Ph.D./ Ed.D. In Applied Psychophysiology

The Department of Psychophysiology provides a Ph.D. in Applied Psychophysiology with doctoral level specializations to prepare graduates to pursue careers in a professional practice informed by a scientific understanding of mind and body. The specializations available within the Ph.D. in Applied Psychophysiology include:

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Clinical Psychophysiology

Optimal Performance In Applied Psychophysiology

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For licensed health professionals, the Clinical Psychophysiology curriculum provides a additional skills and concepts and skills that are complimentary for practical application in most specialty areas of medicine and mental health. Students entering the Optimal Performance program will learn to assess and assist individuals to perform better through behavioral control of their physiological systems. Optimal performance skills are very popular in sports, education, business, military, and clinical environments.

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ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Students entering the Applied Psychophysiology doctoral program must have completed a master's degree from a regionally accredited college or university prior to enrollment. Doctoral students must complete a minimum of 76 credits.  By approval, CCP may accept graduate transfer credits into the Ph.D. degree in Applied Psychophysiology from other regionally accredited colleges and universities prior to entrance. Transfer credits must be from courses substantially similar to those offered by the Department. They are applied to reduce the required number of elective or required courses for degree completion. Alternately, they may be waived without granting credit so students can take other electives in place of the transferred courses. Suitability of the proposed courses for transfer to the intended degree are determined by the Department Head.  If a student has taken more than nine credits of past graduate courses matching required courses, or can demonstrate learning equivalent to a required course, the required course(s) may be waived without credit, and students will take additional elective(s) in their place. For further details regarding transfer credit policies, or further information on admission into the Ph.D. in Applied Psychophysiology program after completion of a master's degree at CCP, contact the Applied Psychophysiology Department Head.

Note, this program is not a clinical psychology program. However, it can offer more flexibility in program planning to those wishing to enhance and further develop their clinical knowledge and expertise, but who do not intend to use the degree to qualify for licensure in the field of psychology.

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DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Students in the Ph.D. degree program in Applied Psychophysiology pursue a 25-credit sequence of core courses in Applied Psychophysiology, 18 credits in specialization courses, and 12 credits of psychophysiological relevant elective courses. This training prepares graduates for a broad range of employment opportunities in medical and mental healthcare, stress management, optimal functioning, sports and mental health coaching, and wellness education. Students in the Ph.D. in Applied Psychophysiology also complete a 21-credit sequence of research courses, culminating in a doctoral dissertation and oral defense of the dissertation. Students carry out several original research projects, including the doctoral dissertation, on topics relevant to psychophysiological assessments and interventions in areas such as optimal functioning and health care. Each of the doctoral specializations is described separately with its coursework and career applications, following discussion of the core Ph.D. degree in Applied Psychophysiology.  

Total Degree Credits (During Years Of Completion) 76

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CORE CURRICULUM

Core Requirements- 25 credits
General Electives -12 credits
APH Electives or APH Specialization-18 credits
Research courses -21 credits

Core Courses:
MBM 0505- Cartesian Model of Healthcare vs. Holistic Approach 3 credit(s)
MBM 5500- Regulatory Ethics in Healthcare 3 credit(s)
APH 5515- Graduate Colloquium 1 credit(s)
APH 5051- Advanced Psychophysiology 3 credit(s)
APH 5071- Advanced Anatomy and Physiology for Psychophysiologists 3 credit(s)
APH 5622- Advanced Applications In Biofeedback 3 credit(s)
APH 5101- Advanced Psychophysiological Recording, Assessment, and Interventions 3 credit(s)
APH 5201 - Principles and Theories of Stress Management 3 credit(s)
APH 5271- Advanced Psyspirology 3 credit(s)
APH 5771- Case Seminars 3 credit(s)

 

Research Course Sequence:
MBM 1009- Quality Of Information In Psychophysiological Research 3 credit(s)
APH 5121- Methodology in Psychophysiological Research 3 credit(s)
APH 5122- Data Interpretation & Analysis in Psychophysiological Research 3 credit(s)
APH 5123- Practice Application Of Research Studies in Psychophysiology 3 credit(s)

 

Research Elective - 3 credits
MBM 9501 - Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal 3 credit(s)
MBM 9601 - Ph.D. Dissertation Research 3 credit(s)

Research Course Credits - 21

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Ph.D. In Clinical Psychophysiology

Specialization In Clinical Psychophysiology

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Clinical psychophysiology represents a new field of scientific application in healthcare. It requires training that emphasizes treating the patient in a Holistic approach,, rather than as a set of symptoms, and working with the mind and spirit as well as the body. The Clinical Psychophysiology Specialization (within the doctoral degree in Applied Psychophysiology) gives currently licensed health professionals expert knowledge and skills applicable in their current field of practice, and opens new medical and mental health practice areas as well.

