Field Education

Five Years of Supervised Clinical Training Experience

As a Clinical Psychology PsyD student, you’ll graduate with five years of supervised clinical training experience. During each year of your program, you’ll work with our Field Education Office to find a placement opportunity tailored to suit your career interests and goals.

Clinical practica, advanced clinical practica and internship experiences are coordinated with academic seminars and coursework. At field placements, students receive individual and/or group clinical supervision in addition to academic and professional training seminars. All placements are reviewed and approved by the Director of Field Education.

Participating Field Sites

Clinical practica, advanced clinical practica and internship level training is offered at over 175 sites in the New England area.

Some of our sites include:

  • Boston Children's at Martha Eliot
  • Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital
  • Brookline Community Mental Health Center
  • Cambridge Health Alliance
  • Chelsea Memorial Health Center (MGH)
  • Community Healthlink
  • Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veteran's Hospital
  • Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center
  • Harvard University Health Services
  • Lighthouse School
  • Lynn Community Health Center 
  • Mass General Brigham at Salem Hospital
  • McLean Hospital
  • Newton Public Schools
  • Rhode Island College Counseling Center
  • Roger Williams University Counseling Center 
  • Taunton State Hospital
  • University of Massachusetts Lowell College Counseling Services
  • Wellesley College, Stone Center Counseling Services 
  • Wediko Boston at the Home for Little Wanderers
  • Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital
Cambridge Health Alliance
Brookline Community Mental Health Center
 
Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital
 
Lynn Community Health
McClean Hospital
Rhode Island College
Roger Williams University
 

All William James College Clinical Psychology students complete five years of field placement. Years I and II are designated as clinical practicum; Year III is advanced clinical practicum; there are two different paths for the completion of field education requirements during Years IV and V.

Clinical Practica

Clinical practica have training goals consistent with the curricular goals of Years I and II. At this stage, field placements emphasize exposure to varied populations and life span issues, theoretical orientations, assessment procedures and modalities of intervention. Students’ progress is assessed on the acquisition of particular knowledge, skills and attitudes. First-year students spend a minimum of 640 hours (16 hours per week) at their field sites; second year clinical practicum students spend a minimum of 800 hours (20 hours per week) at their sites. Practica typically run from late August through mid-June.

Advanced Clinical Practica

All trainees engage in advanced clinical practicum training during Year III of the clinical doctoral program. The training occurs on a part-time basis and students spend a minimum of 960 hours (24 hours per week) at their site. Advanced clinical practicum training goals are consistent with the curricular goals of the student’s training year and continue to address the full range of competencies endorsed by the APA and our doctoral program.

Students pursue one of two training paths after completing Advanced Clinical Practicum.

Advanced Clinical Practicum II/Internship

Students either complete Advanced Clinical Practicum II during Year IV, which is also conducted on a part-time basis with a minimum of 800 hours (20 hours per week) on site, and go on to complete a full-time APA internship during Year V.  This full-time internship year involves a national match or a one year Consortium Internship and students have access to a wide range of sites as they define their clinical interests.

Or

During Years IV and V, students apply for and complete their internship on a half-time basis (typically 27 hours/week) through the exclusive  William James College APA-accredited Internship Consortium.