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• Clinical Psychology

The Clinical Psychology Program at Duke University is a Ph.D. program for students seeking excellence in academic, scientific, and clinical training.

This program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS). Our program has a strong history of training based on the scientist/practitioner (Boulder) model and more recently has adopted a clinical science model of training in which the science of psychology and its clinical application are mutually interdependent and mutually evolving.

The Graduate Program in Clinical Psychology at Duke University has been accredited by the American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation since 1948.

Questions related to the program's accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation American Psychological Association 750 First Street NE Washington, DC 20002-4242 Telephone: (202) 336-5979   Email:  [email protected]   Web:  www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

Questions about the Duke clinical program itself should be directed to Director of Clinical Training - Moria Smoski, PhD,  [email protected] , (919) 684-6717

Additional Information

The Clinical Psychology Program at Duke University is a Ph.D. program for students seeking excellence in academic, scientific, and clinical training. This program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS). Our program has a strong history of scientist practitioner (Boulder) model and more recently has adopted a clinical science model of training in which the science of psychology and its clinical application are mutually interdependent and mutually evolving. That is, our program is designed to train clinical scientists who are capable of functioning successfully in academic, research, clinical, and community settings. Within this multifaceted training framework, we seek to develop students who are interested in careers in which the science of psychology is applied to address public health issues related to mental and physical diseases both nationally and internationally. The program is not appropriate for students interested solely in clinical practice and not in research. Rather, we strive for excellence in both the science and practice of clinical psychology.

At Duke, graduate training in clinical psychology emphasizes three domains of knowledge: adult clinical, child clinical, and health psychology. The expertise of the faculty, drawn from the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Duke University Medical Center, extends to a large number of interdisciplinary problems involving human behavioral and physical adaptation in its varying social contexts. Duke University’s Clinical Psychology Program is annually ranked among the top clinical psychology programs in the United States. Duke’s doctoral program in Clinical Psychology is a member of The Academy of Psychological Clinical Science, which is a coalition of doctoral training programs that share a common goal of producing and applying scientific knowledge to the understanding, assessment, and amelioration of human problems.

Specific interests include intervention and prevention methods across the life course for such phenomena as aggression and antisocial behavior, depression, personality disorders, eating disorders and obesity, substance abuse, HIVAIDS, cardiovascular disease, and chronic pain. Our faculty also study behavioral cardiology, behavioral medicine, global mental health, reducing disparities in minority mental and physical health services, assessment and intervention in pediatric psychology, and gene-environment interaction.

Clinical program faculty are also actively involved in University Institutes, including the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS) , Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) , and Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) .

Each year the Department admits 2-5 clinical graduate students, which will result in approximately 25 students being advised by our faculty at one time. As of August, 2023, our faculty advise a total of 23 students receiving clinical training, (8 males and 15 females, 6 of whom are from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups).

In accordance with American Psychological Association requirements, a more complete description of the clinical program's goals, clinical training resources, and special requirements can be found in the on-line Clinical Graduate Student Handbook.

The Duke Psychology Clinic has been providing psychological services to the Triangle community for over twenty years and is committed to working with adults who are seeking services for a range of psychological and adjustment difficulties. As part of the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University , the Clinic functions as a training center for the Ph.D. program in clinical psychology. Psychotherapy is provided by advanced graduate students who are supervised by experienced clinicians. With our commitment to training and intensive supervision, the Clinic is dedicated to providing high-quality care to our clients.

The Duke Psychology Clinic offers short- and long-term individual psychotherapy for adults seeking treatment for a range of psychological difficulties. The Clinic treats a wide-range of presenting concerns, including depression, anxiety, inattentiveness/hyperactivity, self-esteem, eating concerns, relationship difficulties, adjustment, and coping with stressors. In addition, the Clinic has a long-standing reputation in the community for effectively assisting individuals who have experienced traumatic events. Therapeutic work is individually-focused and clinicians work with their supervisors to tailor treatment to the needs of each client. The treatment approach utilized integrates principles from a range of evidence-based treatments in order to best address the client’s presenting concerns, including cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and interpersonal approaches.

• Respected community reputation in the treatment of mental health concerns

• Affordable session fees

• Convenient location and flexible hours

• Assessment to further tailor treatment

• Availability of long-term treatment 
• Enthusiastic therapists receiving supervision from experienced clinicians

Obtaining Services

Services are available to individuals throughout the community. Those seeking services or who would like to make a referral should begin by calling a Clinic Coordinator, (919) 660-5771. Because the Clinic is a training center, utmost care is taken to ensure we can provide appropriate services; clients in crisis or in need of a higher level of care are typically referred to a more suitable clinic.

The Clinic is located in Suite 312 of the Psychology/Sociology building on Duke's West Campus .

During the academic year, clinic hours are 9a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays. Hours are slightly abbreviated during the summer months.

Timothy Strauman, Ph.D. Director, Duke Psychology Clinic Professor, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Licensed Psychologist

David Rabiner, Ph.D. Research Professor, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Licensed Psychologist & Supervisor

Moria Smoski, Ph.D. Director of Clinical Training, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Licensed Psychologist

Rachel Guetta Graduate Student, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Clinic Coordinator

Current Practicum Supervisors

• David Rabiner 
• Melanie Bonner 
• Sarah Cook 
• Geraldine Dawson 
• Christian Mauro 
• Rhonda Merwin 
• Zach Rosenthal
• Moria Smoski
• Tamara Somers
• Rebecca Shelby 
• Julia Woodward
• Nancy Zucker
• Naomi Davis 
• John Mitchell 
• Julia Schacter  
• Sarah O’Rourke 
• Kyla Blalock 
• Nicole Heilbron 
• David Goldston 
• Jill Howard  
• Adrienne Inscoe
• Ashley Hill

Practicum descriptions

Internships:.

• Alpert Medical School of Brown University
• Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital
• Cambridge Hospital, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
• Central Regional Hospital, Butner, NC
• Children’s Hospital, Boston, Harvard University, Boston, MA
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
• Children's Hospital at Stanford / Children's Health Council
• Clarke Institute (Center for Addiction and Mental Health), Toronto, Ontario
• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH
• Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
• Emory, Atlanta, GA
• Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
• McLean Hospital, Harvard University, Belmont, MA
• Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston Consortium), Charleston, SC
• Miami/Dade County Department of Human Services, Miami, FL
• Miami Veterans Administration Health Care System, Miami, FL
• Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
• MUSC/Charleston Consortium Internship
• Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH
• New York Univesity/Bellevue Hospital
• North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Administration Medical Center, Gainesville, FL
• Rush University Medical Center
• University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ
• University of California-Los Angeles
• University of California-San Diego/Veterans Affairs, San Diego, CA
• University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
• University of Colorado Health Center, Boulder, CO
• University of Florida Health Science Center, Gainesville, FL
• University of Kansas Medical School
• University of Michigan/Rackham Institute
• University of Mississippi Medical/VA Jackson
• University of New Mexico Health Science Center
• University of North Carolina Medical School, Chapel Hill, NC
• University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychiatry
• University of Texas Health Science Center - Houston
• University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
• University of Wisconsin Medical Center, Madison, WI
• Veterans Administration Medical Center, Durham, NC
• Veterans Administration Maryland Health Care System/Univ. of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
• Veterans Administration Medical Center, Northport, NY
• Veterans Administration Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA
• Veterans Administration Medical Center, Salem, VA
• Veterans Administration Puget Sound-American Lake, Tacoma, WA
• Virginia Treatment Center for Children, Virginia Commonwealth Univ., Richmond, VA
• Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

NOTE: Our program has made the GRE General Test  optional  for admission to the fall 2024 class. You may submit scores if you have them, and they will be considered by the admissions committee. Applications without GRE scores will be given equal consideration. 

Each year we receive between 350 and 400 completed applications for admission to our clinical psychology program. A variety of bases for admission are utilized, although some common themes emerge. In our search for qualified graduate students, we look for the potential to conduct original research, to engage in scholarship, to work effectively with others, including future clients, and to have an impact on the broader field of clinical psychology. We seek applicants who are interested both in research and in clinical practice. It is important for applicants to consider and to articulate potential matches with the research interests of one or more potential faculty mentors. While an undergraduate integrative psychology major is not required, most of our students were psychology majors, and most had post-baccalaureate research experience in psychology prior to application. Every year about 20 applicants are contacted for virtual interviews with our faculty. Interviews are required for clinical applicants. Interviews take place in late January - early February with invitations extended a few weeks prior to interviews.

All students accepted into the program are guaranteed five years of stipend support, as well as full tuition. Stipends may be based on fellowships, research or teaching assistant positions, or, for more senior students, their own external research support.

Applicants: Please see our Departmental Application FAQ .

Our program follows a mentorship model in which students are admitted to work with specific faculty members for their research training. 

Admitting students for the fall 2024 class

• David Goldston (Need to type in name on application)
• Timothy Strauman

Not admitting students for the fall 2024 class

• Gary Bennett
• Melanie Bonner
• Ernestine Briggs-King
• Karen Appleyard Carmody
• Scott Compton
• Francis Keefe
• Terrie Moffitt

Students and faculty in the Clinical Psychology Program established the Anti-Racism Community (ARC) in July 2020 as a response to the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the rampant police brutality at subsequent nationwide protests, and the preceding 401-year legacy of anti-Black racism in the United States. The mission of the ARC is to:

• Establish an anti-racist culture in all activities conducted by students, faculty, and staff
• Acknowledge the impact of centuries of systemic and individual racism at the national, statewide, and university levels, and
• Take all possible corrective action to eliminate these effects on our program

ARC members meet monthly to provide general updates and make requests for assistance in completing tasks. Currently, members of the ARC are organized into three Pillars. Members are welcome to join one or more Pillar based on their interests. Each Pillar meets separately to coordinate and work on their specific goals and actions. The goals of the three Pillars are to

Pillar 1 : Enhance recruitment and retention of BIPOC faculty, students, and staff that reflect national demographics

Pillar 2 : Ensure all academic activities reflect anti-racism as a core value of the program

Pillar 3 : Elevate multicultural awareness as a core competency of clinical training and professional development for all faculty, students, and staff

The ARC is an action-oriented community. Below are a few of the actions taken by the ARC since its inception:

• Creation of the Clinical Science Anti-Racism Series , a set of presentations and discussions on the ways clinical practice, research, and professional issues is informed by anti-racist approaches
• Launch an annual  Virtual Office Hours program , an opportunity for individuals underrepresented in psychology to receive individualized feedback on their applications to PhD programs in psychology
• Hosted a weekly writing group for faculty, post-docs, and graduate students, especially those from underrepresented communities and those looking to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within our department
• Establishment of Peer Multicultural Consultation Team , a monthly meeting during which students seek culturally-informed perspectives from other students on diverse patients
• Evaluation of all P&N undergraduate syllabi for content that supports inclusion, reduction of "hidden curriculum" elements, and anti-racist principles. Provided feedback to the P&N Faculty with resources for improving DEI principles in syllabi
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Climate Handbook
• P&N Team Resources
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• Practicum and Ongoing Research Projects in Psychology
• Research Participation Requirements for Psychology Courses
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• Psychology Courses
• Graduate School Advice
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PhD in Clinical Psychology

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Program Overview

Please see also:

• Clinical Doctoral Student Handbook (PDF)
• Student Admissions, Outcomes and Other Data

Licensure Information

Please see details at  Consumer Disclosure Information .

