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UTRGV Psychology Clinic

Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program

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Arthur Cantos
Director of Clinical Training
Department of Psychological Science
EIEAB 3.209
clinicalpsychphd@utrgv.edu
(956) 665-5022


Accreditation

The Clinical Ph.D program has been granted Accreditation on Contingency status by the American Psychological Association.

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 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org 
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation 

Accreditation status: Accredited on Contingency. The program is accredited, on contingency through the following date: January 26 2029.

The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at UTRGV has been granted provisional membership to the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP).

Welcome

The UTRGV Department of Psychological Science offers the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology 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 follows the scientist-practitioner model to develop bilingual clinical psychologists with expertise in mental health assessment and treatment within Hispanic/Mexican American populations.

The program’s aims and competencies are congruent with the scientist-practitioner training model it follows and with the standards embedded in the American Psychological Association's standards of accreditation for Health Service Psychology.

Program Aims

The program has three aims:

Aim 1. To educate students to acquire depth and breadth of knowledge in the clinical science of psychology and produce graduates who are skilled and competent clinical research scientists.

Aim 2. To train students to gain clinical knowledge and skills including knowledge of ethical, legal, and professional standards essential to practitioners working in applied clinical settings. Graduates will have clinical competencies as professionals in applied settings.

Aim 3. To prepare students for culturally sensitive research and clinical service. The program also focuses on diversity and multiculturalism. Graduates will be able to conduct research and provide assessment and interventions relevant to diverse populations.

The program’s aims align with the definition of health service psychology as “the integration of psychological science and practice in order to facilitate human development and functioning” (SoA 2015, Page 1). Program graduates earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and are trained to be independent researchers, to pursue licensure as doctoral-level psychologists who provide direct services, and to train the next generation of clinical scientists.

Program Videos

Clinical Psychology, PhD Program

UTRGV Clinical Psychology PhD

Student Admissions, Outcomes, Program Data and Information

Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data

Clinical training is considered an integral part of the doctoral program in clinical psychology. Clinical practica are organized to ensure a progression of clinical training experiences that correspond with the sequence of the course curriculum. Clinical practicum training plays an important role in the integration of theory, research and practice. Clinical practice provides opportunities for students to integrate critical thinking and hypotheses testing into their clinical activities and to assimilate an empirical, scientifically informed approach to clinical practice. The department has a training clinic where students will at a minimum complete their first two years of clinical training, closely supervised by members of the clinical psychology faculty and clinic staff.

Clinical training will begin in the very first semester when incoming students will shadow advanced students, clinical faculty and clinic staff. The department also works collaboratively with a number of off-site practicum training sites in the Rio Grande Valley area. These settings include but are not limited to hospitals, medical centers, community mental health centers and the Department of Probation. In the first two years, students gain experience in general therapy and assessment skills. Subsequently they receive training in their chosen major area study of the three offered in the department neuropsychology, trauma/anxiety and integrative primary care. Although the department has a cognitive-behavioral orientation, the practicum training at the different sites exposes students to multiple theoretical orientations and evidenced based intervention techniques.

Beginning in the first year, each student begins a series of practicum experiences that will total a minimum of 1000 hours of clinical training by the time they apply for internships. Ideally, a student obtains a breadth of clinical experiences including diagnostic interviewing skills, assessment and intervention skills. Clinical practica in Years 1 and 2 are designed to provide students clinical training in general fundamental intervention and assessment skills. Training in the first two years is expected to prepare students for more advanced clinical training in years 3, 4, & 5 and eventually for internship in one of the three major program areas available.

First Year Students will be placed in the Department clinic. The objective of first year practicum training is to introduce students to a setting providing clinical services so that a student is able to understand the roles and functions of clinical psychologists. First year students are typically expected to spend 6-8 hours per week in clinical practicum training. In the first semester they will shadow advanced students, clinical psychology faculty or clinic staff. In the second semester they will be assigned two to four clients who they will provide therapy for under close supervision. All sessions will be video recorded and made available for the student’s clinical supervisor to facilitate the supervision process.

Second year students will also be placed in the department clinic and be expected to spend 8 – 10 hours a week in clinical training including assessment, intervention and supervision. They will be assigned a caseload of six clients including assessment and intervention under close supervision from a clinical faculty or staff member. In addition, and coinciding with the completion of the two assessment courses (PSY 6347 Assessment and Measurement in Children and Families & PSY 6346 Assessment and Measurement in Adults) in the fall semester of the second year, students will be required to complete 6 to 8 full psychological assessment batteries throughout the second year. Students will see a combination of child and adult clients presenting with different problems. The goal being for students to have received generalized training with both adults and children and to prepare them for the more advanced practica in years three and four.

