Doctor of Psychology
PsyD in Clinical Psychology
Advocate for and implement change by helping others.
Clinical psychologists are engaged people, involved in real relationships that require commitment and genuine emotions in the midst of professional work. Valuing knowledge and disciplined inquiry, clinical psychologists must bring their whole selves to this work. Our clinical psychology degree program emphasizes authentic relationships. At Antioch University, you’ll join a community of students and faculty who are active, engaged, and socially conscious. You’ll be part of a small cohort of classmates in an environment that fosters collaboration. Prepare for multiple roles in the expanding world of clinical psychology that includes not only therapy and assessment but also supervision, management, applied research, administration, consultation, and public policy.
Program Overview
The PsyD Psychology program at Antioch University Seattle offers doctoral education and training in clinical psychology to prepare students for the practice of professional and health service psychology. We offer opportunities for students to develop their clinical, applied research, and assessment skills with an emphasis on multicultural competency and social justice concepts and placements. Accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA)*, The AUS PsyD program incorporates a competency-based system to measure student achievement of our program’s goals and objectives. Competencies are woven into all aspects of student assessment. The core competencies reflect psychologists’ multiple roles and Antioch’s broader mission by including advocacy for social change. Practicum, pre-internship, and clinical internship placements may include working in the AUS Community Counseling and Psychology Clinic and/or a variety of community engagements. Supervision and mentoring are provided by qualified professionals. These practical training experiences culminate in the clinical internship, which is a required full-time year or half-time two-year placement for advanced training in a particular setting in professional psychology. National and local clinical internship placements are available. AUS participates in the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Center’s (APPIC) internship match program and students are required to apply for APPIC member internships.
Aim #1. Graduates are competent for entry-level practice as health service providers and professional psychologists in multiple roles. Student Learning Outcomes or Objectives (SLO 1.A-1.D)
- Objective 1.A: Students intervene to alleviate suffering and promote health.
- Competency: Intervention
- Objective 1.B: Students assess clients and communicate their findings.
- Competency: Assessment
- Objective 1.C: Students design, analyze, and report on research and evaluations.
- Competency: Research
- Objective 1.D: Students accept and offer supervision and consultation.
- Competency: Supervision & Consultation
Aim #2. Graduates are reflective practitioners/scholars. Student Learning Outcomes or Objectives (SLO 2.A-2.C)
- Objective 2.A: Students build meaningful relationships with clients, organizations, and their community.
- Competency: Communication and Interpersonal Skills
- Objective 2.B: Students integrate science with theory and practice.
- Competency: Assessment and Intervention
- Objective 2.C: Students practice ethically and professionally.
- Competencies: Ethical/Legal Standards & Professionalism
Aim #3. Graduates are socially responsible and work for social justice. Student Learning Outcomes or Objectives (SLO 3.A-3.B)
- Objective 3.A: Students celebrate diversity and avoid oppressing others.
- Competency: Social Justice & Individual/Cultural Diversity
- Objective 3.B: Students are agents of social change.
- Competency: Social Justice
Degree Requirements
- Completion of 140 graduate quarter credits
- Completion of a one-year residency during the first year in the Psy.D. program
- Passing marks on most recent student Annual Review
- Successful passage of the Clinical Competency Exam
- Documentation of a minimum of 3-10 hours of personal psychotherapy with a licensed mental health practitioner
- Completion of Doctoral Dissertation
- Completion of Social Justice Service Project (Year 1; total 50 hours)
- Completion of Clinical Practicum (Year 2; total 300 hours)
- Completion of Pre-Internship (Year 3 & 4; total 900-1200 hours)
- Completion of Clinical Internship (Year 5; total 1500-2000 hours)
Program Length:
The AUS PsyD program is designed to be completed in five years on a full-time year-round basis, including coursework, clinical training, and a dissertation. Students past 7 years must petition to continue in the program on an annual basis with the maximum time to complete the program within 10 years in extraordinary circumstances. Our time-to-completion rates can be found in our outcome data (see left sidebar for link) updated annually.