The clinical psychology doctoral program at American University aims to prepare students for licensure in many states. Graduating from an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited institution with a doctoral degree is often one of the main requirements for licensure in most states, and our program has been fully and continuously accredited by the APA since 1972. However, most states have other requirements for licensure (e.g., predoctoral internship, postdoctoral fellowship, particular scores on the EPPP licensing exam). This disclosure focuses solely on predoctoral courses needed to qualify for licensure as a psychologist. Graduates of AU’s clinical psychology program have successfully obtained licensure in many states.

The Clinical Psychology PhD program is committed to educating students in clinical science with rigorous training in both research and applied clinical work. Our program will provide you with the skills you need for a successful career in academia, research, or clinical practice. Fully accredited by the American Psychological Association Committee on Accreditation since 1972, our doctoral program reflects the scientist-practitioner model of training.

Excellence in research and clinical training

The 72-credit PhD program is designed to provide students with a rigorous classroom education, innovative research opportunities, and exciting and diverse clinical experiences. With faculty guidance and mentorship, students complete a master's thesis, a doctoral dissertation, and one tool of research. Students engage in three year-long practicum experiences. In the first year, students learn humanistic and psychodynamic techniques in the American University Counseling Center. In year two, students learn and practice cognitive behavioral techniques in the department's James J. Gray Psychotherapy Training Clinic. For the third practicum, students choose between an advanced CBT practicum with adults or with children. Additionally, students complete multiple externships in DC area hospitals, mental health centers, and counseling centers and a one-year internship.

This program takes five to six years of full-time study to complete. Part-time study is not available. See all degree requirements .

At AU, a mentorship model of training will allow you to work closely with a research supervisor throughout the program. You and this faculty mentor will collaborate on research projects and design your master's thesis and dissertation project. Our faculty members maintain productive research labs and mentor graduate students in research design and methodology. Faculty research interests include affective and motivational processes in depression, anxiety disorders (in children and adults), stress and emotion regulation, parenting, minority mental health, trichotillomania, cognitive assessment and therapy, smoking, borderline personality disorder, drug expectancies, treatment outcomes, and human services program evaluation. Faculty research programs offer a mix of applied and basic research opportunities.

Diverse Opportunities In The Nation's Capital

Home to numerous world-class research and clinical institutions, the DC area offers access to an extraordinary array of professional and intellectual opportunities. The clinical program at AU has fostered connections at a wide range of externship sites including the DC and Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, National Institute of Health, Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital, National Children’s Medical Center, private practices, and college counseling centers at nearby universities. Many of our students make lasting connections in the DC area, and are well positioned to find post-doctoral employment in or around the city. There is a rich diversity in DC, so students work with individuals and families from many different backgrounds.

The PhD is your path to career success

At AU, we have a record of placing our clinical psychology PhDs in successful careers at respected institutions. Our students graduate fully prepared for careers in academia, research, and clinical settings. For example, graduates of our program hold tenure-track positions at St. John's University, Williams College, LaFayette College, the University of Cincinnati, and Goucher College.

We are proud of the research and clinical accomplishments of our students and alumni. AU PhDs have conducted research in prominent departments of psychiatry, including Brown University, Ohio State University, and the University of Virginia. Our alumni work in a variety of clinical settings in the DC area and across the country, including Johns Hopkins University, the National Institutes of Health, the New York Presbyterian-University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, Chestnut Health System of Illinois, Children's National Medical Center, and the District of Columbia VA Medical Center.

News & Notes

AU’s Gray Psychotherapy Training Clinic Offers Low-Fee Psychotherapy

To the Point: The Fentanyl Crisis, Why Now, Why So Deadly?

More news & notes.

• Dr. Alice Coyne , Assistant Professor of Psychology, has been named the 2024 recipient of the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy Early Career Award in recognition of “accomplishment and achievement related to psychotherapy theory, practice, research, or training”

Alum Spotlight

Martha falkenstein, cas/phd '16.

Clinical Psychology

I benefitted from being encouraged to pursue my goals — and work/life balance.

Mentored by Dr. David Haaga on treatment development and outcomes for trichotillomania, Martha externed at the DC VA, NIMH Psychiatry Consultation-Liason Service, the Behavior Therapy Center, and Johns Hopkins Medical Center. After a Southwest Consortium Doctoral Internship and post-doc at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, she now serves as Director of Research at the OCD Institute, supported by an NIMH Career Development Award. 

“I benefitted from being encouraged to pursue my goals — and work/life balance.”

Diana cox, cas/phd candidate.

AU’s quality of education prepared me well for the challenges of clinical work

Diana Cox’s research focuses on how experiences of stress affect physical and mental health outcomes, particularly in LGBTQ+ populations. As a member of the Stress and Emotion Lab, she has had the opportunity to design her own research studies and collaborate with other students on lab projects. She refined her clinical skills through externships at the Washington DC VA Medical Center, Neuropsychology Associates of Fairfax, and True North Therapy.

“AU’s quality of education prepared me well for the challenges of clinical work”

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Best Clinical Psychology Doctorate Programs

Ranked in 2020, part of Best Health Schools

Clinical psychologists diagnose and treat mental illness

Clinical psychologists diagnose and treat mental illness and psychological disorders. Graduates may find work in private practice, schools and health care facilities. These are the top clinical psychology programs at the Ph.D. and/or Psy.D. level. Each school's score reflects its average rating on a scale from 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding), based on a survey of academics at peer institutions. Read the methodology »

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Clinical Psychology PhD

Ph.d. in clinical psychology.

Welcome to the doctoral program in Clinical Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. The Clinical Psychology Program was founded in 1947-1948. It was APA-accredited in the first group of programs that were reviewed for accreditation in 1948 and that status has been uninterrupted. Our most recent site visit from the APA occurred in 2021, and we have been accredited until June 2031.

Our program operates according to a scientist-practitioner model. We are, thus, dedicated to training students to generate empirically-based knowledge in clinical psychology and to perform clinical work that is constantly informed by traditional and emerging scholarship in the field. We expect our students to learn to expertly produce, analyze, and discuss scientific material. We also expect our students to become proficient at providing clinical services to a diverse population. And, most importantly, we expect our students to learn to integrate these two goals. As our mission statement in the TC catalog notes, “The driving goal of our Clinical Psychology Program is to provide rigorous training in both contemporary clinical science and clinical assessment and intervention.”

A good deal of the training, especially that related to research, occurs through intensive participation in a research lab directed by a specific faculty mentor. It is this context, through this lab, that students develop their scientific skills and begin presenting their work at professional conferences and publishing in professional journals. Each student, of course, is also part of a cohort of doctoral students with whom they learn, collaborate, and socialize.

In recent years, graduates of our doctoral program have gained employment in tenure-track academic positions, as research scientists in medical schools, and as clinical researchers in a broad range of treatment settings. In addition, many of our graduates practice independently as well as in community settings for under-served populations.

The list of faculty reviewing and potentially accepting applicants for each cycle is listed on the application itself. Please check the application itself or email the admissions office at 

[email protected] for clarification.

Doug Mennin, Ph.D.

Professor, Director of Clinical Training

Research Centers

Dean Hope Center for Educational and Psychological Services

The Dean Hope Center for Educational and Psychological Services (DHCEPS) is an integral part of the teaching and training programs in Clinical, Counseling, School Psychology, Learning Disability and Reading Specialist. The Center works in a two-folded way; first it offers students the opportunity to integrate theoretical coursework with practicum experience within a multidisciplinary setting. This training is foreseen by highly qualified supervisors. Simultaneously, the DHCEPS offers affordable psychological and educational services to individuals, couples, and families residing in the nearby neighborhood of the New York City area. The emphasis is on respecting and working with clients from diverse, multicultural contexts regardless of age, racial and ethnic background, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, and religious or cultural affiliations. Additionally, DHCEPS is committed to maintaining a liaison with community-based agencies and organizations such as schools, hospitals, and mental health clinics, among others.

Teachers College Resilience Center for Veterans and Families

The Resilience Center for Veterans & Families pairs groundbreaking research on human emotional resilience with clinical training of therapists to assist veterans and their families as they transition back to civilian life.

Dean Hope Center for Psychological Services

The Dean Hope Center for Educational and Psychological Services (DHCEPS) is an integral part of the teaching and training programs in Clinical, Counseling, School Psychology, Learning Disability and Reading Specialist. The Center works in a two-folded way; first it offers students the opportunity to integrate theoretical coursework with practicum experience within a multidisciplinary setting. This training is foreseen by highly qualified supervisors.  Simultaneously, the DHCEPS offers affordable psychological and educational services to individuals, couples, and families residing in the nearby neighborhood of the New York City area. The emphasis is on respecting and working with clients from diverse, multicultural contexts regardless of age, racial and ethnic background, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, and religious or cultural affiliations.  DHCEPS also commits to maintaining a liaison with community-based agencies and organizations such as schools, hospitals and mental health clinics.

