Academics » M.S. and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Clinical Psychology Programs
The IPS Clinical Psychology programs aim to prepare our students to become licensed mental health professionals, leaders in their field, and trained in the best empirical, scientific and clinical methods of psychology as well as the Christian understanding of the person, marriage and the family.
IPS currently offers a Master of Science (M.S.) degree program and a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree program in Clinical Psychology. These programs adopt as their training model a modified version of the Practitioner-Scholar model, which is based upon guidelines developed by the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSSP).
Nine core areas of knowledge, skills, and competencies serve as the foundation of the IPS program objectives and are embodied by the curricula:
- Relationship skills
- Assessment skills
- Therapeutic interventions
- Research and evaluation
- Professional roles
- Knowledge of basic psychological science content areas
- Knowledge and application of ethical principles
- Diversity issues
- Theory and application of an integrated Catholic approach to psychology
Read more about the curriculum below, or click here to learn more about a particular program:
The two-year/two-summer M.S. program and the first two years of the Psy.D. program are similar in terms of program goals and content. There is considerable overlap in coursework, and both focus on the development of foundational knowledge and the development of basic skills in the nine core areas. Students who complete the M.S. degree in Clinical Psychology at the IPS, and who apply and are accepted into the Psy.D. degree program in Clinical Psychology, are allowed to transfer and apply all credits earned thus far from the M.S. program toward the degree requirements for the Psy.D. degree program.
The Psy.D. degree program further allows an opportunity for students to obtain advanced knowledge and receive advanced skills training in the nine competency areas. During the latter years of the Psy.D. degree program, students participate in on-going supervised clinical work and the emphasis moves from theory and basic skills formation to the application of theory and skills mastery.
As well, students enrolled in the M.S. degree program in Clinical Psychology also complete a year-long externship, enabling students to apply and practice clinical skills under direct supervision of licensed professionals in a variety of mental health settings. The thrust of the IPS MS in Clinical Psychology program, therefore, is to enhance the professional opportunities for graduates at the Masters level. (Since licensing requirements vary from state to state students are recommended to research their state of choice.)