Achieve your Calling with Rigorous and Supportive Training
Now Accepting Applications for Fall 2024
Stevenson’s Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) program in Clinical Psychology prepares you to become a clinical psychologist and to provide evidence-based, culturally competent clinical services to individuals and their communities. The Psy.D. in clinical psychology program combines classroom instruction, clinical placements, and internship experiences that enable you to develop the skills and knowledge required for effective clinical practice.
Overview
Stevenson’s Psy.D. Program Fast Facts
- The Psy.D. in clinical psychology program is a full-time, five-year program.
- Faculty mentoring and guidance extend through coursework, internship support, and dissertation direction.
- The program is rooted in theory and research, with particular attention to individual and cultural diversity and culturally responsive practice.
- You will complete 16-20 hour/week externships in clinical settings in years two though four of the program, and a year-long, full-time internship in the final year of the program.
- Upon completion of the Psy.D. program, you will be prepared to sit for the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), the national psychology licensure exam.
Program Model, Aims, and Outcomes
The Stevenson University Psy.D. program in Clinical Psychology operates from a practitioner-scholar model of training.
Program Aims:
- To prepare entry-level health service psychologists with the knowledge and competencies necessary to engage in evidence-based clinical practice with diverse populations in accordance with the highest ethical, legal, and professional standards.
- To provide students with practitioner-scholar training that develops strong professional identities as socially and culturally responsive clinical psychologists who seek to promote equity, inclusion, and the rights and dignity of all persons in their work.
These two aims underlie the six program outcomes:
- Apply psychological theory and scientific knowledge of psychological function and dysfunction, maladaptation, and psychopathology.
- Conduct evidence-based psychological assessments and diagnosis.
- Provide evidence-based psychological intervention, treatment, supervision, and consultation services.
- Apply research methods appropriate to the activities of the practitioner-scholar.
- Perform professional activities consistent with ethical, legal, and professional standards of Health Services Psychology.
- Use appropriate communication and interpersonal skills to deliver services to a diverse population.
Our Faculty’s Commitment to You
Our faculty’s clinical, instructional, and mentoring expertise is matched by their commitment to Stevenson’s student-centered mission. Psy.D. faculty are active practitioners and scholars with interests in diverse areas including:
- Psychological resilience and liberation
- Learning, attentional, and neurodevelopmental disabilities
- Pregnancy, childhood, and early motherhood
- Assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of stress, anxiety, and related disorders
- Ethnic identification, cultural expression, and psychological well-being
Our Doctorate of Psychology faculty provide you with real-world clinical expertise, as well as a commitment to excellence in instruction and mentoring. Check out our faculty and their interests on the Meet our Faculty tab.
Learn More
- How to Become a Clinical Psychologist
- Getting Started on the Path to Psychology
- Exploring Popular Clinical Psychology Careers
Accreditation
Stevenson’s Psy.D. program in Clinical Psychology has been developed to be consistent with the American Psychological Association’s (APA) accreditation standards for doctoral programs in Health Service Psychology. The program began admitting students in 2021, and submitted its initial self-study to APA as part of its application for Accredited, on Contingency status in October 2023. All accreditation decisions and their timing are at APA’s discretion. This website will be updated to reflect the Psy.D. program’s accreditation status if/when changes to this status occur.
Questions related to the program’s accreditation status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
202-336-5979
apaaccred@apa.org
www.apa.org/ed/accreditation
The Psy.D. program has been approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Admissions Information
Required Application Materials for all Students
- Application Form
- Priority Consideration due by December 1.
- Best Consideration due by February 1.
- Personal Statement
- A brief personal statement (2-3 pages double-spaced) should address the following questions:
- Why are you interested in pursuing a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at Stevenson University?
- What academic and professional experiences have prepared you for this next step?
- The Psy.D. program emphasizes social and cultural responsiveness so that graduates will be equipped to work ethically and effectively with individuals and groups from diverse cultural backgrounds. Please discuss your approach to and experience working with diverse individuals, and your future training goals in this area.
