PsyD in Clinical Psychology

Reimagining Professional Practice

The Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology curriculum offers innovative coursework in Psychology to prepare students for professional practice, including core, clinical, and research courses. The core curriculum provides a foundation for the clinical and research courses, supporting the student’s evolving relationship to clinical engagement.

The Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology is designed to meet the educational requirements for the state of California Psychologist license. The Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology also meets the educational requirements for the state of California MFT license (Board of Behavioral Sciences, Senate Bill 33, Section 4980.36, Business and Professions Code), and the state of California Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), (Senate Bill 788, Section 4999.33, Business and Professions Code), provided that fieldwork is done in accordance with BBS requirements.

"In order to change what is, we need to give speech to what has been, to imagine what might be

—Adrienne Rich

Concentrations Available

• Transformative Leadership
• Developmental Coaching
• Health Coaching
• Transformative Learning
• Social Artistry
• Expressive and Movement Arts
• Clinical Psychology
• Depth Psychology
• Transpersonal Psychology
• Integral Psychology
• Yoga and Psychology
• Somatic Psychology
• Organizational Development

Educational Objectives

• To develop leadership capacities that further professional engagement with the profession of psychology.
• To develop creative inquiry practices and skills.
• To articulate and apply key concepts and major principles of psychopathology to all levels of human systems.
• To implement appropriate uses of psychological assessment resources with a specialized awareness of individual differences and cultural diversity.
• To develop competencies for bringing principles and practices of transformative learning into clinical contexts.

Graduation Requirements

• Students who enter with a Bachelor’s degree must complete 133 credits (1080 hours) of which 25 credits are from fieldwork (750 hours).
• Students who enter the program with a qualified Master’s degree (Advanced Standing) must complete 117 credits (920 hours) of which 25 credits are from fieldwork (750 hours).
• Students are required to attend 6 residencies. (Or 5 residencies if admitted with Advanced Standing)
• The completion of an original Clinical Case Study is required.
• Sixty hours of personal therapy in an individual, couple, family, and/or group setting are required. In some cases, this experience may be obtained prior to enrollment in Meridian’s graduate program.
• Students have a maximum of eight years from their initial date of enrollment to complete the PsyD.
• Students in the Ph.D. in Psychology and PsyD in Clinical Psychology can earn the MA in Psychology degree during their enrollment if they complete the MA degree requirements on their way to earning a doctoral degree at Meridian.

Admission Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree is required for admission to Meridian's graduate degree programs.
• Students submit an online application form along with documents such as official transcripts, a personal statement, and letters of recommendation. The Admissions Committee reviews all applications and invites select applicants to proceed to an interview. More information is available on the Application Process page.
• All students are expected to be proficient in the English language as all instruction at Meridian is offered in English.
• The advanced Standing status may be applied for by students who are applying to one of the psychology doctoral degree programs with a Master's degree in psychology or its equivalent.

Academic Structure

Meridian’s academic structure gives students the flexibility to navigate the University’s curricular architecture in ways that match their passions, professional goals, and other life commitments.

The structure is designed to serve a diverse student body, who live around the globe, have varied cultural and clinical visions for their careers, and are at different stages in their professional journey.

Students enroll in a degree program, can elect a concentration, and register for one or multiple courses each quarter. In addition to core courses for the specific degree program and anchor courses that represent the Transformative Learning intent of Meridian’s curriculum, students select elective courses that align with their Meridian concentration, background, and career path.

Learning Format

Meridian’s hybrid learning format is designed to enable students to pursue their graduate education at a flexible pace, combining asynchronous coursework via the University’s custom social learning platform, Pivot, live course video calls with faculty, synchronous student community engagement, and onsite one-week residencies. By combining innovative online education methodologies with rich video calls and deep onsite residency connections, Meridian’s learning format enables students to contribute locally and perceive globally.

Each quarter, students take one or multiple seven-week online courses. This schedule provides students with the time between quarters to rest, engage, and prepare. Additionally, students attend at least two weeklong residencies per academic year, until they complete their residency requirements. Residencies run Monday through Friday throughout the year, at Meridian’s Bay Area Center and other globally distributed locations. Students can select residency dates and locations based on their personal circumstances and professional aspirations.