Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

A clinical psychology program prepares you for licensure and working in all kinds of environments with all kinds of clients. A pastoral counseling program prepares you for working in a church setting using Bible-based counseling. Rosemead has two doctoral programs in Clinical Psychology:

• Psy.D. – Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology
• Ph.D. – Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology

The amount of time to work off-campus will vary depending on the semester as well as individual commitments and practicum schedules. The program has many commitments that extend beyond courseload, including clinical practica, consultation groups and research requirements. As such, any time spent working will need to be on a part-time basis and scheduled around the requirements of the Rosemead schedule. Many students find about 10-15 hours per week to be feasible alongside school requirements.

There are various opportunities for employment within Rosemead that are often easier to incorporate into students’ busier schedules than external jobs. There are numerous opportunities to work as a Teaching Assistant (TA), which can include grading coursework and/or leading small groups of students in a “lab” format. Further into the program, there are opportunities to work as a Staff Therapist at the Biola Counseling Center as well as teaching an undergraduate course, as available.

Limited on-campus and off-campus housing options are available through the Graduate and Family Student Housing office at Biola. All graduate/family housing options are affordable and within easy walking distance of campus. Apply early for a better chance at getting in. International and out-of-state students typically get highest priority.

Explore Grad & Family Student Housing

The two programs are approximately 75% the same.

The Ph.D. program requires 126 total units. It is more research focused (scholar-practitioner model) than the Psy.D program. The Ph.D. program requires additional courses in research, a Master’s Project, and a dissertation involving empirical research. This enhances the research preparation of Ph.D. students.

The Psy.D. program requires 123 total units. It is more clinically focused (practitioner-scholar model) than the Ph.D program. The Psy.D. program requires additional psychotherapy lab courses and an additional psychological assessment course. This program also requires a dissertation, but the student does not complete a Master’s Project. This enhances the clinical preparation of Psy.D. students.

Learn more about the differences between the Ph.D. and Psy.D. programs

Applicants should think NOW about which program they want. Prospective students can apply to one or both programs; if they apply to both, they can rank their first and second choice. 

Cons to switching programs after acceptance:

1. Requires another application process and is not guaranteed approval
2. Potentially adds another year to the student’s program
3. Hurts Rosemead’s attrition rate with APA (American Psychological Association).

Rosemead does not offer a terminal master's program. The Psy.D. and Ph.D. students are awarded the master's degrees after successful completion of two years of the program and other requirements. Committing to Rosemead is a commitment to obtain a doctoral degree.

Typically, it takes a student five years to complete either program (four years of coursework and practica experience, and a year-long internship). However, when certain competencies are not met within the designated time, for whatever reason, a student’s time in the program may be prolonged.

No. Rosemead's main focus in training clinical psychologists is to provide the skills needed for general clinical psychological services. Our students gain the broad training and experiences to be competent therapists in a wide variety of settings, working with a wide variety of clientele.

However, we do offer advanced-level training in specific areas of interest (e.g., neuropsychology, child/family therapy) through coursework and practicum experiences. As such, students desiring to focus their professional practice on a particular population or area of interest can take elective courses in these particular areas, as well as apply for practicum experiences specific to these populations and areas of interest over the course of the program. Students may also write their dissertations or doctoral research papers in a specific area or population of interest. These advanced level training experiences prepare our students well for internship placement and a career focused in these specific areas of interest.

Our doctoral graduates have gone on to have successful careers in a variety of settings (e.g., private practice; universities; hospitals; community mental health centers; etc.), representing numerous areas of specialty (e.g., neuropsychology; child/family therapy; psychodynamic therapy; veteran affairs; etc.).

Mentorship and community are core parts of the Rosemead experience. To set you up for success even before you arrive, incoming students complete a summer questionnaire covering their academic history, research/clinical interests, and personal hobbies. We use this information to thoughtfully pair you with a faculty advisor for professional development, a research chair to guide your scholarly work, and an upper-year peer mentor to help you navigate student life. In addition to these formal pairings, Rosemead faculty and leadership are readily accessible for informal mentorship, guidance, and support throughout your doctoral journey.

