Are there any All-But-Dissertation (ABD) Doctorate in Psychology (Psy.D./Ph.D.) completion programs?

I have completed all the coursework for my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) and would like to explore All-But-Dissertation (ABD) Doctorate in Psychology (Psy.D./Ph.D.) completion programs.

Please recommend those accredited universities in the United States and Europe that let you finish your doctorate in psychology by completing the dissertation portion only if you are already done with the coursework at a non-APA-accredited university in the United States. Thank you.

 

This UK University might be worth looking into. They seem flexible - dissertation only etc.
https://www.port.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/research-degrees/phd

I'd say that UK in general might be a very good spot for finding what you need. Lots of programs at highest levels by distance. Google is your friend here. I wish you every success.

 

I don't think you'll find one in clinical, counseling, or school psychology since those are regulated and licensed fields, and most of your coursework has to be done in residency at the school awarding the degree. After graduating with a non-license-eligible degree, there is the option of completing a post-doctoral respecialization program.

Capitol Technology University has a dissertation or publication-only PhD in cyberpsychology, and they'll accept up to 42 transfer credits. The transfer credits don't have to be in cyberpsychology.

 

I don't know of any in the US with an ABD plan (probably more like some transfer credit in the US).

You could always look at Azteca/UCN. I believe that someone mentioned that UCN was willing to structure a program to meet US State licensure requirements if they can. This means that they may accept the transfer credit you have in terms of all of your clinical psychology and then require only the dissertation which is their normal route. This would be easy for them because they don't need the structure the program other than the dissertation or doctoral research project.

It would be affordable as I believe it's around $7,000. The issue for you would be making sure that whatever state you live in would accept a psychology degree from NCU and that you have the required courses and probably the internal practicum required as part of the degree. That should be fairly easy to structure by finding some place to do your internship in the local community and under the auspices of NCU.

 

I have almost completed all of the following courses (required and electives) for Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) at California Southern University as a self-funded student:

REQUIRED CORE COURSES

PSY 8500 Advanced Theories of Personality - 3 Credits
PSY 8503 History and Systems in Psychology - 3 Credits
PSY 8504 Ethical and Professional Issues - 3 Credits
PSY 8506 Advanced Psychopathology - 3 Credits
PSY 8708 Cultural Diversity - 3 Credits
PSY 8724 Cognition, Emotion and Motivation - 3 Credits
PSY 8700 Psychopharmacology - 3 Credits
PSY 8701 Physiological Psychology - 3 Credits
PSY 8740 Statistical Methods and Analysis - 3 Credits
PSY 8127 Research Methods in Psychology - 3 Credits
PSY 8702 Psychological Assessment I - 3 Credits (Child Abuse Assessment & Suicidal Risk Assessment and Intervention - CalSouthern will validate this for you with the Board.)*

ELECTIVE COURSES (Fulfills Clinical Psychology Licensure Requirements)

PSY 7507 Advanced Human Sexuality - 3 Credits (Human Sexuality)*
PSY 7534 Dual Diagnosis or PSY 7738 Advanced Psychology of Addiction & Compulsive Behaviors - 3 Credits (Alcohol/Chemical Dependency Detection and Treatment)*
PSY 7728 The Psychology of Violence and Domestic Abuse Reporting 3 (Spousal or Partner Abuse Assessment, Detection, and Intervention Strategies)*
PSY 7533 Psychology of Death and Dying - 3 Credits (Aging and Long-term Care)*
PSY 7521 Industrial/Organizational Psychology - 3 Credits
PSY 7527 Psychology of Stress and Stress Related Disorders - 3 Credits

Note: (*) These courses fulfill the Clinical Psychology Licensure Requirements.

I am just trying to explore some options to look for an All-But-Dissertation (ABD) Doctorate in Psychology completion program which is more reputable than CalSouthern and most importantly offers some tangible assistance to their students to get Supervised Professional Experience (SPE) hours to facilitate their licensure. Please don't get me wrong, I knew from the beginning that CalSouthern is not APA-Accredited but the sad part is that they also don't participate in programs like California Psychology Internship Council (CAPIC) which only cost $1750 per year to an academic institution like CalSouthern. Even Walden University participates in CAPIC's program.

