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. Demonstrate profession-wide competence in research

2. Demonstrate profession-wide competence in ethical and legal standards

3. Demonstrate profession-wide competence in individual and cultural diversity

4. Demonstrate profession-wide competence in professional values, attitudes, and behaviors

5. Demonstrate profession-wide competence in communications and interpersonal skills

6. Demonstrate profession-wide competence in assessment

7. Demonstrate profession-wide competence in intervention

8. Demonstrate profession-wide competence in supervision

9. Demonstrate profession-wide competence in consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills

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.