the difference between a Ph.D. and a Psy.D. -- Virtually Advising Q+A

The Q: What's the difference between the Ph.D and the Psy.D.? In the long run, I'd like to have my own practice and build up clients of my own. With that said, which degree would be the most beneficial?

The A: The Ph.D. (scientist-practitioner) model, also known as the Boulder model (it was devised in the 1920's at a conference of the American Psychological Association in Boulder, Colo.), prepares a psychologist whose focus can include practice, research, teaching and assessment. As the name implies, one is supposed to be able to function successfully across clinical and scholarly parameters with this training, and the expectation is that one will cover all of these parameters in his or her career at some point. At one time, all psychologists were Ph.D.'s, although the different Ph.D. programs tended to have slightly different emphases. For instance, the University of Minnesota's clinical psychology Ph.D. program is heavily research oriented, whereas Teachers College at Columbia University leans slightly more in the clinical direction. This does not mean that one may not get good research training at TC or good clinical training at Minnesota, just that some programs are more oriented in one direction vs. another.

In the 1980's, the Psy.D. (practitioner-scholar) model, or the Vail model, was born, due to the demand for clinical psychology programs that were more heavily clinically centered. The Psy.D. degree used to be considered slightly less prestigious, since some programs do not require a dissertation as a graduation requirement, instead requiring only the completion of a special project. But due to more rigorous research training and an influx of highly competent, creative Psy.D.'s into the field, that stigma is now virtually non-existent. Most Psy.D. programs lean heavily in the direction of clinical training and assessment; they teach their students how to appreciate and utilize research without actually conducting research themselves.

I would recommend that you gather the materials on various Ph.D. and Psy.D. programs that you're interested in and examine their differences for yourself. In addition, contact some of the faculty members and current students in each program to get the best possible information. Also, "The Insider's Guide" book that I recommended to you earlier, as well as the APA's Web site, should be helpful in allowing you to make an informed decision.

Finally, since Ph.D. and Psy.D. program admission is so competitive, I would recommend applying to both types of programs, if they meet your personal criteria. You're currently interested in entering private practice, which would complement either a practice-oriented Ph.D. program or a Psy.D. program, so you may not want to limit your options at this point in the process.

Best regards,

—Dina Goldstein, General Advisor

Response written March 8, 2005.