Program Overview
The Combined - Integrated Doctoral Program in Clinical and School Psychology at James Madison University is an innovative, applied psychology program that leads to the awarding of the Doctorate of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree and eligibility for licensure as a clinical psychologist and licensure/certification as a school psychologist. The C-I program is designed to prepare students to be leaders in the provision of comprehensive psychological services for people across the lifespan. It is specifically designed for students already possessing graduate degrees in applied mental health fields (such as clinical, school, or counseling psychology) who wish to further their training and become leaders and advocates in the dynamic field of mental health. Most students complete the program in four years (three years of on-campus coursework and a one year internship). All of our students are required to complete a minimum two years of course work on-campus.
APA Accreditation
The C-I Doctoral Program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Program Mission and Objectives
The mission of the JMU Combined-Integrated Doctoral Program in Clinical and School Psychology is to produce generalist psychological practitioners who are broadly trained, actively self-reflective, committed to an ethic of social responsibility, and optimally prepared to work in a wide variety of settings with diverse clientele. In addition, the specific focus of the program is the development of those competencies that will prepare graduates to serve as leaders and advocates in the delivery of mental health services in the context of a diverse society.
This program prepares graduate C-I psychologists to serve as general practitioners, primary care providers, and health service psychologists (see Schulte et al., 2004), who can: 1) understand and integrate contributions and perspectives from three major areas of applied activity in our larger field (i.e., clinical, counseling, and school psychology); 2) develop conceptualizations of human behavior that integrate biological, psychological and social dimensions of analysis; 3) integrate various theoretical perspectives into a coherent whole; and 4) work effectively in an interprofessional context (Johnson, Stewart, et al, 2004).
Training Philosophy
The JMU Combined-Integrated Doctoral Program's innovative practitioner-scholar model integrates theory, research and practice from clinical, school and counseling psychology. The training program builds upon previous training and professional experiences to further expand and deepen therapy, assessment, and consultation skills. While the C-I program is officially designated by the APA as a combined program in clinical and school psychology, our program also emphasizes and integrates the crucial contributions of a counseling psychological perspective as well. As such, the program responds both to clear training and professional needs in this region, as well as larger needs within our field to meet credibly the training needs and professional aspirations of masters-level practitioners and, of course, the complex clinical needs of individuals and organizations confronting psychological and/or systemic problems.
Combined-Integrated training is an innovative concept that merges the traditional professional areas of clinical, counseling, and school psychology into a generalist approach that provides students with a broad foundation from which to operate. A generalist orientation opens up pathways to draw from each of the three practice areas in a manner that is complementary and synergistic. This is different from the specific school approach, which exist, by definition, in contrast to the other practice areas. That is, in order to justify its legitimacy, clinical has to be different from counseling, which in turn has to be different from school psychology. From the generalist point of view, the focus on difference and separatism can create problematic schisms, turf wars, the magnification of minor and peripheral differences, and the proliferation of overlapping and redundant concepts.
To facilitate professional growth and self-awareness, students receive continuous feedback throughout the program and work closely with their faculty mentors on a weekly basis. Students develop their skills in a rich array of practicum settings including on-campus specialty clinics, the JMU Counseling and Student Development Center, schools, and community-based programs and agencies. Admission is competitive, and class size is small.
Career Opportunities
Students graduating from the Combined-Integrated Doctoral Program serve in professional positions in a range of settings including, but not limited to, mental health clinics, child and family agencies, public schools, university-based counseling centers, and hospitals. Graduates assume practitioner, administrative, consultation, and leadership positions, as well as training and supervisory roles. The program prepares students to meet the requirements for licensure as clinical psychologists and licensure/certification as school psychologists.
For more information, please contact: Gregg Henriques
