Concordia University of Edmonton announces its first-ever doctoral program—a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology program designed to create well-rounded practitioners and lifelong learners
Posted on: Feb 3, 2021
EDMONTON, Alberta — Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) is proud to announce its first-ever doctoral program—a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology. The five-year program is the first of its kind west of Manitoba, meeting local mental health needs, and providing opportunities for students to be leaders on campus and in the field.
“Our PsyD program has been designed to create a strong foundation on which our students will continue to build throughout their careers,” said Dr. Tim Heath, Dean of Arts at CUE. “We are focused on setting the conditions for our students to be successful, address meaningful clinical problems, and improve everyday practice.”
While many doctoral programs emphasize traditional functional competencies, like assessment, diagnosis, and therapy, CUE’s PsyD program also focuses on foundational competencies like teaching, supervising, and self-reflection.
“Our objective is to create local clinical scientists who collaborate and work effectively with other mental health professionals, leading to better outcomes and more holistic care for clients,” said Dr. Heath.
The program is open to, and intended for, students with bachelor’s degrees in psychology, master’s degrees in clinical psychology, counselling psychology, and school psychology, and Registered Psychologists looking to pursue a doctorate and receive additional clinical training, research, and supervision. Students are required to complete 123 credit hours, including dissertation credits and a year-long (1,600 hour) clinical residency. Students will also independently teach undergraduate courses and supervise others in a clinical setting, obtaining hands-on experience and a well-rounded education.
“This is an exciting moment in our history as a university, and a remarkable achievement for so many people on campus and in the community,” said Dr. Bill Hanson, Professor and Director of Training, Clinical Psychology, at CUE. “The ongoing pandemic has created new mental health challenges in our community, and researchers and clinicians need to be nimble to respond effectively and provide quality care to clients. This program will face those challenges, and the challenges of tomorrow, head on, with a focus on real-world situations and clinical effectiveness. While we are a small school, our hope is to have a big impact on the landscape of clinical psychology.”
The program welcomes its first cohort of 10 doctoral students this fall with applications opening in March and being accepted until the end of April.
“Today’s announcement is the culmination of many years of work by members of the Psychology Department and our community supporters,” said Dr. Wendy Pullin, Professor and Chair of CUE’s Psychology Department. “We’re extremely proud to be launching our first doctoral program and we are grateful to those who have made important contributions over several decades to make today’s announcement possible.”
The launch of CUE’s first doctoral program comes amid its centennial celebrations. For 100 years, CUE has been committed to creating independent thinkers, ethical leaders, and citizens for the common good.
“Our institutional mission is to make a difference,” said Dr. Valerie Henitiuk, Vice-President Academic and Provost at CUE. “This first doctorate is the product of hard work and contributions from many stakeholders, and it represents a new horizon for CUE and an inspiring way to kick off our next century. We look forward to welcoming students who are looking to make a difference and are ready to help shape the future of clinical psychology.”
For more information, visit https://concordia.ab.ca/psyd.
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About Concordia University of Edmonton
Concordia University of Edmonton is Canada’s pre-eminent small university, offering over 45 majors and minors in the fields of arts, science, and management, as well as two after-degree programs, several master’s degrees, several graduate certificates and diplomas, and a doctorate in clinical psychology. In and out of our classrooms and lecture halls, we translate what we learn into extraordinary hands-on experiences. Our ultimate goal has not changed since 1921: to be more than students and professors, to create a community of active citizens, of good and honourable people. For more information, visit www.concordia.ab.ca.