La. Admin. Code tit. 46 § LXIII-303

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 8, August 20, 2024

Section LXIII-303 - Doctoral Programs in Psychology

A. A graduate whose of a doctoral program, at the time of graduation, that is either accredited by the American Psychological Association, or listed by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology's former yearly joint publication of the Doctoral Psychology Programs Meeting Designation Criteria is recognized as holding a doctoral degree with a major in psychology from a university offering a full-time graduate course of study in psychology.

B. A graduate of a doctoral program that is neither listed in Designate Doctoral Programs in Psychology nor accredited by the American Psychological Association must meet the criteria in Paragraphs B.1-B.11 below.

1. Training in professional psychology is doctoral training offered in a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

2. The program, wherever it may be administratively housed, must be clearly identified and labeled as a psychology program. Such a program must specify in pertinent institutional catalogs and brochures its intent to educate and train professional psychologists in an applied area of psychology recognized by the board.

3. The psychology program must stand as a recognizable, coherent organizational entity within the institution.

4. There must be a clear authority and primary responsibility for the core and specialty areas whether or not the program cuts across administrative lines.

5. The program must be an integrated, organized sequence of study.

6. There must be an identifiable psychology faculty and a psychologist responsible for the program.

7. The program must have an identifiable body of students who are matriculated in that program for a degree.

8. The program must include supervised practicum, internship, field or laboratory training appropriate to the practice of psychology, in an applied area of specialization recognized by the board.

9. The program shall be an internal degree program (as opposed to an external degree program unless it is either designated by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and the National Register or it is accredited by the American Psychological Association.)

10. The doctoral program shall involve at least one continuous academic year of full-time residency on the campus of the institution at which the degree is granted.

11. For individuals who were trained prior to 2015, the curriculum shall encompass a minimum of three academic years of full-time graduate study. The program of study shall typically include graduate coursework with a minimum of three semester hours (five quarter hours) in each of the following three areas: scientific and professional ethics and standards, research design and methodology, and statistics and methodology. In cases where the material from one of these areas was incorporated into other courses, the program director shall submit material to the board indicating the educational equivalence of this requirement. Additionally, the core program shall require each student to demonstrate competence in each of the following substantive areas. This requirement typically will be met by including a minimum of three or more graduate semester hours (five or more graduate quarter hours) in each of the four substantive content areas. Graduates who cannot document competence in all substantive content areas (§303.C 11.a-d below), may demonstrate competence by taking additional course work or examination, not to exceed one substantive content area:

a. biological bases of behavior-physiological psychology, comparative psychology, neuropsychology, sensation and perception, psychopharmacology;

b. cognitive-affective bases of behavior-learning, thinking, motivation, emotion;

c. social bases of behavior-social psychology, group processes, organizational and systems theory;

d. individual difference-personality theory, human development, abnormal psychology. In addition, all professional doctoral programs in psychology will include course requirements in specialty areas.

C. For individuals whose training began after 2015, the curriculum shall encompass training in the nine profession-wide competencies, which include certain competencies required for all students who graduate from programs accredited in health service psychology. Programs must provide opportunities for all of their students to achieve and demonstrate each required profession-wide competency. Although in general, the competencies appearing at or near the top of the following list serve as foundations upon which later competencies are built, each competency is considered critical for graduates in programs accredited in health service psychology. The specific requirements for each competency are articulated in APA Commission on Accreditation Implementing Regulations. Because science is at the core of health service psychology, programs must demonstrate that they rely on the current evidence-base when training students in the following competency areas. At a minimum, students must demonstrate competence in the following.

1. Research. For example, individuals demonstrate knowledge, skills, and competence sufficient to produce new knowledge; to critically evaluate and use existing knowledge to solve problems; substantial knowledge of scientific methods, procedures, and practices; and ability to disseminate research.

2. Ethical and Legal Standards. For example, individuals demonstrate knowledge of ethical principles and state law; recognize ethical dilemmas as they arise; apply ethical decision-making processes; and conduct oneself in an ethical manner in all professional activities.

3. Individual and Cultural Diversity. For example, individuals are sensitive to cultural and individual diversity of clients and committed to providing culturally sensitive services. Individuals are aware of how one's background impacts clinical work and are committed to continuing to explore their own cultural identity issues and how they relate to clinical practice.

4. Professional Values, Attitudes, and Behaviors. For example, individuals behave in ways that reflect the values and attitudes of psychology; engage in self-reflection regarding their personal and professional functioning; and actively seek and demonstrate openness to feedback.

5. Communication and Interpersonal Skills. For example, individuals can establish and maintain effective interrelationships as well as produce and comprehend oral, nonverbal, and written communications that are informative and well-integrated.

6. Assessment. For example, individuals demonstrate competence in choosing, administering, interpreting and providing results from evidenced-based assessments. Individuals also demonstrate knowledge of current diagnostic classification systems.

7. Intervention. For example, individuals demonstrate competence in utilizing evidenced-based interventions which have been chosen to meet the unique needs of the individual or group; demonstrate the ability to establish effective working relationships with clients and are able to evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions.

8. Supervision. For example, individuals demonstrate knowledge of supervision models and have applied this knowledge to the practical application of supervision principles.

9. Consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills, for example, individuals demonstrate the ability to intentionally collaborate with other professionals to address a problem; have knowledge of consultation models; and have applied practice serving in the role of consultant.

D. Graduates of foreign programs will be evaluated according to the following.

1. Graduates of foreign programs must meet the "substantial equivalent" of criteria §303. C.1 -11. above. "Substantial equivalent" does not apply to graduates from colleges, universities, or professional schools in the United States, Canada, or any jurisdiction under the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. The board may "assess" a foreign applicant to recover expenses incurred in reviewing unusual credentials.

2. Applicants for licensure whose applications are based on graduation from foreign universities shall provide the board with such documents and evidence to establish that their formal education is equivalent to a doctoral degree in psychology granted by a United States university that is regionally accredited. The applicant shall provide the board with the following:

a. an original diploma or other certificate of graduation, which will be returned, and a photostatic copy of such a document, which shall be retained;

b. a transcript or comparable document of all course work completed;

c. a certified translation of all documents submitted in a language other than English;

d. satisfactory evidence of supervised experience;

e. evidence that the doctoral dissertation was primarily psychological in nature. In its discretion, the board may require an applicant to file a copy of the dissertation itself; and

f. a statement prepared by the applicant based on the documents referred to in this Section, indicating the chronological sequence of studies and research. The format of this statement shall be as comparable as possible to a transcript issued by American universities.

La. Admin. Code tit. 46, § LXIII-303

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Resources, Board of Examiners of Psychologists, LR 6:489 (August 1980), amended LR 13:180 (March 1987), amended by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Board of Examiners of Psychologists, LR 15:87 (February 1989), LR 27:1895 (November 2001), LR 36:1005 (May 2010), Amended Department of Health, Board of Examiners of Psychologists, LR 49673 (4/1/2023).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 37:2353 and R.S. 37:2356.