Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL)

educate its students in a manner grounded in, informed by, and shaped by the beliefs and practices of the Christian faith;
produce highly competent clinical psychologists who will be practitioner-scholars, capable of benefiting from and contributing to both the theoretical and applied empirical scholarly literature of the clinical psychology field, adept at advancing our understanding of the interface of psychological and spiritual understandings of the person, and competent to intervene to enhance human welfare;
emphasize and model a commitment to professional practice as service, especially to the Body of Christ, the Church, and also to those persons who have been marginalized and wounded by our society on the basis of racial or ethnic identification, age, socioeconomic status, or gender; and
conduct training in the context of an intentional community of faith which will emphasize a balanced approach to spiritual, personal, professional, and interpersonal growth and development.

Our mission statement shapes the specific nature of the doctoral training program in the following ways

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Christian Distinctiveness
We live in a time in which it is increasingly intellectually credible to work at interrelating religious belief with a scholarly and applied discipline such as psychology. The Enlightenment rationalism and dogmatic empiricism that were in vogue several decades ago could hardly allow for such interchange. But today's intellectual climate includes the broad phenomenon of postmodernism, the rise of instrumentalist and critical realist approaches to the philosophy of science, and even specific empirical findings on the positive relationships between religious practice and mental health and between values and psychotherapeutic outcomes. These developments leave plenty of room for interaction between Christian faith and practice on the one hand and the discipline of psychology on the other.

Our commitment to Christian distinctiveness is more than just a reaction to contemporary trends in scholarship, however. It is a reflection of the historic commitment of the entire institution, a commitment that has endured when the intellectual trends have not been so comforting. "Wheaton College [as a whole] exists to help build the church and improve society worldwide by promoting the development of whole and effective Christians through excellence in programs of Christian higher education . . . Wheaton College seeks to relate Christian liberal arts education to the needs of contemporary society. The curricular approach is designed to combine faith and learning in order to produce a biblical perspective needed to relate Christian experience to the demands of those needs" (Catalog of Wheaton College).

The Graduate School specifically exists to "relate Christian education to the needs of contemporary society." Further, its mission is to "enable the committed Christian student to formulate and articulate a biblical and global understanding of life and ministry and to apply it to service for Christ and His kingdom. The emphasis of the graduate program throughout its history has been on practical scholarship -- scholarship totally rooted in the final authority of the Scriptures but practical so that educated and trained Christian leaders are equipped to relate to the real needs of people today" (Catalog of Wheaton College). We seek to train psychologists to understand and value human diversity, to demonstrate a commitment to underserved populations, and to be agents of reconciliation wherever oppression and injustice exist.

In conformity with these broad goals of the whole institution and of the Graduate School in particular, the doctoral program in clinical psychology is founded upon a concern for interrelating Christian belief and practice with the best of contemporary scholarship and professional standards in the discipline of psychology. We are forthrightly concerned with producing graduates who will be distinctive as Christians in their practice of professional psychology, whether that practice be in an overtly religious context or not. The doctoral program at Wheaton College conforms to the Community Covenant and Statement of Faith, which provide a framework for our life together as an academic and spiritual community. For more details on the Community Covenant or Statement of Faith, please go to the following link.

Wheaton College Community Covenant and Statement of Faith

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Training Model: Practitioner-scholar
There is a growing recognition in the Christian community of the profound needs for healing and growth among the religious and nonreligious populace, needs that are not readily met by traditional approaches to pastoral care. There is also an increasing recognition of the intimate interrelationship of psychological and emotional needs and the spiritual or religious realms of life. There is a strong need for skilled practitioners in the field of psychology who are respectful and informed about the religious traditions which form the fundamental commitments in life for so many in American society and across the world.

Following the Vail Conference model the doctoral program in clinical psychology attempts to address this need by providing training deliberately directed at producing highly competent practitioner-scholars of clinical psychology who are respectful of the Christian faith and at the same time personally committed to embracing the professional identity of psychology. Our goal will be to produce psychologists who are ready to be effective practitioners, equipped not only with up-to-date skills in such areas as psychodiagnosis, assessment and intervention, but also the capacities to continue growing over their professional life; capable of understanding not only evolving research and scholarship in the field of clinical psychology, but in the biblical and theological domains as well. While we are aiming at producing practitioners, we are convinced that the most effective practitioner in the long run will be the scholarly person who is multidisciplinary in focus and prepared to think in an analytical and sophisticated way in as many areas as possible that address our understanding of the human condition.

In recognition that no one model or theoretical approach in the mental health field has succeeded in dominating the field, the doctoral program in clinical psychology is intentional in its pluralistic focus with regard to theoretical orientation. We recognize the importance of diversity in models of professional practice as a stimulus for growth as the student trains as a developing professional. We strive to integrate theory with practice early in the program through student involvement in practicum training beginning the second year of the program.

