CSPP Field Placement & Practica

Clinical Training for Doctoral Students

All clinical doctoral students participate in required field experiences during most years of their program. This field work offers them practical exposure to a variety of settings and clients. The PsyD programs may involve more practicum experiences than the PhD programs.

The model professional training experience for CSPP students should be a broadly based sequence of placements providing exposure to a variety of evidence-based treatment modalities; various theoretical orientations in a variety of treatment settings; and a wide range of patient populations. Those students involved in emphasis areas within the program generally have at least one placement experience with a setting and population appropriate to their area of concentration.

Placement opportunities vary by campus. You are invited to explore the links above to learn more about the types of internship opportunities offered by CSPP programs in Fresno/Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.

Stipends for Students During Field Placement

Some of the field placements currently offered through the campuses involve a stipend. These stipends range from $200 to a few that are over $20,000 per year, depending upon the agency. Students who intern at the CSPP-supported and APA-accredited Golden State Psychology Internship Association (GSPIA), which is in the Central Valley, generally receive internship stipends of $15,000 or more. The school ensures that internships for clinical doctoral students meet the licensing standards of the California Board of Psychology.

Practica and internships are generally assigned on a one-year basis. Students usually assume new field placement positions at the beginning of each academic year in order to gain exposure to a variety of training models. While procedures for arranging compatible matching of field placement and student interest vary from campus to campus, the overall goal is to match student interests and needs to training site offerings.

Models of Internship Training

There are two models of internship training. One involves a full-time placement in an APA-accredited internship in the last year of the program. Another model of internship training involves doing two, half-time internships which are integrated within the last two years of the academic experience. Both models provide a high-quality, sequential and cumulative learning experience.

APA-accredited internships are full-time and usually offer stipends. Although students are encouraged to apply for an APA-accredited internship, CSPP also offers the part-time internship option in agencies carefully selected for CSPP students.