School-Clinical Child Psychology, PsyD

This Combined-Integrated program is accredited by the American Psychological Association.  It was last accredited in 2014 for a maximum seven-year period and will be site visited again in Fall 2023.

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, American Psychological Association
750 First Street NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
Tel: 202-336-5979

This doctoral program in School-Clinical Child Psychology carefully integrates field experience with academic preparation within a practitioner-scholar training model.  Students are trained in psychological foundations, assessment and evaluation techniques, remediation and intervention procedures, and program evaluation and research.  The goal of the program is to prepare professional psychologists as health service providers with expertise in school and clinical psychology.  Research methodology and theoretical academic subjects are essential parts of the program, but emphasis is placed on professional preparation.  Graduates are uniquely prepared to provide clinical and education expertise and consultation in order to best serve children and families across a variety of systems of service delivery. 

Program graduates will have completed all pre-doctoral academic and internship requirements needed for admission to the New York State Licensing Examination for the professional practice of psychology. 

Graduates typically have been awarded the Master of Science in Education in School Psychology (or equivalent program in school psychology) and recommended for New York State certification in School Psychology.  This program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) as a combined-integrated school-clinical program and is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists.  All information about this program and related ones may be found in the Graduate Catalog of the University’s New York City Psychology Department. 

Prior to receiving the doctoral degree in school-clinical child psychology, students must first complete a master's degree in school psychology or have been awarded state or national school psychology certification.  Sixty-nine hours of the first three years of study in the doctoral program generally correspond to the M.S. Ed. in School Psychology at Pace University.  Applicants with graduate credits from other institutions may enter the program but this prior work will be evaluated for transfer credit on a course-by-course basis only after acceptance into the doctoral program.

Program Prerequisites:

• Background preparation in abnormal psychology, developmental psychology, experimental psychology, general psychology, learning, personality theory, and statistics. 
• Courses or demonstrated competencies in principles and problems in education and curriculum development or methods of teaching and instruction. 
• Most if not all psychology prerequisite preparation must be completed prior to entering the program.  It is possible for students to complete some prerequisites (e.g., education) after admission.

Full-Time or Part-Time Study and Residency Requirement:

Students may undertake the program on a full-time or part-time basis, but the program must be completed within ten years, and a minimum of three years of residency at Pace University is required, including one year of full-time study.  Class hours permit field work and generally allow for limited part-time employment in the first four years of study.  Whenever possible, paid internships are arranged in order to help alleviate the financial expense involved.

Program Elements:

The program requires 111 credit hours of study, a Qualifying Examination after the first year, a Comprehensive Examination typically during the third year, a School and Clinical Child Psychology distributed internship typically in the third and fourth years, a full-time internship typically in the fifth year, and a doctoral project.  Details about specific deadlines and  the distributed internship are in the department’s Graduate Catalog.

Doctoral Program Information

Prior to receiving the doctoral degree in school-clinical child psychology, students must first complete a master’s degree in school psychology or have been awarded state or national psychology certification. Sixty-nine hours of the first three years of study in the doctoral program generally correspond to the M.S. Ed. in School Psychology at Pace University. Applicants with graduate credits from other institutions may enter the program but this prior work will be evaluated for transfer credit on a course-by-course basis only after acceptance into the doctoral program.

Years 2 to 6

Required Program Electives (6-13 credits)

Students select their electives by advisement. For other upper-level electives that might be available, please see program advisor.

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Elective choices must include either PSY874 or PSY829.

Updated: November 23, 2021