After the second year, students may choose a clinical placement in one of the three major areas of study: neuropsychology, trauma/anxiety and integrative primary care. This coincides with the students taking an elective in their chosen area in the fall and another in the spring semester of the third year. After approval of the Master’s Thesis proposal, students may spend a maximum of 12- 15 hours per week in practicum training. Students at this level typically choose practicum placements that are more intensive and closely match their area of interest. These practicum placements will usually be at external practicum sites although students could opt to continue seeing clients at the clinic if for example they chose the anxiety/trauma major area of study. The Director of Clinical Training works with the student to facilitate specific placements. It would be beneficial for students to obtain some experience during their training in a placement other than the program’s training clinic since this would help them develop communication and multidisciplinary skills.

During the fifth year of training, while the students are applying for a full time APA accredited internship in their 6th year, students will be encouraged to pursue their clinical training by continuing to see a small number of clients in a setting of their own choosing. Additionally, if they so choose, they will be able to supervise one first year student, under close supervision from a faculty or staff supervisor. The goal is to allow students to obtain some experience with supervision of other professionals, which will be a requirement of their internship training. Again, the Director of Clinical Training will work closely with students in both of these options.

Clinical training philosophy: Students first meet with the DCT and their respective advisor to discuss training and career goals in order to determine the appropriate and required training experiences for that particular student and ensure that clinical training meets the needs of each individual student.

The program places a very strong emphasis on the acquisition of evidence based knowledge and practice in both assessment and intervention. As such, students will be required to learn to monitor their client’s treatment progress with respect to the chosen goals. In addition, clinical training will emphasize the application of evidence-based principles in both assessment and intervention from a comprehensive understanding of the individual client. All sessions will be held in either English or Spanish as per the patient’s preferred language.

All clinical training will be closely supervised by clinical faculty and staff following a 4:1 client contact: hours of supervision ratio, to ensure that students are receiving adequate supervision. All in house supervision will, in addition, be based on audiovisual recordings of all sessions. For external practica, primary supervision will be provided on-site; however, a secondary supervisor will be assigned from the faculty to assist if necessary.

 

Clinical Practicum Hours Ph.D Program in Clinical Psychology Cohort 2019, 2020

UTRGV Psychology Training Settings Overview

Telesupervision Policy

Consumer Information Disclosures: State-level Psychology Licensure Education Requirements

This disclosure refers only to the educational requirements for licensure as a psychologist and does not address criteria for supervised experience that also vary across states and jurisdictions.

Every state or jurisdiction in the US/Canada has its own separate criteria for an individual to become licensed as a psychologist at the doctoral level. Within the US, a compilation of licensure requirements, organized by jurisdictions, is available here. It will be updated annually. Items highlighted in yellow reflect a change “in progress” or a lack of verification by the board administrator in the jurisdiction. Students are encouraged to review these criteria for states or jurisdictions in which they might wish to practice in the future. As shown in the attached summary table, obtaining a degree from an APA accredited program meets educational requirements for most U.S. states and jurisdictions. The clinical psychology doctoral program at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) opened its doors to students in September 2019. Due to its relative newness it has not yet had the opportunity to achieve accreditation through the American Psychological Association (APA), although there is every intention to do so. Prior to accreditation, graduating students can still apply for licensure as psychologists under the ‘equivalent” provision that is available in most states but not all (see table). The program at UTRGV has been designed to adhere to APA accreditation standards and faculty believe it to be an “equivalent” program. Nevertheless, the final arbiter of who is eligible for licensure as a psychologist in any given state or jurisdiction can only be made by the pertinent state/jurisdiction licensing board. As such, UTRGV faculty cannot assure nor take responsibility for graduates meeting all educational requirements under the “equivalent” provision for licensure in every state/jurisdiction and this is reflected in the table. If you are curious about the “equivalent” provision for any state or jurisdiction, please contact the DCT.

 

Table

The columns “YES”, “NO, and “UNABLE TO DETERMINE” refer to UTRGV faculty estimates as to whether the program satisfies licensure requirements in each U.S. state prior to the program receiving APA accreditation.

The columns “YES”, “NO, and “UNABLE TO DETERMINE” refer to UTRGV faculty estimates as to whether the program satisfies licensure requirements in each U.S. state prior to the program receiving APA accreditation.

