DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY IN
Clinical Psychology
California Baptist University
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences calbaptist.edu/grad
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Our Aim Our aim is to prepare doctoral students for entry-level practice in the field of clinical psychology.
Our Mission Our mission is to graduate the next generation of health service psychologists to live their purpose as 21st century “Good Samaritans.” We train burgeoning mental health professionals to be academically prepared through discipline-specific knowledge, globally minded and equipped to serve via profession-wide competencies and biblically rooted by integrating psychological science and the Christian faith.
Our Goal Our goal is to prepare practitioner-scholars to competently, ethically and effectively acquire clinical skills in the foundational and functional areas of professionalism; relationships; psychological science; the application of theoretical and empirical models of assessment, intervention and consultation; and supervision in multidisciplinary settings. By concentrating on a sequential, developmental approach that emphasizes the gradual attainment of clinical competencies at three successive levels of training, graduates will secure the requisite knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors necessary to transition from doctoral education to the internship process, culminating with independent psychology licensure and practice. Through blending empirical evidence and clinical practice—drawing inspiration from the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–36) along the way—graduates from the program will be equipped to serve those in need within contemporary society, responding to suffering with a servant’s heart so as to ameliorate the stigma of mental disorders through compassion, kindness and empathy.
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California Baptist University
Program Distinctives
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Become a Practitioner-Scholar
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Prepare for Licensure
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Learn in a Cohort
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The program is based on the practitioner-scholar model, emphasizing both the practice and science of clinical psychology.
Graduates will secure the requisite knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors necessary to transition from doctoral education to the internship process, culminating with independent psychology licensure and practice.
Move through the program with the support of a small cohort and caring faculty members.
Gain a Biblical Foundation
Become biblically rooted within the profession of clinical psychology.
calbaptist.edu/grad
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Student Learning Outcomes ¹ Develop General Knowledge in the Discipline of Psychology Students will understand and apply knowledge of the history and systems of psychology; theories of psychotherapy; affective, biological, cognitive, developmental, sociological and abnormal bases of behavior; integrative knowledge within multiple domains of psychology; research approaches; and psychometrics to health service psychology.
Develop Specific Competencies in the Profession of Clinical Psychology Students will understand the role that several key competencies play in health service psychology, developing these skills incrementally as they move from practicum placement to internship, followed by graduation and independent practice. The six competency domains within the program focus on (a) professionalism; (b) relationships; (c) science; (d) the application of evidence-based practice, assessment, intervention and consultation; (e) supervision; and (f) systems, all of which emphasize the value of individual and cultural diversity and the empirical literature within clinical psychology.
Blend Psychological Science and a Christian Worldview Students will be biblically rooted within the profession of clinical psychology, developing the ability to integrate a Christian worldview into previously developed and well-established theories and empirical models, starting with psychological science as the foundation and exploring ways the Christian tradition aligns with clinical psychology. Students will also learn how to begin with a Christian worldview, using several biblical traditions to build, test and evaluate theory, starting with the Bible as the foundation and exploring ways the scientific method can help to enrich, deepen and empirically validate a biblical view of suffering and healing in the 21st century by focusing on assessment and intervention for Christian clients.
¹The first two student learning outcomes for the program, including the structure and much of the language and terminology, are drawn from the knowledge and competencies presented in the APA’s “Standards of Accreditation for Health Service Psychology” and “Implementing Regulations” (see www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/index.aspx), as well as the APA’s “Competency Initiatives in Professional Psychology” (see www.apa.org/ed/graduate/competency.aspx). “The California Board of Psychology Laws and Regulations” (see article 3, Education and Experience, under the “California Code of Regulations”) has also been used to develop the areas of knowledge that are necessary for California psychology licensure. All three outcomes draw from CBU’s Core 4 university outcomes.
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California Baptist University
Accreditation Status WASC: Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges — Senior College and University Commission APA: The CBU PsyD program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), on contingency through the following date: September 28th, 2026. Questions related to the program’s accredited 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 Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation
calbaptist.edu/grad
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
About the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (CBSS) is widely recognized and highly respected by public, private and faith-based agencies throughout the Inland Empire community. As one of the oldest and largest colleges at California Baptist University, the CBSS is well known for its variety of program offerings, research and scholarship, practicum and training sites and service to the community. The vision of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences is to develop quality graduates that are equipped to face the challenges of the world and serve at the highest caliber in their fields. Our distinct philosophy includes a significant student-professor interaction, an intentional integration of a mature, biblical worldview, a holistic, interdisciplinary approach and an emphasis on sound academic instruction to prepare students to compete with others in academia and in the job market. As a faculty, we strive to exemplify the cooperative, relational aspect of our field as behavioral scientists in order to best model successful integration and cross-disciplinary partnership. Our vision is to graduate students of strong, mature faith who are academically and professionally prepared for real-world application of their skills. One of the greatest advantages of training
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California Baptist University
at the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences is undoubtedly the holistic method with which we approach learning and application. While theoretical frameworks are explored alongside historical perspectives of each discipline, it is the direct application of knowledge that sets us apart from other programs. The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences offers students many opportunities to put their skills into practice in a setting that provides individual attention and faculty guidance.
