PsyD Consortium Transfer Credit: Policy and Application

First Year Course Descriptions

CLIN 700 Learning Psychotherapy: An Integrated Approach I (3 Units)

Provides a foundation for training beginning psychotherapists in the crucial elements of psychotherapy. The first module focuses on an introduction to pan-theoretical elements, concepts of listening skills, the therapeutic alliance, verbal response modes and therapist intentions, and cultural and ethical issues affecting psychotherapy.

CLIN 702 Learning Psychotherapy: An Integrated Approach III (3 Units)

The pan-theoretical elements identified by the APA Division 29 task force are studied at in greater depth. Key issues include establishing therapeutic alliance (task/goal/bond), recognizing and repairing ruptures in the therapeutic alliance, transference and countertransference, and effective termination.

CLIN 707 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Mood Disorders (3 Units)

Focuses on the treatment of mood disorders, including comorbid Axis I and Axis II disorders, with cognitive behavior therapy. It emphasizes the integration of five crucial ingredients of therapeutic success: Assessment, Technique, Emotion, Alliance, and Motivation.

ETHC 700 Foundations of Ethics & Professional Psychological Practice (3 Units)

Introduction to the ethical and professional guidelines, laws, principles, and practices that shape professional psychology in the 21st century.

ETHC 702 Critical Issues in Clinical Psychology (3 Units)

Focuses on practical issues that will face clinical psychologists in 21st century including controversies over empirically supported therapies, practice guidelines, randomized clinical trials, self-evaluation of practices and prescription privileges for clinical psychologists.

PATH 700 Psychopathology Across the Lifespan: Child & Adolescent (3 Units)

Overview of common child and adolescent psychological disorders and developmental psychopathology addressing issues such as ethnicity, SES and gender differences throughout. The course focuses on DSM-IV-TR classifications, adaptive and maladaptive behaviors, risk and protective factors within the child, family and environment and developmental models.

PATH 701 Psychopathology Across the Lifespan: Middle Years &  Older Adults (3 Units)

Overview of theory, etiology, base rates and comorbidities of psychopathologies included in DSM-IV-TR. Students learn to use the DSM-IV-TR criteria and multiaxial system to make differential diagnosis and apply diagnostic skills through clinical interviews and diagnostic reports. The benefits and limitations of diagnosis are discussed. PSYS 700 Foundations of Psychological Science I: Social Aspects of Behavior (3 Units) This course provides an overview of critical aspects of social psychology and the influence of social processes and context on human behavior.

PSYS 706 Lifespan Development (3 Units)

This course will review the fundamentals of developmental psychology, which is a field of study devoted to understanding both the continuity and change that makes up normal human development throughout the lifespan, from birth to old age.

PSYS 707 History & Systems (3 Units) 

Introduction to the historical contexts, social influences, and individuals important to the development of movements within psychology with an emphasis placed on the development of psychology as an empirical science. Recognition of the role of women and people of color in the history of psychology are emphasized.

PSYS 710 Biological Bases of Behavior (3 Units)

Reviews the fundamentals of neuroscience involved in understanding what is currently known about the neurobiological bases for psychiatric disorders. It includes a review of neurotransmitters, second messenger systems, neurotrophic factors and the effect of pharmacologic agents on these different levels of input to the neuron. Connected networks thought to underlie mood and anxiety disorders, data suggesting structural changes in mood disorders and functional abnormalities in a variety of psychiatric illnesses are considered.

PSYS 720 Foundations of Psychological Science II: Cognitive Bases of Behavior (2.5 Units) 

Focus on the basic sciences of human cognition, and how this domain of human functioning can be harnessed to inform us about psychopathology. Course will focus on selected key topics within the areas of attention, memory, decision-making, social cognition, and language. The goal of this course is to expose students to both the classic and recent empirical research in different areas of cognition, and to discuss various theories proposed to account for these findings.

PSYS 722 Foundations of Psychological Science II: Affective Bases of Behavior (2.5 Units)

This course provides an overview of affective science. It includes a review of key topics, including: defining and measuring emotion, intrapersonal and interpersonal functions of emotion, gender and cultural differences in emotion, emotion across the lifespan, emotion regulation, and emotion and well-being. This course also considers the application of affective science concepts and research findings to clinical psychology theory and practice.