- A brief personal statement (2-3 pages double-spaced) should address the following questions:
- CV
- Letters of Recommendation
- Three professional/academic letters of recommendation and accompanying recommendation form. At least one letter must be from an academic reference (i.e., a professor or academic research supervisor). At least two academic references are strongly preferred. All letter writers should be able to speak to your potential for doctoral-level study and/or clinical practice.
- Official transcripts from all degree-granting institutions attended.
- Psychology Course Prerequisites (for non-Psychology majors)
- Applicants who did not major in Psychology or a closely related field at the undergraduate level will be considered for admission, but must complete the following prerequisite courses: Statistics; Psychopathology; Human Development; and Research Methods. A course in Test and Measurements is recommended, but not required.
- These courses can be completed at any accredited two- or four-year college or university (including Stevenson University) or as part of a prior graduate program.
- At least three of the four required courses must be completed prior to application submission; the fourth class can be in progress at the time of application.
- Official GRE Scores (optional)
- While we do not require GRE scores for admission, you have the option to submit them for consideration as a part of your application package. The exam must be taken within the past five years.
Interviews (by invitation only)
Following initial applicant review, Doctorate of Psychology candidates selected for interviews will be invited to campus. The interview day provides program faculty the opportunity to learn more about the candidates. Additionally, it provides candidates the opportunity to learn more about the program through individual and group interviews, meetings with current students, and Q&A sessions. The interview is required for consideration for admission to the Psy.D. in clinical psychology program. Additional information about interviews, including interview dates, will be provided to applicants during the application process.
Post-Acceptance Requirements for all Psy.D. Program Students
- Background Check
- Annual criminal background checks are required for all students in the Psy.D. program. During the summer prior to enrollment, accepted students are required to obtain, pay for, and pass a criminal background check. These background checks are regularly required by the clinical sites at which students will complete practica and internships. Failure to pass a criminal background check may result in revocation of acceptance to the program.
- Enrollment Deposit
- The enrollment deposit of $300 and the enrollment form must be submitted before April 15 for the fall semester. The deposit is non-refundable after these dates. For international students, the Certificate of Eligibility (I-20) will not be processed until the deposit is received.
- Stevenson University Health Profile
- The University’s health profile must be completed in its entirety before July 1 for fall entrance. All students planning to live on campus are also required to be immunized against meningococcal disease, per Maryland State law.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
International Students
Academic Curriculum
Psy.D. program students develop profession-wide competencies in all areas integral to the role of the clinical psychologist, including research, ethical and legal standards, individual and cultural diversity, professional values and attitudes, communication and interpersonal skills, assessment, intervention, supervision, consultation, and interprofessional/ interdisciplinary skills.
Students will also develop discipline-specific knowledge in the following areas:
- The history and systems of psychology
- Affective, biological, cognitive, developmental, and social aspects of behavior
- Advanced integrative knowledge of basic discipline-specific content areas
- Research methods
- Statistical analysis
- Psychometrics
Relevant legal standards, ethical reasoning, and consideration of individual and cultural diversity factors are discussed across the curriculum.
Tuition & Fees
2024-2025
Annual tuition and fees for Psy.D. students starting Fall 2024 are $18,988 for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Tuition – $18,597
University Fees – $799
Additional Fees
Students are independently responsible for required fees related to clinical placements, including subscription fees for a clinical hour tracking system, APA student membership dues, and background check fees. Other fees related to individual practicum sites, such as parking fees, may also be required.
Core Faculty
Marie C. McGrath, Ph.D.
Graduate Program Director, Clinical Psychology
Professor of Psychology
Dr. Marie McGrath earned her Ph.D. in School Psychology from Temple University in 2005 and joined the Stevenson faculty in Fall 2020. Before coming to Stevenson, Dr. McGrath was a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Immaculata University, where she served as core faculty in the Clinical Psychology Psy.D. program; directed the School Psychology M.A./Ed.S. program; and received the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award in 2012. Dr. McGrath is a licensed psychologist and a certified school psychologist in the state of Pennsylvania, as well as a nationally certified school psychologist. She a recent past president of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association (PPA) and served on the PPA Board of Directors for the past 10 years in various roles. She is currently the organization’s Awards chair. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Psychological Foundation. She was selected to the American Psychological Association’s Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology in 2019.