Rosemead provides progressive, hands-on clinical training from your first year through your final internship year:

• Year 1 (Pre-Practicum): In your second semester, you begin seeing your first volunteer client at the Biola Counseling Center (BCC).
• Year 2 (Beginning Practicum): You gain dual site experience, holding a small therapy caseload of undergraduate student clients and conducting intake assessments at the BCC, while also administering psychological assessments at a local school site.
• Years 3 & 4 (Advanced Practicum): You expand your expertise across diverse settings (typically 15–20 hours per week). Placements include university counseling centers, community mental health clinics, hospitals, medical centers, and correctional facilities, in addition to other practicum opportunities.
• Final Year (Internship): You complete a full-time, year-long clinical internship.

Learn more about Graduate Clinical Training at Rosemead.

Rosemead pairs rigorous clinical training with personalized guidance from our Director of Clinical Training, helping you target sites that align well with your practicum experience, clinical interests, and career goals.

The APPIC match occurs in three phases. While standard match metrics only reflect Phases I and II, nearly every student who continues into Phase III (the Post Match Vacancy Service) successfully secures a placement. Keep in mind that remaining open to positions across the U.S. greatly increases your match potential compared to limiting your search to Southern California.

Learn more about the APPIC internship match process.

Integration in Rosemead involves engaging psychology and Christian theology as an act of love, rooted in the belief that all truth is unified in God. We recognize that science alone cannot answer life’s biggest questions; ultimately, only faith in God can provide clarity, meaning, and direction for life. By recognizing the limitations of science and the guiding influence of faith, we seek to develop a more complete understanding of reality—physical, social, psychological, and metaphysical reality. Our approach to integration draws on the leading of the Holy Spirit through God’s word (special revelation) and God’s world (general revelation).

We believe that Integration is a culturally embedded, ongoing conversation between psychology and theology that encourages the pursuit of truth, rooted in the recognition that we are who we are meant to be only in relation to Christ and one another. Integration is a dynamic, fluid, emergent, culturally laden and continuous journey of theoretical (interdisciplinary scholarship), professional (clinical work, research, teaching, and leadership), and holistic spiritual growth (personal and corporate), whereby students and faculty seek to embody Christlikeness in their personal and professional lives. We emphasize that true knowledge comes from living in relationship with God and others, acknowledging our shared value as image-bearers of God while pursuing deeper truths that transcend human reasoning. Through this process, we seek to live fully into God's kingdom, walking humbly, loving mercy, seeking justice, and loving God and others.

Research at Rosemead is a highly individualized process supported by personalized faculty mentorship. While Ph.D. students complete both a master’s project and a dissertation, Psy.D. students complete a dissertation only. Learn more about the different research requirements for both programs.

Before your first semester begins, you are paired with a Research Chair based on an interest survey you complete over the summer. During your first year, you'll establish a committee consisting of your Chair and 1-2 additional faculty members. Through regular individual meetings or in your research labs, your chair/committee provides the structured support and accountability you need to meet all programmatic research milestones smoothly. Learn more about Faculty Research Interests and Research Labs.

At Rosemead, multicultural training is integrated throughout your experience in the program. From coursework and clinical training to research and community activities, students have opportunities to develop greater self-awareness, cultural humility, and the skills needed to serve clients from diverse backgrounds.

Training begins in the first year with a foundational Multicultural Psychology course focused on cultural self-awareness, cultural identity, and cultural humility. In the third year, a second required course builds on this foundation by emphasizing the clinical application of multicultural principles and helping students provide care that is responsive to each client’s unique cultural context, identity, and preferences.

