Doctor of Psychology in
Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)

Our program is designed to prepare clinicians to work with diverse populations, including children, adults, seniors, those with developmental disabilities, and the severely and chronically mentally ill. Our graduates will serve as clinicians in a variety of settings, such as:

• Clinics and outpatient care centres
• Hospitals
• Nursing and residential care facilities
• Substance abuse and drug treatment centres
• Schools
• Military organizations
• Government agencies
• Academia
• Private practice

Applicants are encouraged to consult the registration requirements of the jurisdiction in which they hope to become licensed or registered to confirm our program meets their specific jurisdiction’s guidelines.

Train with leading practitioners and scholars in the field and shape your career through unique professional development opportunities tailored to your goals. Along with individualized mentorship, our program features in-depth experiential training that gives students the tools to create real change.

Students hone their clinical skills through a minimum of 600 hours of clinical practicum experience and 300 hours of direct client contact. This experience occurs within supervised clinical practicum experiences throughout the University’s network of community partners, including clinics, hospitals, mental health centres, and government agencies.

Students also gain research training and knowledge through the dissertation, a rigorous scholarly study of a clinical issue relevant to the field, as well as the 1,600-hour full-time internship geared toward their clinical interest. As highly trained practitioner-scholars, they complete the program equipped to tackle the most pressing needs of today’s society.

The Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) program is comparable to a Ph.D. in that both can lead to eligibility to be registered or licensed as a Psychologist. Traditional Ph.D. programs are based on the scientist-practitioner model and put equal emphasis on training as a scientific researcher and as a clinician. In contrast, the Psy.D. is based on the scholar-practitioner or local clinical scientist-practitioner model where the primary goal is to prepare Practitioners of Clinical Psychology. The Psy.D. places proportionally greater emphasis on training as a clinician and as a consumer of scientific research in order to apply that knowledge to clinical practice.

Clinical psychology is a domain of professional psychology that focuses on the assessment and treatment of human functioning and impairments in human emotional and behavioral functioning. In comparison with counselling psychology, clinical psychology places a greater emphasis on assessment, diagnosis, and treatments that have been empirically supported for given diagnoses.

The Psy.D. program at Adler University’s Vancouver campus is specifically designed to meet the requirements of Colleges or Boards of Psychologists in most jurisdictions in North America. For example, view the registration requirements for the University’s Vancouver campus registration/licensing jurisdiction.

Psy.D. graduates of the Adler University’s parallel Chicago-based Psy.D. program have become registered in Canada as Psychologists, including in British Columbia. Applicants hoping to register with other jurisdictions should consult the registration criteria for their local Colleges. Registration/licensing bodies evaluate applications on a case by case basis and it is important for prospective graduates to familiarize themselves with licensing requirements in the province or state in which they expect to practice to ensure their training experiences meet all necessary requirements.

Not at this time. The Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) has taken the approach of excluding independent universities in their eligibility criteria which mandates that only “provincially or territorially chartered institutions” (p.28) are able to apply for accreditation.

However, a lack of CPA accreditation does not affect the opportunity for students of Adler’s Psy.D. program to graduate and pursue registration/licensure. CPA has stated that accreditation status does not impact a programs’ ability to graduate students, nor does it impact students’ ability to gain registration/licensure. Graduation from an accredited program is not a requirement for registration/licensure in any Canadian jurisdiction.

An advantage for graduates from CPA accredited programs is that their programs more quickly meet registration/licensure requirements by the licensing bodies. Graduates from non-accredited programs, such as Adler’s Psy.D., have the same opportunity to apply for registration and their applications may be reviewed by Colleges’ Registration Committees to ensure that they satisfy the registration requirements. As previously noted, Adler’s Psy.D. program has been specifically designed and developed to meet the registration requirements of Colleges or Boards of Psychologists in most North American jurisdictions.

No, the program is not eligible to apply for American Psychological Association (APA) accreditation because we are a Canadian program.

Each of our students enters with a cohort of a maximum of sixteen (16) other students. The program is “lock-step” in that typically students will take courses only with other students from the cohort with whom they enter.

