At a Glance

  • 5-year program (including internship)
  • APA-accredited* program
  • Practitioner-scholar model that places an emphasis on clinical training, with optional specializations available
  • Practicum experiences within multidisciplinary settings, including LLU-affiliated and non-LLU practicum sites
  • One-on-one academic, research, and clinical mentoring in a highly respected health care setting
  • Embedded curriculum for practice with a broad range of patient populations (e.g., children, adults, couples, families, military members, veterans, medically ill, substance use) across a variety of settings (e.g., general, private, forensic, and VA hospitals; university/college counseling centers, community mental health centers)
  • Embedded curriculum for practice with active-duty military and veterans
  • Christian environment emphasizing integrated learning and compassionate whole person care
  • Embedded professional self-care

Request Information Frequently Asked Questions

Director of Clinical Training

Dr. Kenny Boyd

PhD, MA

Associate Chair, Department of Psychology
Professor, Psychology
Director of Clinical Training, PsyD Program

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As an APA-accredited program, the program adheres to the Standards of Accreditation for Health Service Psychology. Therefore, Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data are made available for examination by the public, current students, and students who may consider applying to the program.

Amanda Saddlemire, MA
Amanda Saddlemire, MA
Student Story
The School of Behavioral Health's emphasis on whole person and integrated care is evident and actively put to practice throughout the variety of experiences and specialties offered. Although the courses and clinical placements are rigorous, they are well supported by knowledgeable faculty and supervisors. This support is one of the many reasons why I feel fortunate to be receiving my doctoral training at Loma Linda University. The guidance and instruction offered in the Department of Psychology has greatly prepared me for becoming a well-rounded clinician in our diverse communities.
Amanda Saddlemire, MA
Clinical Psychology PsyD student

About the Program

The PsyD (APA-Accredited) program prepares students who seek specialized training in the professional practice of clinical psychology.

Like clinical PhD students, PsyD students are expected to take foundational courses in the scientific bases of psychology and empirically-supported treatments. However, PsyD students begin working in supervised clinical settings at the end of the first training year, work with individuals, couples, and families in the psychology clinic throughout the second year, and work in a variety of clinical settings at Loma Linda University Medical Center and throughout the community during years 3 and 4.

Our PsyD program is one of only a handful of PsyD programs in the nation that is housed together with a PhD program in a university psychology department. Our PsyD students have the opportunity to receive rigorous, evidence-based training alongside our PhD students in a range of health care settings. Students also have the opportunity to receive specialized training in health psychology, neuropsychology, and clinical child psychology, all of which represent specialization areas that are projected to be in high demand in the broader healthcare landscape in the years to come.

Training sites are varied and offer students the ability to work with a tremendous diversity of clinical populations. For example, our students are currently providing services related to substance abuse and addictions, hospice/palliative care, forensic neuropsychological evaluations, university-based student counseling, severe mental illnesses, combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder, geriatric primary care, community behavioral health, hospital-based consultation and liaison, sex offenders, and pediatric obesity to name just a few.

Eligibility to Apply for Internship

Eligibility to apply for internship requires that all PsyD students successfully complete the following requirements: all required coursework, all sections of the comprehensive exam and defend the doctoral project proposal. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the doctoral project and final defense prior to departing for pre-doctoral internship.

Application Information

Resources

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*Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation: Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone 202-336-5979 / Email apaaccred@apa.org
Web www.apa.org/ed/accreditation