Clinical Psychology, PhD

Contact:

Kevin Antshel, Ph.D.
430 Huntington Hall
kmantshel@syr.edu
(315) 443-9450

Faculty

Emily B. Ansell, Kevin Antshel, Sara E. Burke, D. Bruce Carter, Catherine A. Cornwell, Amy H. Criss, Joseph W. Ditre, Tanya L. Eckert, Joshua C. Felver, Les A. Gellis, Shannon C. Houck, Brittany K. Jakubiak, Randall S. Jorgenson, Michael L. Kalish, David Kellen, Lawrence J. Lewandowski, Lynn Lohnas, Stephen A. Maisto, Brian K. Martens, Leonard Newman, Aesoon Park, Natalie Russo, Lael J. Schooler, Bradley Seymour, Shannon M. Sweeney, Stanislav Treger, Peter A. Vanable, Laura VanderDrift, and Sarah Woolf-King

The clinical psychology training program at Syracuse University is a doctoral program designed to train students to be responsible, innovative, and scholarly psychologists. The program embraces the scientist-practitioner model, and a strong emphasis is placed on both research and clinical training. The program is accredited by the American Psychological Association.

Admission

In making decisions about admission, the clinical faculty consider a student’s grades, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and evidence of the hard work, interest, and motivation that is vital to success in graduate school. Experience in research is also looked on positively. Applicants should have at least 18 credits of psychology, including a laboratory course and a statistics course. Recently admitted applicants have averaged higher than 155 on the verbal + quantitative GREs and had higher than 3.5 undergraduate GPAs. The program does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, ethnic origin, religion, or physical disability. Applications are considered for the fall term only, and the deadline for receipt of the COMPLETED application is December 1. The program receives about 180 applications per year for four to five openings. There are typically between 20-25 students in the program.

Financial Assistance

The department makes a determined effort to offer each student financial support from several sources: graduate scholarships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, clinical assistantships, and fellowships.

Goals

GOAL 1: To produce graduates who have an understanding of the research methods of clinical psychology and who apply these methods to advance knowledge in the discipline of clinical psychology

1-A. Graduate students will acquire knowledge of research methods in clinical psychology.

2-B. Graduate students will have the ability to apply their research skills in such a way as to contribute to the knowledge base of clinical psychology.

GOAL 2: To produce graduates who apply their theoretical and empirical knowledge base to the understanding and amelioration of human problems and have the requisite knowledge and skills to provide competent entry-level clinical psychology practice

2-A. Graduate students will be able to apply their research knowledge and skills to address real-world clinical psychological problems.

2-B. Graduate students will be able to provide competent beginning-level clinical practice upon graduation.

GOAL 3: To produce graduates who are sophisticated consumers of the theoretical and empirical literature of clinical psychology and continue as lifetime learners and critical thinkers

3-A. The Clinical Program strives to instill a respect for the scientific basis of clinical psychology.

3-B. Students who graduate from the Clinical Program will continue to learn and grow in their professional roles.

GOAL 4: To produce graduates who are aware of the influence of cultural and contextual factors that may affect research activities and clinical practice

4-A. Students will develop sensitivity to cultural and diversity factors and corresponding respect for individuals who are members of minority groups or any other groups that are outside of the students’ own sphere of identification.

4-B. The Clinical Program expects that students will be aware of the limitations of standardized tests or interventions when applied to individuals from backgrounds different from that of the standardization sample.

GOAL 5: To produce graduates who are well-socialized professionals who uniformly conduct their work in an ethical manner that takes into account the rights and needs of the individuals with whom they are directly involved as well as other members of society

5-A. Students from the Clinical program will understand their responsibilities as professionals who actively intervene in the lives of others as a result of their research and practice behaviors.

5-B. Students who graduate from the Clinical program will consider themselves members of a professional community.

Student Learning Outcomes

1-A-1. Become proficient in critically reviewing relevant psychological research literature demonstrating understanding of research design and analysis topics and problems

1-A-2. Be able to design and select research strategies to effectively address particular research questions

1-B-1. Understand relevant psychological theory and develop research projects on a well-conceptualized theoretical base

1-B-2. Conduct and defend a master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation

1-B-3. Students will be able to make presentations at professional meetings.

1-B-4. Students will have the ability to author manuscripts based on their research endeavors.

2-A-1. Students will be able to conceptualize and design research projects that provide data relevant to clinically-relevant psychological problems.

2-B-1. Students will be able to provide proficient psychological assessment that is conceptually relevant and capable of addressing a particular clinical question or area of inquiry.

2-B-2. Students will be able to conduct psychological interviews for purpose of diagnosis and case conceptualization.

2-B-3. Students will be able to provide therapeutic intervention to clients demonstrating adequate intervention skill.

2-B-4. Students will be able to make choices of intervention techniques based on theory and understanding of support for the interventions.

3-A-1. Students will be capable of understanding and critiquing the professional literature in areas relevant to their research and practice.

3-A-2. When faced with a research or a clinically applied question, students will consult the empirical literature to generate hypotheses and formulate evidence-based responses.

3-B-1. Students will be able to seek out and benefit from learning opportunities that are specifically connected to their programs of study during graduate training and will continue to seek out opportunities post-graduation.

3-B-2. Students will regularly access the scientific literature related to their areas of interest.

4-A-1. Students will be able to understand the influences of cultural and contextual factors on psychological functioning.

4-A-2. Students will be able to provide clinical services to clientele diverse in attributes such as, but not limited to, age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and presenting problems.

4-A-3. Students will be able to determine when they need consultation based on individual difference variables on a clinical case or research project because their information base or experience is not adequate to address a problem effectively.

4-B-1. Students will be able to critically evaluate the literature supporting assessment and intervention methods for their adequacy of application to minority and other groups.

5-A-1. Students will understand the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and will be able to think adaptively regarding how these principles apply to different situations.

5-A-2. Students will cultivate an attitude of respect for other individuals and for ethical practice in their work.

5-B-1. Students will become members of professional organizations and will be actively involved in them.

5-B-2. Students who work in clinical practice will connect with fellow professionals and will establish relationships that will allow for adequate consultation on cases when needed.

Program Requirements

The Ph.D. requires at least 90 credits, including a 6-credit master’s thesis and an 18-credit dissertation. Students must attend the University on a full-time basis and remain in residence until the 90 credits are completed. The required clinical curriculum includes coursework in clinical research methods, psychopathology (child and adult), assessment, and psycho¬therapy, along with supervised clinical practica. The APA-required core curriculum also includes courses in the following areas: statistics and design, cognitive-affective, social, individual differences, biological, history and systems, professional ethics, and issues of cultural and ethnic diversity. The clinical curriculum includes 9 credits of electives. Students must pass a Ph.D. qualifying exam that includes a critical review of a substantive area in clinical psychology that is evaluated by members of the core clinical faculty. A full-time, one-year, APA-accredited internship is also required before the Ph.D. is awarded; this is usually completed in the sixth year. The internships carry stipends and may be completed at any APA-accredited agency in the United States or Canada.

Psychological Services Center

The clinical psychology program is associated with the SU Psychological Services Center, which is a service delivery, training, and research facility that serves SU students and members of the Syracuse community. Services are provided to children, adolescents, and adults. The Psychological Services Center is staffed by a director, clinic secretary, and graduate students in clinical psychology and related fields. Supervision is provided by full-time clinical faculty and part-time adjunct faculty drawn from local hospitals and clinics. Supervisors vary in their conceptual approach to understanding and modifying behavior. A broad array of clinical services are offered, including individual, marital, family, and group therapy, as well as psychological evaluations and testing.