California School of Professional Psychology

The California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP), the largest of Alliant’s four schools, has been educating professional psychologists for 40 years. The mission of the California School of Professional Psychology is to provide the highest quality education, training, research, and service in professional psychology and related human services fields. CSPP strives to improve the quality of life by addressing major contemporary issues in a problem-solving way, fostering respect for human diversity in a multicultural society, and combating discrimination in all of its forms, especially racism, sexism, and heterosexism. In all of its activities, CSPP is committed to exhibiting the highest professional and ethical standards, addressing the needs of both individuals and organizations and serving those who are underserved. CSPP embraces the international mission of Alliant and is committed to fostering the international exchange of ideas, research findings, and professional practices, and to international education and training programs.

CSPP enrolls students from across the nation and around the globe who represent many different backgrounds and experiences.

Our students are dedicated, service-oriented, and independent. Collectively, they provide over one million hours of service annually to their local communities. Postdoctoral CSPP graduates provide an additional 425,000 hours of professional service in the United States in preparation for licensure.

Students who enroll in a CSPP program join a professional family that includes over 12,000 alumni who have improved the quality of life for children, adults, and families throughout California, the nation, and the world. CSPP alumni work in schools, community clinics, medical centers, courts and prisons, and universities. They are therapists, educators, advocates, policy makers, supervisors, researchers, administrators, and consultants, strengthening the communities in which they live and work.

CSPP Dean: Morgan Sammons, PhD, ABPP (Clinical Psychology)
Phone: (415) 995-2066
E-mail: msammons@alliant.edu

Degree Programs and Accreditation Status

CSPP offers APA-accredited doctoral (PhD and PsyD) programs in Clinical Psychology across five locations. The Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree in Clinical Psychology programs and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Clinical Psychology programs offered in Fresno/Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco are individually accredited by the Commission on Accreditation (CoA), Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242; Phone: 202-336-5979; Email: apaaccred@apa.org).

CSPP offers a Master of Arts in Marital Family Therapy (MFT) in Irvine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego and a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Marital Family Therapy in Irvine, Sacramento, and San Diego. The MFT Masters and Doctoral programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapist (112 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; Phone: 703-838-9808; Email coamfte@aamft.org).

CSPP offers a Postdoctoral MS in Clinical Psychopharmacology, an MA in Clinical Psychology in Japan, a PsyD in Clinical Psychology in Hong Kong, and an MA in Counseling Psychology in Mexico. Additionally, a Dual Clinical/Industrial-Organizational Psychology PhD program is offered jointly with the Marshall Goldsmith School of Management in San Diego.

The Commission on Accreditation (CoA) of the American Psychological Association accredits only doctoral level clinical psychology programs and internships; master’s level clinical psychology programs are not eligible for accreditation, and neither are the dual clinical/industrial program and the postdoctoral program in psychopharmacology. The CoA also does not accredit programs outside of the United States and Canada; however, the PsyD program in Hong Kong has been designated as a doctoral program in psychology by the National Register/ASPPB.

Licensure

All psychologists who offer direct services to the public for a fee must be licensed or certified by the state in which they practice. Applicants for licensure in the state of California must hold an earned doctoral degree in psychology, educational psychology, education with a field of specialization in counseling psychology, or education with a field of specialization in educational psychology from an approved or accredited educational institution. They also must have completed 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience (of which at least 1,500 must be postdoctoral) and have taken and passed the national Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and the California Psychology Supplemental Examination (CPSE). In addition, they must submit evidence of having completed coursework in human sexuality, child abuse, substance abuse, spousal abuse, and aging and long-term care. Continuing education is required to maintain the license. CSPP doctoral course requirements are designed to fulfill the programmatic requirements for licensure in California, and in some cases they exceed the requirements.

Every state has its own requirements for licensure. Therefore, it is essential that all CSPP PsyD and PhD students who plan to apply for licensure in states other than California contact the licensing board in those states for information on state requirements (e.g., coursework, practicum and internship hours, supervision, or nature of the doctoral project or dissertation). Students seeking licensure in other states should plan ahead to ensure they meet all of those states’ requirements.

