Distinguished Speakers
Residencies often include the opportunity to hear and question plenary speakers, such as
- Christine Todd Whitman, former Environmental Protection Agency administrator and governor of New Jersey
- Donna Brazile, nationally acclaimed political strategist and commentator and chair of the Voting Rights Institute
- Kevin Klose, president of National Public Radio
See these and other “Perspectives on the World” speakers.
Academic Year in Residence (AYR)
Walden’s required Academic Year in Residence, (500+ hours), provides an opportunity to acquire critical skills that are essential for professional practice. Through these face-to-face interactions with faculty and peers, you’ll develop your skills and become engaged in your profession at a deeper level. The four residencies required of all Ph.D. students are integrated into the AYR. Students apply for the AYR once they have completed the Milestone 1 residency and PSYC 8304 and PSYC 8316. Completion of the AYR is required for the Ph.D. in Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Psychology or Counseling Psychology.
Face-to-Face Focus for AYR
- Acquisition of clinical skills and knowledge
- Socialization into the profession through
- Face-to-face interactions with faculty and peers
- Academic advising
- Courses in psychological assessment, covering
- Psychological Assessment: Cognitive (PSYC 8341)
- Psychological Assessment: Personality and Social-Emotional (PSYC 8351)
- Other opportunities, benefits, and focal points
- Academic residencies, including Professional Conference Residencies
- Doctoral research
- Theoretical foundations and knowledge
- Preparation for field training (practicum and internship)
- Exposure to experts in the field who share a breadth of information and research related to scholarship and clinical practice
- Professional conference participation
Components and Timetable for AYR
The AYR encompasses 12 consecutive calendar months (e.g., July through the following July; January through the following January). You complete a minimum of 500 hours of face-to-face interactions with administrators, faculty, students, staff, and other professionals. Typically, the AYR begins between your second and third year of study and includes
- Two testing courses taken across 2 quarters: PSYC 8341 (5 cr.) and PSYC 8351 (5 cr.)
- Three 2-week residencies (that each include one week of the Ph.D. residency, with Milestone 2, 3, and 4 curriculum)
- Two Professional Conference Residencies
Two options for an Academic Year in Residence schedule for the Ph.D. in Psychology.
Option 1—Begin AYR in summer quarter
| Summer |
|
120 hours | ||
| Summer | Professional Conference Residency*—such as the American Psychological Association | 40 hours | ||
| Winter |
|
140 hours | ||
| Spring | Professional Conference Residency*—such as ACA, or regional psychological association conferences | 40 hours | ||
| Summer | Milestone 4 residency—2-week Summer Session | 140 hours | ||
| Total 500 hours |
Option 2—Begin AYR in winter quarter
| Winter |
|
140 hours | ||
| Winter/Spring | Professional Conference Residency*—such as NASP, ACA, or regional psychological association conferences | 40 hours | ||
| Summer |
|
140 hours | ||
| Summer | Professional Conference Residency*—such as the American Psychological Association | 40 hours | ||
| Winter | Milestone 4 residency—2-week Winter Session | 140 hours | ||
| Total 500 hours |
*Please note: A fixed schedule of Professional Conference Residencies for Psychology is approved each year by July 31 for the following calendar year. It is students’ responsibility to attend all the required Professional Conference Residencies prior to attending their last (third) two-week AYR session.
