Clinical Psychology Psy.D.

Course Requirements of the Program

The Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology requires a total of 96 credits. Students are able to earn a master’s degree, as part of the 96 total hours, after the second year of the program. Although the Program does not require obtaining the master’s degree, it is strongly recommended because it assists with finding clinical placements and may give an advantage in seeking internships. 

The 96 hours are distributed as follows: Psychology Core (33 credits), Clinical/Professional Core (36 credits), electives (14 credits), dissertation (12 credits), and Internship (1 credit hour). A grade of B- or better must be earned in all required courses. Any required course in which a grade lower than a B- is received must be repeated and any elective course in which a grade lower than a B- is received cannot be counted toward the 96 hours required for graduation. Students who receive two grades of C+ or lower will be expelled from the Program.

Note:

Courses in the 500 series are open to undergraduates as *400 series. Graduate students are required to do additional work of a research nature. A course taken at the 400 level may not be repeated at the 500 level.

Psychology Core (33 credits)

All of the following courses are required unless an alternative is listed.

Biological Basis of Behavior

• PSY 608 - Proseminar: Biopsychology 3 credits
• PSY 658 - Clinical Psychopharmacology 3 credits

Cognitive & Affective Basis of Behavior

• PSY 603 - Proseminar: Learning and Cognition 3 credits

Social Basis of Behavior

• PSY 607 - Proseminar: Social Bases of Individual Behavior 3 credits

Individual Differences

• PSY 566 - Human Ontogeny 3 credits
• PSY 662 - Theories of Personality 3 credits
• PSY 668 - Advanced Psychopathology 3 credits

Methodology: Theory, Research Design, and Quantitative Methods

• PSY 602 - Proseminar: Theoretical and Methodological Foundations of Psychology 3 credits
• PSY 604 - Advanced Statistics 3 credits
• PSY 680 - The Appraisal of Research in Clinical Psychology 3 credits

History and Systems of Psychology

• PSY 521 - History and Systems of Psychology 3 credits

Clinical/Professional Core (36 credits)

Practicum Requirement (6 credits)

Six academic-year credits of practicum (PSY 696) or its equivalent are required for graduation, of which no more than one can be credited in a given semester.

Clinical Placement (2 credits)

Fourth year students enroll in a total of 2 credits of Clinical Placement (PSY 796), 1 credit in the fall and spring semesters, but may sign up for additional placement credits dependent on their course load. 

Electives (14 hours)

Students may select from numerous possible elective courses within and outside the Department to complete the 96 credits needed for graduation. No more than 3 credits of the following practicum and independent study courses will count as elective hours without approval of the student’s Doctoral Committee and the DCT: PSY 696, 796, 697A, 697B, 698.

Dissertation (12 hours)

Students must complete 12 credits of PSY 799, Dissertation. Students cannot enroll for 799 credits until they enter doctoral candidacy.

Internship (1 hour)

Students must complete one year of fulltime clinical internship in a training program approved by the Program and enroll for 1 credit hour of PSY 784.