Academic and Administrative Policies

Satisfactory Progress

Once students have matriculated, they must be enrolled in the program for fall, winter, spring and summer quarter until graduation. Credit hours can be earned during any academic quarter: fall, winter, spring, or summer. At the conclusion of each quarter, the Student Academic Review Committee assesses student progress based on academics, clinical performance, scholarly activity, professionalism, demonstration of satisfactory completion of all required program competencies, and faculty evaluations. Students must demonstrate satisfactory achievement levels in all of the program's education and training competency areas throughout their time in the program. Problems within any evaluative domain can lead to referral to the Program's Student Academic Review Committee (ARC) and may lead to a recommendation for dismissal from the program. The ARC addresses all academic problems according to the CHS academic policies published in the University Catalog and the MWU Student Handbook, as well as policies and procedures published in the Clinical Psychology Program Student Handbook, the Clinical Psychology Program Training Manual and the Clinical Psychology Dissertation Manual. Students are provided oral and written feedback about their progress periodically throughout the year through their faculty mentor, as well as through the Student Academic Review Committee as needed.

Academic Standards

A student enrolled in the Clinical Psychology Program must pass all Psy.D. courses with a minimum grade of B- or P and maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or higher to achieve satisfactory academic progress. A course grade of less than B- is considered a course failure and will appear on the student's transcript as an F.

If a student fails a course, the student may be required by the Program's Student Academic Review Committee to retake that course. Students will not be required to retake an elective course, but may be permitted to do so. Students will only be able to retake a failed course once. To successfully retake the course, the student needs to achieve a grade of B- or better in a graded course or a P in a Pass/Fail course. If a student fails the retaken course it will be considered as another failure by the Student Academic Review Committee and will be addressed accordingly in conjunction with the College of Health Sciences (CHS) academic policies.

Students who fail a course with a course average below 80% (B-) at the end of the quarter, may be eligible for re-examination of their lowest exam/project grade in the form of a cumulative exam or equivalent assessment.  The course director will specify in the course syllabus which exams or grades are eligible for replacement and what type of re-examination will be utilized. A student will only be eligible for reexamination if the replacement of the lowest grade (project or examination) by a grade of 80% will allow the student to pass the course.  The maximum grade to be awarded upon reexamination is 80% and maximum grade for the course is 80% (B-).  Faculty members are available to answer specific questions but no formal review sessions will be conducted.  Preparation for reexamination is largely an independent study endeavor.  Students may only take one reexamination in a single course. The maximum number of reexaminations in the Clinical Psychology Program is two (2).  Reexaminations will be scheduled by the course director, and all reexaminations must be completed prior to the start of the next quarter unless otherwise approved by the Program Director.  Any student failing to take the reexamination on the scheduled date will receive a grade of zero (0) for the reexamination and fail the course.  If reexamination results in failure, students will not have successfully completed all academic requirements in order to progress in the program.  The student will be referred to the Academic Review Committee (ARC).  

To progress to the next quarter, a student must satisfactorily complete all academic requirements for the preceding quarter. Students who have not satisfactorily completed all academic requirements in order to progress in the program will be referred to the Student Academic Review Committee. The Student Academic Review Committee will review the student's academic record according to the College of Health Sciences academic policies and make a recommendation to the CHS Dean. Recommendations may include a leave of absence until the student can successfully complete the necessary Program requirements, or other academic consequences including dismissal.

Competency Gateways

In addition to academic grades, competency checkpoints are assessed throughout the program related to the Profession Wide competency domains. Failure to demonstrate required satisfactory performance on a competency gateway that is part of a course will lead to a course failure (grade of F). All competency gateway exams must be passed with a minimum grade of B- on a graded exam or a P on a Pass/Fail exam. If a student does not perform satisfactorily on a required competency gateway, one retest for that competency gateway will be allowed. Retest of the competency gateway must be completed prior to the start of the next quarter unless otherwise approved by the Program Director, or in the case of the Qualifying Examination, the next time the examination is offered.

To satisfactorily pass a competency retest, students will need to obtain the equivalent of a minimum grade of B- on a graded exam or a grade of P on a Pass/Fail exam. In cases where demonstration of competency is part of a course, students who satisfactorily pass the competency retest may only receive the minimal passing course grade (B- in graded course, P in Pass/Fail course). Failing a competency retest indicates that the student is unable to demonstrate the required competency during the course and will result in a course grade of F. It will result in the student’s referral to the Student Academic Review Committee. Failures in courses containing these Profession Wide competencies will be addressed by the Student Academic Review Committee according to the College of Health Sciences academic policies.

Advancement to Doctoral Candidacy

Advancement to doctoral candidacy reflects the faculty’s judgment that the student demonstrates integrated academic, clinical, scholarly, and profession-wide competence appropriate for advanced doctoral training and increasing autonomy.

At the conclusion of the second year of study, advancement to doctoral candidacy will be determined by the faculty upon review of the student’s progress in the following areas:

1. Academic Progress
2. Clinical Performance
3. Scholarly Activity
4. Professionalism
5. Demonstration of satisfactory performance for required profession wide competencies in the first two years of the program.
6. Faculty Evaluation
7. Qualifying Examination

Satisfactory progress is determined by a pattern of consistent performance across coursework, clinical evaluations, research, professionalism and other profession-wide competency domains, faculty observation, feedback, and passing of the qualifying exam, rather than by isolated strengths or weaknesses in a single area or quarter.

Concerns that may preclude advancement to doctoral candidacy include, but are not limited to, persistent difficulties in clinical judgment, professional behavior, ethical reasoning, interpersonal functioning, responsiveness to feedback, or any other profession-wide competency domains that remain unresolved despite feedback and opportunity for remediation.

Advancement to doctoral candidacy is not automatic upon completion of coursework or examinations and requires faculty holistic determination that the student is prepared for the demands and responsibilities of doctoral-level clinical training. Please see the Midwestern University Clinical Psychology Student Handbook for more information regarding satisfactory progress.

A decision not to advance a student to doctoral candidacy reflects a faculty determination that the student is not yet prepared to proceed to advanced doctoral training. Such a determination will result in referral to the Academic Review Committee for further review and consideration of appropriate outcomes, which may result in dismissal from the program.

Qualifying Examination

The Qualifying Examination is a competency gateway and evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis. Satisfactory completion of the Qualifying Examination is necessary in order to advance to Doctoral Candidacy and to complete the Clinical Psychology program.  

Students failing the Qualifying Examination will be given feedback and resources to help them prepare for retaking the examination. Satisfactory passage of all required competency gateways, including the Qualifying Examination, is required for satisfactory academic progress. Failing a competency retest indicates that the student is unable to demonstrate the required competency and will result in referral to the Academic Review Committee and is considered grounds for dismissal from the Program.

Qualifying Exam Deferral Policy

The Qualifying Exam is administered annually following the Spring Quarter.  As per Department policy, should a student fail the exam, they are allowed one opportunity to take a Re-Examination.  This Re-Examination is administered annually in the Summer Quarter.

Students are expected to take the Qualifying Exam when it is first offered following the Spring Quarter.  However, on occasion, significant life events (e.g., weddings, funerals, etc.) may interfere with a student's ability to take the exam at that time.  In such a situation, the student will have the option to defer their initial exam to the time of the Re-Examination (i.e., in the Summer Quarter).  This decision must be approved by the Program Director in advance.

Should a student defer their initial exam to the time of the Re-Examination and receive a failing grade, they will not be eligible for a Re-Examination until the Qualifying Exam is next offered (i.e., following the Spring Quarter of the next year) and will be required to go on an academic leave of absence until that time.