To provide sufficient opportunities and time for faculty, training staff, supervisors, and administrators to execute their professional, ethical, and potentially legal obligations to promote student development, socialization, and peer interaction, as well as faculty role modeling and the development and assessment of student competencies, the doctoral program is designed to consist of a minimum of four, full-time academic training years (i.e., coursework and applied experiences) or the equivalent thereof, as well as completion of a 12-month (2,000 hour) pre-doctoral internship.
For students who transfer from another university or from another academic unit on the UW–Madison campus, at least two, full-time academic years or the equivalent thereof must be completed within the UW–Madison School Psychology doctoral program. Additionally, the completion of a 12-month (2,000 hour) pre-doctoral internship is required.
Academic residency provides students with mentoring and supervision regarding their development and socialization into the profession, as well as continuous monitoring and assessment of student development through live, face-to-face, in-person interaction with faculty and students. These obligations cannot be met in programs that are substantially or completely online. Consequently, at least one of the four academic years (not including internship) must be in full-time residence within the UW–Madison School Psychology doctoral program and on the UW–Madison campus.