calbaptist.edu/grad
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Features • An emphasis on individual and cultural diversity • A focus on the peer-reviewed psychology literature • An exploration of the intersection between psychology and Christianity
Training Philosophy and Model The program is based on the practitioner-scholar model, emphasizing both the practice and science of clinical psychology. In preparing students to enter the mental health field as practitioner-scholars, the program utilizes sequential training, adopting the APA’s benchmarks model to assess professional competencies at three stages of learning—prior to practicum placement, prior to internship placement and after graduation—as students move toward independent practice.
Structure • A traditional, full-time, five-year program with mostly evening and weekend courses • Four years of academic coursework • Three years of practicum placements (one internal and two external) • A one-year, full-time internship placement • Cohort sizes of approximately 20 students
Coursework The program requires 128 units with several course sequences (CS) that focus on sequential learning, including: • Basic content CS (15 units) • State of California CS (12 units) • Research CS (18 units) • Practicum CS (31 units) • Intervention CS (18 units)
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• Assessment CS (10 units) • Supervision CS (3 units) • Faith integration CS (12 units) • Elective CS (9 units)
California Baptist University
Graduation Requirements • 128 units • One internal (500 hours) and two external (1,000 hours) practicum placements • One full-time internship placement • Dissertation • Clinical competency exam • Personal psychotherapy • Student membership in APA • Attendance at one state, regional or national psychology conference
Career Paths • Clinical psychologist, conducting assessments and interventions in a wide variety of settings • Professor in higher education • Administrator • Consultant • Researcher
Program Tuition* $1028 per unit
≈ approximate cost: $132,834
*Based on current academic year. Subject to change.
calbaptist.edu/grad
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Prerequisites* • Completed with a “C” or better • One of the following: Statistics, Research Methods, Psychometrics or related coursework • Three of the following: General Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Theories of Personality, Theories of Psychotherapy or related coursework *Prerequisites are individually evaluated to determine the level of preparation for doctoral studies in clinical psychology. All prerequisites must be completed before starting the program
How to Apply
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Submit a graduate application at
psycas.liaisoncas.com.
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Send official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended to PSYCAS.
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Provide any supplemental documents required to PSYCAS.
Ready to take the next step? Follow this QR code to start your application!
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California Baptist University
Admissions Requirements Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or the evaluated equivalency. Students with a master’s degree in clinical psychology may transfer up to 27 units towards the CBU PsyD degree. Graduate Record Exam (GRE) general test scores (Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Analytical Writing), dated within the last five years. Send scores to PSYCAS using the institution code for CBU, 4274. A minimum 3.0 GPA PSYCAS application (psycas.liaisoncas.com) Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended Four professional recommendations. Peer recommendations will not be accepted. Professional essay in APA format, that includes the following: • Your decision to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, including the reasons for this pursuit, important life experiences that have led you to the field, and why you believe you will be a good fit for the program. • The ways in which your academic background has prepared you for doctoral studies in clinical psychology, including the practicum sequence, research sequence, dissertation process, clinical competency exam and professional licensure upon graduation • Some of the challenges you anticipate facing in a doctoral program in clinical psychology, including how you expect to overcome these struggles • Your views on cultural diversity, including how you intend to effectively, competently and ethically work with clients from a variety of backgrounds with differing worldviews • Your views on faith integration—combining the Christian faith with psychological science when working with Christian clients—including your reactions to the importance that the CBU PsyD program places on this competency area in its coursework • An example of a worldview conflict between yourself and a potential client (e.g., working with a client who lives his or her life in a way that is inconsistent with your own faith tradition), including how you might go about resolving such a source of tension • Your views on possibly relocating out of state for the fifth-year internship in order to secure an APA-accredited internship placement, including how you might prepare for such a major life transition • Your 10-year plan, including what you see yourself doing in the field of clinical psychology after licensure Current resume documenting related professional and extracurricular experiences Successful completion of interview process, including an interview with the director of the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology program
calbaptist.edu/grad
California Baptist University
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Graduate Admissions
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
8432 Magnolia Avenue Riverside, CA 92504
8432 Magnolia Avenue Riverside, CA 92504
951.343.4249 calbaptist.edu
951.343.4487 calbaptist.edu/cbss
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