Designed for licensed healthcare professionals (and those with licensable degrees), this curriculum involves extensive evidence-based research to support a comprehensive range of applied psychophysiological assessments and interventions used in the treatment of medical and mental health disorders, in pain management, physical rehabilitation, and a number of other medical specialty areas.

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Note, this program is not a clinical psychology program. However, it can offer more flexibility in program planning to those wishing to enhance and further develop their clinical knowledge and expertise, but who do not intend to use the degree to qualify for licensure in the field of psychology.

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Specialization Requirements

Students selecting the Clinical Psychophysiology doctoral specialization will complete 18 credits in specialized coursework including coursework in mind-body science (anatomy and physiology, psychophysiology), the application of integrative and alternative Holistic based medicine strategies, and additional clinical skills, such as biofeedback, hypnosis, breathing based practices, and consulting skills. As part of their required coursework, they may obtain CCP certificates in these skilled practices.

 

Required Specialization Credits: (During Years Of Completion) 18

APH 5221- Breathing Based Practices & Techniques 3 credit(s)
APH 5301- Cognitive & Developmental Techniques 3 credit(s)
APH 5351- Clinical Pharmacokinetics 3 credit(s)
APH 5701- Practicum and Field Experience 3 credit(s)
MBM 5690- Alternative & Holistic Based Medicine Practices 3 credit(s)

 

Ph.D. In Optimal Performance Psychophysiology

Specialization In Optimal Performance Psychophysiology

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Studies shows that a Holistic approach toward treating stress-related organ dysfunction and diseases and yields improved outcomes, and can also promote optimal levels of human wellness and performance. The Optimal Performance specialization prepares students to assist healthy people to perform better through behavioral control of their physiological systems and how to understand, train and implement the creation of Eustress (good stress) in which can bring about increased performance in persons engaged in sports but as well as many other functioning areas of business and industry. The Ph.D. in Applied Psychophysiology with a Specialization in Optimal Performance provides an opportunity to increase your levels of awareness in health, wellness, and resilience, and to master strategies that will help individuals reach their highest wellness and optimal levels of performance in such areas as sports, business, and education.

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Note, this program is not a clinical psychology program. However, it can offer more flexibility in program planning to those wishing to enhance and further develop their clinical knowledge and expertise, but who do not intend to use the degree to qualify for licensure in the field of psychology.

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Specialization Requirements

Students selecting the specialization in Optimal Performance will take an additional 18 credits, to prepare them for careers in such areas as wellness, stress management, sports coaching, mental health coaching, and optimal functioning in business, sports and educational environments. Psychophysiological based electives include optimal functioning in the sports environment, optimal functioning in the business environment, stimulation technologies, pain assessment and intervention, hypnosis, and neurofeedback.

 

Required Specialization Credits: (During Years Of Completion) 18

APH 5451- Optimal Performance Applications in the Community, School, Sports, and Workplace 3 credit(s)

COA 5593- Advanced Motivational/Transformational Science 3 credit(s)

COA 5628- Coaching In The Application Of Motivation 3 credit(s)

COA 5632- Coaching In The Application Of Achievement 3 credit(s)

COA 5700- Coaching In The Application Of Fulfillment 3 credit(s)

RESIDENTIAL CONFERENCES

Throughout the program, students may attend several monthly web based seminars and attend three in-person training sessions per year. Each session is approximately five days long. Two occur during CCP’s residential conferences and one during the annual meeting of the professional organization, The North America Board Of Certified Psychophysiologists. Students continue attend the residential conferences until they complete all coursework other than the dissertation.

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COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS

After completion of all coursework and prior to the dissertation defense, each student has to pass a written comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination is made up of multiple choice, open ended and short answer questions covering each of the courses in the student's doctoral studies in psychophysiology. Additionally, each examination will include two essay questions for each of the lecture courses they have taken in the program. The student selects one of the two questions for each course to answer. The questions will evaluate student's practical understanding of the course content and subject matter and measure the student's practical ability to apply concepts related to applied psychophysiology rather than requiring a list of facts from purely memorization.

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The student must obtain a score of 80% of the questions to pass the exam. A student who fails the comprehensive may attempt questions from the failed subject after 30 days. Different questions will be used for each subsequent attempt. If the student does not pass on the third attempt the student will be required the repeat the course work done in that particular subject upon the recommendation of the their Professor and the Department Chair. If no recommendation can be obtained that the student will be dismissed from the program.

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DISSERTATION

Students develop their dissertations with the assistance of a pre-arranged Academic Adviser and a dissertation committee. Dissertations are designed to produce novel information related to psychophysiology based on a study performed using subjects and to be of sufficient quality, that its results could be published in a peer reviewed journal such as Journal Clinical Psychophysiology. Students must orally defend both the protocol the dissertation study is based on and then of the dissertation's results when it is completed to the members of the dissertation committee.