Clinical Psychology (PhD)
Clinical Psychology (PhD)
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The Clinical Psychology training program offers the Doctor of Philosophy degree through integrated academic, scientific, and professional training. The program provides students with intensive instruction in the theoretical framework of psychology and broad experience in methods of practice in clinical psychology.
Our program is defined by the scientist-practitioner model. We believe that clinical psychologists should be both scientists – knowledgeable in formulating and solving scientific problems – and practitioners – experienced in the use of empirically supported clinical techniques. To this end, the core courses are organized as integrated theory-research-practice units with a problem-solving emphasis.
Our program develops bilingual clinical psychologists as experts in mental health assessment and treatment with Hispanic/Mexican American populations and addresses the needs of the population of the Rio Grande Valley which is 91% Hispanic. The majority of students will be bilingual but the program will admit some non-bilingual students who are committed to developing the research and clinical skills necessary to better understand and serve diverse populations.
Within the context of a general clinical psychology program, the Department of Psychological Science offers specialized training in neuropsychology, integrated primary care and the study and treatment of trauma/anxiety. The training emphasis of the program involves both a neuropsychological and a behavioral approach to the understanding and treatment of human distress and dysfunction. The major program areas prepare students for teaching and research in medical, mental health, and academic settings, as well as for clinical service. Students receive training in a broad range of assessment procedures and intervention approaches with an emphasis on empirically-supported interventions. Students gain experience with a range of medical, neurological, psychiatric, and neuropsychiatric populations through clinical and research activities. Our graduates will be well-prepared clinicians and researchers because of the solid grounding in theory, practice, and research that our faculty will provide, The training ensures the development of broad-based clinical skills and encourages close, cooperative work with other healthcare specialists, such as pediatricians, internists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, geriatricians, and psychiatrists.
The clinical psychology program plans to seek accreditation on contingency status from the American Psychological Association (APA) in its second year. We strive to maintain a balance between academic course work, research training, and supervised clinical practice. In designing the core curriculum, the department has followed the recommendations of the Committee on Accreditation for Health Service Psychology. The course curriculum includes a sequence of required courses that address discipline-specific knowledge and profession-wide competencies as required by the American Psychological Association ensuring students develop competencies in these areas:
- Biological aspects of behavior
- Cognitive and affective aspects of behavior
- Social aspects of behavior
- History and systems of psychology
- Psychological measurement
- Research methodology
- Techniques of data analysis
- Ethics and legal standards
- Individual and Cultural Diversity
- Professional values attitudes and behavior
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Assessment
- Intervention
- Consultation
- Supervision
Students in the areas of integrated primary care, trauma/anxiety and neuropsychology are required to take additional courses and electives. A sequence of clinical practice and participation in research round out the pre-internship years.
Note: Because the number of applicants may exceed the number of available spots, meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Admission Requirements & Courses
Click here to view the program’s admission requirements and courses from the current graduate catalog.
Additional requirements for domestic applicants who attended foreign universities:
- For additional information, visit the Additional Documents for Domestic Applicants who Attend Foreign Universities section of our website.
Additional requirements for international applicants:
- For additional information, visit the International Admission page of our website.
To view a list of application deadlines and program contacts for our traditional programs, click here.
For estimated costs visit Tuition and Fees.
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