Doctor of Psychology
Ranked #2 among PsyD and PhD programs nationally by College Transitions, Rutgers GSAPP's Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) combines rigorous academic preparation with extensive clinical training. Students develop expertise in assessment and intervention through an integrative curriculum that integrates cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and systems approaches. The program emphasizes cultural responsiveness, evidence-based practice, and hands-on clinical experience, preparing graduates to become skilled and compassionate practitioners in multiple professional settings.
Aims and Training Approaches
The Clinical PsyD program aims to provide the student with a solid foundation in clinical practice, grounded in and influenced by evolving scientific psychology, and shaped by the two way interaction between the two in a dynamic social, economic, and service delivery environment.
Our model presumes that training approaches should be influenced by developments in science and in the practice environment. This broad stance can be illustrated by, for example, specialty clinics in which faculty train students in state-of-the-art, evidence-based treatments, built around investigation of mechanisms and processes of change, and in empirically-supported delivery systems. A structural strategy for linking didactic training to community practice is our longstanding practice of appointing community-based psychologists as clinical supervisors, whose presence in the community serves as a conduit by which changing clinical challenges are introduced into training design.
New Knowledge
Our faculty conduct cutting-edge research and students are exposed to the latest in clinical psychological science in coursework and practice. Consistent with the practitioner-scholar model and the GSAPP commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and community, clinical faculty conduct applied community-based research. Faculty work in partnership with the community to develop evidence-based assessment, prevention, and treatment strategies that are effective, culturally tailored, and that are feasible to implement. Faculty have on-going federally funded grants focused on improving care for youth, families, and adults. Given the applied nature of the research, students have many opportunities to learn to conduct assessments and deliver treatments while helping faculty to assess the impact of services.
Student - Faculty Connection
“My cohort is super unique, we all come from such different places and backgrounds, and I’ve learned so much just from talking to everyone about how they got here because none of us had a singular path. My mentors have kept it very real with me. They have been super receptive, and it’s clear that they really want me to do well, while being understanding of what’s going on outside of school. ”
- Kierra Pean, Clinical Psychology PsyD, Class of 2026
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GSAPP's Clinical PsyD program is: APA-accredited
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 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
Phone: 202-336-5979
Email: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation
Summary of CUDCP Policy for Graduate School Offers and Acceptances - Information for Applicants