Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

A PsyD degree is a Doctor of Clinical Psychology degree. The PsyD emphasizes a scholar-practitioner model.

ADLER has consent from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities* to offer a doctoral program in clinical psychology. The Canadian Psychological Association only accredits programs from not for profit Universities. As ADLER is a private, professional graduate school, it does not fall under this category. However, students graduating from the ADLER PsyD program may still apply to the College of Psychologists of Ontario for registration. At a minimum, the CPO requires that the applicant must have obtained a doctoral degree from a psychology program that is accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association or from a psychology program that the CPO deems to be equivalent to that of the CPA accreditation standards for doctoral programs in professional psychology.

*This program is offered under the written consent of the Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities for the period from December 15, 2021 to December 15, 2027. Prospective students are responsible for satisfying themselves that the program and the degree will be appropriate to their needs (e.g., acceptable to potential employers, professional licensing bodies or other educational institutions).

Admissions at ADLER would need to review the various courses completed in a Masters of Counselling Psychology degree to determine how closely related those would be in comparison to coursework completed in the ADLER MPsy degree. Also taken into consideration is how long ago that degree was awarded.

Completed applications must be submitted by December 1st for consideration for the following Fall start date. Students have until April 15th to accept offers of admission. After that, they automatically forfeit their offers.

Tuition for the program will be calculated each trimester, based on the number of credit hours per course. Each credit hour is $850, with a total of 57 credits required to complete the degree. The total tuition for the PsyD program is $48,450. Some other incidental fees may apply. *Total program cost is provided as an estimate based on current fees. Total cost is subject to change

Each trimester’s tuition is calculated based on the number of credit hours per course. This amount can then be divided into monthly installments, allowing students to spread the cost of the program over the trimester for a nominal fee. Some limited Tuition Assistance may be available.

Financial Assistance may be available for those who qualify.

www.ontario.ca/page/osap-ontario-student-assistance-program

The  GRE is not a requirement for the PsyD at ADLER.

All applicants applying to the Doctorate of Psychology Degree program at Adler Graduate Professional School are required to complete Acuity Insights Casper assessment for the 2023/2024 admissions cycle. The Casper assessment is a standardized, multi-part online assessment that measures different competencies and attributes that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. The Acuity Insights assessment will complement the other tools that we use for applicant review and evaluation. In implementing the Casper assessment, we are trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process. Casper: 90-110 minute online, open-response situational judgment test. You will register for Casper assessment for CSP-10201 – Canadian Professional Health Sciences Access. Go to https://acuityinsights.app/casper/ to create an account and for more information on important dates and requirements, and the Casper assessments.

We accept 15 – 18 students per cohort. Although many of the spots will be taken by ADLER MPsy graduates, we welcome applicants from other programs.

Once you have been accepted into the program, you can request to transfer up to nine credits from another clinical psychology doctoral program. These credits must be a B+ grade and deemed by ADLER to be substantially equivalent to those in our degree. Transfer credits cannot include electives or practicum hours.

PsyD students at ADLER are required to complete a clinical dissertation project which demonstrates an applied and in-depth scholarly work contributing to the field of clinical psychology.

Internship sites may include institutions, agencies, private practice settings, consortia, university student wellness clinics, etc.

ADLER’s PsyD program is only offered on a  full-time, year-round basis.

Students do not work more than an average of 20 hours per week in employment outside of the program. These hours do not include teaching and research assistantships or other program-sanctioned work or clinical experiences.

Yes, the internship is a paid position.

Generally, students cannot complete practicum placements at a site where they are currently employed, they have previously completed a practicum placement, or have previously been employed.  Exceptions to this rule may be considered, if and only if, the training and job activities are substantively different, and the training supervisor is someone other than the job supervisor. Exceptions to this require documentation and written permission from the Director of Clinical Training. Practicum placements are unpaid positions. 

Same applies. However, the standards for an internship site must follow the standards as set out by the CPA.

Students in the PsyD are required to complete a minimum of 900 total hours, up to a maximum of 1000 hours. Students must complete their practicum training at a minimum of two sites which include at least one assessment practicum placement, and at least one psychotherapy/intervention practicum placement.

Students can certainly think about where they may want to complete practicum placements. However, they cannot agree to any placements before starting the program and must follow program protocol in that regard, including consultation with the Director of Clinical Training. With respect to internships, the same applies.

To start their internship training, students must have completed all academic work, practica, passed the comprehensive examination, and have started or completed their dissertation. The Director of Clinical Training along with the Director of the PsyD program then agree that the student is ready for their internship training. 

ADLER has various policies and procedures in place. The reasons for failing the practicum evaluation may also impact those decisions. The Director of Clinical Training, along with the Director of the PsyD program, may also meet with the student to review those factors, and in some circumstances, would constitute remediation, and/or dismissal.

Students are required to complete all course work, including electives, as well as pass the comprehensive examination, complete all practica, successfully defend their dissertation, and complete their internship training.

The ministry has a page on their website called Go to College or University in Ontario. ADLER falls in the unique category of a private graduate school. If you click on the link Find a private postsecondary school, which is our closest comparison listed on the website, you will find the quote “Other institutions, in addition to the schools listed below, have the authority to offer specific degrees with Ministry consent.” We fall under the category of “other institutions”. At the bottom of their website page you will find a section titled “Find schools offering degrees under Minister’s consent on the PEQAB website.” On the PEQAB website you will see Adler Graduate Professional School listed as having been granted consent.

*This program is offered under the written consent of the Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities for the period from December 15, 2021 to December 15, 2027. Prospective students are responsible for satisfying themselves that the program and the degree will be appropriate to their needs (e.g., acceptable to potential employers, professional licensing bodies or other educational institutions).