List of States in which CalSouthern's Curriculum Meets Licensure Requirements

CalSouthern has a helpful list of states that they have verified that their curriculum does and doesn't meet requirements for licensure.

I imagine it doesn't necessarily rule out states where it doesn't meet requirements but may mean you need additional courses or having worked as a Psychologist, etc. Gives you a heads up to look more in depth.

https://www.calsouthern.edu/behavioral-sciences/doctor-psychology/#1658353526806-d47ae1b2-9b7d

Of course, for the states that require APA, CalSouthern is not APA accredited.

 

From what I have seen, significant numbers of CalSouthern PsyD students are already licensed counselors of some sort and want the PsyD to add to marketing, credibility, and so on. Some may enter the program wanting to become Clinical Psychologists but in the end don't want to deal with the exam, internships, time, and so on to be doing very similar work.

But some such as Dr. Inge Guen (PsyD 2011) do go on to become Psychologists.

"Dr. Guen gained skills and expertise in working with patients who suffer from traumatic brain injuries and other behavioral health diagnoses. Her dissertation, The Effect of Combat Traumatic Brain Injury on Executive Function, was published as a monograph. Dr. Guen graduated from CalSouthern in 2011 after completing her clinical practicum in the department of psychiatry at the National Naval Medical Center; she joined the Service to the Armed Forces of the Red Cross at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Maryland, the flagship military medical center and where US Presidents and other government dignitaries also receive care. Earning her PsyD through CalSouthern allowed her to advance her education while still actively working in the areas she has a passion for."

https://redcrosschat.org/2022/05/06/force-for-good-meet-dr-inge-guen/

 

I hope there's a disclaimer somewhere stating that whether or not the degree meets requirements depends on whether you complete the internship. For example, you can still become licensed in California without completing the internship because all of the internship hours can be post-doctorate. In Texas, you have to complete a formal internship that is a part of a doctoral program unless you're an I/O psychologist.

 

When I enrolled in Union in the mid '80s, psychology learners were a significant majority among us. Most were already in practice but couldn't bill for 3rd-party payments as counselors back then. They were almost all doing their degrees to become psychologists. Union was particularly good about helping them create programs that would meet licensing standards in their respective home states. (Limited by the fact that Union was not APA.)

 

I would agree. Whenever you are dealing with a degree program preparing you for licensure you had better check with the regulatory board in your state. NEVER assume it will automatically meet it and never assume that the license from one state is portable to another. Various professions are working on it but we aren't there yet. For those reading this from outside of the US, 50 States can be like dealing with requirements in 50 different countries. One state you are a tenured professional. Move to another state and you are unqualified (not enough hours in your practicum, not the right courses, etc).