Multicultural perspectives are also integrated throughout the curriculum and reinforced through diverse practicum experiences. A dedicated faculty committee, together with a student-elected representative, organizes annual events and initiatives that promote continued learning and cultural responsiveness within the Rosemead community.

Students can also explore these areas further through research focused on aspects of culture, mental health, and development, as well as specialized practicum consultation opportunities in Latino mental health and Asian American mental health.

Our goal is not simply to teach students about multicultural issues, but to help them develop the self-awareness, humility, knowledge, and clinical skills needed to build meaningful relationships with peers and help clients from diverse backgrounds.

Yes, TAships are available, though not guaranteed. A student is welcome to apply to available TAships beginning the second year of their program. A number of TAships are available to help students gain experience and supplement income each year.

Rosemead's APA-accredited degree programs and connections with APA-accredited internship sites meet most, if not all, state licensure requirements. The education you receive at Rosemead will also prepare you to take and pass the licensing exams most states require. Check with your state's board of psychology for more specific information.

We recognize that it is commonly assumed that faith-based psychology programs teach conversion therapy. Rosemead School of Psychology and Biola Counseling Center do not teach or practice conversion therapy for same-sex oriented individuals. However, we believe that individuals who seek psychological treatment in order to process any incongruent feelings, beliefs, behavior and attitudes between their sexual orientation and religious convictions should be treated with respect to these differences in a client-centered approach.

The faculty at Rosemead School of Psychology take seriously our mission of producing graduates who can integrate both the science and practice of psychology with Christian theology, and who are prepared to meet the psychological needs of the world in general, and the Christian community specifically, through professional service and scholarship. Our goal is to integrate faith and practice in a way that dignifies all people as image bearers of God. We believe that Scripture provides the greatest insight into the human condition. This is why the integration of theology and psychology is important in training psychologists to understand their role in partnering with God in his redemptive work in an individual’s life and the Spirit’s guidance in their practice.

• Early application deadline is November 1.
• Final application deadline is December 1.
• Interviews are conducted in January and February.

In March, the Admissions Committee reads and reviews each application. As per APA guidelines: Decision letters/offers are sent out by April 1. Those who receive an offer must respond by April 15.

Approximately ⅓ of offers are for the Ph.D. program, ⅔ of offers are for the Psy.D. program. Classes begin in the fall semester.

Along with test scores, GPA and references, let the admissions committee get to know you by constructing well-written and authentic essays. Research experience and other extracurricular involvement in the field of psychology should be noted on the application. Any kind of work or volunteer experience in the human services field will be helpful. Noting involvement in church ministry and activities is also beneficial.

Out of about 150 applicants every year, about 40 are accepted (25%) and 25–30 of those decide to attend Rosemead.

If a student has previous graduate coursework that they would like to transfer in, credits are able to be transferred as long as they received a B or higher. However, there is no guarantee that courses will be approved. Typically, the amount of transfer credits allotted is determined after admission, sometime during the first semester. This is because the Director of Doctoral Programs goes through the syllabi of the courses to determine if they fulfill the necessary competencies needed, which can be a time-consuming process. Transferring in units will not shorten the length of the program but may lighten the student’s unit load.

• Students coming in with an M.A. degree can sometimes transfer in psychology electives. Courses in ethics, psychotherapy labs, or diagnosis/testing often cannot be transferred in.
• Students coming in with theology credits may be able to transfer some of these in.

See Rosemead Tuition & Costs page to view the current year’s tuition rates and fees.

• Students typically take 12–16 credits per semester for four years (8 semesters).
• Required summer units: 6 credits after the first year and 3 credits after the second year. Students should set aside money for summer tuition.
• Students pay the internship fee during their internship year (two semesters) instead of tuition.

All incoming students receive some scholarship dollars upon entry. All students are eligible each year to receive further funding. These are need-based scholarships and require completion of a scholarship application. Rosemead scholarships can only be used towards tuition. 

The Financial Aid Office also awards scholarships. Explore Rosemead's Scholarships and Aid page.