STATE

YES

NO

UNABLE TO DETERMINE

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Alabama

 

 

        X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Alaska

 

 

        X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Arizona

 

 

        X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Arkansas

 

 X

       

Requires a 3 credit course on the social basis of behavior

California

 

 X

 

Pre licensure coursework/training: human sexuality (10 contact hours); course in alcoholism/chemical dependency detection and treatment (1 semester/quarter); child abuse assessment (7 hours); spousal/partner abuse, detection and intervention strategies (15 contact hours); aging and long-term care (10 contact hours).

Colorado

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Connecticut

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Delaware

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Florida

 

 X

 

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program

Georgia

 

 X

 

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program

Hawaii

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Idaho

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Illinois

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Indiana

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Iowa

 

 X

 

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program

Kansas

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Kentucky

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Louisiana

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Maine

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Maryland

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Massachusetts

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Michigan

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Minnesota

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Mississippi

 

 

       X

Doctoral program must be APA accredited within 2 years of degree being granted.

Missouri

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Montana

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Nebraska

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from APA accredited program or equivalent

Nevada

 

 X

      

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program

New Hampshire

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

New Jersey

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

New Mexico

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

New York

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from any program approved by the New York State Education Department or equivalent

North Carolina

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

North Dakota

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

Ohio

 

 

       X

If not graduating from an APA accredited program, then a mandatory 1800-hour postdoc is required.

Oklahoma

 

 

       X

APA accredited program requirement will be waived for new doctoral programs with < 8 years from the 1st class of students until accreditation. Program must have a pending application for accreditation to meet this exemption.

Oregon

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

Pennsylvania

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

Rhode Island

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

South Carolina

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

South Dakota

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

Tennessee

 

 

       X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

Texas

  X

 

 

Doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution or an APA accredited program. Supervised clinical experience of at least 1750 hours received in a formal internship within a doctoral program.

Utah

 

 

        X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

Vermont

 

 

        X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

Virginia

  X

 

       

UTRGV program meets “equivalent” requirement.  Doctoral program must become APA accredited within 4 years of student graduating from the program.

Washington

 

 

        X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

West Virginia

 

 

        X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

Wisconsin

 

 

        X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

Wyoming

 

 

        X

Doctoral degree from an APA accredited program or equivalent

The application deadline for our program is January 6th

Applicants to our Clinical Ph.D. Program must apply through the UTRGV Graduate College online application. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the process by visiting their “How to Apply” page. A Master's degree is not required for admission into our doctoral program; however, students who hold Master's degrees are encouraged to apply. 

Applicants to our program must have:

  1. Obtained a bachelor's degree from a college or university accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency or foreign equivalent.
  2. Completed a minimum of 18 credit hours of psychology. Although a variety of psychology courses are acceptable, applicants will ideally have completed courses in Statistics, Research Methods, Abnormal Psychology, Personality, and Biological/Physiological Psychology.
  3. Achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for undergraduate coursework. Applicants who have completed graduate courses must also have a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Required submission materials:

  1. Official transcripts.
  2. Current resume/vita.
  3. A 1-2 page personal statement that addresses their professional goals, why they are interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, and what interests them about our program in particular. Applicants should clearly identify up to three program faculty that they are interested in working with, rank ordered by preference, and should explain why they are interested in working with those faculty.
  4. A writing sample that best demonstrates their scholarly writing skills in psychology or a related field. This can be a class paper, thesis, conference paper, published article, or other written scholarly paper.
  5. Three letters of recommendation submitted by former professors, or employers, familiar with the applicant's professional or educational capabilities. At least two of these letters must come from faculty who have taught you in a class and/or have mentored you in research.

 


NOTE: International applicants and domestic applicants who attended foreign universities may need to fulfill additional application requirements. Please see the Graduate College site for more information.

The Board of Regents of the UT-System schools requires that all international students be billed medical insurance every semester. The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program does not cover the cost of medical insurance.  Waivers may be requested if you have proof of your own insurance that is equal to or exceeds the minimum requirements, and that will cover you while in the U.S.  (Mexican citizens may have medical insurance waived because of the proximity to the border.)  If you have additional questions regarding this requirement, contact the International Admissions and Student Services Office.

Applications must be submitted via the UTRGV Graduate College Graduate College online application portal. Do not submit any material by postal mail unless requested to do so. 

Selected applicants will undergo an on-campus interview. Applicants who are unable to attend an on-campus interview may be offered a phone/video interview. This is at the discretion of the faculty and only for candidates who have extenuating circumstances that prevent them from attending an on-campus interview.  

If you have any questions about the program, please email the Director of Clinical Training, Dr. Arthur Cantos (arthur.cantos@utrgv.edu).