The curriculum offered reflects a great deal of thought and effort, and is intended to foster development of practitioner-scholars. It is designed to prepare ethnically- and culturally-sensitive Christian psychologists to deal with diverse needs found in a pluralistic culture and throughout the world. Because psychologists attempt to build clinical theories and techniques on scientific principles, courses in the four core content areas in psychology are required (biological bases of behavior, social bases of behavior, cognitive/affective bases of behavior, and individual differences). Psychologists also must be wise consumers of, and often contributors to, the scientific literature, so the curriculum includes coursework in advanced statistics, research design, program evaluation, and clinical research. Effective practitioners are aware of the theoretical underpinnings of their work while appreciating the work of those with differing theoretical views, and so diverse coursework on the theoretical bases of professional psychology is included (e.g., psychometric theory, cognitive-behavioral theory, psychoanalytic theory, family theory). Because of our commitment to Christian distinctiveness and our desire to produce scholars with a multidisciplinary focus, courses in other fields that contribute to an understanding of the human condition also are included in the curriculum (spirituality, diversity, theological anthropology, bible and theology). Thus, the foundation of the curriculum is based on a broad understanding of scientific and theoretical psychology and on multiple perspectives of the human condition. On top of this essential foundation, the curriculum provides courses and supervised practica in the technical skills necessary for professional psychologists (intellectual, personality, and neuropsychological assessment, psychotherapy, program evaluation, group therapy, community psychology).

Many courses are conducted with a special focus on professional applications, with the practitoner-scholar model affecting the use of classroom time and assignments. Some themes, including multicultural awareness, knowledge of ethical standards, and integration of Christianity and psychology, are so central to the curriculum that they are found in virtually all courses offered throughout the program. Though some courses are specifically devoted to these topics, these themes are of such critical importance for practitioner-scholars in psychology that they cannot be relegated to isolated spots in the curriculum.

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Professional Practice as Service
We quote again from the College catalog's description of the mission of the Graduate School: It exists to "relate Christian education to the needs of contemporary society . . . to enable the committed Christian student to formulate and articulate a biblical and global understanding of life and ministry and to apply it to service for Christ and His kingdom. The emphasis of the graduate program throughout its history has been on practical scholarship -- scholarship totally rooted in the final authority of the Scriptures but practical so that educated and trained Christian leaders are equipped to relate to the real needs of people today"(Catalog of Wheaton College).

The Graduate School of Wheaton College has existed throughout its history to facilitate and prepare students for service to the Church and to the world. We wish to emphasize and model this service orientation in the doctoral program in clinical psychology. It is our goal to expose students to training with underserved populations. As a community, we strive to model Christ's love to all regardless of whether they belong to his Body, the Church. We strive to model the very compassion of Christ himself, who mourned for the poor, the down-trodden, and the victims of injustice, regardless of their personal religious faith.

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Community Context of Training
We attempt to be a Christian community of learning and growth that fosters growth in all areas of life, not just in narrowly professional domains. We will strive for a quality of caring relationships that encourages growth in all areas of the lives of students, faculty, staff, and families.

The most effective learning probably does not occur when students are in a passive mode listening to an "expert" pontificate on his or her subject matter. Learning will be maximally effective when traditional methods are complemented by active learning in a context where there is the possibility of mentorship and apprenticeship relationships with a professional the student can emulate. The doctoral program in clinical psychology attempts to foster this kind of learning environment by maintaining as small a training program as is fiscally viable. The program is budgeted on 65 full-time students (equivalent), and a student to faculty ratio of 10 to 1. Further, faculty are involved in the oversight of student clinical work, in the qualifying examination process, and in the required clinical dissertation.

As a complement to our relative religious uniformity, we desire to maintain and even celebrate diversity in terms of gender, culture, ethnicity, and age. Wheaton College is committed to an international focus and to valuing the various cultural traditions of the United States.

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Department Objectives
Desired Outcomes for Psychology Graduate Student Development
In order to carry out the Department Philosophy and to be able to evaluate the success of our efforts, we have set the following as the expected outcomes for the development of our Psy.D. graduate students. The effectiveness of the Psy.D. program is evaluated using the outcomes listed.

Knowledge That We Hope to Instill:

A broad understanding of the evolving discipline of psychology, including the study of biological, cognitive-affective, and social bases of behavior and the study of individual behavior.

This understanding should include a critical appraisal of Eurocentric assumptions in contemporary psychology and a commitment to valuing human diversity as the discipline of psychology progresses.
An extensive understanding of biblical and theological knowledge related to the Christian faith in general and the student's personal faith in particular. This should include an ability to articulate the primary doctrines of the Church, and the relation of the student's own faith to the major movements in the history of the Church and to contemporary theological debates. Special attention will be paid to theological anthropology and the implications of theology for modern psychology.
An understanding and appreciation of the history and various systems of psychological inquiry, including an understanding of contemporary views of the history and philosophy of science that illuminate psychology's past and present.
In-depth knowledge of the integration of Christian faith with the discipline of psychology, including an understanding of contemporary views of and issues in the interrelationship between religion and religious belief with science (broadly understood), knowledge of the major "models" for interrelating Christianity and psychology, and an understanding of the limited scope, respectively, of biblical revelation, theological declaration, and of psychological findings and theories.
A thorough understanding of the ethical standards of the profession of clinical psychology as embodied in such documents as the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, the APA Standards for Providers of Psychological Services, and the APA Standards for Educational and Psychological Tests. Students should also understand the legal and economic issues that are shaping the mental health field today, and be made aware of policies, standards and regulations promulgated by state licensing boards and state and local psychological associations. Finally, students should grapple with the unique ethical dilemmas faced by psychologists who are explicitly Christian in their approach to the field.
An understanding of the major options in research methodology, including the design and performance of social science research, options in statistical analysis of such research, and issues in the application of research in the applied clinical context.
An understanding of the conceptual foundations of psychological testing and assessment, and a thorough, doctoral-level familiarity with contemporary psychological assessment instruments and approaches.
A knowledge of psychopathology and psycho-diagnostics as understood within the various conceptual models and according to current empirical research.
In-depth understanding of the basic theories that are shaping the mental health field today, including the psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive behavioral, and family systems approaches. Students should develop an eclectic understanding of these theories, of the empirical support for their usefulness, of the implicit and explicit assumptions each model is based upon, and of their relevance to the conceptualization and intervention in the field of clinical psychology. Students should build a broad knowledge of specialized treatment methods based on the above theories.

