Ph.D. Requirements and Goals
Model Course of Study
MODEL COURSE OF STUDY
Course |
Fall of 1ST Year |
Credits |
7050J |
Statistical Methods in Psychology I |
3 |
7661J |
Psychodiagnostics I |
3 |
7410J |
Psychoanalytic Theories |
3 |
7713J |
Ethical and Legal Issues for Psychologists |
3 |
7600J |
Psychometric Methods |
3 |
Testing Lab |
0 |
|
|
Total Credits |
15 |
Course |
Spring of 1ST Year |
Credits |
7060J |
Statistical Methods in Psychology II |
3 |
7560J |
Psychopathology II (Child Psychopathology) |
3 |
7512J |
Biological Bases of Behavior (taught every other year to first- and second-year students) |
3 |
7203J |
Lifespan Development (taught every other year to first- and second-year students) |
3 |
7770J/7780J |
Practicum in Interviewing and Personality Appraisal I (Adult Intake) or Practicum in Interviewing and Personality Appraisal II (Child Intake) |
3 |
8297J |
Integrative Foundations of Psychotherapy |
3 |
Testing Lab |
0 |
|
|
Total Credits |
15 |
Course |
Fall of 2nd Year |
Credits |
7611J |
Neuropsychological Assessment |
3 |
7770J/ 77800 |
Practicum I (Adult Intake) or Practicum II (Child Intake) |
3 |
84101J/ 8420J |
Clinical Practicum I (Adult Psychotherapy) or Clinical Practicum II (Child Psychotherapy) |
3 |
7550J |
Psychopathology I (Adult Psychopathology) |
3 |
7800J |
Quantitative Methods in Psychology |
3 |
|
Testing Lab |
0 |
|
Total Credits |
15 |
Course |
Spring of 2nd Year |
Credits |
84101J/ 8420J |
Clinical Practicum I (Adult Psychotherapy) or Clinical Practicum II (Child Psychotherapy) |
3 |
8500J |
Evidence-Based Psychodynamic Treatment |
3 |
8440J |
Diversity Issues in Clinical Psychology |
3 |
7113J |
Cognitive/Affective Aspects of Behavior (offered every other year) |
3 |
7000J |
History of Psychology |
3 |
|
Total Credits |
15 |
Course |
Fall of 3rd Year |
Credits |
7460J |
Social Psychology |
3 |
7398J |
Advanced Practicum (1 semester required) |
3 |
8343J/8441J |
Sex and Gender or Health of Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals |
3, E/R |
8392J |
Therapeutic Interventions: Cognitive Behavioral Approaches |
3 |
|
Elective |
3 |
|
Total Credits |
15 |
Course |
Fall of 3rd Year |
Credits |
7900J |
Advanced Biological, Cognitive & Affective Bases of Behavior: Social Neuroscience and Psychopathology |
3 |
8548J |
Supervision & Consultation |
3 |
8440J |
Diversity Issues in Clinical Psychology |
3, E/R |
8033J |
Doctoral Dissertation Seminar |
3 |
|
Elective |
3 |
|
Total Credits |
15 |
|
Total Completed Coursework (!5 credits x 6 semesters) |
90 |
Total of required credits: 81
Total of elective credits: 9
Other Electives:
8394J Group Therapy
7413J Transference and Countertransference
8395J Contemporary Psychoanalytic Theory (Winnicott)
8013J Advanced Projective Testing
Other Requirements
1st Year Requirements
- Clinical work second semester of first year.
- Attend Clinical Team meetings.
- Complete and submit transfer credit for those who have completed graduate coursework in psychology prior to admission to our program.
- Successfully pass First Doctoral Exam.
2nd Year Requirements
- Continue research activity in Research Group.
- Continue clinical work.
- Complete Second Year Research and Scholarship project.
- Submit application for en-route to masters.
- Apply for teaching assistantship, if desired.
- Start working on Second Doctoral Exam.
3rd Year Requirements
- Continue research activity in Research Group.
- Continue Clinical work.
- Complete and defend Second Doctoral Examination by February.
4th Year Requirements
- Complete any remaining coursework.
- Students may apply for externship.
- Submit dissertation proposal and Committee.
- Selection form by the end of Spring semester of the fourth year for those applying to Internship during fifth year.
- Continue clinical work.
5th Year Requirements
- Defend and submit Dissertation Proposal by October of the fifth year.
- Apply to internship.
6th Year Requirements
- Complete internship.
- Continue work on dissertation.
- Complete and defend dissertation.
Learning Goals for Examinations
Competencies for Training
The Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology will prepare students to be competent in the
following nine substantive areas of professional psychology.
Competency I: Research
At the end of The Ph.D. Program, students will demonstrate knowledge of statistical analysis,
research design, and the existing empirical literature in clinical psychology, as well as the
implementation of that knowledge in clinical practice and in designing and implementing
independent research.
Competency II: Ethical & Legal Standards
At the end of The Ph.D. Program, students will demonstrate knowledge and actions consistent with the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, relevant laws and professional standards, as well as the ability to recognize ethical dilemmas and to apply ethical decision-making processes.