ASMT 700 Psychological Assessment I: Intellectual Assessment (5 Units)

This five-unit course provides an introduction to assessment of adult intellectual and cognitive functioning in a dual lecture and laboratory format. The course emphasizes the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV with administration, scoring, and interpretation covered in lecture and implemented in the laboratory.

ASMT 701 Psychological Assessment II: Personality & Psychopathology (4 Units)

This four-unit course provides an overview of personality and personality assessment in a dual lecture and laboratory format. The course emphasizes objective, self-report measures and provides in-depth coverage of the MMPI-2 in the assessment of emotional functioning and psychopathology. Prerequisite: ASMT 700.

ASMT 702 Psychological Assessment III: Integrated Test Batteries Adult (4 Units)

This four-unit course integrates intellectual functioning, cognitive, personality and psychopathology measures into a coherent description of the client in a dual lecture and laboratory format. The primary focus in this course is on interpretation of psychological test batteries and report writing. Prerequisite: ASMT 701.

CLIN 723 Psychological Assessment III: Integrated Test Batteries Child (4 Units)

Provides students with background and practical experience in diagnostic testing of children. This will include readings, observations, and discussion of diagnostic testing of selected subjects as well as practical testing experience. Human diversity issues in the assessment of children (language differences, ethnicity, SES) are addressed throughout the course. Prerequisite: ASMT 701.

Second Year Course Descriptions

STAT 700 Psychometrics (3 Units)

This course provides an overview of the scientific study of mental measurement, psychological testing and assessment. The course covers several measurement instruments associated with aptitude, interests, personality, and abilities that are used in a variety of settings. Discussion of statistical underpinnings of instruments, the administration of tests, their “meaningful” (i.e., clinical) utility, and ethical issues surrounding their applications are discussed. Students are required to review and critique several commonly used instruments during this course, including evaluating computerized- and clinician-generated interpretations of tests.

STAT 704 Statistics & Research Methods I (4.5 Units)

This course covers basic research methodology and statistics in psychology. Students will be able to describe characteristics of research studies, explain different research methods, and articulate strengths and limitations of various research designs. The statistical concepts taught include the ability to identify which data analyses procedures to use, compute simple statistical work problems by hand, correctly perform data entry, data

management, and statistical analyses covered in lectures using a statistical program.

CLIN 710 Nature & Treatment of Anxiety Disorders (3 Units)

Overview of current data regarding prevalence, clinical features, comorbidities, and treatment outcome of anxiety disorders in adults. Etiology and the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders from a biopsychosocial perspective is presented and specific treatment procedures are reviewed for empirically supported treatments for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social and Specific Phobias, Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

CLIN 711 Psychological Treatment for Substance Use Disorders (3 Units)

Introduction to the theories of substance misuse and the principles and methods of prevention, screening, assessment, and treatment of substance use disorders. The course is structured to meet California licensure requirements for training in alcoholism/chemical dependency detection and treatment.

CLIN 715 Brief Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (3 Units)

Introduction to brief and long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy, with an emphasis on the potential contribution of empirical research to theory validation and to the identification of efficacious treatment elements. Topics covered include: psychodynamic assumptions about the mechanisms of change in treatment, with a focus on the roles of insight and enactments; definitions of transference and counter-transference as affected by the shift in focus from a one-person to two-person psychology; the role of the unconscious and mechanisms of defense; the technical distinction between expressive and supportive techniques and their relations to the mechanisms of change.

CLIN 735 Group Psychotherapy (3 Units)

Introduction to the theory and practice of group psychotherapy and includes an historical overview of the development of group psychotherapy, particularly as it pertains to the emergence of the various approaches to group psychotherapy. Basic issues and treatment strategies in conducting group psychotherapy are highlighted. Introduction to basic group dynamics, principles of effective task groups, and the theory and practice of group psychotherapies with an emphasis on interactional group therapy.

ETHC 703 Advanced Professional Issues: Clinical Emergencies & Crises (3 Units)

Follows the section of clinical emergencies and crises (Section VII) of the APA Division of Clinical Psychology training guidelines for didactic and clinical training .

STEP 1: APPLICATION 

To apply for transfer coursework, complete the required transfer credit application.

STEP 2: NOTIFICATIONS

You will be individually notified of the curriculum committee's decisions based on your application in September. 

APPEALS

A student may appeal transfer credit decisions in writing to the Curriculum Committee. Appeals must be submitted within one week after the incoming student is notified of the outcome of their transfer credit application.