For further information on licensure in California or other states contact:

Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards
PO Box 241245
Montgomery, AL 36124-1245
(334) 832-4580, asppb@asppb.org

California Board of Psychology
2005 Evergreen Street, Suite 1400
Sacramento, CA 95815
(916) 263-2699, bopmail@dca.ca.gov

Practice Directorate American Psychological Association
750 First Street NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
(202) 336-5979, apaaccred@apa.org

Graduates of CSPP’s Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy program are eligible for licensure as Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT) in the state of California upon completion of post-degree intern hours and passing of the licensure exam. Candidates for licensure as an MFT in California are required to complete a total of 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience, at least 1,700 of which must be completed after the completion of the master’s degree. Candidates must then pass written and oral examinations for licensure. Continuing education is required to maintain the license. Because each state has its own requirements for licensure as an MFT, it is imperative that students planning to pursue licensure in a state other than California contact the licensing board in the applicable state for information on that state’s requirements. For further information on licensure in California or other states contact:

California Board of Behavioral Sciences
1625 North Market Blvd., Suite S-200
Sacramento, CA 95834
(916) 574-7830, BBSWebmaster@bbs.ca.gov

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
112 South Alfred Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-3061
(703) 838-9808, coamfte@aamft.org

Graduate Certificate Programs

In addition to degree programs, CSPP offers the following graduate certificate programs: Applied Behavior Analysis, Chemical Dependency, Gerontology, Latin American Family Therapy, Infant-Preschooler Mental Health, and Rockway Certificate in LGBT Services and Mental Health.

Doctoral Respecialization Program in Clinical Psychology

CSPP offers a doctoral respecialization program for holders of doctorates in other areas of psychology (or a closely related field) from accredited institutions, who wish to specialize in clinical psychology.

Those seeking clinical respecialization may wish to gain additional clinical skills to meet the requirements for licensure. Academic work in this program covers such areas as psychopathology, assessment, and psychotherapeutic techniques. Every effort is made to ensure that field training experiences (practica and internships) meet the licensing standards of the California Board of Psychology and the regulations of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). Respecialization students seeking clinical licensure must contact the Board of Psychology to be sure that their prior doctoral degree meets licensing requirements and to register with the Board so that training hours completed through CSPP can be counted toward licensure.

The clinical psychology Doctoral Respecialization Program is offered at the Fresno, San Diego, and San Francisco locations.

Overview Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs

Curriculum

The clinical doctoral programs at CSPP lead to the PsyD or PhD degree through a sequence of courses, field experiences, and research training. The standard PsyD curriculum takes four years, and the standard PhD curriculum takes five years. Education and training in all programs are sequential and cumulative; later courses build on earlier ones and provide increasingly complex and demanding learning experiences.

Throughout the curriculum, multiculturalism is infused into all courses. In addition, specific courses address both the effect of sociocultural factors on human development and behavior and their implications for psychological intervention.

In most programs, during the second or third year, students must pass formal evaluations, which may include written comprehensive or preliminary examinations, in order to be advanced to doctoral candidacy. Each program establishes specific methods for evaluating students that are published in program materials, such as the program’s handbook.

Although the general curriculum design is shared by all CSPP programs, each has its own academic requirements based on APA core requirements and the program’s training philosophy and goals. In addition, programs have developed areas of emphasis and strength, making available a variety of advanced training opportunities. In this way, each program emphasizes the academic interests of its faculty and community, while retaining the coherent professional training of the school as a whole. Emphasis areas are locally defined, are more structured in some locations than in other locations, and vary in content by program.

Field Training

Field experiences constitute a major portion of each student’s program. Graduate students participate in either a practicum or an internship during most years of their program. All students are expected to participate in a variety of placements with a variety of supervisors during their CSPP career so that, upon graduation, they will be able to provide a wide range of professional psychological services to a variety of client populations.

Students may participate in practicum experiences requiring 8-20 hours of student time per week in their first, second, and/or third years, depending on their choice of degree program and campus.

