The ICDL Graduate School bestows the requested degree once the student has met all the graduation requirements, which consist of the following key elements:

Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 85 semester credits, including:

• 30 credits for required core IMH courses & 4 credits for elective IMH courses
• 8 credits for required core research courses & 6 credits for elective research courses
• 19 credits for required clinical and research practicum
• 18 credits for required dissertation

Satisfactory completion of the above credits entails finishing all the required courses with a grade of B or above.  If the student has finished one or more courses with a grade of C, he or she will need to pass an oral examination given by the graduation committee (GC).  This committee will include the Chief Academic Officer, the ICDL Chair and/or the ICDL Associate Chair, as well as two members of the ICDL Advisory Board with expertise on the courses in which the student has the C grade. The oral examination will focus on important concepts of those courses, which a doctoral-level professional should master, particularly in his or her ability to integrate theory, research and practice. Only students, who have received a C in three or less courses, will be eligible for graduation if they pass the oral examination with a grade of B or above. Students who have received a C in four or more courses, will need to retake some of those courses to meet this graduation eligibility criterion.

The primary and expected student learning outcomes (after completing the PhD program with an A or B grade) include; knowledge, values and skills in using a bio-psychosocial developmental model, and working effectively with different disciplines to improve the developmental competencies and mental health of infants, young children and their families. Specifically, graduate students will be expected to:

• Integrate theory and research with practice by being able to construct a profile of infant and a young child’s developmental capacities and psychological profiles. This includes strengths and challenges, and the formulation of  a comprehensive intervention program;
• Comprehensively use and interpret different clinical assessment instruments when working with infants and young children presenting emotional, developmental, behavioral, and learning disorders, as well as with parents and caregivers presenting mental health problems;
• Master a range of clinical interventions and develop comprehensive programs for emotionally and/or developmentally disturbed infants, young children and their families;
• Design and implement preventive, early detection, educational, clinical, research and policy guidelines for improving infant and early childhood mental health with cultural competency; and
• Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical conduct and professional standards when working in clinical, research, or educational settings with infants, young children, and their families.