It is important to keep in touch with us at least for the first ten years after graduation. (Note: We prefer to always be in touch!) Each year we are required to report if each of you has gotten a license.  When it is time for each APA accreditation renewal, we will be asked for detailed information regarding all alumni.  APA will want to know what jobs or post-docs were taken immediately following graduation and what current positions are held.  It would be most appreciated if students remember to forward a copy of their vita as it is updated.  Not only would this be helpful, but also we are always interested in hearing about what and how our graduates are doing. Finally from time to time we will be contacting you and asking for information or asking you complete alumni surveys. These are important to us to maintain our accreditation, and so we thank you in advance for your willingness to assist us.

 

How to Order Transcripts

SDSU – Office of the Registrar:  http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/registrar/ordertranscripts.html

UC San Diego – Registrar’s Office:  https://students.ucsd.edu/academics/exams-grades-transcripts/transcripts-verifications/request-a-transcript.html

 

Postdoc Hours & Licensing Boards

Degrees are only posted once the degree has been conferred at the end of UC San Diego Summer Quarter (beginning of September).

Since the actual degree conferral date does not coincide with the date that you completed all program requirements, it is suggested that students:

  • If completing a Postdoctoral Fellowship – Check with your supervisor to see if they require a letter from the Program Director verifying that you have completed all program requirements and your degree conferral date. If yes, please email this request to the SDSU Co-Director and Program Coordinator. Make sure to include the following information:
    • Who should the letter be addressed to?
    • Where should we send the letter?
    • Any specific language that we must include
  • For Licensing Boards – Check with specific state licensing boards to determine which date they accept for counting post-doc hours.  It is likely that most states accept the date of completion of all requirements (dissertation or internship completion date, whichever is the latest date).  If there is a problem with this, find out if the licensing board will accept a letter from either the program or the SDSU Graduate Division, but keep in mind that this may not be acceptable.

Although licensing may seem far from consideration early in the program, we have some recommendations that may save grief and last minute scrambling.  It is much easier to attend to them while still in the program.  Requirements of psychology boards vary from state to state and sometimes applicants can be tripped up over something that may seem insignificant at the moment.

We recommend students:

  1. Keep a copy of the syllabus for each JDP course taken at both universities.  One board of psychology did not want to accept our assessment sequence because the titles did not contain the word “psychometrics.”  Do not depend on a professor having a specific syllabus years later
  2. Keep an ongoing summary record of practicum hours each year.  Some state licensing boards will require an accurate accounting of hours throughout graduate training.
  3. Download a copy of each graduate catalog (SDSU and UC San Diego) under which the program was entered.  A board of psychology from one state required course descriptions from that specific catalog.
  4. Order several official copies of the transcript after all requirements have been completed.  First, be sure that the Ph.D. award has been posted on the transcript.  SDSU and UC San Diego will send official ones that are sealed.  Most places will consider them official as long as the seal is not broken.  Any postdoctoral or other position will require transcripts as will state boards of psychology.

NOTE:  In California, practice as a psychologist is governed by state law; graduation from the doctoral program in clinical psychology does not by itself qualify a person to practice as a psychologist.  For further information, consult the California Board of Psychology website:  http://www.psychboard.ca.gov/

Updated 9/10/2021