For more advanced students, internships occupy 20 to 40 hours per week. Clinical internship requirements meet and, in some programs, exceed the 1,500 hours of predoctoral internship accepted by the California Board of Psychology. Full-time internship options include APA-accredited or the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC)-member training programs, pursued through the national selection process, or local internship programs approved by the California Psychology Internship Council (CAPIC). Students are encouraged to apply nationally for an APA-accredited or APPIC-member internship. Students for whom this is not an option due to financial, geographical, or other considerations have the possibility of completing the internship requirement in a local CAPIC approved internship, which may be one year full time or two years of sequenced half-time internship rotations. The Fresno and Sacramento PsyD program and the Fresno PhD program require a full-year internship except under certain circumstances that must be cleared by the Office of Professional Training. Students should also be aware that various postdoctoral training positions and some employers (e.g., the Veteran’s Administration) require that successful applicants have completed an APA-accredited internship.

Research Training

Research training in the doctoral programs occurs through formal courses in research methods and design, as well as through the process of completing a clinical dissertation or a doctoral project in the PsyD programs or a dissertation in the PhD programs. Research courses provide students with a basic understanding of statistics, measurement, and investigative methods. Students choose their doctoral project or dissertation topic on the basis of their interests, faculty expertise, and the availability of research opportunities. The development of research skills is emphasized for students in both programs; however, for the PhD programs, the ability to conduct original research is a major goal.

Some students finish their dissertations by the end of their final year of coursework; others continue their dissertation work beyond the completion of coursework. The maximum time to completion of the degree, including successful completion of the dissertation, is 8 years. Deadlines for time to completion and finishing the dissertation are strictly enforced. During each semester of a dissertation extension, students are required to register for program-specified dissertation extension units and pay the appropriate tuition.

Personal Growth/ Development

Prior to receipt of the clinical doctorate, students in most programs must complete 30-45 hours of personal psychotherapy. Through firsthand exposure to the therapeutic process, students have the opportunity to view psychotherapy from a different perspective. This experience provides students with increased awareness of their own behavior in a supportive environment. Some programs allow continuing educational or other professional growth experiences to count for this personal growth requirement; others make therapy a strong recommendation.

Clinical Doctoral Requirements

The doctorate is awarded to students who have completed the program upon satisfactory evaluation by the faculty and completion of the following requirements:

1. Completed a PsyD doctoral dissertation or project or a PhD dissertation.

2. Fulfilled the equivalent of four (PsyD) or five (PhD) academic years of full-time attendance at CSPP following admission at the graduate entry level, or three to five academic years following admission with credit for previous graduate work.

3. Successfully completed program course and unit requirements, as specified in each program section.

4. In some programs completed personal psychotherapy or other personal growth requirements as specified by each program (generally from 30 to 45 hours).

5. Fulfilled practicum and internship requirements.

6. Passed formal evaluations required by the program, such as preliminary or comprehensive examinations.

The faculty maintains the traditional academic prerogative to grant degrees based on their judgment regarding the candidate’s ability to function as a professional psychologist at the doctoral level.

Overview Marital and Family Therapy Programs

Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy
The Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy (MFT) program is offered in Irvine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego and provides training for a career as a professional marriage and family therapist. Students are trained to treat relational mental health issues with individuals, couples, and families from a systemic perspective. Skills are developed in the mental health assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals and relationship systems. The program provides an integrative approach to the major systemic theories and interventions. It fulfills all academic requirements for application to the State of California’s examination for a marriage and family therapist license (Section 4980.40 and 4980.41 of Business and Professions Code).

The MFT master’s program offers concentrations in chemical dependency, gerontology, and Latin American Family Therapy. Each of these concentrations requires additional coursework, and some are not offered in all locations.

All requirements for the master’s in Marital and Family Therapy at CSPP are also a part of the PsyD in MFT program. Students who complete the master’s in MFT, apply in a timely manner, and are accepted into the doctoral program may apply all MFT master’s requirements toward the completion of the MFT doctoral program.

The Marital and Family Therapy master’s program at Alliant International University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) (112 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; Phone: 703-838-9808; Email: coamfte@aamft.org).

General Requirements
The MFT practicum program includes 500 hours of direct client contact, 250 with couples or families; students receive at least 100 hours of individual and group supervision, at least 50 hours of which are based on direct observation or videotape. During the program, students must supplement their academic and clinical work with 50 hours of professional development activities. These include approved workshops, colloquia, and seminars. Students must include 10 hours of human sexuality training as part of these activities. Twenty-five of these hours may involve personal counseling or psychotherapy with a licensed person who is not full-time faculty at Alliant. Students starting the MFT master’s program in Fall 2008 or later will be required to pass a comprehensive examination prior to completing their degree program.