Admissions Information

Displaying requirements for the Spring 2024, Summer 2024, and Fall 2024 terms.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Points/Credits: 95
• Entry Terms: Fall Only

Application Deadlines

• Spring: N/A
• Summer/Fall (Priority): December 1
• Summer/Fall (Final): December 1

Supplemental Application Requirements/Comments

• Online Degree Application , including Statement of Purpose and Resume
• Transcripts and/or Course-by-Course Evaluations for all Undergraduate/Graduate Coursework Completed
• Results from an accepted English Proficiency Exam (if applicable)
• $75 Application Fee
• Two (2) Letters of Recommendation
• GRE General Test

Requirements from the TC Catalog (AY 2023-2024)

Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2023, Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 terms.

View Full Catalog Listing

The Program requires the following:

The completion of 95 points of academic credit during three to four years of residence at the College.

A full-time, twelve-month clinical internship during the fourth or fifth year of study.

An original piece of empirical research, which also serves as a qualifying paper, to be completed during the second year of study.

A passing grade on the certification examination (on Research Methods) during the third year of study.

A Clinical case presentation as well as a research presentation, during the third year, each demonstrating the student’s ability to integrate theory, research, and practice.

A doctoral dissertation, which must be completed no later than the seventh year after matriculation.

During the first year of study, in addition to participating in a research lab, doctoral students typically take the following didactic courses: Ethical and professional issues in clinical psychology (CCPX 5030); Psychological measurement (HUDM 5059); courses on statistics and modeling; Research methods in social psychology (ORLJ 5040); Child psychopathology (CCPX 5034); Adult psychopathology (CCPX 5032); History and systems of psychology (CCPX 6020); and Dynamic psychotherapies (CCPX 5037). Students also take two semesters of psychological testing and diagnostic assessment (CCPX 5330, CCPX 5333) and a course in clinical interviewing (CCPX 5539).

Second Year

During their second year, students’ didactic courses include Brain and behavior (BBS 5068, 5069); Cognition, emotion, and culture (CCPX 5020); Psychotherapy with children (CCPX 5531); Cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal therapies (CCPX 5038); Clinical work with diverse populations (CCPX 5036); and Seminar on life course development (HUDK 6520). In addition, students sign up for a full year of research practicum with a faculty member (culminating in an empirical second- year project), a full-year adult psychodynamic psychotherapy practicum (CCPX 6335), and an additional elective full-year clinical rotation (e.g., on child and adolescent psychotherapy; on neuropsychological assessment).

Third-year didactic courses include Group dynamics: A systems perspective (ORL 5362); and Dissertation seminar (CCPX 7500). There is also a full-year advanced psychodynamic clinical practicum (CCPX 6336) and a one-semester supervision and consultation practicum (CCPX 6333). Most students also elect a full-year family therapy practicum (CCPJ 6363).

Fourth and Fifth Year

The fourth year is typically focused on clinical externship (CCPX 5230) and extensive work on the dissertation. A full-year fourth year psychotherapy practicum (CCPX 6338) is recommended, though not required. Year five is usually spent on a full- year clinical internship (CCPX 6430).

The program allows only 12 points of graduate work from another institution to be transferred. No transfer credits are awarded for practica, workshops, or independent study.

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Teachers College, Columbia University 328 Horace Mann

Contact Person: Rebecca Shulevitz

Phone: (212) 678-3267 Fax: (212) 678-8235

Email: shulevitz@tc.columbia.edu

Clinical Psychology

Mission statement.

Our mission is to advance knowledge that promotes psychological well-being and reduces the burden of mental illness and problems in living and to develop leading clinical scientists whose skills and knowledge will have a substantial impact on the field of psychology and the lives of those in need. Our faculty and graduate students promote critical thinking, innovation, and discovery, and strive to be leaders in their field, engaging in and influencing research, practice, policy, and education. Our pursuit of these goals is guided by the values of collaboration, mutual respect, and fairness, our commitment to diversity, and the highest ethical standards.

Information about the Clinical Psychology Graduate Major

UCLA’s Clinical Psychology program is one of the largest, most selective, and most highly regarded in the country and aims to produce future faculty, researchers, and leaders in clinical science, who influence research, policy development, and practice. Clinical science is a field of psychology that strives to generate and disseminate the best possible knowledge, whether basic or applied, to reduce suffering and to advance public health and wellness. Rather than viewing research and intervention as separable, clinical science construes these activities as part of a single, broad domain of expertise and action. Students in the program are immersed in an empirical, research-based approach to clinical training. This, in turn, informs their research endeavors with a strong understanding of associated psychological phenomena. The UCLA Clinical Science Training Programs employs rigorous methods and theories from multiple perspectives, in the context of human diversity. Our goal is to develop the next generation of clinical scientists who will advance and share knowledge related to the origins, development, assessment, treatment, and prevention of mental health problems.

Admissions decisions are based on applicants’ research interests and experiences, formal coursework in psychology and associated fields, academic performance, letters of recommendation, dedication to and suitability for a career as a clinical scientist, program fit, and contributions to an intellectually rich, diverse class. Once admitted, students engage with faculty in research activities addressing critical issues that impact psychological well-being and the burden of mental illness, using a wide range of approaches and at varying levels of analysis. Their integrated training is facilitated by on-campus resources including the departmental Psychology Clinic, the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, and the David Geffen School of Medicine.

Our program philosophy is embodied in, and our goals are achieved through, a series of training activities that prepare students for increasingly complex, demanding, and independent roles as clinical scientists. These training activities expose students to the reciprocal relationship between scientific research and provision of clinical services, and to various systems and methods of intervention, assessment, and other clinical services with demographically and clinically diverse populations. The curriculum is designed to produce scientifically-minded scholars who are well-trained in research and practice, who use data to develop and refine the knowledge base in their field, and who bring a reasoned empirical perspective to positions of leadership in research and service delivery.

The program’s individualized supervision of each student in integrated research and practice roles provides considerable flexibility. Within the parameters set by faculty interests and practicum resources, there are specializations in child psychopathology and treatment, cognitive-behavior therapy, clinical assessment, adult psychopathology and treatment, family processes, assessment and intervention with distressed couples, community psychology, stress and coping, cognitive and affective neuroscience, minority mental health, and health psychology and behavioral medicine. The faculty and other research resources of the Department make possible an intensive concentration in particular areas of clinical psychology, while at the same time ensuring breadth of training.

Clinical psychology at UCLA is a six-year program including a full-time one-year internship, at least four years of which must be completed in residence at UCLA. The curriculum in clinical psychology is based on a twelve-month academic year. The program includes a mixture of coursework, clinical practicum training, teaching, and continuous involvement in research. Many of the twenty clinical area faculty, along with numerous clinical psychologists from other campus departments, community clinics, and hospitals settings, contribute to clinical supervision.  Clinical training experiences typically include four and a half years of part-time practicum placements in the Psychology Clinic and local agencies. The required one-year full-time internship is undertaken after the student has passed the clinical qualifying examinations and the dissertation preliminary orals. The student receives the Ph.D. degree when both the dissertation and an approved internship are completed.

Accreditation

PCSAS – Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System

The Graduate Program in Clinical Psychology at UCLA was accredited in 2012 by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS). PCSAS was created to promote science-centered education and training in clinical psychology, to increase the quality and quantity of clinical scientists contributing to the advancement of public health, and to enhance the scientific knowledge base for mental and behavioral health care. The UCLA program is deeply committed to these goals and proud to be a member of the PCSAS Founder’s Circle and one of the group of programs accredited by PCSAS.  (Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System, 1800 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 402, Washington, DC 20036-1218. Telephone: 301-455-8046). Website:  https://www.pcsas.org

APA CoA – American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation

The Graduate Program in Clinical Psychology at UCLA has been accredited by the American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation since 1949. (Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street NE. Washington, DC 20002-4242. Telephone:  202-336-5979 .) Website:  http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/

Future Accreditation Plans:  

Against the backdrop of distressing evidence that mental health problems are increasingly prevalent and burdensome, the field of psychological clinical science must think innovatively to address the unmet mental health needs of vulnerable populations. UCLA’s clinical psychology program remains committed to training clinical psychological scientists who will become leaders in research, dissemination, and implementation of knowledge, policy development, and evidence-based clinical practice. This commitment is firmly rooted in our overall mission of promoting equity and inclusion, adhering to ethical standards, and developing collaborations in all aspects of clinical psychology.

Increasingly, we believe that significant aspects of the academic and clinical-service requirements of accreditation by the American Psychological Association (APA) obstruct our training mission. Too often, APA requirements limit our ability to flexibly adapt our program to evolving scientific evidence, student needs, and global trends in mental health. Like many other top clinical science doctoral programs, we see our longstanding accreditation by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) as better aligned with our core values, including advancement of scientifically-based training.

Accordingly, we are unlikely to seek renewal of our program’s accreditation by APA, which is set to expire in 2028. The ultimate decision about re-accreditation will be made with the best interests and well-being of current and future students in our program in mind. To that end, we will continue to monitor important criteria that will determine the career prospects of students completing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from programs accredited only by PCSAS. For example, we are working to understand the potential implications for securing excellent predoctoral internships and eligibility for professional licensure across jurisdictions in North America. Although the UCLA clinical psychology program has no direct influence over these external organizations, we are excited to continue to work to shape this evolving training landscape with the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science (APCS) and leaders from other clinical science programs.

Our ongoing monitoring of trends in clinical psychology training is encouraging for PCSAS-accredited programs. However, evolving circumstances could result in our program changing its opinion with respect to seeking APA re-accreditation in the future. In the spirit of transparency and empowering potential applicants to make informed choices for their own professional development, we are pleased to share our thinking on these important issues.

Notice to Students re: Professional Licensure and Certification

University of California programs for professions that require licensure or certification are intended to prepare the student for California licensure and certification requirements. Admission into programs for professions that require licensure and certification does not guarantee that students will obtain a license or certificate. Licensure and certification requirements are set by agencies that are not controlled by or affiliated with the University of California and licensure and certification requirements can change at any time.

The University of California has not determined whether its programs meet other states’ educational or professional requirements for licensure and certification. Students planning to pursue licensure or certification in other states are responsible for determining whether, if they complete a University of California program, they will meet their state’s requirements for licensure or certification. This disclosure is made pursuant to 34 CFR §668.43(a)(5)(v)(C).

NOTE:  Although the UCLA Clinical Psychology Program is not designed to ensure license eligibility, the majority of our graduates do go on to become professionally licensed.  For more information, please see  https://www.ucop.edu/institutional-research-academic-planning/content-analysis/academic-planning/licensure-and-certification-disclosures.html .

