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Typical timeline to completion of the program

    Lab members should strive to maintain this schedule, which will assure completion of the required research products before leaving for external practicum and internship. This schedule is laid out in each lab member's Teams Planner tasks.
    • Year 1
      • December – get an A in Psychobiological Foundations and Stats 1 classes
      • January – get involved with the project of a senior student
      • March – get an A in Psychopharmacology, Cognitive Foundations (PhD), and Stats 2 classes
      • May - get an A in Stats 3 (PhD, although PsyD students are encouraged to take this)
      • May – co-author (or 1st author) on a Society for Neuroscience poster abstract
    • Year 2
      • October – discuss ideas for dissertation (PhD) or doctoral project (PsyD)
      • November – attend Society for Neuroscience conference
      • December – get an A in Research Methods class
      • January – assemble committee w/ 1 external member (PhD) or find 2nd reader (PsyD)
      • March – propose dissertation (PhD) / doctoral project (PsyD) - 3 months ahead of “official” June 30 deadlineMay - get an A in Cognitive Foundations (PsyD)
      • May – 1st author on Society for Neuroscience abstract / PsyDs propose project (by 31st)
    • Year 3 (significantly less time for research this year due to clinical duties)
      • May – 1st author on another Society for Neuroscience poster abstract
      • November – attend Society for Neuroscience conference
      • December - defend doctoral project (PsyD) / submit review paper to peer-reviewed journal
    • Year 4 (even less time for research this year due to clinical duties)
      • May – 1st author on another Society for Neuroscience poster abstract
      • June - leave for internship (PsyD)
      • October – defend dissertation (PhD) 12 months ahead of “official” deadline
      • November – attend Society for Neuroscience conference
    • Year 5 (hopefully research project is completed by this point)
      • June – submit manuscript to peer-reviewed journal / leave for internship (PhD)

    Students will also need to dedicate time to meeting the following program requirements before applying for internships:

    • By October 1 of that year, that students apply for internship, must have:
      • 600+ total face-to-face hours
      • 100+ assessment face-to-face hours, part of the 600 total hours
      • 3+ integrated assessment reports where the student has written the majority of the first draft
    • By October 15th, they must additionally have:
      • passed dissertation/doctoral project final defense
      • passed EPPP comprehensive examination with a score of 400 or higher (500 preferred)
      • authorship of a scholarly published manuscript or a scholarly conference presentation/poster, with personal author affiliation of LLU Psychology Dept (this will generally be easily accomplished by all lab members through the course of your time in the lab)
      • a plan to apply to at least 20 sites, 7 of which must be outside of California (all sites applied to during Phase 1 of the APPIC Match must be APA-accredited)
      • membership in APA or another appropriate organization (most lab members will at least be members of the Society for Neuroscience)
      • attended all internship preparation seminars and meet assignment deadlines
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