Doctor of Psychology in Marital and Family Therapy
The Doctor of Psychology in Marital and Family Therapy program is offered in Irvine, Sacramento, and San Diego and is based on the scholar-practitioner model. Students are trained to work with individuals, couples, and families from a systemic perspective. As such, attention is directed to relationships and interaction patterns. Skills are developed in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals and relationship systems. The program provides an integrative approach to the major systemic theories and interventions. The program provides the academic training for licensure either as an MFT or psychologist. Students may include concentrations in chemical dependency and gerontology. Each of these concentrations requires additional coursework.

The Marital and Family Therapy doctoral program at Alliant International University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) (112 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; Phone: 703-838-9808; Email: coamfte@aamft.org).

General Requirements
The MFT doctoral program includes all the requirements in the MFT masters program including the MA comprehensive exam. Practicum program requirements are described in the Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy program description and in the Marital and Family Therapy Clinical Training Manual. The doctoral program requires students to be continuously involved in the practice of marital and family therapy. The predoctoral internship consists of 1500 hours. The supervisor for at least 500 client contact hours (250 with couples and families) must be an AAMFT-approved supervisor; the remaining hours may be supervised by a licensed psychologist. Students must supplement their program with 100 hours of professional development activities; up to 25 of these hours may involve personal counseling or psychotherapy with a licensed person who is not full-time faculty at Alliant. Students must include 10 hours of human sexuality training as part of these activities. The program requires completion of 118 units.

Master’s Degree Options in Doctoral MFT Programs
Students in the MFT PsyD program can receive a licensable marital and family therapy master’s degree as part of their doctoral studies upon completion of the requirements for that degree.

Online Coursework

CSPP has been an innovator in the delivery of high quality online courses for many years. Core and adjunct faculty members who choose to teach online have been trained in the delivery of online and active pedagogy and the use of an asynchronous and a live web-based platform for content delivery and have been mentored by members of the Systemwide Online Department (SOD). Our philosophy about online education combines progressive understanding of technology’s promise and recognition that professional practice gains much from the face to face delivery of classroom instruction and supervision. At this point, students in the clinical PsyD and PhD programs are offered the opportunity to take some of their foundational science courses online (Biological Aspects of Behavior, Cognitive and Affective Bases of Behavior, History and Systems of Psychology, Lifespan or Human Development, and Social Bases of Behavior). A range of electives are offered, which may, with advisor and program director approval, be taken in the place of program electives. Required clinical courses (including assessment and psychotherapy courses), practica, and research and dissertation sequences are completed in the face to face environment.

Students in online courses have the benefit of faculty expertise and peer involvement across all CSPP programs. This cross-state and international experience has provided enriching experiences and, in some cases, formed lasting collegial relationships for students. For example, PhD clinical students trained at the Fresno campus to teach undergraduate pre-requisites (Abnormal Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Statistics, and Social Psychology) have been able to teach those courses to students awaiting enrollment in our Hong Kong PsyD Program. Clinical students in Los Angeles, San Diego, Irvine, San Francisco, and Fresno-Sacramento have taken a course on Bisexuality from an international expert who lives in Europe. These opportunities for enriched education are provided as options to students. In almost every case, students still have the opportunity to take all of their required courses in a face to face classroom environment. Our online education goals at CSPP are designed to create a high standard for the delivery of enhanced academic programming, while developing the technology skills our students and graduates will need in the new millennia.

In order to participate fully in the high quality online courses, students are urged to have access to recent computer equipment and software, with high processing speeds and virtual memory. A high speed internet connection (either DSL or Cable) is essential for web cast courses. Laptops may be most convenient for the anytime, anywhere nature of these courses. Computers with embedded or detachable web cams will make it possible for you to interact live with your online professors and class mates. A good set of headphones with noise cancelling microphone will enhance your experience, but are not required. Please note that Alliant does not endorse any particular technology, but we do use PC technology in all of our classrooms and online platforms. Although other technologies may be compatible, it is possible they will create additional technological problems that the student will need to be able to solve. We do not currently have the ability to download lectures to portable handheld devices but do anticipate that ability within the next year.

