The Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) is a doctoral program in clinical psychology which is comprised of 26 required courses, a minimum of 750 hours of practica experience, and a fulltime, 12-month predoctoral internship. The program is designed to prepare students to practice as clinical psychologists.

Overview

Infused with a critical lens, and focused throughout on integration of theory, research, and practice across individual and cultural diversities, the Doctor of Psychology Program prepares graduates to practice as clinical psychologists who will meet the needs of individuals, couples, and families, and also of broader communities and populations through the conscientious practice of the human art and science of clinical psychology.

Students will learn to develop, deliver and supervise high quality mental health services including assessment, diagnosis as appropriate, psychotherapeutic intervention and consultation, supervision, and research as well as learn to practice clinical psychology with an emphasis on responding to the broader needs for health and wellness promotion, community strengthening and prevention of psychological distress.

Of particular priority in the program is the development in students of the capacity to respectfully and effectively engage with the diversity of past and current experiences of individuals and communities, including with respect to culture, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, language, religion, sexuality, physical and psychological characteristics, and identity. Students will develop an understanding of prominent systems and learn to work within them to effectively advocate for those requiring psychological services and to inform and shape organizational and public policy. Ethical decision making will be paramount throughout the program.

Students in the program are engaged full-time with the program throughout almost the entirety of the four years of study. The first semesters include five courses per semester; the workload for five graduate- level courses in a professional training program is much greater than that for five senior undergraduate courses.  As is the case in other professional training programs such as medicine or veterinary medicine, students in the PsyD will not have time for significant employment outside the program. 

Students' initial practicum placements will take place in the BCA Psychology Clinic.  The program will place students for subsequent practica in sites across Prince Edward Island, unless students initiate an approved placement site outside of the province.  For the pre-doctoral internship, students take part with students across North America in the competitive APPIC internship matching program (www.appic.org). Internship placements cannot be guaranteed. A limited number of 12-month internship placements will be available in Prince Edward Island, considerably fewer than there will be students in the program.  Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply to internship sites outside the province.

Continuation in the program requires successful completion of, and ethical and professional conduct in, courses, practicum placements, and internship. 

Clinical Psychology

Clinical Psychology is a subfield within psychology that applies psychological theories, research and knowledge to various aspects of human functioning. Clinical psychologists are professionals who have doctoral level training in clinical psychology. They work in a wide range of contexts, with many working as professional clinicians, academics, or both. Clinical psychologists work across the spectrum of health and mental health promotion, prevention, assessment, diagnosis as appropriate, intervention, consultation, and supportive care. They are engaged with program design, implementation, and evaluation and with policy and systems change.

Clinical psychologists are trained to address many human problems including depression, anxiety, stress, major mental disorders, learning problems, relational problems, challenges in parenting, addictions, behaviours contributing to chronic disease, developmental challenges, problems related to aging, problems which may arise from abuse or other traumatic experiences, and issues within the forensic field.

Clinical psychologists often work closely with psychiatrists, social workers and other health professionals, often within leadership roles on interdisciplinary teams. They may work with individuals, couples, or groups in public mental health clinics, in private practice, in public education systems, in other community settings, and at universities.

Students following this degree program must complete 78 semester hours of required courses, 750 hours of clinical practica, and a full-time 12-month clinical internship.

Important update: Changes to Graduate Record Examination Requirement due to COVID-19 pandemic

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is no longer a requirement for the Fall 2021 intake for this program due to limitations in testing opportunities arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Applicants to the BCA Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program are required to have an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Psychology including an honours thesis, or an equivalent. Completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), general only, prior to application is required. Applicants are encouraged to present a record of undergraduate course selection reflecting breadth of study across the core areas of psychology. Given the preponderance of quantitative methods in the current clinical psychology research literature, completion of an advanced statistics course prior to admission is required. In addition, given the methodological pluralism and critical historical and social perspective adopted by the program, previous course work in qualitative research methods and situating psychology in a critical historical perspective is highly recommended. PsyD students at BCA will be engaged in a critical and reflective dialogue about research methods and the modern positions adopted by clinical psychology.

A minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4-point scale is normally required, with more recent performance given greater weight.

Applicants whose undergraduate degree is in a language other than English must complete an English proficiency test as an Additional Language assessment.

Please for complete admissions information.

The application deadline for this program is January 15.

You do not have to secure a supervisor prior to applying to this program. Visit the Potential Graduate Supervisors page of the Faculty of Graduate Studies website for contact information.

Doctoral Clinical Psychology - $33,456 per 4 year program

International students pay $7,470 per year in addition to full-time student tuition.

For a complete breakdown of part-time or full-time study as a student in the Master of Arts program, visit our Tuition and Fees page.

Funding

The PsyD program currently offers each student funding of $10,000 a year for the first three years for clinical assistantships, as well as $5,000 a year for the first two years from the Faculty of Graduate Studies' Doctoral Research Support Fund. The clinical assistantships will involve students contributing to the development and delivery of community-based interventions.

BCA has about 250 faculty—exceptional scholars, teachers, and mentors, with more being hired each year as we open new, progressive, and unique programs. But the story isn’t just in the numbers. It’s in the quality of our people. Award-winning faculty from around the globe have made BCA home. Here, you’ll learn directly from these world-class professors and researchers in small classes where you’ll have easy access to them.