future reference and credentialing purposes. Transcripts are maintained permanently with the Records Office. For detailed information on FERPA and other record management policies and procedures, please refer to the current Chaminade University Student Handbook.

To be eligible for graduation, students must meet the following requirements:

·         Completion of 103 credit hours of which 62 must be completed by the end of the 4th year of matriculation. The total credit hours must include:

o   72 credit hours of required courses completed with an earned grade of “B” or better

o   17 credit hours of  practicum, practicum seminar groups, and internship

o   12 credit hours of electives

o   2 credit hours of Dissertation

·         Successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination no later than the end of the fifth year

·         Successful completion of the 3 Clinical Competency Evaluations (CCEs): Clinical Interviewing CCE, Diagnostic CCE, and Intervention CCE

·         Successful completion of the dissertation

·         Successful completion of a 2,000-hour pre-doctoral one-year, full-time internship

·         Attainment of a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale)

·         Completion of these requirements within 7 years of matriculation into the program

Petition to Graduate

Students are responsible for initiation and completion of this process. A petition for graduation must be filed at the Records Office no later than the deadline specified in the current academic calendar to avoid additional fees. Two terms prior to intended graduation date, a clearance for graduation form must be completed before the petition and graduation fees are accepted. Attendance at commencement is optional. A petition must be filed and the graduation fee must be paid before the degree will be conferred or a diploma issued. To participate in the graduation ceremony, PsyD students also must complete all graduation requirements (with the exception of the internship) by the University petition deadline (approximately 8 weeks prior to commencement, depending on the year). The same requirements apply to the program’s Ho‘opuka graduation ceremonies.

Depending on the licensing state, graduates may begin accumulating postdoctoral hours for licensing after the degree has been conferred by the Registrar. After all requirements are met (including submission of required paperwork), the conferral date is the last day of the term of the last course taken.