May 11, 2020
The new Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology will equip Christian mental health leaders for service around the world.
Wheaton College is now accepting applications to its new Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology program, which will begin in the 2021-2022 academic year.
“The new Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology will build on the success of Wheaton’s academically rigorous Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology,” said Provost Dr. Margaret Diddams. “We are thrilled to offer a program that will further equip our graduates for Kingdom service to the Church by bolstering their abilities as scholars and clinicians.”
Wheaton’s APA-accredited Psy.D. program, now in its 27th year, has an outstanding reputation. Over the last five years, students have matched at clinical internships—a requirement of both Psy.D. and Ph.D. programs—at a 98.7% rate. Additionally, 93% of all Wheaton’s graduates are now licensed as clinical psychologists.
However, the Ph.D. will afford increased flexibility to Wheaton graduates—particularly to those hoping to practice and conduct research abroad. The Ph.D. designation is recognized among the international community as the gold standard of clinical psychology doctoral degrees, and is considered the standard for those engaged in academic research.
“The Ph.D. is more readily understood as the terminal degree in international contexts for service in both clinical work and academic positions,” said program director Dr. Ben Pyykkonen. “Some of our Psy.D. graduates have already excelled in academic settings and international contexts. However, the Ph.D. in clinical psychology is more recognized in these in academic and international settings.”
Additionally, Dr. Pyykkonen indicated, the Ph.D. designation more clearly communicates the research-intensive nature of the current Psy.D. program, in addition to the excellent clinical training students receive. More information about key differences between the Psy.D. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology is available here.
Exceptional faculty, including the Dr. Arthur P. Rech and Mrs. Jean May Rech Endowed Chair in Psychology Dr. Mark Yarhouse, Psychology Professor Dr. Sally Schwer Canning, Assistant Psychology Professor Dr. John McConnell, Associate Psychology Professor Dr. Ward Davis, Associate Psychology Professor Dr. Sandra Yu Rueger, Assistant Psychology Professor Dr. Tao Liu, and Dr. Pyykkonen, will continue to teach in the program.
Learn more about Wheaton College's Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and begin your application today.
--Emily Bratcher