CSPP Academic Policies

Student Disclosure of Personal Information (all CSPP Programs)
The following policy was adapted from the Student Competence Task Force of the Council of Chairs of Training Councils (CCTC), http://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/cctc.html, December 4, 2003.

Professional helpers are expected to demonstrate competence within and across a number of different but interrelated dimensions. Because programs that educate and train professional helpers also strive to protect the public and profession, faculty, training staff, and supervisors, they have a legitimate and vested interest in the comprehensive evaluation of student competence to include multiple aspects of development and functioning (e.g., cognitive, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, technical, and ethical).

In CSPP, multiple aspects of student professional development and functioning (e.g., cognitive, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, technical and ethical) are evaluated throughout the process of education and training in the doctoral and master’s programs. This kind of comprehensive evaluation is necessary in order for faculty, staff, and supervisors to appraise the professional development and competence of their students. Faculty, staff and supervisors have a professional, ethical, and potentially legal obligation to: (a) evaluate the interpersonal competence and emotional well being of student trainees who are under their supervision, and who provide services to clients and consumers, and (b) ensure – insofar as possible – that the trainees who complete their programs are competent to manage future relationships (e.g., client, collegial, professional, public, scholarly, supervisory, and teaching) in an effective and appropriate manner.

Faculty, staff, and supervisors evaluate student competence in areas other than coursework, seminars, scholarship, comprehensive examinations, or related program requirements. Students may therefore be required to participate in learning activities that require different levels of self-disclosure. These multiple evaluative areas include, but are not limited to, demonstration of sufficient (a) interpersonal and professional competence (e.g., the ways in which students relate to clients, peers, faculty, allied professionals, the public, and individuals from diverse backgrounds or histories); (b) self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-evaluation (e.g., knowledge of the content and potential impact of one’s own beliefs and values on clients, peers, faculty, allied professionals, the public, and individuals from diverse backgrounds or histories); (c) openness to processes of supervision (e.g., the ability and willingness to explore issues that either interfere with the appropriate provision of care or impede professional development or functioning); and (d) resolution of problems or issues that interfere with professional development or functioning in a satisfactory manner (e.g., by responding constructively to feedback from supervisors or program faculty; by participating in personal therapy in order to resolve problems or issues).

Grades and Academic Standing

The following grading definitions have been adopted by CSPP:

A Outstanding. Performance exceeds expectations.

B Good. Performance meets expectations.

C Marginal. Performance barely meets expectations. Moderate concern. Marginal pass. Implications for academic standing.

D Poor. Performance does not meet expectations. Serious concern. No credit. Implications for continuing in the program.

F Unsatisfactory. Performance is extremely problematic. No credit. Implications for continuing in the program.

The following policy was approved January 12, 2004, and revised in the spring semester of 2007 :

Good Academic Standing: Any record of performance that does not qualify for Warning, Probation, Termination; all A’s and B’s.

Warning: One grade of C

Probation: (a) In the first 60 units of the program: two C’s; (b) During the entire program: three C’s or one D/F.

Termination: Students will be terminated from the program if their GPA falls below a 3.0 or if they are on probation for two terms.

1. Students placed on academic warning or probation status will return to good standing upon receiving all A/B’s in the semester following the semester which qualified the person for warning/probation status.

2. Students must repeat a course for which they do not receive credit. Both grades will remain on the transcript.

3. Students may be placed on warning, on probation, or terminated for other performance, ethical or professional behavior, such as acts of misconduct, unprofessional behavior; failure to complete 67% of the units attempted every academic year; failure to complete coursework in a timely and sequential fashion; failure to complete their educational program, including dissertation within 8 years; or failure to pass comprehensive, preliminary, or other competency exams. (Please refer to local program handbooks and the Graduate Student Handbook.)

4. Students may be required to take a mandatory leave of absence, a modified sequence or reduced load of courses, or to repeat or take additional courses if their academic work or professional development requires serious remediation.

When CSPP policies and procedures differ from those described for Alliant International University in general, the policies and procedures of CSPP will apply.