Committee Review

Our program aims to admit between 5-6 new students each year. The selection of students begins with the review of complete applications by our program's admissions committee. Our program does not employ a set of formal "cut-offs" with regard to any of the quantitative application elements (e.g.undergraduate/graduate GPA). Often a strong record in one area may make up for a weakness in another area. However, considerable attention is given to upper-division coursework, letters of recommendation, and the applicant's personal statement. The committee will also evaluate each candidate's potential for research and the extent to which stated research interests align with the focus of core faculty.

Faculty Mentor Review

The program embraces a mentorship-training model. From the applicant pool, individual faculty members select students with congruent research interests to consider for admission to the program. Thus, a student's personal statement should indicate his or her research interests and training, as well as his or her choice(s) of the faculty mentor with whom they are most interested in working.

This mentor admissions system does not mean that each faculty member will admit one student each year. Some faculty may wish to admit more than one student. Faculty who are currently supervising a large number of students may not admit any. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact prospective mentors to learn whether that faculty member plans to accept new students for the coming year. Often that information will be available on the faculty member's website, so please check there first.

Applicant Interviews

Each faculty member who is accepting new students typically invites 3 to 4 applicants to visit the UTRGV campus and participate in our annual applicant visiting day. Visiting day typically occurs on a Friday and is a daylong program of activities that includes an orientation, question-and-answer period, opportunities to meet the faculty, and a tour of the Department, campus, and community clinic. Final applicants are strongly encouraged to visit the campus; however, phone/Skype interviews can be arranged in exceptional circumstances.

Offers

The core clinical faculty members meet following visiting day and select which students will be offered admission based on the applicants' submitted materials, fit with a faculty mentor, and impressions from personal interviews. Applicants are notified of the decision toward the end of February or beginning of March. Those offered places are strongly encouraged to notify us of their decisions as soon as possible, but have until April 15 to make a decision about whether to accept the offer.

Because some students with offers elect to go to other programs or change their career plans, a list of "alternate" students is also generated. Students on the alternate list will be informed as early as possible that they are being considered as an alternate. These applicants may be offered admission to the program when an offer extended to another applicant is declined. When all places have been filled, students on the alternate list will be informed that they are no longer under consideration for admission.

Policy Regarding Admissions Offers and Acceptances

The Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP) has adopted a set of procedures designed to facilitate the Graduate Admissions process by outlining expectations of both applicants and programs. Our program adheres to these CUDCP-adopted guidelines, which are summarized below.

  1. In most CUDCP programs, a subset of applicants will be invited for an interview. Within a few weeks of the final interview dates, applicants will be notified regarding the status of their application. You may be offered admission, declined admission, placed on a wait list, or in some cases, a decision has not yet been reached regarding your application.
  2. Training programs will notify students no longer being considered for admission as soon as possible. In some cases, this information is communicated by the university graduate school and can take several weeks to be processed. In some cases, you may be able to get updated information on the status of the application process (e.g., whether all interview invites have been extended; whether all offers have been extended), on a clinical program's website, or by contacting a program administrator. Beware of information posted on student-focused online forums that may be inaccurate or incomplete.
  3. Offers of admission can be extended during a large time period. Most initial offers of admission are extended by April 1. Offers may be communicated by phone or email, but should be followed up by a written confirmation within 48 hours.
  4. You should not be pressured, nor feel compelled to accept an offer of admission before April 15! This applies to offers of admission and to funding offers that accompany admission. It is impermissible for programs to request a decision prior to April 15 or to indicate that funding will be available only if students make decisions earlier than this date. Violations of this policy should be reported to CUDCP immediately and your identity will be protected. Of course, it is permissible for you to accept an offer as soon as you are certain of your decision (i.e., even before April 15). But the decision to do so should be based on you, and not due to pressure placed upon you by a training program.
  5. Do not hold more than two offers for more than one week unless there is specific information (e.g., a visit is scheduled, funding decisions) you are waiting to receive from the program. Difficulty making up one's mind is not considered an adequate excuse to limit the options available to other applicants.
  6. Once you have accepted an offer of admission to a training program, you should inform all programs in which you are still being considered. Be sure to inform programs either that you are declining outstanding offers of admission or you no longer wish to be considered for admission.

We provide generous student support. All students admitted into the program receive an assistantship and additional funds from scholarships to cover tuition and mandatory fees.

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Program Strengths

The Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley contributes to increasing the number of clinical psychology scientists and practitioners conducting research and providing professional services to minority populations. UTRGV is located in Hidalgo and Cameron Counties, where more than 90% of residents are Hispanic. This particular demographic allows the program to offer unique training experiences in research and practice. 