Course Requirements:
Core Courses
For students who already hold a master’s degree in psychology, counseling or a related mental health field, some of the following “core” or foundational courses may be waived based on a syllabus review, to a maximum of eight (8) total credits:
- Cognition and Affect
- Biological Bases of Behavior I: Clinical Medicine
- Psychopathology
- Biological Bases of Behavior II: Psychophysiology
- Psychopharmacology I
- Learning Theory
- Life Span Development I – Child
- Life Span Development II – Adult
- History and Systems of Psychology
- Psychopharmacology II: Drugs of Abuse
- Ethics
- Social Psychology
- Individual Differences and Personality Theories I
- Individual Differences and Personality Theories II
- Integrated Behavioral Health Psychology
- Advanced Ethics
- Psychopathology II: Developmental Psychopathology
- Community Psychology
- Professional Issues in Career Management
- Consultation and Supervision
- Writing Seminar for PsyD
Assessment Courses
- Assessment Lab
- Psychometrics and Lab
- Assessment: Intelligence & Practicum
- Assessment: Personality & Practicum
- Assessment: Integration & Practicum
Research Courses
- Dissertation Seminar I
- Dissertation Seminar II
- Research Ethics, Quantitative Methods & Analysis I
- Quantitative Methods & Analysis II
- Qualitative Methods & Analysis I
- Qualitative Methods & Analysis II
Clinical Training Courses
The PsyD program admits students with both Bachelor’s entry or Master’s advanced entry. In order to prepare all students for doctoral-level training, the learning experience is designed to be sequential, cumulative, and of graded complexity. All students, regardless of prior training, are required to complete a one-year, full-time residency to make sure foundational conceptual and experiential competencies are met. The PsyD program curriculum and training plan is designed to ensure that every student receives a broad, generalist doctoral-level training based on current and evolving trends in the field of clinical psychology. For example, three first-year courses focus on developing basic clinical skills, professionalization, and multicultural competency while students engage in a social justice practicum:
- Foundational Clinical Skills
- Social Justice and Cultural Competency I
- Social Justice and Cultural Competency II
Basic Clinical Concentration (Second Year)
In keeping with the generalist training approach, all students will complete the Intervention series, which is designed to provide broad theoretical and scientific foundations of the practice of clinical psychology that is integrated with the existing and evolving body of knowledge, skills, and competencies of applied psychology. Students enroll in this series of three theoretical and conceptually-based courses with concurrent enrollment in Professional Seminars, which provide case consultation and training on clinical topics. In addition, students are placed for initial clinical training in the AUS Community Counseling and Psychology Clinic and, on a case-by-case basis, may be placed at an alternate suitable community practicum site.
- Interventions I
- Interventions II
- Interventions III
Professional Seminars:
- Professional Seminar I
- Professional Seminar II
- Professional Seminar III
Specialty Courses
Specialty courses may include Forensic Psychology, Neuropsychology, and Pediatric Psychology.
Download the PsyD in Clinical Psychology Degree Plan. For a detailed curriculum, degree requirements, and course descriptions, please visit the AUS catalog.
PsyD Mentorship Program
Coordinated by the Antioch University PsyD Student Council, the PsyD. The Mentorship Program provides a unique opportunity for first-year students to meet and cultivate meaningful relationships with PsyD. upperclassmen that promote community, connectedness, and collaboration. The program offers new students opportunities to develop personal and professional contacts, gain access to information and resources, and gain valuable insights and advice from experienced students. It also offers mentors an opportunity to give back and make a difference in the personal and professional development of incoming PsyD. students.
Career Outlook
Graduates from the AUS PsyD program are currently employed in a wide variety of settings, including:
- independent practice
- state and private hospitals
- healthcare settings and general hospitals
- community mental health clinics
- teaching at universities (including at the graduate and doctoral level)
- medical or psychiatric groups or incorporations
- state prisons
- non-profit agencies
- authoring books
- conducting professional training and workshops
- providing consultation services
- Native American tribal agencies
- forensic practice
- working with children and adolescents in schools
- clinics
- specialty centers.
Our graduates have been licensed and found employment outside of Washington State, including Oregon, California, Illinois, and New York; as well as outside of the United States such as Canada, Guam, and Japan. Societal demand for mental health services continues to trend upward, particularly (but not limited to) working with children and adolescents, primary care behavioral health settings, substance use disorders, war veterans, rural areas, the elderly, and culturally and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.
Learning Outcomes
PsyD Program Competencies
The AUS Psy.D. program has adopted the Profession-Wide Competencies (APA, 2017) throughout the program, including the curriculum, clinical training, and dissertation. In addition, the Discipline-Specific Knowledge domains in curricular design and implementation. Below are the PWC and DSK tables describing the domain, how it is integrated into the program, and how they are assessed:
- AUS PsyD in Clinical Psychology Discipline-Specific Knowledge (DSK) (PDF, new window)
- AUS PsyD in Clinical Psychology Profession-Wide Competencies (PWC) (PDF, new window)
- AUS PsyD in Clinical Psychology Program-Specific Competencies (PSC) (PDF, new window)
Dissertations
This map shows recent readership activity for PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Dissertations. See a list of AUS PsyD Dissertations
Program Outcomes
The Standards of Accreditation (SoA) requires that doctoral graduate programs provide potential students, current students, and the public with accurate information on the program and on program expectations. This information is meant to describe the program accurately and completely, using the most up-to-date data on education and training outcomes, and be presented in a manner that allows applicants to make informed decisions about entering the program. Read AUS's Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data (see left sidebar for link.)
Accreditation
*The Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association. Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation at the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, Phone: (202) 336-5979. E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation
Admissions / Cost / Aid
Admissions
The AUS PsyD program values candidates with academic, clinical, professional, and interpersonal promise, along with a commitment to cultural competency and social justice. Academic promise is assessed by past academic performance (BA GPA of 3.0 or above), recommendation letters, and the quality of essay writing. Approximately two-thirds of our applicants have bachelor’s degrees, and one-third have master’s degrees. While candidates with psychology degrees are preferred, there have been successful candidates with degrees in medicine, law, business, and associated human services. The mix of novice and experienced clinicians add to the academic richness of our program. Applicants with direct clinical and research experience are preferred.