Clinical Program Policy on Diversity-Related Training 

In light of our guiding values of collaboration, respect, and fairness, this statement is to inform prospective and current trainees, faculty, and supervisors, as well as the public, that our trainees are required to (a) attain an understanding of cultural and individual diversity as related to both the science and practice of psychology and (b) provide competent and ethical services to diverse individuals.  Our primary consideration is always the welfare of the client.  Should such a conflict arise in which the trainee’s beliefs, values, worldview, or culture limits their ability to meet this requirement, as determined by either the student or the supervisor, it should be reported to the Clinic and Placements Committee, either directly or through a supervisor or clinical area faculty member.  The Committee will take a developmental view, such that if the competency to deliver services cannot be sufficiently developed in time to protect and serve a potentially impacted client, the committee will (a) consider a reassignment of the client so as to protect the client’s immediate interests, and (b) request from the student a plan to reach the above-stated competencies, to be developed and implemented in consultation with both the trainee’s supervisor and the Clinic Director.  There should be no reasonable expectation of a trainee being exempted from having clients with any particular background or characteristics assigned to them for the duration of their training.

Clinical Program Grievance Policies & Procedures

Unfortunately, conflicts between students and faculty or with other students will occur, and the following policies and procedures are provided in an effort to achieve the best solution. The first step in addressing these conflicts is for the student to consult with their academic advisor. If this option is not feasible (e.g. the conflict is with the advisor) or the conflict is not resolved to their satisfaction, then the issue should be brought to the attention of the Director of Clinical Training. If in the unlikely event that an effective solution is not achieved at this level, then the student has the option of consulting with the Department’s Vice Chair for Graduate Studies. Students also have the option of seeking assistance from the campus Office of Ombuds Services and the Office of the Dean of Students. It is expected that all such conflicts are to be addressed first within the program, then within the Department, before seeking a resolution outside of the department.

More Clinical Psychology Information

• For a list of Required Courses please see the  Psychology Handbook
• Psychology Clinic
• Student Admissions Outcomes and Other Data

Department of Psychology

Psychology (clinical psychology specialization) |.

The PhD program in Clinical Psychology Specialization is the first and longest standing program at a Historically Black College or University. Accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1987, we are dedicated to bringing well-being and health to diverse groups in globally unserved settings by rigorously grounding psychological science in transcultural contexts. Our mission is to train scientist-practitioners from diverse backgrounds to apply their services to understanding and reducing societal problems.

STUDENT ADMISSIONS, OUTCOMES, & OTHER DATA (as of September 2021

Established in 1930 under the leadership of Dr. Francis Sumner, the Department of Psychology at Howard University hailed influential alumni such as Drs. Kenneth Clark, Mamie Clark, James A. Bayton, and Leslie Hicks. It was in this department where Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Clark conducted their seminal research on children’s awareness of racial differences between “colored” and “whites.” This Doll Experiment (1950) provided the foundation for the Brown v. Board of Education  case, which led to the landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that ‘separate was not equal.’ This rich tradition has been carried by graduates of the Clinical Psychology PhD program for the past 3 decades, who have tirelessly worked at the forefront of addressing the wellness of unserved communities through scholarship, advocacy, and clinical services.

The Clinical Psychology Specialization program at Howard University is a full time, five-year program of study that trains culture-relevant practitioner-scientists to apply the science of psychology to understand how individuals interact with their communities to affect mental and physical well-being.

What sets our program apart?

• Awarded the 2005 APA Richard Suinn Minority Achievement Award, honoring excellence in training ethnic minority PhD students
• Unique research collaborations with Howard University Hospital and other Howard PhD programs in neuropsychology, developmental, social, and personality psychology
• Specialized child and adult tracks
• Active international research programs in Africa and Asia

Contact Information for the Commission of Accreditation: APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation , 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. TEL: (202)336-5979

NEWS & NOTEWORTHY

Welcome New Core Faculty

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The following documents must be included in your application packet due December 1

• Howard University Graduate School online application
• Undergraduate and graduate transcripts
• Three letters of recommendations
• GRE scores (Verbal, Quantitative, Writing) Optional
• Personal statement of interest to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology Specialization at Howard (include interest in research with specific faculty)
• Autobiographical statement
• Non-refundable application fee ($75)
• Writing sample
• Application Checklist &  Supplement Application   (email directly to Dr. GiShawn Mance, gishawn.mance @howard.edu )

Dr. GiShawn Mance

Ms. lorena daniels, dr. debra roberts, program details.

• Related Degrees: Ph.D.
• Program Frequency: Full-Time
• Format: In Person

Program Documents

• Frequently Asked Questions About the Program

Degree Requirements

The clinical program is a full-time 5-year PhD program. Students are required to enroll for a minimum of 3-years of full-time graduate study at Howard and complete an off-campus full-time internship in the 5th year.  At least two of the three academic training years must be taken at Howard and at least one year of which must be in full-time residence. 

Core Courses

• PSYCH 210 Ethics in Professional Psychology. First Year Seminar (3 credits)
• PSYCH 280 Clinical Assessment I
• PSYCH 281 Clinical Assessment II
• PSYCH 294 Individual Psychotherapy I
• PSYCH 296 Individual Psychotherapy II
• PSYCH 291 Family Assessment and Therapy
• PSYCH 220 Psychopathology
• PSYCH 233 Neuropsychology
• PSYCH 288 Neuropsychological Assessment
• PSYCH 207 Statistics I
• PSYCH 208 Statistics II
• PSYCH 206 History and Systems
• PSYCH 205 General Research Methods
• PSYCH 315 Complex Case Conceptualization, Consultation, and Supervision

In order to train students to approach clinical practice and research with multidiscplinary views, students are also required to take  Breadth and Minor courses in areas of neuropyschology. developmental, experimental, personality, and social psychology - subdisciplines that intersect with Clinical Psychology Specialization. Child/Adolescent or Adult tracks are also offered to students who are interested  in coursework that is more tailored to their research and clinical interests. 

CLINICAL TRAINING

Howard places a high emphasis on clinical field training. Students gain supervised training through different placements in the District of Columbia and Maryland areas. Students receive supervised   clinical training in areas of psychological assessment, evidenced-based intervention, and community-consulation laison.

• Assessment and Therapy Practicum 1-6 (Years 1-3)
• Externship (Year 4)
• Internship (Year 5)

CLINICAL FACULTY

Linda Berg-Cross, PhD, Professor

[email protected]| (202) 806-9459 

Research: Family therapy, child-parent interaction, behavioral sleep medicine

Darren Bernal, PhD, Associate Professor

[email protected]

Research: Measurement and function of socioeconomic status in mental health disparities, mindfulness, performance, and psychological well-being (Accepting PhD student/s in Fall 2024-25)

Terri Dilmore, PhD, Associate Professor

terri.dilmore@howard

Research: psychological assessment of justice system-involved, African American boys and girls, complex, multi-generational trauma (Accepting PhD student/s in Fall 2024-25)

Jules Harrell, PhD , Professor

[email protected] | (202) 806-4078

Research: Psychophysiology & stressors among people of African descent

Hope M. Hill, PhD, Associate Professor

[email protected] | (202) 806-6805

Research: Community violence and African American child development

Ronald Hopson, PhD, Associate Professor

[email protected] | (202) 806-6805

Research: Substnace abuse and mental illness, spirituality and psychology

Ezer Kang, PhD , Professor

[email protected] | (202) 806-6844 

Research: HIV stigma, perinatal HIV, global mental health, peace & conflict studies,  Global Community Health Lab  (Accepting PhD student/s in Fall 2024-25)

GiShawn Mance, PhD,  Associate Professor, Director of Clinical Training

[email protected] | (202) 806-9454

Research: child traumatic stress, community interventions

Denee T. Mwendwa, PhD, Professor

[email protected] | (202) 806- 9461

Research: Cardiovascular & kidney disease risk, health disparities, mindfulness inteventions

APA Accreditation (1st Clinical Psychology PhD Program at a HBCU): 34 years

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Clinical Psychology PhD

The PhD in Clinical Psychology is an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited program, and also a program member of the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP). The program adheres to the scientist/practitioner model of training, and requires a number of clinical and research practica in addition to an extensive course curriculum.

• It is a four-year plus internship, full-time program.
• It emphasizes a thorough preparation in theoretical psychology and methodology.
• Theoretical foundations in personality and psychopathology are explored prior to behavioral and personality assessment.
• Concurrent with the work in assessment, students begin study of the theory, research, and practice of psychotherapy.

The Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association can be contacted at:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation  American Psychological Association  750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002  Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail:  [email protected]   Web:  www.apa.org/ed/accreditation   

Admission requirements

This program is open to applications from those who hold an undergraduate degree in psychology or have taken the required number of psychology credits (18). The requirement of 18 undergraduate credits includes statistics and 15 additional credits, preferably introductory psychology, developmental psychology, experimental psychology, and social psychology.

Students are selected from a pool of academically qualified applicants who can contribute to the diversity of the student body. Students enrolled in the clinical psychology program come from diverse ethnic, cultural, individual and experiential backgrounds. Applications are encouraged from those identifying with cultural and/or individual areas of diversity, including (but not limited to) age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.

Acceptance decisions are based on outstanding undergraduate and (where applicable) graduate academic performance, evidence of scholarly activity such as publications and paper presentations, prior work experience, the personal statement, and letters of recommendation. 

The deadline for application for admission to the PhD program is December 15, 2023.

NOTE: The FDU application fee for the 2023-2024 application cycle has been waived.

To apply to this program , complete an application through the psychology common application PSYCAS .

This application should be used only to apply for the PhD in Clinical Psychology. Your application to the PhD program will not be considered complete unless you submit the following through PSYCAS:

• all official undergraduate and graduate transcripts,
• three letters of recommendation,
• a personal statement,
• official GRE aptitude and psychology test score reports. The psychology GRE is optional for those who majored in psychology as an undergraduate or attained an advanced degree in psychology. 

Degree plan

1st semester.