Competency III: Individual and Cultural Diversity
At the end of The Ph.D. Program, students will demonstrate understanding, knowledge and
respect for individual and cultural differences, and of how it impacts their research and clinical work.
Competency IV: Professional Values, Attitudes, and Behaviors
At the end of The Ph.D. Program, students will behave in ways that reflect the values and
attitudes of psychology.
Competency V: Communications and Interpersonal Skills
At the end of the Ph.D. Program, students will demonstrate effective interpersonal skills, as well as appropriate and clear nonverbal, written and oral communication skills.
Competency VI: Assessment
At the end of The Ph.D. Program students will demonstrate comprehension of and competency in the clinical assessment of cognitive and personality functioning.
Competency VII: Intervention
At the end of The Ph.D. Program students will demonstrate comprehension of and competency in implementing a range of psychotherapeutic interventions in a culturally-competent manner to a range of disadvantaged, diverse populations.
Competency VIII: Supervision
At the end of the Ph.D. Program, students will demonstrate knowledge of supervision models
and practices and an openness to clinical supervision.
Competency IX: Consultation and Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary Skills
At the end of the Ph.D. Program, students will demonstrate knowledge and respect for the roles and perspectives of other professions, and knowledge of consultation models and practices.
The First Doctoral Qualifying Examination, the Second Doctoral Qualifying Examination
and the Dissertation are three of the assessments used to evaluate students’ competencies in
the nine substantive areas.
Specific Training Goals for the Second Doctoral Qualifying Examination (which involves
the student preparing a 35-40 page case analysis and presenting their work in both written
and oral formats) entail the student being able to:
- Provide a clear and detailed case history and diagnostic conceptualization for the patients that they treat.
- Demonstrate mastery of theory relevant to case conceptualization and treatment of a patient.
- Demonstrate mastery of empirical research relevant to case conceptualization and mastery of a
patient.
- Demonstrate mastery in the use of interventions relevant to integration of theory and empirical
research in the treatment of a patient.
- Demonstrate a sound understanding of how diversity and issues of difference impact treatment
issues with patient care.
- Demonstrate an awareness of critical ethical issues that arise in the provision of patient care.
Specific Training Goals for the Dissertation entails the student being able to:
- Perform a comprehensive review of the literature and phenomenon of interest succinctly and critically.
- State the problem under investigation or query and provide a summary of the gaps and
inconsistencies in the literature.
- Operationalize variables clearly and describe both measures and methodologies with detail and accuracy when conducting an empirical study.
- Formulate completely, specifically and accurately hypothesis and research questions that
pertain to the phenomenon of interest when conducting an empirical study.
- Develop criteria for inclusion and exclusion of study participants and provide clear information on the relevance of a particular sample when conducting an empirical study.
- Identify an appropriate study design and corresponding statistical analyses which addresses the study of the phenomenon of interest when conducting an empirical study.
- Demonstrate solid writing skills, organization and proper language and grammar in the writing of the dissertation using APA style in formatting and referencing.
Domain-Specific Knowledge
Students in the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology will obtain graduate-level discipline-
specific knowledge in 10, required, core, broad and general psychology courses:
- The biological bases of behavior
(Biological Bases of Behavior, PSY 7512J) - The cognitive bases of behavior
(Cognitive & Affective Bases of Behavior, PSY 7113J) - The affective bases of behavior
(Cognitive & Affective Bases of Behavior, PSY 7113J) - The social aspects of behavior
(Social Psychology, PSY 7406J) - The history and systems of psychology
(History of Psychology, PSY 7000J) - The developmental aspects of human behavior across the lifespan
(Lifespan Development, PSY 7203J) - Advanced integrative knowledge of biological, cognitive, & affective bases of behavior
(Advanced Biological, Cognitive & Affective Bases of Behavior: Social Neuroscience and Psychopathology, PSY 7900J) - Research Methods
(Quantitative Methods in Psychology, PSY 7800J) - Statistical Analysis
(Statistical Methods in Psychology I, PSY 7050J and Statistical Methods iPsychology II, PSY 7060J) - Psychometrics
(Psychometrics, PSY 7600J)
Course requirements for the Ph.D. degree include a minimum of 90 academic credits (up to 15 credits can be transferred in from other accredited Master's Programs in Psychology at the discretion of the Program Director) completed within the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 500 hours of face to face clinical work at the Psychological Center, a year-long internship requirement, and defense of a dissertation thesis. The curriculum has broad and general courses as well as treatment-oriented and specialized courses. We offer sequences in research methods, assessment, clinical practica, theory, psychopathology, evidence-based treatments, and diversity & difference.
Dissertations in the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology may consist of a broad range of topics and methods. Typically, our students are on internship after their fourth or fifth year, having completed the dissertation proposal prior to applying for internship. Required course work can be completed within three years, in-residence clinical training in four years. See our model sequence of courses.
Last Updated: 04/26/2022 15:10