Doctorate in Clinical Psychology – Building Community Through Transformative Clinical Training

NNU’s Psy.D. faculty are more than instructors—they are active clinicians, researchers and mentors who will walk alongside you in your transformation into a psychologist. Faculty bring real-world experience from neuropsychology, assessment, psychotherapy and applied research directly into the classroom and often involve students in their professional work.

Because of the program’s cohort model and size, you’ll be known personally by your professors and supported through close, ongoing mentorship. Faculty will invest deeply in your success, guiding you not only through coursework but also through dissertation development, clinical training and long-term career goals.

At the heart of our faculty’s approach is a commitment to support, community and transformation. We’ll work collaboratively with you, constantly seeking to help you become as successful as they can be—academically, professionally and personally.

Hands-on, real-world training is a central part of NNU’s Psy.D. program. You will begin applying your classroom learning in supervised settings early in the program and continue throughout your doctoral studies.

As a Psy.D. student, you’ll complete four years of full-time coursework and clinical training that integrates classes, practicum and dissertation development.

During years two through four, you’ll participate in approximately 15–20 hours per week of supervised practicum placements, gaining experience in settings such as hospitals, schools, private practices, correctional facilities and community health centers. These placements provide direct clinical training alongside coursework.

In the fifth year, you’ll complete a full-time doctoral internship, applying your skills in real-world clinical settings under the supervision of licensed psychologists. In many states, an additional postdoctoral year of supervised professional experience is also required beyond the doctoral internship before applying for licensure.

This combination of academic preparation, three years of practicum training, and a full-time internship will equip you to enter the field as a beginning-level professional psychologist. After graduation, you will be prepared to integrate theory and practice in supervised roles and, with the completion of any additional state requirements such as postdoctoral supervised hours, may pursue licensure as a psychologist.

By choosing NNU’s Psy.D. program, you’ll gain practical skills and experience that will prepare you to serve individuals and communities with evidence-based, compassionate care.

At NNU, we recognize religion, faith and spirituality as important aspects of humanity. Our Psy.D. curriculum will prepare you to address these dimensions in clinical practice as part of culturally responsive and ethical care.

You will encounter coursework and discussions that explore how religion and spirituality may influence mental health, client identity and the therapeutic process. Faculty teach integration as a professional skill, modeling how to respectfully and ethically incorporate clients’ values and beliefs into therapy when relevant. Students are not expected to hold particular personal beliefs, but they are expected to develop competency in addressing clients’ religious, faith or spiritual identities in therapy. As part of this process, students are encouraged to reflect on and clarify their own worldview, so they can engage these conversations with clients from a place of self-awareness and professional integrity.

Integration is not treated as a separate track, but is embedded across the program, ensuring you gain both the academic foundation and supervised clinical experience needed to work with clients of varied backgrounds.

Because NNU is a Christian university, students have access to opportunities for spiritual growth through the broader campus community, such as chapel services or meeting with the campus chaplain. These opportunities are available to those who wish to participate, but they are not part of the Psy.D. curriculum and are not required.

By treating religion and spirituality as part of humanity, NNU’s Psy.D. program will equip you to value the whole person—spiritual, emotional and psychological—and to provide compassionate, evidence-based care that is responsive to each client’s worldview.

Our program emphasizes academic excellence, clinical rigor and professional formation, empowering you to serve with empathy, professionalism and cultural humility.

NNU’s Psy.D. program not only welcomes but celebrates students from all faiths, traditions and worldviews. We believe this diversity creates a rich tapestry of dialogue and inclusion, where all students can engage tough questions about culture, spirituality and identity in a respectful and supportive environment. While NNU is part of a Christian university, the Psy.D. program is committed to fostering a community where people of all backgrounds—whether religious, non-religious or spiritual—learn from one another and grow together as future psychologists.

Graduates of NNU’s Psy.D. program pursue careers in clinical practice, research, teaching, leadership, policy and emerging fields where psychology is applied in new ways. Psychology is a continually advancing field, and today’s doctoral students are tomorrow’s innovators. At NNU, we emphasize that Psy.D. graduates are not only prepared to enter existing professional roles, but also to help shape what psychology will become in the years ahead. You will be encouraged to think beyond established models of practice, asking how psychology can become more inclusive, more accessible and more effective in meeting the needs of diverse communities. With training in critical thinking, research and applied practice, we launch our graduates to expand access to care, improve existing systems and contribute to new applications of psychological science.

Upon completing the program, you may pursue supervised practice under a licensed psychologist as you work toward licensure. Clinical psychologists provide services such as psychotherapy, psychological assessment, consultation and program development in a wide range of settings, including hospitals, schools, community health centers, correctional facilities, private practices and integrated health care systems.

With additional training and experience beyond the Psy.D. program, you may choose to specialize in areas such as neuropsychology, child and adolescent psychology, correctional psychology, health psychology, sports psychology or psychopharmacology. The pathway to specialization varies by field and may involve additional coursework, supervised clinical experience or postdoctoral credentialing.

You may choose to incorporate research into your career, contributing to evidence-based practice through program evaluation, applied research, publications and presentations at professional conferences.

Or, you may pursue a career in teaching and training, sharing your expertise in academic or professional settings and mentoring the next generation of psychologists.

You may also move into program leadership and administration, directing clinics, mental health organizations, or community-based programs. Still, you may engage in policy and advocacy work, helping shape mental health legislation, expand access to care and influence the broader systems that impact psychological services.

Psychology is also a continually advancing field, with new roles and opportunities emerging in areas we may not even imagine today. Doctoral training in psychology equips graduates with skills in human behavior, critical thinking and research that are increasingly valued in sectors such as technology, business, government and health care innovation. As a Psy.D. graduate, you may find opportunities in areas like artificial intelligence development, gaming, organizational consulting or other interdisciplinary fields where an understanding of human behavior is essential. The flexibility of psychological training will allow you to adapt your expertise to new contexts as society and technology evolve.

At Northwest Nazarene University, our Psy.D. program provides the academic foundation, supervised clinical experience and mentorship needed to begin a career in psychology. We emphasize the importance of knowing the history, theories and foundations of the discipline deeply, because it is only by understanding our past that we can responsibly shape the future. Guided by our mission of Transformation, Community, Truth and Service, you’ll be prepared not only to meet the needs of today, but also to carry psychology forward in ways that are more inclusive, more accessible and more transformative for generations to come.