George Fox University | Admissions | Graduate | PsyD | Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology

Frequently Asked Questions About the Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology

Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology

Why should I choose George Fox University's Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology program?

The number one reason to choose George Fox University's PsyD program is because we take a holistic view of mental health, which includes a spiritual component. We give explicit training in the relationship between mental health and Christian faith.

The second reason is George Fox University invites you to join a caring community of exceptional professors and scholars located in the beautiful Northwest. Our students and alumni tell us our advisers and student-mentoring program give the support needed to not only successfully complete the degree but also join the profession of clinical psychologists. Because of limited class size and its being located on a relatively small, semi-rural university campus, there is an exceptional sense of community in the program.

The third reason is the clinical, research, and integration portions of the PsyD program are designed to provide you with support and mentoring in the early stages of development and allow students increasing independence as they become more sophisticated in their skills.

We believe the combination of our location, our APA accreditation, our supportive environment, our professionalism and training, our committed faculty, our carefully revised curriculum and electives, our integration of faith and psychology, our high rate of internship placement, our unique research and clinical teams, and our commitment to our students' success truly makes this an outstanding program.

Is George Fox University a Christian university? How will my personal faith impact the decision to be accepted into the program?

We admit students who confess a personal faith in Jesus Christ and want a program offering a Christian world-view. The ethos of George Fox University reflects our evangelical Quaker heritage. However, over 50 denominations are represented in the university's student body.

Tell me more about your mentoring program.

Incoming students are assigned current students as mentors. The peer mentors are available to advise new students on everything from where to get the best lattes to options for course electives. The small student cohorts and research as well as clinical team experiences allow you to grow with others, while faculty mentors guide you individually. See the section on research and clinical teams for more information regarding faculty mentoring.
APA Monitor Article on Mentoring

How long does it take students to finish the program?

A majority of students finish the program (that is, earn their PsyD degree) in 5 years. See the tables below for more specific information.

Mean and Median number of years to complete the program, over the last 7 years:

Years in Program
Mean	5.65
Median	5.00
SD	1.28
Minimum	4
Maximum	12
N	108

Years to Finish for BA enrollees and those with MA transfer, "where applicable."

	Mean	N	Std. Deviation	Median	Minimum	Maximum
BA enrollees	5.68	95	1.31	5	5	12
MA enrollees	5.38	13	1.04	5	4	8
All enrollees	5.65	108	1.28	5	4	12

Students Completing the program finished in	Percentage
Fewer than 5 years	0.9
5 years	66.7
6 years	17.6
7 years	6.5
More than 7 years	5.6

May I specialize in . . . ?

Our program is a generalist program. We do offer a range of electives and many professional development opportunities. APA typically accredits schools offering a generalist program. Most specialization occurs during the internship or post-doctoral training. However, by course and practicum selection, one could tailor individualized "tracts" in domains such as assessment, child or health psychology.

In consultation with your adviser it is possible to develop an area of specialization through selection of a set of elective courses, a faculty mentor and your research project.

What is your program attrition?

The table below provides both the total number of students enrolled and the number leaving the program for any reason over the last seven years. The overall attrition rate is about 5%, or about one student per cohort, which usually consists of approximately 21 students at the outset of enrollment.

Academic Year	Total Number Matriculated into Program	Total Number Leaving the Program
2000-2001	13	2
2001-2002	18	1
2002-2003	14	1
2003-2004	21	0
2004-2005	20	1
2005-2006	21	1
2006-2007	22	1
Totals	129	7
Percentage Leaving Program (aggregate)		5%