Honestly speaking, CalSouthern has been really great to me as they offered me admission based on my MBA which I did without a bachelor's degree and without a background or a bachelor's/master's degree in psychology. Initially, they gave me ad hoc admission requiring me to complete a few required courses to demonstrate that I can handle doctoral-level courses. Once I completed those required courses, they granted me full admission into their Psy.D. program.

 

It'll probably be best for you to finish at CalSouthern without the internship. None of the ABD options will lead to licensure. After finishing at CalSouthern, you can do the respecialization program at Fielding Graduate School. There aren't that many options for mostly online respecialization programs. Otherwise, work hard at finding your own internship; the Federal Bureau of Prisons usually offers internships annually. I don't think you'll find a more "reputable" university that will accept all of your transfer credits.

Northcentral University does have ABD doctoral programs in psychology, but they stopped admitting students to the licensure concentration last year.

https://www.ncu.edu/programs-degrees/dissertation-completion-pathway

Let me take that back. Fielding might be the only online option for respecialization in clinical or counseling psychology. Most online licensure programs are in school psychology.

 

Finished my PsyD at CalSouthern last year, did not do the internship and registered in CA as a psy assistant and 1/2 done with 3000 hours. By the way, Calsoutherns parent company PERDOCEO just fired all of their California Based Faculty Members as of 01/01/2023. You might fined

Finished my PsyD at CalSouthern last year, did not do the internship, and registered in CA as a psy assistant and 1/2 done with 3000 hours. Hard to do an internship with this school while enrolled because of the CAPIC issues (which they will never do), easiest to do when you graduate or if you have a MA/MS in Psychology already and can reg as a psy assistant.

I never post here but just had to since a friend of mine just lost her doctoral committee members. I'm telling everyone - Calsoutherns parent company PERDOCEO just fired all of their California Based Faculty Members as of 01/01/2023. Why? Not sure, something to do with how CA wants them to pay adjuncts, not sure but they are keeping it hush hush apparently. I only know because my friend was told by their previous DP Chair that they could not be the DP chair anymore due to the changes - then, they disconnected/shut off the DP Chair email so they could not contact any other learners. You likely will see all new faculty and none you recognize for your doctoral project. My suggestion, finish and get out.

 

That's good to know. I couldn't remember whether California allowed all of the supervised experience to come after graduating. Some states require pre-doctoral internship hours. CalSouthern being a California school and firing all of its California faculty is concerning, but their business address is in Arizona. Do you know when they moved from Costa Mesa?

 

They m

Yes, CA you can do all 3000 after you graduate with PsyD. You register as Psych Assistant, super easy process and once you get your # you can apply for jobs anywhere in CA.

They are no longer a California School, don't see themselves as such, and now are an AIU/Arizona School. They moved 07/2022 after being sold to AIU/Perdoceo. They have small office (or now had), but likely will no longer need it since no reason to with no CA Teaching employees. I used to have access to the PSYD Facebook for CalSouthern Learners, if you still do, I would let folks know so they are stuck with new doctoral project folks in the middle of being done, it's not good.

 

I wonder if they'll change their name.

 

I would think that would depend on the value of the brand, which is probably not much. Then there is the inherent geographic confusion. I would also think it will depend on whether or not the parent will need the acquired school to continue to operate separately--administration, marketing, enrollments, etc., or if it is looking to take advantage of eliminating redundancies. This is very much driven by whether or not the acquired property can be absorbed into the bigger culture.

It also creates confusion for the alumni (as any significant change does), but I doubt that is a serious concern.

 

I don't know much about California when it comes to this. But in these types of circumstances with this type of degree, try to finish where you started when you can, because the ABD options are extremely limited.

If you're concerned with licensure, before you do anything in-state, out-of-state, or foreign, you'll want to go over your state's regulations with a fine-tooth comb to be sure what the best move is. Of course, if you're not concerned with licensure (and I'm just putting it out there only because not everyone who gets a Psychology Doctorate is looking to practice as a Doctor of Psychology), then none of this matters and any reputable program willing to work with you would likely suffice.

 

Thanks to the information you kindly provided, I reached out to Capitol Technology University, and as you rightly pointed out, they are ready to accept 42 transfer credits, and for the rest of the 18 credits they will allow me to complete a dissertation over an academic year. They have offered me to enroll in May which will allow me to finish my Ph.D. in Cyberpsychology by April 2024, next year. The only major hurdle is the cost. I have been paying $1635 for 3 credit courses at CalSouthern and Capitol Technology University charges $933 per credit. Unfortunately, they don't offer any breaks, scholarships, or other discounts to regular students but to military or emergency services.