For the most current admissions information, please refer to our Admissions page. Please keep in mind, there are specific pre-requisite requirements for the Psy.D. program. And, please note, the admission’s instructions for requesting transfer credit are not specific to the Psy.D. program (once accepted to the Psy.D. program, you will be contacted to apply for transfer credit, if applicable). If you have additional questions, please contact our Vancouver Office of Admissions via email or at 236.521.2411.

Our students are a diverse group and we define diversity broadly to include persons from visible (e.g., race/ethnicity) and non-visible minority groups (e.g., sexual orientation, geographical location); our students come from across Canada and we have been fortunate in attracting the successful applications of several international students. Other important aspects of the application review are the more traditional academic requirements such as GPA, GRE scores, reference letters that can attest to an applicant’s ability to excel in a doctoral program, and a statement of intent from the applicant (for a listing of all of the requirements for application to the Psy.D. program, please review the Program Overview.

A final important component of a successful application is an applicant’s interest in and understanding of the concepts of social justice and social responsibility which takes shape in many different ways.

The Admissions committee considers a range of experiences in an applicant’s background. Beyond the requirements detailed above and on the Adler website, we look for well-rounded applicants who will bring diverse experience and backgrounds to the program. Research experience is not required but could be of value to you as an applicant. This is also the case for clinical experience. There is no one type of clinical experience that is most sought after. We believe that having some involvement in clinical work or volunteer work in community and mental health settings will provide the applicant with some context for the work ahead of them in the doctoral program.

Applicants do not need to find a faculty supervisor in order to apply to the program. The Psy.D. degree is based on a scholar-practitioner model. We are the first of our kind on the West Coast of Canada and because it is a new model to Canada, it is our responsibility to make sure that students know what makes our program different from more traditional Ph.D. programs (scientist-practitioner model). One of the main differences is the emphasis on research that is found in the traditional Ph.D. program. Students in Ph.D. programs usually seek a supervisor with whom they want to do research prior to applying. With a practice-based program (where the emphasis is on training clinicians), being able to understand and utilize research is more of the goal. With that goal, you will need to do a doctoral dissertation but this will likely be an applied project and students typically choose a supervisor once they are already in the program.

Students who enter the Psy.D. program with a master’s degree which was completed within the last five (5) years are eligible to transfer up to a maximum of 24 credits of graduate coursework to apply toward the Psy.D. degree, excluding practicum. Students must have received a grade of B or higher in these courses and must demonstrate course equivalency with the corresponding Adler course requirements in order to receive transfer credit.

The Transfer Credit Committee must take into account many factors when considering applications for transfer credit. Process of applications for transfer credit occur following admission into the program; the Program faculty will contact accepted students prior to beginning the program in order to initiate the process of evaluating transfer credit. Unfortunately, transfer credit evaluation cannot occur prior to acceptance into the program as this process is very time-intensive for the Transfer Credit Committee. Please contact Admissions to obtain more information.

The Psy.D. program at the Vancouver campus is designed to be completed in five years, including four years of course-work and a one year pre-doctoral internship. Students entering the program with a master’s degree can anticipate having a lighter course load in their first year, but may not be able to reduce the number of years to completion due to the cohort-based lockstep sequence.

Courses for the Psy.D. have been planned to occur primarily during the day and early evening with additional demands on students’ time during the week, such as working on group assignments and practicing skills. Social Justice and Clinical Practica also occur during the week. The expectation is that students are enrolled full-time in the program and will not be employed more than part-time hours outside of school (less than 20 hours/week).

Support is provided in locating and securing a practicum placement, though the process can be competitive. The Training Department is well-connected to the mental health community in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver.

Yes, Adler University permits practica to be paid opportunities as long as the positions retain the emphasis on fostering good training (as opposed to fulfilling job responsibilities) and this is determined on a case by case basis by the Director of Clinical Training. However, most clinical practicum opportunities developed by Adler are not paid. The 1-year internship, that is a final requirement of doctoral training in clinical psychology, is often paid.

