Program of Study and Requirements

Students are required to complete 109 hours of academic credit including the following areas: biological bases of behavior, social bases of behavior, cognitive and affective bases of behavior, human development, individual and cultural diversity, research and analytic methods, ethics and professional issues, psychological measurement and assessment, and psychological interventions. The program also requires supervised practicum, externship, and internship experiences, as well as research-based pre-dissertation and dissertation projects. A Masters of Arts degree is awarded after students have successfully completed core coursework, the pre-dissertation research project, and the comprehensive examination.

The program is structured for the average student to graduate within 5 years. This timeline is dependent on the completion of coursework, as well as the research, clinical and language requirements of the program. For example, an additional year of study may be required for students who are further developing their ASL skills and/or cultural awareness. As ASL and English are the languages used throughout the program, students are expected to demonstrate ASL fluency or a high degree of ASL proficiency (i.e., at least an ASLPI score of 2+ to register for the second year practicum courses and at least an ASLPI score of 3 to graduate from the program) to complete their clinical practicum training and aspects of some research projects, as well as enhance their professional training. 

The following table summarizes the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program requirements:

AREAS OF STUDY

REQUIRED CREDIT HOURS

Pre-Matriculation Preparation

Variable 

American Sign Language and related areas                             

Variable

DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE &

ADVANCED INTEGRATIVE KNOWLEDGE

 

Statistics and Research:

     Statistics I (3), Statistics II (3), Research Methods (3), &

     Research Seminars (703 and 704; 1 credit each)

11  

Independent Research:

     Individual Research (6)  & Dissertation Research (6)       

12

Biological Bases of Behavior:

     Neuroanatomical and Neurophysiological

      Foundations of Neuropsychology (3)

     & Psychopharmacology (3)

6

Cognitive and Affective Bases of Behavior:    

     Cognitive Psychology (3) & Psychology of Emotion (3)  

6         

Social Bases of Behavior:

     Social Psychology and Human Diversity (3)

3

Individual and Cultural Diversity:

     Adult Psychopathology (3), Psychology and Deafness (3),

     & Multicultural and Urban Issues in Clinical Practice (3) 

9

Human Development:

     Child Development (3) & Adult Development and

      Personality (3)

6

History and Systems: 

     History and Systems (2)

2

CLINICAL AND PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES

 

Psychological Measurement/Assessment:

     Intellectual Assessment (4), Personality Assessment:

     Projective Techniques (3), & Personality Assessment: 

     Objective Techniques (2)

9         

Psychological Interventions:

     Methods of Adult Psychotherapy (3), Foundations of

     Clinical Skills (3), & two other intervention courses (6)

12       

Ethics and Professional Issues:

     Clinical Psychology Ethics and Professional Issues (3)

3

Practicum/Externship Experiences:

     Clinical Psychology Practicum I: Therapy and Assessment  

     course sequence (12) & Clinical Psychology Externship (6)

18

Electives:

     Three other courses and/or up to 6 hours of

     Advanced Clinical Psychology Externship

9

Pre-doctoral Internship (1 credit per semester and summer)

3

TOTAL REQUIRED CREDITS

109

 

As part of these requirements, especially during some clinically-based courses personal disclosure may be required as part of the professional development of our clinical psychology students.