 

It is $8,619 more at Capitol Technology University than CalSouthern should I switch from my CalSouthern Psy.D. to Capitol Technology University's Ph.D. I have been paying $1635 for 3 credit courses at CalSouthern (I have 15 credits remaining at CalSouthern: $545 x 15 = $8175) and Capitol Technology University charges $933 per credit ($933 x 18 = $16, 794).

 

The money is a challenge due to cash flow--some people feel this more than others. I feel you should consider other factors--process, learning outcomes, career prospects, etc.--as well. In a few years after graduation, I doubt you'll care about the money as much as you'll care about those other things.

I would be much more concerned about which degree--and its research expectations--best fits your career. There is a huge difference between a PsyD and a PhD. The money you're citing amounts to what, a month's pay? Less? A bit more? Whatever, it's not significant compared to the degree and its relationship to the rest of your life.

 

If your intention is to get license as you indicated, finishing your degree at California Southern would make the most sense. If you already have the coursework done and just need your doctoral project done, then you are just five courses away from being done, which is about a year away from being able to register as a psychological assistant. That is, if your goal is to be licensed as a psychologist at some point. Sure you can do a re-specialization there are two major schools that offer, but not every state recognizes a re-specialization, and those costs just as much as a regular PhD or PsyD program, and you won't get the same amount of financial aid because it's not a degree program but a certificate program. I paid cash just like we all do the entire program except for the last 20 credits, took out a loan, 9% interest paid the rest of the program off, got a job as a psychological assistant making about 92,000, paid the loan off in a matter of months. Should be done with my psychological assistant hours by the end of this year, already took the EPPP.

Also if you have been with cal southern at least from 2021 to 2022, they offered quite a bit of financial forgiveness due to covid-19, you would have received an email about that and they would have paid off a certain amount of your balance. Hopefully that was helpful for you. In any case, definitely look at your options, but from someone who completed their degree there, it's finishing up licensure, assuming all things equal and no major issues, I'd finish the program there. Hope that helps.

 

Why are you wanting to transfer schools? CapTech is a research, non-licensure degree; there will be no supervised clinical experience included in the program. CapTech and CalSouthern are both little-known schools, so I don't see there being a benefit to transferring unless you're having trouble with completing your doctoral project at CalSouthern. If you're no longer interested in licensure, another option is Oklahoma State University's Doctor of Forensic Sciences with an emphasis in Forensic Psychology. You can transfer in 30 credits and complete the other 30 with them. They're inexpensive. This is not a research degree and does not require a dissertation or equivalent research project, so avoid it if you're wanting a research degree. Interestingly, you can include an internship in your degree plan, but since this is not a clinical program, they will not be helping you with finding a clinical internship.

 

Thank you for your kind guidance.

As per my notes:

REMAINING WORK (15 Credits):

(1 credit cost at CalSouthern: $545)

Exam (1 Credit)
- PSY-8800 Doctoral Comprehensive Examination

Doctoral Project

An essential feature of a doctoral program is a commitment to research. To support that aim, a required component of the PsyD program is the Doctoral Project. This exercise provides an opportunity to conduct research in a clinically relevant topic area. A PsyD candidate may choose between four basic research designs: qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, or qualitative systematic review. The University encourages Doctoral Projects which will expand the body of knowledge in the field as well as those which may supplement the PsyD candidate’s own work, and those which may contribute to emerging fields of inquiry and relevant contemporary issues. Webinars, boot camps, chairs, committees, and staff support are available throughout.

DOCTORAL PROJECT COURSE REQUIREMENTS
(Prerequisites: completion of all core courses, comprehensive exam, and electives)

NOTE: Each course will last for 16 WEEKS

- PSY 8991 Doctoral Project I - 3 Credits
- PSY 8992 Doctoral Project II (Prerequisite: PSY 8991) - 3 Credits
- PSY 8993 Doctoral Project III (Prerequisite: PSY 8992) - 3 Credits
- PSY 8994 Doctoral Project IV (Prerequisite: PSY 8993) - 3 Credits
- PSY 8995 Doctoral Project V (Prerequisite: PSY 8994) - 2 Credits​

It has been my intention to get licensed in the state of California using my CalSouthern's Psy.D. but as I progressed in my Psy.D. while working full-time I am getting more concerned and disillusioned about the fact that CalSouthern doesn't assist its students to get Supervised Professional Experience (SPE) hours to facilitate their licensure hence I have been thinking to let the desire of getting licensed go.