Soonhee Lee, Ph.D., ABPP
Director of Clinical Training
Associate Professor of Psychology
Dr. Lee earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Rochester in 2011 and joined Stevenson University in Fall 2022. Dr. Lee is a licensed psychologist and is board-certified in Counseling Psychology. She has extensive clinical experience in diverse settings such as university counseling centers, psychiatric hospitals, and private practice. She has also served as a clinical supervisor for practicum students, doctoral interns, and postdoctoral fellows, as well as a Training Director for an APA-accredited doctoral internship in Health Service Psychology. Dr. Lee values cultural humility and global perspectives, and considers social justice as a core value in psychology. She has held leadership roles in diversity committees and affinity groups and has led community outreach efforts to raise critical consciousness. Her clinical and research interests include supervision and training, couples therapy, group dynamics, grief, collective healing, and leadership development.
Colleen Spada, Psy.D.
Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology
Dr. Spada holds a Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) from Loyola University, and has taught at Stevenson since 2010. She served as a Doctoral Supervisor while at Loyola, supervising master’s level clinical and counseling students who were completing their externships. Her clinical experience includes individual therapy for clients presenting issues such as depression, anxiety, addiction, and interpersonal struggles as well as conducting workshops and training for organizations and businesses on topics such as stress reduction, self-esteem building, and relaxation. She currently maintains her own private clinical practice and provides educational services for pregnant women offering information about evidence-based practices during pregnancy, labor and childbirth, as well as labor management through the use of mindfulness techniques.
Ryan Willard, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology
Dr. Willard earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from The University of Kansas in 2022, and joined Stevenson University in Fall 2023. Prior to Stevenson, Dr. Willard served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology in the Department of
Psychology and Counseling at the University of Central Arkansas. His clinical experience includes serving as a Doctoral Psychology Intern at the Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Syracuse, New York, where he also conducted predoctoral research. He also served as a Counseling Psychology Clinical Supervisor at the University of Kansas. Dr. Willard focuses on the connections between depression and physical health and wellbeing. His approach to teaching and counseling emphasizes humor, curiosity, creativity, and fairness.
Associated Faculty
Deondra Smith, Psy.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Dr. Smith earned her Psy.D in Clinical Psychology from the American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, Washington DC Campus. She has taught at Stevenson University since 2018. She is a Licensed Psychologist and owns her own private practice where she provides both therapeutic and psychological assessment services to children, adolescents, and adults. She has extensive experience in supervising and training undergraduate and graduate students within the field of psychology. Her clinical interests focus on the integration of play therapy and other non-directed modalities in therapy to enhance overall emotional identification and expression in children and adolescents. Also, her clinical work focuses on increasing accessibility of mental health resources to BIPOC communities. Her research interests include examining the relationship between ethnic identification, cultural expression and psychological well-being.
Jeffrey D. Elliott, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor of Psychology
Dr. Elliott earned his Ph.D. in Human Services Psychology (Clinical Track) from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He is a Maryland Licensed Clinical Psychologist. He has taught at Stevenson since 2001 and served as Department Chair of Psychology since 2010. At Stevenson, he is a recipient of the Rose Dawson Award for Excellence in Teaching, which is awarded to one faculty member each year. In the past, he served as a Clinician, Clinical Coordinator, and Clinical Supervisor for the Domestic Violence Center of Howard County (1995-1998, 2000-2010) and has experience in inpatient settings for the seriously mentally ill and in addictions. His current clinical work focuses on enhancing educational opportunities and outcomes for at-risk teenagers. His research interests focus on attitudes affecting relationship violence and relationship indiscretions as well as social psychological factors affecting clinical work. His most recent collaborative research with students focused on diverse topics such as self-care and stress, early parental bonding and loneliness, confrontation of micro-aggression, and compliance with law enforcement officers. He particularly values mentoring students.