• PSYC6112      Clinical Research Methods & Psychometrics
• PSYC6114      Psychopathology
• PSYC6116      History & Systems
• PSYC6118      Computer Application in Statistics Lab
• PSYC6132      Developmental Issues in Clinical Psychology
• PSYC6180      First-Year Clinical Practicum I

2nd Semester

• PSYC6122      Personality Assessment
• PSYC6133      Intellectual Assessment
• PSYC6160      Teaching Seminar (1 credit)
• PSYC6624      Introduction to Psychotherapy
• PSYC6181      First-Year Clinical Practicum II: Ethics
• PSYC7120      Diversity Issues in Clinical Psychology

3rd Semester

• PSYC7110      Research Design & Analysis I
• PSYC7113      Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
• PSYC7121      Cognitive Behavior Therapy
• PSYC7180      Second-Year Clinical Practicum I
• PSYC____     ASTCP_________

4th Semester

• PSYC7111      Research Design & Analysis II
• PSYC7125      Applied Social Psychology
• PSYC7130      Biological Bases of Behavior
• PSYC7181      Second-Year Clinical Practicum II
• PSYC____     ASTCP______________

5th Semester

• PSYC7133      Learning, Cognition, and Emotion
• PSYC8129      Psychopharmacology
• PSYC8180      Third-Year Clinical Practicum I

6th Semester

• PSYC9124      Advanced Research Seminar (1 credit)
• PSYC9138      Professional Development
• PSYC8181      Third-Year Clinical Practicum II

ASTCP (4 REQUIRED)

ADV PSYCHODYNAMIC (2 nd , 3 rd years) SPRING.

CHILD CLINICAL (offered every other year; alternates with Family; open to 2 nd ,3 rd years)

FAMILY THERAPY (2 nd ,3 rd years)

CLINICAL CASE (3 rd year) SPRING

NEUROPSYCH (Fall every odd year; open to 2 nd ,3 rd years)

ADVANCED PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT (Fall, every other even year, open to 2 nd , 3 rd years)

ADVANCED CBT (open to 2 nd , 3 rd years)

Advanced special topics in clinical psychology, 4 required

A class will run if there are sufficient enrollment numbers to support it.

• PSYC8114      Neuropsychology (offered even years in the fall; open to second- and third-year students)
• PSYC9160      Advanced Personality Assessment (offered odd years in the fall; open to second- and third- year students)
• PSYC8127      Clinical Child Psychology (offered  odd years  in the spring; open to second- and third- year students)
• PSYC8145      Advanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (offered in the fall; open to third-year students only)
• PSYC9143      Advanced Psychodynamic Therapy (offered in the spring; open to third-year students only)
• PSYC9145      Seminar in Clinical Psychology (offered in the spring; open to third-year students only)
• PSYC9123 Family Therapy (offered even years in the spring; open to second- and third- year students)

Additional optional coursework and independent studies

• PSYC9112      Dissertation Maintenance (summer)
• PSYC9113      Internship Maintenance (summer)
• PSYC9116      Research Maintenance (summer)
• PSYC9180      4th Year Practicum I (fall)
• PSYC9181      4th Year Practicum II (spring)
• PSYC9280      5th Year Clinical Practicum I (fall)
• PSYC9281      5th Year Practicum II (spring)
• PSYC9800      Independent Study

Special requirements

• First Year Research Practicum
• First Year Clinical Practicum
• Second Year Research practicum
• Second Year Clinical practicum
• Second Year Project
• Third Year Research practicum
• Third Year Clinical practicum
• Teaching Requirement
• Dissertation Accepted
• Qualifying Examination
• Comprehensive Examination

Internship and dissertation

Students are required to apply for internship via the national match system offered by the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) and participate in an approved internship. The internship may begin after the student has completed the courses listed under the first six semesters, completed the second year research project, passed the comprehensive examinations, and successfully defended the dissertation proposal. Typically, the dissertation is completed in the fourth year and the internship in the fifth year.

Evaluations

Ongoing annual evaluations of students will be conducted by the faculty using information submitted by practicum site supervisors, course instructors, and research mentors. Students will meet with the Program Director to receive feedback concerning these evaluations.

Research practicum

All first-, second- and third-year students participate in a research practicum of ongoing projects supervised by doctoral faculty members. The practicum requires approximately 8-10 hours a week. Research projects frequently culminate in the publication of articles in psychological journals and paper and poster presentations at various professional meetings, with students in the doctoral program participating as authors and presenters.

Forensic Track

An optional add-on forensic track is available to students in the Ph.D. program who fulfill the following additional requirements:

• Completion of at least one of the required clinical practicums at any point after the first year. This requirement can be satisfied through an NYNJDOT approved externship or similar placement meeting requirements of the track.
• Completion of at least two additional courses: PSYC7230 Forensic Assessment and Prediction and PSYC7235 Evaluating Criminal Responsibility and Competency.
• Completion of a dissertation on a forensic topic.

It should be noted that research opportunities in forensic psychology are available.

Forensic track courses may incur additional fees if they increase a student’s credit load for a given semester above the allowable flat fee level of 16.5 credits.

Students coming into the program without a Master’s degree may incur additional fees for the two courses mentioned above since they are above and beyond the required courses for the clinical doctoral program.

Completion of the forensic track will be noted on the student’s transcript.

• Long Island Jewish Medical Center—The Zucker Hillside Hospital; Glen Oaks, NY
• Veterans Affairs Medical Center—Bronx, NY
• Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital; Hartford, CT
• NYU Lagone Medical Center (Rusk Inst of Rehab Medicine); NY, NY
• Hudson River Regional Psychology; Poughkeepsie, NY
• Trinitas Regional Medical Center; Elizabeth, NJ
• Albert Einstein College of Medicine—Montefiore Medical Center; Bronx, NY
• Maimonides Medical Center; Brooklyn, NY
• Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital and Nursing Facility; Roosevelt Island, NY
• NYU Langone Medical Center (Rusk Inst of Rehab Medicine)-child/adol track; NY, NY
• UMDNJ UBHCH; Newark, NJ
• Westchester Jewish Community Services, Inc.; White Plains, NY
• Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System; Lyons, NJ
• Hudson River Regional Psychology Internship Program; Poughkeepsie, NY
• UMDNJ UBHCN (Child Track); Newark, NJ
• Mercy First; Syosset, NY
• University of New Mexico School of Medicine (Neuropsychology); Albuquerque, NM
• University of Massachusetts Center for Counseling and Psychological Health; Amherst, MA
• Columbia University Medical Center (child track); NY, NY
• Boston Consortium in Clinical Psychology (General Geriatric Neuropsych); Boston, MA
• Association for the Help of Retarded Children Dept of Family and Clinical Services; NY, NY
• VA NY Harbor Health Care System—Brooklyn Campus; Brooklyn, NY
• US Dept of Justice Metropolitan Detention Center; Los Angeles, CA
• Lenox Hill Hospital; NY, NY
• Children’s National Medical Center; Washington, DC
• University of Florida Health Science Center; Gainesville, FL
• Mount Sinai Services; Elmhurst, NY
• Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven, CT
• Queens Children’s Psychiatric Center; Bellerose, NY
• VAMC—North Chicago; North Chicago, IL
• Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital’s Mental Health Network (Adult Track); Hartford, CT
• Temple University Health Sciences Center; Philadelphia, PA
• Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital; Morris Plains, NJ
• Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital’s Mental Health Network (Child/Adol Track); Hartford, CT
• Charleston Consortium Psychology Internship Program; Charleston, SC
• Interfaith Medical Center; Brooklyn, NY
• UCSD Psychology Internship Consortium/Veterans Affairs; San Diego, CA
• Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver; Denver, CO
• Columbia University Medical Center; NY, NY
• Mount Sinai Medical Center; NY, NY
• Univ. of S. Carolina, Counseling & Human Development Center; Columbia, SC
• VA Maryland Health Care System (Neuropsych); Baltimore, MD
• Astor Services for Children and Families; Poughkeepsie, NY
• Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, Inc.; NY, NY
• VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System—Montrose Campus; Montrose, NY
• Kings County Hospital Center (Adult Track); Brooklyn, NY
• Jewish Child Care Association of NY; Pleasantville, NY
• Louis Stokes Cleveland DVA Medical Center; Cleveland, OH
• NYU—Bellevue Hospital Center Clinical Psych.; NY, NY
• American Institute for Cognitive Therapy; NY, NY
• Behavior Therapy Associates; Somerset, NJ
• Bellevue Hospital Center; NY, NY
• Bergen County Division fo Family Guidance – Forensic Unit; Hackensack, NJ
• Beth Israel Medical Center; NY, NY
• Bronx Children’s Psychiatric Center; Bronx, NY
• Center for Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy; NY, NY
• Children’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CCPEP); NY, NY
• City College CUNY; NY, NY
• Columbia University Medical Center Neuropsychology Service; NY, NY
• Columbia-Presbyterian’s Children’s Hospital; NY, NY
• Community Mental Health Services, St. Marys Hospital; Hoboken, NJ
• Henry Ittleson Center; Bronx, NY
• Hoboken University Medical Center; Hoboken, NJ
• Holliswood Hospital; Holliswood, NY
• Jacobi Medical Center; Bronx, NY
• Jamaica Hospital Medical Center; Jamaica, NY
• Jewish Board of Family & Children’s Services (JBFCS); Douglaston, NY
• Jewish Board of Family & Children’s Services (JBFCS); Riverdale, NY
• JFK Medical Center-The Center for Behavioral Health; Edison, NJ
• Karen Horney Clinic; NY, NY
• Kings County Hospital Center; Brooklyn, NY
• Mt. Sinai Adult Inpatient Unit; NY, NY
• Mt. Sinai Child & Family Support Program; NY, NY
• Mt. Sinai Eating and Weight Disorders Program; NY, NY
• Mt. Sinai Medical Center Department of Neurology; NY, NY
• Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Dept of Rehabilitation Medicine; NY, NY
• Mt. Sinai Obsessive Compulsive Disorders Treatment Center; NY, NY
• Nassau University Medical Center; East Meadow, NY
• New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College – Manhattan Division; NY, NY
• North Central Bronx Hospital; Bronx, NY
• South Beach Psychiatric Center; Staten Island, NY
• St. Barnabas Hospital; Bronx, NY
• St. Dominics Home; Bronx, NY
• St. Luke’s – Roosevelt Hospitals; NY, NY
• Staten Island University Hospital; Staten Island, NJ
• The Addiction Institute of New York; NY, NY
• The Center of Alcohol Studies at Rutgers; Piscataway, NJ
• William Paterson University – Counseling Center; Wayne, NJ
• Yale Young Adult Services; New Haven, CT
• YCS Institute for Infant and Preschool Mental health; East Orange, NJ
• Youth Development Clinic; Newark, NJ
• Barnard College Furman Counseling; NY, NY
• Behavioral Associates; NY, NY
• Connecticut Children’s Medical Center School; Wethersfield, CT
• Division of Family Guidance; Hackensack, NJ
• Elmhurst Hospital Center – Mt. Sinai Services; Elmhurst, NY
• Essex County Hospital Center; Cedar Grove, NJ
• Fay J Linder Center for Autism; Long Island, NY
• FDU Center for Psychological Services – Assessment emphasis; Hackensack, NJ
• FDU Center for Psychological Services – Therapy emphasis; Hackensack, NJ
• Four Winds Hospital; Katonah, NY
• Hackensack Univ. Medical Center, Audrey Hepburn’s Children’s House; Hackensack, NJ
• Hackensack University Medical Center; Hackensack, NJ
• Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center; Ward’s Island, NY
• Leake and Watts Services, Inc.; Yonkers, NY
• Lincoln Hospital; Bronx, NY
• Long Island Jewish Medical Center, The Zucker Hillside Hospital; North Shore, Long Island NY
• Manhattan Psychiatric Center; Randall’s Island, NY
• Memorial Sloan Kettering; NY, NY
• Metropolitan Correctional Center; NY, NY
• Montclair State University Counseling Center; Montclair, NJ
• Montefiore Medical Center of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx, NY
• Northeast Epilepsy group; NY, NY & Hackensack, NJ
• NYSPI at Columbia Presbyterian; NY, NY
• NYU Child Study Center; Hackensack, NJ
• NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center; NY, NY
• NYU Counseling Center; NY, NY
• Phipps Community Development Corporation; Bronx, NY
• Princeton House Behavioral Health; Princeton, NJ
• Queens Hospital Center; Jamaica, Queens
• Regional Diagnostic &Treatment Center at Children’s Hospital of NJ; Newark, NJ
• Rehabilitation Specialists; Fair Lawn, NJ
• Rockland Children’s Psychiatric Center; Orangeburg, NY
• Seton Hall University – Counseling Services; South Orange, NJ
• The Women’s Health Project Treatment and Research Center – St Luke’s Hosp.; NY, NY
• Tomorrow’s Children Institute at Hackensack Hospital; Hackensack, NJ
• Trinitas Hospital Child and Adolescent Outpatient Unit; Elizabeth, NJ
• Uconn; Farmington, CT
• UMDNJ-UBHC; Piscataway, NJ
• Washington Heights Community Center at Columbia-Presbyterian/NYSPI; NY, NY
• Weill Cornell Medical College/New York-Presbyterian Hospital, White Plains, NY
• Westchester Jewish Community Services; Hartsdale, NY