Admission Requirements/How to apply
- Completed online admissions application.
- A Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution is required with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Submit official transcripts from ALL colleges/universities you have attended to the Admissions Office. Transcript evaluations are required for all coursework completed outside of the U.S. or Canada (except Quebec). See the Transcript Evaluation section on International Students webpage for details.
- Prerequisite Courses Completion of the following prerequisite courses with a grade of B or better. All academic work must have been completed within the last ten years at a regionally accredited institution. Applicants with an undergraduate degree in Psychology from regionally accredited institutions are exempt from Abnormal Psychology and Developmental Psychology requirement. Introduction to Statistics is required of all applicants. Pre-requisite courses must be fully completed at the time of application submission.
- Abnormal Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Introduction to Statistics
- Two recommendation letters are required. Use the online application form to enter the names and email addresses of your recommenders. Your recommenders should include people who can best assess your capabilities and readiness to enter a graduate clinical training program. These include social science instructors that you may have had in college as well as professionals who have provided supervision of work you have been involved in a helping role with people in a mental health, social service, or educational setting. Recommendation letters from friends, relatives, or personal therapists are not acceptable.
- Résumé/Curriculum Vitae (CV). Documentation of relevant professional and volunteer experience, professional affiliations, publications, and licensure.
- Admission Essays
- Personal Essays - Submit a typewritten, double-spaced, between 300- and 500-word response to each question below.
- How do your academic and research experiences, clinical interests, and skills align with the AUS doctoral program and model? How have they prepared you for this program, and what are your potential strengths?
- In what ways has your life history, such as experiences of overcoming adversity, engaging with personal therapy, or other major life events, contributed to your desire to become a clinical psychologist?
- Analytical Writing Essays - Submit a typewritten, double-spaced, between 400- and 600-word response to each prompt below.
- An Issue Task: Please evaluate the following statement, noting the complexities, and provide a well-reasoned argument with supporting examples.
- Social media is harmful to our mental health. As psychologists, we should advocate for the reduction of social media use.
- Your response should discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should discuss the possible consequences of your argument and explain how these consequences shape your position.
- Social media is harmful to our mental health. As psychologists, we should advocate for the reduction of social media use.
- An Argument Task: Review the following vignette and evaluate it according to the directions given below.
- A student therapist was assigned a new client of a different race and socioeconomic background from their own. In their first session, the client told the student therapist that they would not be able to understand the client’s point of view and asked to be reassigned to a different therapist. The student therapist discussed the request with their supervisor. Following this discussion, the student therapist reached out to the client to discuss working together while acknowledging their differences.
- Write a response in which you discuss why you agree with this course of action. If you do not agree, provide an alternative course of action. In either case, fully explain your line of reasoning while demonstrating a sound argument in support of your endorsed course of action.
- A student therapist was assigned a new client of a different race and socioeconomic background from their own. In their first session, the client told the student therapist that they would not be able to understand the client’s point of view and asked to be reassigned to a different therapist. The student therapist discussed the request with their supervisor. Following this discussion, the student therapist reached out to the client to discuss working together while acknowledging their differences.
- An Issue Task: Please evaluate the following statement, noting the complexities, and provide a well-reasoned argument with supporting examples.
- Personal Essays - Submit a typewritten, double-spaced, between 300- and 500-word response to each question below.
- Select applicants may be invited to participate in an in-person interview with faculty.
All admission application supporting materials, transcripts, essays, etcetera, should be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to the: Admissions Office Antioch University Seattle 2400 3rd Avenue, Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98121
Application Deadlines
| Quarter | Application Deadline* |
|---|---|
| Fall | December 1 |
| * Complete admission files (all required documents) received after the deadline date may be considered if space is still available. | |
| Please review the Academic Calendar for additional details. | |
Enrollment Deposit
If you are accepted into the program, you must submit a non-refundable enrollment deposit of $500, due within three weeks of acceptance to the program. Once paid, the fee will reserve a space in the program and will be applied to your first quarter’s tuition. LEARN MORE
Cost
| PsyD in Clinical Psychology | |
|---|---|
| Cost per Credit | $1,104 |
| Full-Time Credits per Quarter | 12 |
| Total Program Credits | 140 |
| View the Cost of Attendance Components | |
Financial Aid
A majority of AUS students finance their education through some form of financial aid. You may not be sure which federal, state, public, and private aid packages – such as loans, scholarships, and grants – are right for you. Our staff is here to help you, so you can focus on what’s most important: beginning your academic program at AUS. LEARN MORE
Upcoming Events
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Amy Morrison Presents Workshop at International Expressive Arts Therapy Association Conference
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on June 17, 2025
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on June 13, 2025