Successful completion of a one year full-time external pre-doctoral psychology internship is a requirement for graduation with a Ph.D. from the Drexel University Clinical Psychology graduate program. This follows the model for clinical training recommended and approved by the American Psychological Association (APA).
Student Requirements
Before a student may apply to any internship program, he or she must be in good standing in both academic and clinical areas. The student must be current in the program, having completed all courses required through the first twelve academic quarters in addition to being enrolled in first quarter courses for the fourth year. The student must also have successfully defended the Master's thesis prior to their dissertation proposal (or completed an approved thesis equivalency project if they entered the program with a non-empirical Master’s degree), passed the
comprehensive examination, and proposed the dissertation prior to October 1st. Lastly, it must be demonstrated that required practicum training will be satisfactorily completed by the student before the internship placement is due to begin.
During internship, the student must maintain registration for two credits per term. The internship credit will be graded. The student will receive a grade of "in progress" until completion of the internship. In the event that a student leaves or does not successfully complete an internship, that
student will be given one additional opportunity to secure and successfully complete the internship requirement. If the internship is not successfully completed, the Ph.D. will not be awarded.
Internship Requirements
The internship program must be full time (minimum of 1800 hours) for one year, although under some circumstances half-time internships for two years may be approved. In no case can a student consider an employment position as a staff member at a work setting as an internship placement.
Students may not select an internship site without the approval of the Director of Clinical Training. In most cases internship programs should be accredited by the APA or in the process of gaining APA accreditation. Approval by the Director of Clinical Training is automatically granted for all APA accredited sites. Approval for sites that are not accredited by APA is granted on a case-by-case basis. No approval will be given under any circumstance for a site which does not have a formal training program. In approval of a site, the Drexel University Clinical Psychology program follows the Guidelines for Defining Supervised Experience in an "Organized Health Service Training Program."
The Drexel University Clinical Psychology program belongs to the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), and follows the rules for application and
acceptance defined by them. The uniform notification date for acceptance of internships is the second Monday in February of the school year prior to internship placement.
Professional Development
The graduate program in clinical psychology seeks to facilitate the professional development of its students. In accordance with this goal, students in the program participate in a number of professional organizations, seminars and colloquia, and research collaborations at local, regional, national, and international levels.
Collaboration. Students of the graduate program collaborate with area professionals in research and clinical efforts. In addition to the clinical training they provide, many of the student
practicum sites offer opportunities for students to work with their supervisors and/or other professionals at the site to develop and implement original research activities. The practicum sites thus offer an invaluable opportunity for students to develop an appreciation for the manner in which the scientist-practitioner model of training espoused by the graduate program may be employed in a professional setting. In addition, the practicum sites often provide students with opportunities to gain experience with the business of psychology through discussions on fiscal policies and billing procedures.
Professional Organizations. Students are also encouraged to participate in national and
international professional organizations. Many students maintain student-affiliate memberships in professional organizations such as the American Psychological Association, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, Society of Behavioral Medicine, National Academy of Neuropsychology, and International Neuropsychological Society. The newsletters, newspapers,
and journals offered by these organizations, often at reduced rates to student members, afford the student with the opportunity to remain abreast of current professional issues and research in the field of psychology. All students are encouraged to attend and present research and
educationally-related talks at the national conferences of these organizations. For membership information contact:
American Psychological Association National Academy of Neuropsychology
750 First Street 2121 South Oneida St., Suite 550
Washington, DC 20002 Denver, CO 80224-2594
www.apa.org www.NANonline.org
Eastern Psychological Association International Neuropsychological Society Rowan College of New Jersey 700 Ackerman Road, Suite 550
Glassboro, NJ 08028-1830 Columbus, OH 43202
www.easternpsychological.org www.osu.edu/ins
Association for Behavioral and Philadelphia Neuropsychological Society
Cognitive Therapies Abington Memorial Hospital
305 Seventh Avenue, 16th Floor 1200 Old York Road
New York, NY 10001 Abington, PA 19001
www.aabt.org www.pns-pa.org
Society of Pediatric Psychology Academy for Eating Disorders