Coursework Curriculum
The coursework curriculum of the CCP Program has been carefully designed to maximize the progressive building of knowledge and skills; therefore, the sequence of courses is structured. This sequencing is separated into two related but distinct Programs of Study; one for students who enter following completion of their bachelor’s degree (the MS Program of Study), and a second for students who enter following completion of a master’s degree (the PhD Program of Study). Students are provided with a Course Schedule that maps their projected coursework for the duration of their study in the CCP Program during their New Student Orientation Meeting. Each student also meets with the DCT annually (typically following the conclusion of the spring semester) to review their progress and receive an updated Course Schedule. Regardless of which Program of Study students enter in, all must satisfy the Foundational Content Areas and Core Content Areas.
The CCP MS Program of Study was designed to provide training in the necessary Foundational Content Areas that are required for, and should be satisfied prior to entering, the PhD Program of Study. Students who enter the program in the PhD Program of Study (i.e., post-masters) satisfy Foundational Course Content Areas either through obtaining a course waiver (see below) or by taking the corresponding course at USA during their time in the PhD program.
The CCP PhD Program of Study was designed to provide training in the necessary Core Content Areas. All students regardless of their Program of Study at entry will complete the Core Course Content Area courses. The PhD Program of Study assumes that all Foundational Course Content Areas have been completed.
Students may submit course waiver requests to satisfy Foundational Content Areas based on prior graduate coursework. The DCT will email all incoming students during the summer to solicit applications for course waivers. Students who wish to obtain course waivers will indicate the courses they wish to be waived and submit the corresponding syllabi from their prior graduate coursework along with transcripts indicating successful completion of the course. These materials will be initially reviewed by the DCT and will then be submitted to one or more core and/or affiliate faculty members for review. The faculty members reviewing the syllabi for consideration of the course waiver are typically the faculty who teach the corresponding course in the CCP MS Program of Study. The reviewing faculty member(s) will submit a recommendation for approval or denial to the DCT, who will make the final determination whether to approve the course waiver request. All course waiver requests are subject to the following rules:
- Course waiver requests can only be made for prior graduate-level coursework in which the student earned a grade of B or higher.
- Course waiver requests can only be made for prior graduate-level coursework in which the student completed a degree. Students who completed graduate coursework, but were not awarded a degree are not eligible for direct entry into the PhD Program of Study.
- No more than 15 credit hours (or 5 courses) can be waived.
- Only Foundational Content Area (i.e., MS Program of Study) courses are able to be waived. No PhD Program of Study courses can be waived.
There is no guarantee that classes taken at another institution will satisfy the required Foundational Course Content Areas. The DCT may deny any such requests at their discretion.
The CCP MS Program of Study consists of 47 hours of required courses. Courses are typically completed within two years of program entry. This requirement includes a minimum of 6 hours of thesis credits (PSY599) and a minimum of 9 hours of practica credits (PSY556). There are no elective requirements for the MS degree. The required courses for the MS Program of Study are listed in Table 1. The typical sequence and timing of these courses are detailed in the Sample Schedule (Table 3).
Table 1: MS Program of Study Required Course
| Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSY500 | Proseminar in Psychology | 2 |
| PSY501 | Research Design and Stats I | 3 |
| PSY502 | Research Design and Stats II | 3 |
| PSY522 | Social & Personality Psychology | 3 |
| PSY524 | Lifespan Development | 3 |
| PSY530 | Introduction to Applied Psychology & Diagnostic Interviewing | 3 |
| PSY532 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| PSY542 | Cognitive Assessment | 3 |
| PSY544 | Personality & Affective Assessment | 3 |
| PSY550 | Evidenced Based Clinical & Counseling Practice | 3 |
| PSY586 | Cognitive Neuroscience | 3 |
| PSY556 | Practicum in Psychotherapy & Assessment | 9 |
| PSY599 | Thesis Research | 6 |
The CCP PhD Program of Study consists of a minimum of 57 credit hours of coursework, not including Foundational Content Areas (i.e., the MS Program of Study). This requirement includes 21 hours of core courses, 3 hours of approved elective coursework, 15 hours of practica, and 9 hours of dissertation (CCP799). Students must also enroll in the internship course (CCP797) throughout their internship year (i.e., three courses). CCP797 can be taken as a zero-credit course. The required courses for the PhD Program of Study are listed in Table 2. The typical sequence and timing of these courses are detailed in the Sample Schedule (Table 3).
