How important are areas of concentration?

[pearlogic99]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently trying to narrow down which PsyD programs I'm going to apply to this fall and am wondering whether it is a bad idea to apply to programs that don't offer an area of concentration that I definitively know I will find appealing (my interests aren't 100% clear right now). Thanks in advance for your wisdom! 

[PsyDuck90]

Areas of concentration are mostly found in the for-profit professional schools as a marketing gimmick. As long as the program has access to practicum sites with your populations of interest, you’re good. 

[pearlogic99]

Do you happen to know of any PsyD programs that are more accommodating of students with disabilities (e.g., reduced courseload, good accessibility services)? 

[PsyDuck90]

I don’t know any specifically off-hand, but I think a program housed in a university rather than a free standing professional school will have a more robust student accessibility center, which should help you with whatever accommodations you need. Also, the distinction between reputable PsyD programs and balanced science-practitioner based PhD programs is pretty much non-existent so I wouldn’t just focus on PsyDs. Actually, the PhD programs will probably be far more accessible since they are almost always fully funded and therefore if you do have to spread your courses out, you will not be accumulating more debt.