School of Psychology and Counseling

More about PhD in Clinical Psychology

Clinical Program

Ph.d. program in clinical psychology.

Please note that the Graduate and Clinical Handbooks contain a great deal of information about the Clinical Program and should be read in full.

About the Program

Established in 1947 and accredited by the APA since 1948, the PhD program in clinical psychology at Boston University has a long and distinguished history. As part of the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, the program is committed to the pursuit of a science-based approach to psychology.  The clinical-scientist model serves as the basis of our training program that prepares graduates for a wide range of careers in academic, medical, and applied settings.

Mission Statement

The Boston University PhD Program in Clinical Psychology was one of the first twelve programs approved by the American Psychological Association in 1948. The program places clinical science at the foundation of training goals and objectives.  As such, graduates of the program are expected to be competent in psychological research and to be knowledgeable about the scientific bases of clinical psychology applications, such as assessment and intervention.

Our goal is to help students develop skills in research and science-based clinical practice as well as the critical thinking skills and abilities necessary to integrate these domains. Within this framework, we emphasize a mentorship model of teaching that provides experiential learning and supervision in clinical research and professional practice settings.  Key training components include the development of independent research skills, clinical training at sites with psychologists who integrate science and practice, and course content informed by current research. This multipronged training is consistent with the University’s mission of developing outstanding scientists and researchers in all the disciplines in which graduate degrees are offered, while ensuring that graduates are competent to use these skills in applied clinical settings. The presentation of didactic material through courses, participation in clinical research, and clinical training experiences follow a sequence that reflects increasing complexity and effective integration of the subject matter, and promotes increasing autonomy in our graduate students.

The program accepts a small number of students each year with class sizes seldom exceeding ten students. Given the clinical science focus of the BU program, applicants who are solely interested in careers in clinical practice may better achieve their objectives at a professional school in psychology. The overarching goal of the program is to give our graduates the background necessary to implement evidence-based practices and programs in applied settings, develop sophisticated program evaluation methodologies, create new basic and applied knowledge in clinical research settings whether in universities or agencies, and innovate policy relevant to the practice of clinical psychology. Our graduates typically follow career paths in academic and medical settings. Some examples from graduates in the last several years include academic or clinical research positions at Brown University Medical School, Harvard University Medical School, Boston University School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, University of New Hampshire, Suffolk University, University of Waterloo, and the University of New South Wales (Australia). In addition, a number of graduates have also obtained leadership positions in clinical settings including Director of Addiction Ambulatory Services at Bronx Lebanon Hospital / MLK Jr. Health Center in New York, and Program Director, Polytrauma Transitional Rehabilitation Program, Palo Alto VA. Whatever the setting, the program philosophy emphasizes training that will produce clinical scientists who will become leaders and innovators in academic and applied settings with clinical science as the foundation of their work.

Accreditation

The Boston University Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program has been accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1948. Questions regarding accreditation can be addressed to the APA Commission on Accreditation :

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation American Psychological Association 750 First Street NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 336-5979

The Boston University Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program has also been accredited by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) since June 2017. Questions regarding accreditation can be addressed to:

Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System Alan G. Kraut, Executive Director 1800 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Suite 402 Washington, DC 20036-1218 (301) 455-8046 [email protected]

Offered by the Department of Psychology   , College of Arts and Sciences   , the Clinical Psychology (PhD) program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association Committee on Accreditation (COA) and has been accredited since 1972. COA is part of the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation (OPCA).

OPCA contact information is as follows:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation 750 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20002-4242 Phone: 202-336-5979 TDD/TTY: 202-336-6123 Fax: 202-336-5978 Email: [email protected] https://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

Admission to the Program

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for graduate study, applicants must submit a completed graduate application form, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for the General examination (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytic) and Advanced Psychology test, three letters of recommendation, and copies of all college transcripts. The GRE Advanced Psychology test is recommended but not required. Those applicants to the Clinical Psychology program judged to be among the top applicants are invited for an interview, and the final selection is based on all information, including the interview. Students are admitted for full-time study only.

Degree Requirements

• Students who have been admitted to the doctoral program in psychology but do not have an MA in psychology that has been accepted by the department must complete the degree requirements for the Psychology (MA)    (thesis option; thesis seminar not required) before they can be awarded the doctorate
• One tool of research is required but does not result in course credit toward the degree. The tool requirement is defined as the dissemination of a research tool. Please see the Department of  Psychology    for further information
• Two comprehensive examinations, which involve students in the kinds of activities they will later engage in as professional psychologists. The written comprehensive is an examination on supervision and consultation. The oral comprehensive is a specialty examination, which involves a clinical presentation
• Dissertation: A written proposal for the dissertation must be submitted and signed by the student’s dissertation committee before the student can apply for internship. The dissertation, when completed, must be accepted by the dissertation committee, the department chair, and the university
• As part of the doctoral requirements, clinical students serve a one-year externship and a one-year internship in an appropriate setting outside the university

Course Requirements

Required (48 credit hours).

Note: 3 credit hours of assessment coursework approved by the director of clinical training may be used as substitute for  PSYC-618 Principles of Neuropsychological Assessment (3)   .  

• PSYC-600 Advanced Memory and Cognition (3)
• PSYC-618 Principles of Neuropsychological Assessment (3)
• PSYC-621 Ethnic and Minority Issues in Psychology (3)
• PSYC-622 Stress, Coping, and Emotion (3)
• PSYC-630 Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice (3)
• PSYC-633 Psychological Assessment I (3)
• PSYC-641 Advanced Social Psychology (3)
• PSYC-650 Psychological Research (3)
• PSYC-651 Psychopathology: Theory and Research (3)
• PSYC-652 Assessment of Intellectual Function and Personality (3)
• PSYC-660 Advanced Developmental Psychology (3)
• PSYC-680 Experiential/Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Practicum I (3)
• PSYC-681 Experiential/Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Practicum II (3)
• PSYC-710 Cognitive-Behavior Therapy Practicum I (3)
• PSYC-711 Cognitive-Behavior Therapy Practicum II (3)
• PSYC-797 Master’s Thesis Research (1-3) (3 credit hours required)

Practicum Sequence (6 credit hours)

Complete one of the following practicum sequences:

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy with Youth

• PSYC-780 Advanced Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy with Youth I (3)
• PSYC-781 Advanced Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy with Youth II (3)

Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies

• PSYC-793 Advanced Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Practicum I (3)
• PSYC-794 Advanced Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Practicum II (3)

Biological Bases of Behavior (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

• PSYC-518 Advanced Human Neuropsychology (3)
• PSYC-601 Physiological Psychology (3)
• PSYC-613 Neuropharmacology: The Biochemistry of Behavior (3)

Statistics (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from the following:

• DATA-612 Statistical Programming in R (3)
• DATA-613 Data Science (3)
• GOVT-618 Bayesian Statistics (3)

 / STAT-618 Bayesian Statistics (3)  

• PSYC-640 Statistical Methods for Mediation and Moderation in Psychology (3)
• STAT-516 Design of Experiments (3)
• STAT-517 Special Topics in Statistical Methodology (3)
• STAT-519 Nonparametric Statistics (3)
• STAT-520 Applied Multivariate Analysis (3)
• STAT-521 Analysis of Categorical Data (3)
• STAT-522 Time-Series Analysis (3)
• STAT-615 Regression (3)
• STAT-616 Generalized Linear Models (3)
• STAT-622 Advanced Biostatistics (3)
• STAT-623 Topics in Biostatistics (3)
• STAT-625 Statistical Software (3)
• STAT-627 Statistical Machine Learning (3)

Electives (7 credit hours)

• 7 credit hours from approved electives

Internship (0 credit hours)

Complete the following while away on internship (in addition to PSYC-899 Doctoral Dissertation (9)   ):

• PSYC-091 Internship (0) (taken 2-3 times)

Dissertation

• PSYC-899 Doctoral Dissertation (9) (only after advancement to candidacy)

APA-Accredited Programs

Find a program that's right for you., search for accredited programs.

