{"id":26980,"date":"2026-10-15T23:43:04","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T23:43:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-education\/?p=26980"},"modified":"2026-10-15T23:48:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T23:48:08","slug":"a-future-decade-of-excellence-naus-clinical-psychology-doctoral-program-earns-10-year-accreditation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-education\/blog\/a-future-decade-of-excellence-naus-clinical-psychology-doctoral-program-earns-10-year-accreditation\/","title":{"rendered":"A Future Decade of Excellence: NAU’s Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program Earns 10-Year Accreditation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From a pioneering vision to a thriving doctoral program, NAU’s Clinical Psychology PsyD celebrates a major accreditation milestone and its growing impact on Arizona communities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What began in 2020 with approximately 40 students and five faculty members has grown into a thriving doctoral program serving students and communities across Arizona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, Northern Arizona University’s Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program (PsyD)<\/strong> has achieved another significant milestone: 10 years of accreditation from the American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation<\/strong>: the maximum accreditation period awarded before the next review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program received the news on August 12, 2026, confirming that it had demonstrated adherence to the Standards of Accreditation for Health Service Psychology. Its next accreditation renewal is scheduled for 2036.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the students, faculty, staff, and university leaders who helped build the program, the achievement represents years of dedication, perseverance, and a shared commitment to preparing future clinical psychologists.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"A<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Faculty and students during the program’s 10-year accreditation celebration.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a bold vision to a thriving doctoral program<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The story of NAU’s PsyD program begins with two educational leaders who envisioned new opportunities for doctoral preparation in clinical psychology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Fred Wechsler, former dean at Argosy University, and Dr. Ramona Mellott, former dean of NAU’s College of Education, helped establish the program, which launched in January 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the program’s earliest students had experienced an unexpected disruption when their previous institution closed during an academic semester. They found a new academic home at NAU, only to face another major challenge months later: the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite these extraordinary circumstances, the program continued moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Wechsler began the accreditation process early in the program’s development, helping ensure that its first graduating class of five students, affectionately known as the “Fabulous Five”<\/strong>, <\/strong>could graduate from a program holding accredited-on-contingency status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That early determination established a foundation for the program’s growth and its current accreditation achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"A<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Ramona Mellott, Fred Wechsler<\/em>, and Marie-Christine Goodworth during the program’s 10-year accreditation celebration.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing opportunities for students and communities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since opening, the Clinical Psychology PsyD program has expanded considerably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its growth tells an important story about the program’s development and the opportunities it creates for students pursuing careers in clinical psychology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NAU PsyD program growth and community impact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n