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Skills We Hope to Develop:

Skills related to the Christian distinctives of the program and school, including the skills of developing proper understandings of biblical texts and of thinking theologically about basic conceptual matters.
Skills for recognizing, evaluating, and resolving perceived and real tensions between religious and psychological understandings of the person. Positively, this will include skills for developing a richer understanding of persons that is both consistent with the Christian faith and with the best scholarship in the field of psychology.
Skills for critically analyzing knowledge claims and approaches to practice from theological, philosophical, cultural, and psychological perspectives. This will include the development of methodological skills sufficient for the student to become a lifelong consumer of research who is able to think critically in the context of clinical practice and to lay a foundation for possible positive contribution to knowledge and scholarship in the field of psychology. These skills will be facilitated both through didactic and experiential work (especially through the terminal clinical dissertation).
Skills of ethical analysis and decision making as needed in the professional world. These skills include, but are not limited to, a capacity to understand cultural and personal factors when approaching research and clinical interventions.
Skills required for psychological assessment in the areas of intellectual, personality, psychopathology, and neuropsychology; including basic interviewing skills, observation and testing skills, decision making skills for the selection of psychological tests, and diagnostic skills.
Strong interpersonal skills, insightfulness, and self-awareness that are necessary for the effective conduct of mental health interventions.
Extensive theory/paradigm-based skills and techniques for developing and implementing change plans and overseeing those of others. We hope to encourage development of the skills not just of remedial intervention, but also for prevention of psychopathology and for the encouragement of growth and maturation.
Skills of supervision, consultation, education, leadership and management of other mental health professionals and mental health facilities or organizations.

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Values, Attitudes, and Personal Characteristics Which We Want to Inculcate:

An ever-deepening love of God, neighbor, and self, of justice, goodness and truth, of worship, prayer, and service.
Respect and appreciation for the ethical standards of the field in both professional and scientific areas.
Empathy and a profound understanding of the nature of human suffering.
A respectful and nonjudgmental attitude toward all persons and a valuing of that which brings them health and wholeness.
A valuing of multiple ways of knowing, of the scholarly disciplines beyond psychology among the social sciences, and beyond the social sciences into the humanities and the other sciences, and of life-long learning.
A valuing of mental health work as an outreach of the individual Christian and of the church.

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Admission Requirements

1. Applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. International applicants must have completed the equivalent of a U. S. bachelor's level degree.

2. Course prerequisites (18 semester hours in psychology):

Abnormal Psychology or Psychopathology
Either, Quantitative Methods, Statistics, Research Methods, or Experimental Design
Personality Psychology or Theories of Psychotherapy
Physiological Psychology
Two courses from the traditional "scientific" subdisciplines of the field such as, Learning, Cognition, Social or Developmental Psychology, or Sensation/Perception.

3. Applicants should have at least 16 semester hours in humanities (i.e. art, English, history, literature, music, philosophy).

4. Applicants must submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test.

5. Applicants must submit four separate references on the forms provided in the application.

6. Applicants must submit a completed application form with essays, and a $50.00 application fee for Psy.D. applicants.

7. A chronological resume outlining all professional, pre-professional and vocational experience should be submitted.

8. Applicants must submit a sample of their academic writing, e.g., a copy of a class research paper.

9. Personal interviews are required of all finalists in the Psy.D. application process.

Click here for more information on this program's required and elective courses.

Application Deadline

ALL application materials must be submitted at the same time (references and transcripts in sealed envelopes) to the Graduate Admissions Office by December 15. Only complete applications are reviewed. Wheaton admits new graduate psychology students for the fall semester only.

Psy.D. applicants will be notified of acceptance or wait list status by April 1. A nonrefundable advance deposit of $200 must be submitted with the confirmation of acceptance. The $200 deposit will be credited to tuition upon enrollment.

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Accreditation

The Psy.D. program at Wheaton College is accredited by the American Psychological Association. The Committee on Accreditation (CoA) can be reached at:

American Psychological Association

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation

750 First Street NE

Washington DC 20002-4242

(202) 336-5979

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