Advance Your Work as a Clinical Psychologist with the PsyD Program
The Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in systems thinking, diversity, and integration of faith/spirituality into clinical practice is focused on training practitioner-scholars to work in diverse settings. Most graduates of the PsyD program go on to become licensed psychologists in clinical practice who engage in psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and clinical research. The PsyD is APA-accredited and also provides opportunities for teaching, consultation, and administration.
The PsyD curriculum provides the courses and training necessary to meet the educational requirements in the state of California for licensure as a psychologist.
Meet Samuel Girguis, PsyD, chair of the Department of Clinical Psychology
Get to know our clinical psychology faculty.
PsyD Program Highlights
The PsyD curriculum includes three emphases that are interwoven throughout every course:
- Systems Approach (Family Psychology): Consideration of individual, interpersonal, and environmental factors that impact human behavior.
- Integration of Faith/Spirituality into Clinical Practice (Interdisciplinary Integration): A Christian values orientation that provides a structure for the integration of ethics, theology, and psychology.
- Diversity: A deep appreciation for and understanding of individual and cultural differences and issues of power, privilege, and oppression.
Learn more about the program on our website, or download the Doctor of Psychology brochure (PDF).
Learn more about why it’s important to choose a university that values and invests in research.
Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data
View our Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data (PDF).
Accreditation
Azusa Pacific University values the importance of developing programs of distinction and academic integrity. This attention to excellence has earned the school notable accreditations. The university is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), while the doctoral program in psychology is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation (CoA) of the American Psychological Association (APA), 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC, 20002 / phone: (202) 336-5979 / email: apaaccred@apa.org. When you graduate from APU’s psychology program, you embark on your career with the assurance that you are well equipped to function in the education and behavioral studies arena and are a valued asset to the organization you serve.
University Reputation
U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges 2023 edition named Azusa Pacific to its list of top national universities and several other significant lists, including First-Year Experiences and Top Performers on Social Mobility. The Princeton Review designated APU as 1 of 126 institutions in the “Best Western Colleges” section of its 2023 Best Colleges guide. APU’s School of Nursing was named a top nursing school in California for 2023 by College Factual and Niche. APU was included as a top-100 degree producer by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Azusa Pacific is also a Military Friendly School and Yellow Ribbon University, serving more than 500 military-connected students and families, and is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as an R2 Doctoral Research University.
Note: This information is current for the 2022-23 academic year; however, all stated academic information is subject to change. Please refer to the current Academic Catalog for more information.