Western Carolina University's Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Health Service Psychology (Combined Clinical- School) is a three-year, post-Masters professional preparation program.
Upon completion of the program, students will be to provide culturally competent,
evidence-based clinical services while adhering to the highest ethical standards.
Professional psychologists will be trained to work in various settings serving underserved
populations, particularly individuals living in rural communities in North Carolina.
The PsyD program at WCU ascribes to the practitioner-scholar model of professional
training, which places greater emphasis on clinical preparation as opposed to research
training. Students in the program will garner experience through formal coursework,
supervised clinical experiences, and research requirements with the goal to prepare
graduates for licensure.
This curriculum is designed to meet requirements for accreditation by the American Psychological Association.
Admission to the Program
At the time of enrollment, applicants must have completed the following:
- a Masters or Specialist degree in psychology or
- a Masters degree in a related area that includes at least 18 hours of coursework in
psychology.
At the time of application, candidates must select a concentration area: Clinical
or School Psychology.
Candidates who are graduates of the M.A. Clinical Psychology program or S.S.P. School Psychology program at Western Carolina University will have satisfied all course prerequisites
prior to admission to the PsyD program.
Candidates graduating from other Masters programs will need to submit transcripts,
syllabi, and evidence of prior research conducted (e.g., thesis; published paper) for faculty review to determine if prior coursework satisfies program prerequisites;
however, these materials are not needed as part of the initial application.
- Transcripts from all postsecondary colleges and universities attended documenting
the following criteria:
- Official GRE score report from test administration within the past five years documenting
GRE scores at the 50th percentile or higher on both Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative
Reasoning sections (preferred criteria)
- Three letters of recommendation solicited from professionals (ideally professional
supervisors and psychology faculty) who can provide information about candidate’s:
- A Curriculum Vita documenting the following criteria
- Personal statement written in three (3) double-spaced pages or less describing the
candidate’s:
-
Background and experiences in psychology,
-
Interest in the PsyD program and specific concentration identified
-
Academic interests that align with departmental faculty
-
Career goals
-
Commitment to providing psychological services to underserved and rural populations
Admission into the PsyD program is selective and satisfying the preferred admission
criteria described below does not guarantee admission to the program.
The PsyD admission committee (PAC) will review all completed applications and invite
top candidates for in-person interviews. Interviewee selection will be based on review
of graduate coursework and GPA, GRE scores, quality of recommendations, and personal
statement.
The application review process involves holistic evaluation, including fit with mission
of the program as well as academic preparation and promise
Curriculum
Consistent with APA Accreditation standards, the PsyD program curriculum emphasizes
broad and general training in discipline-specific knowledge that informs health service
psychology, such as the biological basis of behavior, social influences on behavior,
history and philosophical systems of psychology, research and data analysis, cognitive/affective
aspects of behavior, and psychological measurement.
Curriculum Overview
Program emphasis
The PsyD program emphasizes mastery of profession-wide competencies that are grounded
in evidence-based practices in core professional activities, such as assessment, therapy,
consultation, and supervision. Our curriculum grounds all coursework and supervised
clinical practice in both the empiricism of psychology and ethical competence.
Research
Candidates admitted to the PsyD program will be involved actively in faculty research
programs.
PsyD candidates will demonstrate mastery of psychological research through the completion
of a dissertation. The dissertation requirement reflects the program’s commitment
grounding professional psychological practice in the empirical science of psychology.
Training Clinic
The PsyD program features an in-house training clinic, the McKee Psychological Services Center (McKee Clinic).
The McKee Clinic features multiple assessment and therapy rooms with two-way observation
mirrors, state-of-the-art video capture technology, videoconference technology, a
dedicated reception area, extensive library of testing materials, and dedicated student
office space.
ADVANCED PRACTICUM TRAINING
Faculty
The PsyD is supported by 11 core faculty members representing clinical and school
psychology specializations with wide-ranging research interests and clinical expertise.
Four faculty members are licensed psychologists.
The PsyD program is further supported by departmental faculty members with expertise
in cognitive, experimental, educational, developmental, and social psychology.
Explore our faculty and their research below:
L. Alvin Malesky, Jr., Ph.D., Department Head - Psychology; Forensic Psychology
Kia Asberg, Ph.D., Director - Master of Clinical Psychology; Clinical Psychology
Jon Campbell, Ph.D., Director - Doctor of Psychology
Candace Boan-Lenzo, Ph.D., Director - Master of School Psychology; School Psychology
David de Jong, Ph.D.; Social Psychology
Tom Ford, Ph.D.; Social Psychology
Winford Gordon, Ph.D.; Experimental Psychology
Bruce Henderson, Ph.D.; Developmental Psychology
Al Kopak, Ph.D.;
David McCord, Ph.D.; Clinical Psychology
Matt Meier, Ph.D., Cognitive Psychology
Erin Myers, Ph.D.; Social-Personality Psychology
Mickey Randolph, Ph.D.; School Psychology
Nathan Roth, Ph.D., Director – McKee Assessment and Psychological Services Clinic
David Scales; Experimental Psychology
Ethan Schilling, Ph.D.; School Psychology
David Solomon, Ph.D., Director – Clinical Psychology
Jamie Vaske;
Lori Unruh, Ph.D.; School Psychology