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 SITE VISITS: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, site visits for the majority of programs scheduled to be visited in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 have been shifted. Please note that the “next site visit date” listed for each program does not represent an expiration of accreditation. It represents a timeline for a program’s next periodic review. The accreditation status of the 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 programs will not be impacted by site visit delays. Cycle shifts are listed here . 

Other Accreditation Statuses

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Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation

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• Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data

Chandra Reynolds, PhD

University of Colorado Boulder Muenzinger Psychology 345 UCB Boulder, CO 80309-0345

Office:   Muenzinger 

Education :  PhD, University of Southern California, 1994

Research Interests :

My research interests focus on life span development and aging, particularly the coaction and interplay of genes and environments on cognitive aging and the risk of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD). I engage in longitudinal research, often of twins and adoptees, to examine how and why individuals differ in early life contexts and behavioral health pathways across time and their effects on cognitive functioning. Cognitive resilience in the face of genetic and environmental risks is a current direction of interest. In addition to participating in the international Interplay of Genes and Environment Across Multiple Studies (IGEMS) consortia, and the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA), I am the contact PI of the Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan behavioral development and cognitive aging (CATSLife).

Munroe-Meyer

Cara Solness, PhD

•   Senior Leadership
•   Grant Leadership
•   Faculty
•   Care Coordination
•   Caring for Champions
•   Community Engagement
•   Education and Child Development
•   Family Care Enhancement Project
•   Genetic Medicine
•   integrated Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders
•   Occupational Therapy
•   Outpatient Clinic
•   Pediatric Feeding Disorders
•   Physical Therapy
•   Psychology
•   Recreational Therapy
•   Research
•   Severe Behavior
•   Speech-Language Pathology
•   Warren G. Sanger Human Genetics Laboratory

Professional Summary

Cara Solness, PhD (they/she) is a licensed psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Munroe-Meyer Institute. Dr. Solness completed their Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Iowa, internship at the University of Iowa’s University Counseling Center and postdoctoral training at University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical School Department of Psychiatry with a specialization in neonatal mental health, NICU psychology and perinatal mental health. Dr. Solness is a member of the National Network of NICU Psychologists (NNNP) and co-chairs the NNNP Diversity, Equity and Justice Committee (DEAJ).

Dr. Solness currently provides clinical services in the NICU at Children’s Nebraska. Dr. Solness’ research interests include interventions for non-birthing partners in the NICU, LGBTQ+ parents with NICU experiences, therapeutic alliance, group therapy and technology-delivered interventions.

• Postdoctoral Training: Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 2023
• Internship: University of Iowa Counseling Center, Iowa City, IA, 2022
• PhD: Counseling Psychology - University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 2022
• University of Iowa, Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations, Group Therapy
• University of Iowa, Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations, Introduction to Counseling Psychology
• University of Iowa, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Abnormal Psychology
• University of Iowa, SafeZone facilitator

Interests and Projects

• Interventions for non-birthing partners in the NICU
• LGBTQ+ parents with NICU experiences
• Therapeutic alliance
• Technology-delivered interventions

Publications

• Relationship Factors in Internet-Delivered Psychological Interventions for Veterans Experiencing Postpartum Depression: Qualitative Analysis - PubMed (nih.gov)   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37581917/
• Treating postpartum depression in rural veterans using internet delivered CBT: program evaluation of MomMoodBooster - PubMed (nih.gov)   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33052526/
• Solness, C. L. , Wang, K., Mitchell, A. Kivlighan, D. M. (2024). Queering Group Therapy: A Mixed Methods Study of the Effectiveness of Group Therapy for Transgender and Non-Binary Persons. [Manuscript submitted to Journal of Counseling Psychology]
• Solness, C. L., & Kivlighan, D. M. (2022). Queering group therapy: A phenomenological participatory design with transgender individuals. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice , 53 (3), 215-224. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000459

Professional Affiliations

• Division 17 Society of Counseling Psychology
• Division 44 Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity
• Division 54 Society of Pediatric Psychology
• Co-Chair of Diversity, Equity and Justice Committee
• APA Div 49 Diversity and Social Justice Poster Award (2023)
• University of Iowa College of Education Research Grant (2020)
• University of Iowa Graduate and Professional Student Grant (2020)

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Jenna Russo, MSU Clinical PhD Student, to Receive 2024 Outstanding Hall of Fame Student by the College of Arts & Sciences and Outstanding Graduate Student in Psychology

Jenna Russo With Award

Master’s Study in Psychology

Develop the understanding, professional skills and empathetic approaches that are critical for success in psychology with a master’s degree in psychology from Adelphi University in New York.

Three Degree Options

Choose from MA programs in general psychology, mental health counseling, and school psychology. Each offers optional specializations and valuable field placements.

Making Your Degree Affordable

Adelphi and the Derner School of Psychology offer many ways to help you pay for master’s study, including graduate merit scholarships, scholarships for master’s psychology students, teaching assistantships and even employer tuition reimbursement.

A master’s degree in psychology opens doors to a wide variety of careers and can serve as a pathway to a doctorate.

Derner’s master’s in psychology programs give you the knowledge, training, critical reasoning skills and cultural competence you’ll need to excel in your career. Each includes optional specializations to help you focus on your interests:

• General Psychology: Human Resource Management, Substance Abuse Counseling
• Mental Health Counseling: Global Mental Health, Substance Abuse Counseling
• School Psychology: Bilingual School Psychology, Autism Specialization

Our rigorous master’s programs also offer part-time options and flexible schedules to meet our students’ work or family responsibilities.

Graduate Psychology Programs

Exceptional hands-on training.

As a master’s student at the Derner School of Psychology, you’ll gain clinical skills through practica and internships in local healthcare settings, schools, agencies and organizations, and community services offered by Adelphi. You can also gain valuable experience—and earn money to help cover tuition—in graduate assistantships.

Field Placements

Field experience is a vital part of our master’s degree programs, helping you develop the professional skills and the cultural competence to thrive in any working environment.

Graduate Assistantships

Working with faculty, staff and students helps cover the cost of your graduate education. Choose from research, testing or departmental assistantships.

“A number of professors in this program have made a profound impact on my development. The coursework, practica and internship experiences helped prepare me to obtain a job prior to graduation.

Mentoring Future Psychologists

• Our Inclusive Community
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Awards & Recognition

Earn Your Master’s Degree at the Derner School of Psychology

Graduate program contacts.

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• 516.877.4754
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Dr. LaShaun Daniels-Edney

Clinical social work/therapist , phd , lcsw (she, her).

My Practice at a Glance

Jersey City, NJ 07310

• Individual Sessions $150
• Sliding scale: apply if you may be eligible
• Pay by American Express, Discover, Mastercard, Visa, Zelle
• AmeriHealth
• Out of Network

Qualifications

• Verified by Psychology Today Licensed by State of New Jersey / 44SC05847200 Dr. LaShaun Daniels-Edney
• In Practice for 15 Years
• Attended Regent University , PhD , Graduated 2024

Specialties and Expertise

Top specialties.

• Bariatric Counseling
• Career Counseling
• Mood Disorders
• Anger Management
• Coping Skills
• Life Coaching
• Relationship Issues
• Self Esteem
• Spirituality
• Weight Loss
• Women's Issues

Endorsement

Client Focus

Participants, communities, treatment approach, types of therapy.

• Christian Counseling
• Clinical Supervision and Licensed Supervisors
• Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
• Culturally Sensitive
• Integrative
• Interpersonal
• Mindfulness-Based (MBCT)
• Motivational Interviewing
• Person-Centered
• Psychodynamic
• Schema Therapy
• Solution Focused Brief (SFBT)
• Strength-Based

Primary Location

Nearby areas.

• Jersey City, NJ

Neighborhoods

• The Waterfront

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• Undergraduate study
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• Student Testimonials

Q What jobs do people go into after getting a Psychology honours degree? About half of our students go on in Psychology after graduating. About half follow job paths that are unconnected with Psychology. Since Psychology is about people and develops excellent transferrable skills such as critical thinking, it can be applied to most non-specialised areas of employment. It is also the first step in taking a postgraduate qualification to work in the main areas of psychology such as Clinical, Educational and Occupational. New areas such as Counselling, Sports Psychology, Health Psychology and Forensic Psychology are also possible. Many of ours students go into the Human Resources field and of course Research and Teaching (University or School) are important possibilities. Q How do I become a Clinical, Forensic, Child, Educational, Occupational or Counselling Psychologist? There are three steps. Step 1. Get the very best undergraduate Psychology degree you can because everything is competitive. Step 2. Use it to get onto a postgraduate course that trains and teaches in the area that you want to specialise in. These courses are delivered through universities usually and offer a postgraduate degree such as a Masters Child Psychology or a Psy D (Psychology Doctorate) in Clinical psychology. Some courses offer diplomas. The courses are usually between 1 and 3 years study. Step 3. With your postgraduate qualification, seek posts that are advertised regularly in the media. And work your way up the ladder of opportunities. The British Psychological Society website has a section dedicated to explaining this. Q How do I become a University Psychologist? There are 2 steps. Step 1. Get the very best undergraduate Psychology degree you can because everything is competitive (3-4 years). Step 2. Use it to acquire a PhD placement in an area you would like to study (3 years). Step 3. Use your PhD to acquire a position as a postdoctoral Research Assistant/Associate, lecturer etc etc in a university. And work your way up the ladder of opportunities. Many Psychology graduates wish to undertake a career in research which involves obtaining a PhD. Students sometimes prefer to take up graduate training at a University different from where they took their first degree. However, at Glasgow, research training to PhD level is provided in a range of areas in Psychology, but especially Psycholinguistics, Perception and Visual Cognition, Cognitive Neuropsychology, and the application of brain imaging techniques.    Students are often attracted to careers in the main professional areas of Psychology, mainly Forensic, Educational, and Occupational psychology. Clinical Psychology is one of the more popular ambitions. The following excerpts from the BPS website gives some idea of what is involved in pursuing this and other professional careers:       “What do clinical psychologists do?”       What they do:    Clinical Psychology aims to reduce psychological distress and to enhance and promote psychological well-being. A wide range of psychological difficulties may be dealt with, including anxiety, depression, relationship problems, learning disabilities, child and family problems, and serious mental illness. To assess a client, a clinical psychologist may undertake a clinical assessment using a variety of methods including psychometric tests, interviews and direct observation of behaviour. Assessment may lead to therapy, counselling or advice.       Where they work:    Clinical Psychologists work largely in health and social care settings including hospitals, health centres, community mental health teams, child and adolescent mental health services and social services.       Who they work with:    They usually work as part of a team with, for example, social workers, medical practitioners and other health professionals. Most Clinical Psychologists work in the National Health Service (NHS), which has a clearly defined career structure, but some work in private practice. The work is often directly with people, either individually or in groups, assessing their needs and providing therapies based on psychological theories and research. Clinical Psychology is a rapidly developing field and contributing to the literature through research is very important. Some Clinical Psychologists work as trainers, teachers and researchers in universities.

