PhD/PsyD Pros and cons of religious schools?

[sskeleton]

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I am currently looking into PsyD and PhD programs in clinical psych, and a lot of the options I'm seeing are religious schools. They seem to have pretty good APA internship match and licensure rates, and the tuition isn't as astronomical as some other programs. I'm just not sure how much religion would affect the training. I'm personally not religious, and while I don't have anything against it, I would prefer not to spend years learning how to integrate faith with clinical practice when I only need one of those. For those who went to religious programs, how much is religion really integrated into the education and training?

 

[psych.meout]

I am currently looking into PsyD and PhD programs in clinical psych, and a lot of the options I'm seeing are religious schools. They seem to have pretty good APA internship match and licensure rates, and the tuition isn't as astronomical as some other programs. I'm just not sure how much religion would affect the training. I'm personally not religious, and while I don't have anything against it, I would prefer not to spend years learning how to integrate faith with clinical practice when I only need one of those. For those who went to religious programs, how much is religion really integrated into the education and training?

I don't know how many other programs there are like this, but I know Biola University's PhD and PsyD program require students to be Christian and I think incoming students have to sign a declaration of some kind to that effect.

 

[AbnormalPsych]

I don't know how many other programs there are like this, but I know Biola University's PhD and PsyD program require students to be Christian and I think incoming students have to sign a declaration of some kind to that effect.

BYU too maybe?

 

[psych.meout]

BYU too maybe?

No, I think anyone can attend BYU regardless of their faith (or lack thereof), but you'd still be held to the requirements of their honor code and student rules of conduct, which are, admittedly, based in Mormonism.

 

[Sanman]

Regent U PsyD? Not a recommendation for them!

 

[Psychchick09]

I am currently looking into PsyD and PhD programs in clinical psych, and a lot of the options I'm seeing are religious schools. They seem to have pretty good APA internship match and licensure rates, and the tuition isn't as astronomical as some other programs. I'm just not sure how much religion would affect the training. I'm personally not religious, and while I don't have anything against it, I would prefer not to spend years learning how to integrate faith with clinical practice when I only need one of those. For those who went to religious programs, how much is religion really integrated into the education and training?

I’m sure it depends on the school. I went to a Catholic university and religion was not integrated into the graduate training at all. I think it was more for undergraduates there. But on the plus side, we got Spring break AND Easter Break haha

 

[niceman]

Know someone who went to a religious school. The program did not talk about LGBTQ+ issues at all.

 

[gradstudent2015]

I agree with Psychchick09 that it is probably school- or program-dependent and worth inquiring about with the particular programs you're researching. My graduate program was at a religiously-affiliated school, but as a grad student you'd never have guessed that. It just didn't factor in at all. I'm not even sure that it played any real role in undergraduate education either, except that there was a church on/near campus and a theology program.

 

[R. Matey]

If we're talking about Christianity specifically, my quick and dirty anecdote is that Catholic schools tend to focus more on social justice where Protestant schools focus more on integration of faith and practice. I've seen this more in evangelical programs the most and have met people who have signed a statement of faith as a condition of admission to those programs.

 

[futureapppsy2]

The blatant, institutionally-support homophobia would be a no-go for me. I once applied for a faculty job at a religious university that had an honor code prohibiting support of anything other than married heterosexual relationships (including not supporting divorce or same-sex relationships). I wrote that I personally supported LGBTQ+ rights but understood the university's policy in my professional life. The Dean called me up and said that they needed to hear me say that I personally hated gay people for my application to be able to move forward, I declined and withdrew my application. My collaborator there (why I applied for the job to begin with) is collaborating with me on LGBTQ+-affirmative work now and says that he fully expects to get fired for it, even with tenure and with his dean's prior approval of the work, but that he just couldn't not do the work after one of his children came out and because the university's homophobia increasingly violated his morals and ethics in a way he couldn't justify.

 

[Mama Bear]

I have observed so much variance in how faith is incorporated at faith-based schools. I have attended faith-based and secular schools (my doc program was secular), applied to both types for faculty positions, and of course have known people from all types of colleges. Some schools incorporate prayer into class and have strict lifestyle agreements. Some are faith-based in name only. Plus everything in between. I don’t think I ever applied to a faith-based doctoral program (cause $), but I would want to know their stance on LGBTQ issues, what I would be forbidden from doing (not allowed to consume caffeine? Next!), etc.

 

[deleted836592]

I've heard positive feedback about George Fox in Oregon. The answer to your question seems highly program specific.