Congratulations! I am so happy for you that you have been able to complete your Psy.D. at CalSouthern, your re-specialization, the EPPP, secure a job as a Psychological Assistant making U$92,000, and are on your way to becoming a fully licensed psychologist by the end of this year as you will have completed your SPEs. Good luck with the rest of your journey.

In my case, I would rather avoid doing any re-specialization if I don't have to. Furthermore, I work in the management area of IT and am grateful that I already make almost double the amount one makes after becoming a fully licensed psychologist with several years of experience. Thus I have no intention to leave my current job or field of employment anytime soon unless life happens to throw another curveball at me.

However, I have been thinking to find a way to complete my SPE hours virtually and on a part-time basis (mostly during the weekend), if that is possible, to get licensed in the state of California or elsewhere.

Your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Since the end of 2021 when I started my CalSouthern's Psy.D., I have been paying $1,635 for all the 3 credit courses. I am afraid I am not aware of any discount offered by CalSouthern, due to COVID-19 or else.

Good luck to you with the rest of your journey of becoming a fully licensed psychologist in the state of California.

Once again, thank you very much for your kind guidance.

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Given that I have completed all the required courses at CalSouthern that fulfill Clinical Psychology Licensure Requirements in the state of California, please help me to understand (Please pardon my ignorance here), if possible,

- Is it the program or the institution at which you complete your coursework (i.e. required courses) that fulfills Clinical Psychology Licensure Requirements in the state of California?

I asked this silly question because the website of the California Board of Psychology only lists the requirements/required courses that fulfill Clinical Psychology Licensure Requirements. It doesn't list the name of the program or the institution. So, let's say, I switch from my CalSouthern Psy.D. to any other Ph.D. at Capitol Technology University or Oklahoma State University, etc., will the California Board of Psychology not accept my CalSouthern coursework that fulfills Clinical Psychology Licensure Requirements for the licensure purpose?

I am wondering if the California Board of Psychology does not accept my CalSouthern coursework despite the fact that I may have finished my Psy.D. or Ph.D. at another institution other than CalSouthern then how does it allow candidates for licensure from other states or countries to fulfill Clinical Psychology Licensure Requirements.

Your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

 

Chanel stated in an earlier post that they didn't need to complete a respecialization program because California allows all of the SPE hours to be completed after the doctorate is awarded. So, you can just graduate with the CalSouthern PsyD and worry about the internship later.

I don't think CapTech or OSU would be accepted by California. CapTech's specialty is in not in clinical, counseling, school, consulting, forensic, industrial, or organizational psychology. It's also a dissertation-only program that does not provide a foundational education in psychology. OSU has an emphasis in forensic psychology, but the major is not in psychology. Neither program is designed to prepare someone to be either a health service psychologist (clinical, counseling, school, or clinical neuropsychology) or an applied psychologist (I/O psychology). I don't know if an applicant can make the argument that OSU's program falls under this category.

(C) A field of specialization designed to prepare graduates for the professional practice of psychology.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=2914.&lawCode=BPC


Generally, states want you to cover social psychology, theory, ethics, group dynamics, biological basis of behavior, personality psychology, abnormal psychology or psychopathology, developmental psychology, etc. OSU's program is, first and foremost, a forensic science program. So far, they appear to only offer a handful of courses that fall under forensic psychology, and they're not the "basics." Also, some of their forensic psychology courses are not easily identifiable as psychology courses. They offer forensic psychology, advanced forensic psychology, criminal behavioral analysis, forensic victimology, and juvenile issues in forensic science. Their statistics and research design courses would probably cover any research methodology requirement a state might have, but that's pretty much it for electives that would be relevant to psychology. I don't see that California requires a major research project i.e. a dissertation, but some states do.

Forensic psychologists are typically clinical psychologists. Do you think you would be prepared to treat clients in the criminal justice system with the OSU degree? Maybe it would help that you completed a comprehensive psychology education at CalSouthern, and 30 of those credits would end up on your OSU transcript.

http://catalog.okstate.edu/graduate-college/doctoral/forensic-sciences-dfs/