Table 2: PhD Program of Study Required Course
| Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSY507 | The History of Psychology & Professional Ethics | 3 |
| IDE630 | Quantitative III (Multivariate Statistics in Psychology) | 3 |
| CCP758 | Psychology of Resilience & Trauma/Crisis | 3 |
| CCP759 | Group & Systems Theory | 3 |
| CCP766 | Supervision of Clinical Interventions | 3 |
| CCP780 | Applied Health Psychology | 3 |
| CCP795 | Multicultural Psychology | 3 |
| CCP756 | Advanced Practicum in Psychotherapy & Assessment | 9 |
| CCP782 | Specialty Practicum in Psychotherapy & Assessment | 6 |
| CCP797 | Psychology Internship | 0 |
| CCP799 | Dissertation Research | 9 |
| Elective | Elective Coursework | 3 |
Students are required to complete 3 credits of elective coursework to supplement their learning in an area outside of the Core Course Content Areas. Elective courses are regularly offered by CCP core faculty, often as special topics (CCP790) courses. Students may also complete graduate courses in other departments or colleges to satisfy this requirement with the prior approval of the DCT in consultation with the CCP Program Core Faculty. Such courses must be related to the student’s plan of study and must be approved before the student registers. Requests must be submitted to the DCT for evaluation by the core faculty using this form. Examples of elective courses are listed below. Note, this is not an exhaustive list, merely the courses most frequently offered and approved as electives.
CCP 742 – Advanced Psychological Assessment
CCP 752 – Clinical Neuropsychology
CCP 772 – Child & Family Psychopathology & Intervention
CCP 777 – Seminar on Suicide: Risk Assessment & Clinical Management
CCP 790 – Religion & Spirituality in Psychological Practice
CED 562 – Addictions Counseling
Table 3: Sample Schedule
| Fall | Credits | Year 1 Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSY500 Proseminar in Psychology | 1 | PSY500 Proseminar in Psychology | 1 | PSY507 The History of Psychology & Professional Ethics | 3 |
| PSY501 Research Design and Stats I | 3 | PSY502 Research Design and Stats II | 3 | CCP795 Multicultural Psychology | 3 |
| PSY530 Psychology & Diagnostic Interviewing | 3 | PSY522 Social & Personality Psychology* | 3 | ||
| PSY532 Psychopathology | 3 | PSY542 Cognitive Assessment | 3 | ||
| PSY586 Cognitive Neuroscience* | 3 | PSY550 Evidenced Based Clinical & Counseling Practice | 3 |
| Fall | Credits | Year 2 Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSY556 Practicum in Psychotherapy & Assessment | 3 | PSY556 Practicum in Psychotherapy & Assessment | 3 | PSY556 Practicum in Psychotherapy & Assessment | 3 |
| PSY524 Lifespan Development* | 3 | CCP759 Group & Systems Theory | 3 | ||
| PSY544 Personally & Affective Assessment | 3 | CCP780 Applied Health Psychology | 3 | ||
| PSY599 Thesis Research | 3 | PSY599 Thesis Research | 3 |
| Fall | Credits | Year 3 Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCP756 Advanced Practicum in Psychotherapy & Assessment | 3 | CCP756 Advanced Practicum in Psychotherapy & Assessment | 3 | CCP756 Advanced Practicum in Psychotherapy & Assessment | 3 |
|
IDE530 Quantitative III (Multivariate Statistics in Psychology) Elective Course |
3 | CCP766 Supervision of Clinical Interventions | 3 |
| Fall | Credits | Year 4 Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCP782 Specialty Practicum Psychotherapy & Assessment | 3 | CCP782 Specialty Practicum Psychotherapy & Assessment | 3 | CCP782 Specialty Practicum Psychotherapy & Assessment | 3 |
| CCP799 Dissertation Research | 3 | CCP799 Dissertation Research | 3 | CCP799 Dissertation Research | 3 |
| CCP758 Psychology of Resilience & Trauma/Crisis* | 3 |
| Fall | Credits | Year 5 Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCP797 Internship | 0 | CCP797 Internship | 0 | CCP797 Internship | 0 |
Notes: * indicates courses that offered every other year, so the year in which students take these courses may differ from this sample schedule. This schedule is based on expectations for students entering in to the MS Program of Study. Students entering directly into the PhD Program of Study can expect that some courses might be waived. In such instances, students may decide to take certain earlier in their training. The elective requirement can be completed in any semester during the student's training in residence. The Elective Course is placed here as an example.