Virginia N. Iannone, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Student Success
Professor of Psychology
Dr. Virginia (VJ) Iannone received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Catholic University of America and joined the faculty at Stevenson University in 2002. Her research interests include examining mental toughness in youth athletes as well as examining the role of injury, retirement, and other transitional events on quality of life. She was appointed as a Teaching Fellow for the Center for Teaching and Learning in 2019 and was awarded Excellence in Teaching Awards from the National Society for Leadership and Success (2015) and Stevenson University (2017). She is a founding and executive board member of the Mid-Atlantic Consortium for Sport and Performance Psychology and holds active memberships in several professional organizations related to the science and practice of sport psychology.
Adjunct Faculty
Rich Metzger, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor of Psychology
Dr. Metzger holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology (Cognitive) from the University of North Dakota, with additional training at The Institute of Child Development (Minnesota) and the Lineberger Cancer Center (North Carolina). He has a broad experience in basic memory research as well as applications in health, education, and the legal system.
Clinton Lewin, Psy.D.
Adjunct Professor of Clinical Psychology
Joseph Magness, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor of Clinical Psychology
Daniel Krajan Pardo, Psy.D.
Adjunct Professor of Clinical Psychology
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When is the deadline to apply?
A: The priority deadline to apply to our Psy.D. program is December 1. The best consideration deadline is February 1.
Q: Is there an application fee?
A: There is no application fee.
Q: What do I need to major in?
A: Applicants with a strong academic background in psychology, counseling, human services, or a related field are preferred. Applicants who did not major in Psychology or a closely related field at the undergraduate level will be considered for admission, but must complete the following prerequisite courses: Statistics; Psychopathology; Human Development; and Research Methods. A course in Test and Measurements is recommended, but not required.
- These courses can be completed at any accredited two- or four-year college or university (including Stevenson University) or as part of a prior graduate program.
- At least three of the four required courses must be completed prior to application submission; the fourth class can be in progress at the time of application.
Q: How long is the Psy.D. program?
A: Stevenson University’s Psy.D. program in Clinical Psychology is a five year course sequence.
Q: How much does the Psy.D. program cost?
A: Annual tuition and fees at Stevenson University for Psy.D. program students starting Fall 2023 are $18,988 for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Q: How will I know if I am selected for an interview?
A: Applicants who are offered an interview following initial review of their application materials by the Psy.D. Admissions Committee will be notified via email.
Q: Is the program accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA)?
A: The Psy.D. program is a new program that is not currently accredited by APA. The program is in the process of preparing its initial accreditation application materials and collecting the data needed for accreditation application. We plan to submit an initial self-study to APA during the 2023-2024 academic year.
Q: What transcripts need to be submitted?
A: Official transcripts from all colleges or university attended need to be submitted to the Admission Office. An official transcript is one that comes from the school directly to Stevenson in either a sealed envelope or in a secure email. Students can send transcripts to psydadmissions@stevenson.edu.
International students who have attended or who are currently attending a U.S. post-secondary institution must submit official transcripts from all institutions. Students who have completed post-secondary academic coursework outside of the United States must submit an official course-by-course transcript evaluation from an organization that is a current member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (https://www.naces.org/members) (NACES). A member list is available on the NACES website.
Q: Are transfer credits accepted?
A: All requests for transfer credit will be reviewed on an individual basis. Master’s courses are generally not accepted for transfer credit. Classes previously taken in another doctoral program in psychology that were not applied to a terminal degree will be considered for transfer credit. A syllabus and/or other supporting materials may be required in order to evaluate a course for transfer credit.
Q: Is Psy.D. program coursework offered in-person or online?
A: The Psy.D. program is offered in-person on the university’s Greenspring campus. The program is not offered through online/distance education.
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Resources for Stevenson Graduate Students
The Doctor of Psychology program is located on Stevenson’s Greenspring campus located in the heart of Maryland’s beautiful Greenspring Valley. The campus offers the following facilities and amenities for graduate students:
- Ample parking & easy access to I-695 and I-83
- Library with dedicated resources and study spaces for graduate students
- Graduate Computer Labs
- Graduate Lounge
- Cafeteria
- Fitness Center
- Labyrinth & Meditation Center