The pre-doctoral internship is completed in the fifth year of studies as a degree requirement. Many pre-doctoral internships are paid and generally range between $18,000 and $40,000.

Students may apply for internship programs that are members of CAPIC (California Psychology Internship Council). CAPIC internships meet doctoral internship criteria set by the California Psychology Internship Council, a California-based organization of training agencies and doctoral programs. Note that students must choose internships that satisfy the predoctoral internship requirements of the PsyD program; students will also receive support from the Training Department in considering the requirements of the registration or licensing body to whom they plan to apply. Information on available CAPIC internships, as well as CAPIC application and matching processes can be found online.

Students should refer to our Financial Aid webpage for the most up to date figure on tuition. Please note that tuition and fees may go up slightly each year, usually for the Fall term (likely between 2% and 5% per year). There is an initial $500 deposit (non-refundable) that is required 15 days after your acceptance. This is applied to your tuition when you register.

Canadian students are eligible to apply for students loans through the Canadian government and through their individual province (U.S. students can complete a FAFSA for student loans through the U.S. government). In addition, the Canadian government offers eligibility to utilize the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP). This plan allows you to withdraw amounts from your registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education. Under the plan you may withdraw up to $20,000 towards funding your education.Our students are also eligible for a Professional Line of Credit through Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). They also can apply for funding of their research through Canadian Research funding programs such as CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research).

Yes, we anticipate that there will be opportunities to serve as a Teaching Assistant; students will also be able to participate in research opportunities that will emerge as the program develops. As well, there is a requirement for the student to do their own independent research project (the Doctoral Dissertation) to fulfill the requirements of their Psy.D.

Service Canada projects continued strong employment growth for psychologists. Employment and Social Development Canada reports positive employment prospects for psychologists through at least 2020. In the United States, employment of psychologists is expected to grow between 12 and 22 percent through 2022. We believe that graduates will be entering a market that is needing their services and will value the practice-oriented and social justice-infused training that students will receive here at Adler University.

While students of Adler University’s Psy.D. program will benefit from its unique coverage of Adlerian assessment and intervention, their training is best characterized as “generalist” as they will receive training and supervision in a broad range of contemporary and evidence-based clinical orientations and modalities, including cognitive behavioural, psychodynamic, and humanistic/existential interventions.

Alfred Adler was one of the founders of depth psychology, along with Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Adler was truly ahead of his time and many of his ideas and discoveries, including birth order, organ jargon, the inferiority complex and social interest, have had a profound impact on postmodern professional psychology. Alfred Adler is sometimes viewed as the father of community psychology, due to his emphasis on the role of social context in individual health. With the current rise of the social justice movement in psychology and the recognition that social determinants impact individual health and well-being, the field is just now catching up with what Alfred Adler was talking about in the early 20th century. Today, Adler University prides itself in graduating socially responsible practitioners who are capable of both treating individuals and advocating for social changes that lead to a healthier society.

Psy.D. graduates (once Registered or Licensed) may be employed in a variety of settings as Registered or Licensed Psychologists. They will be thoroughly trained as clinicians to provide assessment and evidence-based clinical treatment for a range of mental health issues. The program will also prepare graduates to become leaders and managers in the field of mental and behavioral health.

Settings in which Psy.D. graduates might typically work include:

• Private and group practices
• Independent consulting and contracting
• Mental health and substance abuse centres
• Health Care Authorities
• Not-for-profit, government-contracted programs and agencies
• Government-based programs and agencies (e.g., The Ministry of Children and Family Development)
• Forensic Psychiatric Institutions
• EAP and EAFP agencies
• Military-contracted agencies

Salaries for Psychologists range quite widely and are dependent upon the setting, region, and type of work. In British Columbia, the British Columbia Psychological Association’ approved rate for private practice is $200/hour (some psychologists charge more than that and others, far less). Please view the following publication (p. 4) for a comparison of recommended rates in other provinces. General information related to salary ranges in the United States and Canada can also be accessed online.