Ethical Principles of psychologists and Codes of Conduct

Professional Development Plan

Return to: Foundational Activities

Walden University requires doctoral students (except those in the Ed.D. program), and M.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Mental Health Counseling students to write a Professional Development Plan (PDP) at the outset of their studies. The plan includes the completion of a formal Program of Study form and, when appropriate, a Plan of Study. Students in the Clinical Psychology and Counseling Psychology specializations in the School of Psychology and Mental Health Counseling students must also submit a Personal State Licensure Plan.

Purpose of the Professional Development Plan

Students conceptualize a personalized blueprint for approaching their Walden doctoral studies and present it in a written Professional Development Plan (PDP). Writing the PDP essay allows students the opportunity to

• Reflect on their personal history, professional accomplishments, and future aspirations
• Initiate a discussion with instructors about graduate study in general and the Walden program in particular
• Articulate academic interests and set goals for their Walden educational experience
• Identify themes for each KAM that support those interests and goals
• Establish a personalized timeline for meeting degree requirements (i.e., the program of study form)
• Complete, when applicable, a Personal State Licensure Plan that contains information on meeting their specific state licensing requirements

Students develop the PDP in close consultation with their Foundation course instructor or their faculty mentor, who will review and approve the final document. (With the exception of the School of Psychology, the Program of Study form is ultimately approved by the student’s associate dean or the associate dean’s designee.) Students are urged to review their PDP with their faculty mentor on an annual basis to assess their progress and growth. Students learn more about the PDP in the online Foundation course.

Content and Structure of the Professional Development Plan

Although a general outline is provided for the content and structure of the PDP, students are encouraged to write an essay that reflects their individual experience, achievements, and goals. Students write the essay in the first person and include their thoughts on how the plan relates to their chosen field of study. The PDP consists of three parts:

• Part I: A description of personal and professional goals.
• Part II: A description of educational background and research proficiency.
• Part III: An individualized plan for approaching the Walden program (Plan of Study) and completion of the program of study form. Students in the Clinical Psychology and Counseling Psychology specializations in the School of Psychology and Mental Health Counseling students must also submit a Personal State Licensure Plan.

Part I: Personal and Professional Goals

In this section, students write a brief personal introduction, state their personal and professional goals, and articulate how these goals intersect with their academic interests and selected field of study. Students reflect upon the mission of the university: “Walden University provides a diverse community of career professionals with the opportunity to transform themselves as scholar-practitioners so that they may transform society.” Students discuss how specialized learning and the attainment of a doctoral degree will help them meet their career and personal life goals.

Part II: Educational Background and Research Proficiency

When developing this section, students reflect on the formal and informal learning experiences that compose their educational background and discuss how these experiences support the direction of study established in Part I. Walden encourages students to include individual knowledge, skills, and accomplishments. Students explain the academic and research proficiencies they bring to the program and identify areas to improve while they are students at Walden. Students are expected to evaluate honestly their readiness to engage in dissertation research.

Categories for students to consider when writing this section include the following:

• Academic coursework in the social and behavioral sciences
• Academic coursework in other fields
• Professional presentations, seminars, and workshops
• Volunteer activities
• Prior experience designing and executing research
• Publications and other writing experiences
• Teaching assignments
• Professional training
• Academic strengths and weaknesses
• Research strengths and weaknesses
• Availability of library, reference, and information technology resources

Students should be clear about plans for preparing themselves for doctoral study, particularly if gaps exist in their background.

Part III: Plan of Study and Program of Study Form

Part III includes an individualized Plan of Study for approaching the Walden program and a formal Program of Study form. For non-licensure students in the School of Psychology and students in the Ph.D. in Public Health program, Part III of the PDP is the Program of Study form only. For students in the Clinical Psychology and Counseling Psychology specializations in the School of Psychology and Mental Health Counseling students, Part III also includes a Personal State Licensure Plan (PSLP). The PSLP contains information from the students’ careful investigation of the licensure requirements for the states in which they intend to apply for licensure, and how they plan to meet those requirements during their program of study at Walden.

For Ph.D. in Health Services and Ph.D. in Human Services students, as well as students in the Riley College of Education and Leadership and the School of Management, Part III begins with a summary of their overall learning goals as they relate to their intended field of study. This summary is followed by the Plan of Study, which contains a brief explanation (usually one paragraph per KAM) of the academic topics and professional issues to be explored in each KAM demonstration. Students should consult their curriculum guide and Foundation course instructor when developing these topics.

Students in KAM- or KAM/course-based programs who elect the Self-Designed specialization should complete the Program of Study form using the General Program course numbers for the breadth, depth, and application components of each KAM. The depth and application components should include a subtitle that reflects the focus of the student’s own unique self-designed specialization. In the specialized KAMs (generally V, VI, and VII), the titles of the breadth component must also reflect the unique Self-Designed specialization.

Part III also includes a Program of Study form, a formal document based on the academic evaluation made available to the student from the Office of Admissions, and showing any transferred credit. In consultation with their Foundation course instructor, students use this exercise to create an individualized plan for completing all degree requirements within a specific time frame. The university suggests that students approach the task of program planning by grouping degree requirements into stages of progress. Students are encouraged to target a completion date and work backward, identifying specific milestones of academic progress and time frames for their completion.

In developing a timeline, students must account for review, revision, and approval of academic work. For most students, academic work is not approved with the first draft. Students should familiarize themselves with the approval processes for academic work, in particular those for Learning Agreements and KAMs, and incorporate flexibility in their timeline. Students use the Program of Study form to gauge their progress toward degree completion. In KAM-based programs, the Program of Study is consulted at the beginning of the quarter to guide the study plan for the quarter; at the end of the quarter, the form is submitted via the assignment area in SBSF 7100 - Research Forum or EDUC 8800 - Research Forum, indicating the progress made during the quarter. Any revisions to the form require the approval of the faculty advisor/mentor and the associate dean or the associate dean’s designee.

Professional Development Plan Approval Process

Students submit the completed PDP to their Foundation course instructor electronically. Should a plan require revision, the course instructor returns it to the student with comments and feedback.

For students in the School of Psychology, the Foundation course instructor reviews the PDP for completeness and returns the PDP to the student. Students are responsible for the accuracy of their Personal State Licensure Plan and their Program of Study forms and for keeping those documents current.

For students outside the School of Psychology, the Foundation course instructor, when satisfied that the plan meets the university’s expectations, forwards the PDP and the Program of Study form to the program’s academic advisors for initial review. He or she then forwards the PDP and the Program of Study form to the appropriate associate dean, or the associate dean’s designee, for review. The associate dean or designee may approve the plan or return it to the student and Foundation course instructor for revision. Following approval by the associate dean or designee, the PDP is ratified in the Office of the Registrar.

Criteria for Professional Development Plan Approval

A Professional Development Plan, required for those doctoral students as noted above, will be considered for approval when all of the following criteria have been met:

• The PDP is well written and follows the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. (The use of the first person is permissible.)
• The content corresponds to the curriculum requirements of the university and the selected doctoral program, and the student’s specialization, if applicable.
• The content corresponds to the student’s educational background and goals.
• The student has gained access to the necessary resources and exhibits the traits of an independent learner.
• The Plan of Study and the Program of Study form are complete.
• For students in the Clinical Psychology and Counseling Psychology specializations in the School of Psychology and students in the Mental Health Counseling program, the Personal State Licensure Plan is complete.