Transferrable Skills

Skills and other attributes.

Intellectual skills

• Evaluate the comparative advantages of different research methods in psychology.
• Critically compare and evaluate different advanced techniques employed in research.
• Evaluate and criticise the theories and empirical research in the area defined by their option choice.
• Exercise critical judgement in the application and interpretation of statistical techniques in psychological investigation in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience.
• Design and execute a research project to a standard at or near publication quality.
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of theory and practice in the selective areas of psychology and in research methods.
• Demonstrate initiative, self-reliance, and critical ability from a solid foundation of knowledge, understanding and critical awareness.
• Give evidence of an enquiring, problem-oriented mind with sufficient awareness of the critical research and applications in psychology to enable successful pursuit of postgraduate work in psychology and related disciplines.

Subject specific skills

• Summarise the main sources of psychological funding.
• Summarise the range of professional careers open to psychologists.
• Deliver an oral presentation of research findings to a professional audience.
• Write a research paper based on a personal research project to a level suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
• Write a grant proposal to the standard of a professional research submission.

Transferable/key skills

Subject specific content

Besides conceptual knowledge, psychology graduates have also acquired substantial knowledge and practice at applying empirical methods, particularly that of controlled experiments but also of designing and using questionnaires, and to a lesser extent interviews and other methods. Such practical methods can be and are used in a wide range of contexts, including applied contexts such as Human Computer Interaction, whether or not there is much theory for such problems. The application of these methods of investigation are an important area of practical knowledge, independently of the theoretical knowledge. The statistics teaching, which is another topic applicable beyond the range of the theoretical topics taught, covers advanced analysis of variance, multivariate techniques, and the hands-on use of statistical computer packages.

General intellectual training

The nature of psychology as a discipline Every academic subject carries with it a particular approach to understanding -- the discipline -- which varies widely from subject to subject, but which a graduate often tends to carry over in approaching other areas of work. T.K. Landauer, a psychologist who spent much of his career working with those from quite other disciplines, suggested that the essence of what a psychologist brings can be boiled down as follows: "There are two very elementary but fundamental methodological facts that are taken for granted by all experimental psychologists, but astonishingly often fail to be appreciated by others. The first is that behavior is always quite variable between people and between occasions. The second is that it is feasible to obtain objective data on behavior." In other words, psychologists are trained to appreciate that it is a mistake when dealing with people, as opposed say to a bit of technology, to take a deterministic approach that assumes that what it does once is what it will always do and that considering one example (e.g. themselves) is enough; but equally that the opposite notion of free will and hence complete unpredictability is generally mistaken, and that useful predictions about behaviour and its degree of variability can nevertheless be developed. Anyone with even informal experience of personnel, politics, management, and so on will recognise the importance of understanding that useful work can be done in the middle ground between determinism and free will. This view of the general intellectual character of psychology also points to its distinctive features as a discipline. One pervasive aspect is its application of some form of experimental method to problems (this tends to distinguish it from the other social sciences), despite the problems of experiments with beings whose understanding of the experiment and experimenter frequently has large effects. Perhaps more important for its value as a general education, however, is that psychology frequently forces us to deal simultaneously with fundamentally different kinds of evidence (whatever the preferences of individual research specialists). For instance, a theory of emotion must cope with physiological data (blushing, adrenalin surges that can be measured chemically), individual cognitive data (how individuals' thoughts and decisions change with emotion, what they report about their experience), and social data (someone experiencing joy due to a success such as a strike in bowling is about ten times more likely to smile if they are with companions, suggesting that emotions are an evolutionarily ancient social coordination mechanism). This need somehow to relate quite different kinds of evidence of varying but not negligible value bearing on a single issue is a widespread feature of professional life of most kinds, but is relatively unusual in an academic subject. Critical thinking A highly desirable general intellectual skill for any graduate is what is now often called "critical thinking": the ability not just to reproduce and explain concepts learned from others, but to decide how much weight should be given them, by discerning and evaluating the extent to which they are consistent with and supported by evidence and other ideas, (or conversely, how much they are undermined by being inconsistent with other evidence and opinions). This is directly built into some basic areas of the discipline, where even introductory teaching in, for instance, social psychology, typically consists of presenting, not a single dominant theory or "law", but the relative abilities of alternative theories to explain the facts observed so far. On the other hand, in other areas (e.g. those related to physiology) it behaves more like a natural science: after a flurry of scrutiny and perhaps debate when new theory or phenomena are published, general consensus is established in the field, and findings become treated as "facts" or even "laws". Just as it is unwise to accept all assertions uncritically, so it is unproductive to apply scepticism to everything; useful critical thinking requires decisions about the weight to be given each item. Most disciplines give far more practice at one or the other, but psychology exposes its students to considerable amounts of both because of its unusually wide range of types of subject matter. In this department, critical thinking is further directly fostered by a series of three "critical review" exercises requiring the student not just to summarise a set of recently published papers, but to critique them. The aim is to develop ability at independent assessment and comparison, even of peer-reviewed published work. (Our graduates may be able to offer copies of one of their critical reviews on request.) Research-led teaching The school is very active in research, and this leads to a substantial amount of research-led teaching. There are advantages from this for instance in making the teaching content up to the minute, and from the enthusiasm of researchers talking about their central interests. A deeper advantage is that the teachers are equally learners, demonstrating by personal example: a researcher is attempting to learn things no-one yet knows, both for themselves and for the community as a whole. This is an important endpoint in the types of learning an individual may do: from a child acquiring its first language exactly from the people around it, to the independent learning of a researcher seeking knowledge no-one else yet has. This is also important for professionals and for organisations of all kinds. Finally, research-led teaching introduces another important element: an apprenticeship mode of learning. When students do their research project with a personal supervisor they are in effect doing an apprenticeship in research, where they learn partly by personal instruction, partly by their own practice, and partly by imitation. While the research skills themselves will only be directly used by a small subset of our graduates, this mode of learning is probably more relevant than is usually acknowledged in many jobs. Even though formal training courses are increasingly numerous in many workplaces, it remains true that much learning on the job is by the implicit apprenticeship methods of imitation, personal instruction, and trying it out with occasional supervision. Our graduates have already successfully performed in that mode of learning. Personal and professional transferable skills Besides the general intellectual skills mentioned, our graduates are equipped with a grounding in the following skills: Writing competence Our graduates accumulate considerable practice at planning and executing the writing of substantial pieces. These pieces of work are produced in circumstances similar to that of many work places: they can draw on the use of computer spelling checkers and human critics, but are working to a deadline and with other simultaneous demands on their time. Giving talks ("presentations", oral communication) Our graduates have been required to present at a number of short talks on their work, complete with visual aids and a time limit, to an audience of limited attentiveness. Typically they regard this as very stressful, yet perform competently in the view of staff (for whom giving and listening to talks is a prominent feature of their professional life). Information technology Our students were required to use email for much of their time as a standard departmental communication medium. They were required to submit all their written work outside exam rooms in word-processed form, including some use of tables and charts. They are further trained and exercised in the use of at least one statistics package, and in the use of online literature search software. They will normally have used the world wide web in various ways, as the department maintains some information in that form, and some courses require its use. Numeracy, quantitative methods As noted above, the statistics course and required applications of it mean that graduates have used calculators, spreadsheet, and statistical software to process data, and to present numerical results in tables and charts. Library research Our graduates have had to undertake library research both as part of the regular courses, and for their project work and critical reviews. The latter especially demand extracting useful information directly from the published scientific literature, mainly online. Trustworthiness, honesty, professional ethics We are happy to confirm in personal references that a particular graduate has given us no reason to doubt their honesty, but in general a degree course offers few opportunities for more definite observations or tests. The exception is in acquiring and practising the desirable standards for dealing with human participants (or "subjects") in empirical studies. All our graduates have received training in this, in line with BPS guidelines, and were required as part of their research project to construct, and to have submitted an ethics application covering their study. The difficulty of getting such clearance varies greatly: for example, administering questionnaires to other undergraduates is generally an issue of relatively low sensitivity, while working with disturbed patients receiving treatment elsewhere is a high sensitivity area.

Professor Awarded Prestigious Peterson Prize

Posted in: Homepage News and Events , Social Work and Child Advocacy

Lucy Takagi , Clinical Specialist in the department of Social Work and Child Advocacy , was selected by the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) as this year’s recipient of the Peterson Prize, the school’s most prestigious award.

The Peterson Prize is presented to an alumna/alumnus who has made outstanding contributions to professional psychology. Such contributions may include innovations in service delivery, education or training, service to under-served populations, and other creative professional efforts that enhance the general welfare.

“I am humbled by this recognition, but also proud to have employed the knowledge, experience, and clinical skills I learned at GSAPP in my professional life,” said Dr. Takagi in receiving the award. “And I have been privileged with opportunities to lead psychological associations in serving the needs of psychologists – in New Jersey and nationally.”

Congratulations, Lucy!