Graduate students will be exposed to clinical and behavioral issues of Hispanic and Mexican Americans through off-campus clinical training/externship sites located in the South Texas region. Our program develops bilingual clinical psychologist experts in mental health assessment and treatment with Hispanic/Mexican American populations who will be proficient in working with the population of the Rio Grande Valley and similar populations in other parts of Texas and the United States. The program will also accept non-Spanish-speaking students into the program with an interest in working with the Hispanic/Latino population from both a clinical and scientific point of view. 

Our program is defined by the scientist-practitioner model: providing integrated academic, scientific, and professional training. 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. 

Within the context of a general clinical psychology program, our doctoral program offers focused training in neuropsychology, integrated behavioral health care, and trauma/anxiety. 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. Such 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. 

In designing the core curriculum, our department follows the recommendations of the American Psychological Association's Commission on Accreditation for Health Service Psychology. The curriculum includes a sequence of required courses that address Discipline Specific Knowledge and Profession wide competencies as required by the American Psychological Association.

Students will develop competencies in:

  • 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

Curriculum, Forms and Documents

Year 1

A sequence of required courses is taken beginning with the first semester. Clinical practica also begins with shadowing during the fall semester and clinical supervision in the spring. It is anticipated that students will begin active participation in a research program with their advisor beginning the first semester. During the spring, students will take an evidence-based intervention course with adults and children, which will prepare them for clinical work in the second year. Students can participate in research and clinical practica over the summer, however, this is optional.

Year 2

A series of required general courses are offered during the second year. Continuation of clinical practica and research participation occur during this year.  A student must enroll in a research course during the semester that the second-year project is submitted.

Year 3 and Year 4

Required courses, electives, clinical practicum, and research activities continue during the third year.  In the fall of the fourth year, students complete a supervision and consultation course (PSYC 8372). Upon satisfactory completion of the program competency requirements, students may develop their dissertation proposal. The dissertation proposal must be approved by August 15th of the fourth year for the student to be eligible to apply for an internship the following year.

Additional didactic activities in which students may participate include: department sponsored colloquia (Visiting Speaker Series and individual case conferences), training conferences, and special lectures and presentations sponsored by UTRGV and/or the School of Medicine.

Year 5

In year 5 students who have met all previous program requirements will apply for external internship, make progress on the dissertation, and obtain additional clinical experience. The program encourages students to complete their dissertation before going on an external internship, although this is not a specific requirement.

Year 6: Internship

Students are required to complete a one-year, full-time, APA-accredited external clinical internship, after having completed formal course work and a dissertation proposal. Students work with the Director of Clinical Training to ensure that they are applying to national sites which reflect their career goals. Students are required to participate in the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) national match. During internship, students function under supervision as clinical psychologists. The internship facility must comply with the American Psychological Association accreditation standards and must be approved by the Director of Clinical Training.

 

Curriculum

YEAR 1

Curriculum table
FALL
PSYC 6301: Psychological Statistics 3
PSYC 6312: Child Psychopathology 3
PSYC 6332: Research Design 3
PSYC 7105: Research Practicum 1
PSYC 8164: Clinical Practicum 1
PSYC 8363: Professional Issues and Ethics in Psychology 3
SPRING
PSYC 6302: Statistics for Psychological Research II 3
PSYC 6309: Adult Psychopathology 3
PSYC 6353: Individual Therapy/Clinical Fundamentals 3
PSYC 7105: Research Practicum 1
PSYC 8164: Clinical Practicum 1
PSYC 8361: Empirically Supported Treatment with Adults and Children 3
SUMMER
PSYC 7105: Research Practicum (Optional: not required for degree) 1
PSYC 8164: Clinical Practicum (Optional: not required for degree) 1

YEAR 2

Curriculum table
FALL
PSYC 6346: Assessment and Measurement in Adults 3
PSYC 6347: Assessment and Measurement in Children and Families 3
PSYC 7105: Research Practicum 1
PSYC 8303: Advanced Statistics for Psychological Research III 3
PSYC 8364: Clinical Practicum 3
SPRING
PSYC 7305: Advanced Research Practicum 3
PSYC 8320: Neuropsychological Models of Cognition and Emotion 3
PSYC 8341: Assessment and Treatment in Mexican American Cultural Contexts 3
PSYC 8364: Clinical Practicum 3
SUMMER
PSYC 7105: Research Practicum (Optional: not required for degree) 1
PSYC 8164: Clinical Practicum (Optional: not required for degree) 1

 

YEAR 3

Curriculum table
FALL
PSYC 8340: Cross Cultural Psychology with an Emphasis on Studies of Hispanic/Mexican American Psychology 3
PSYC 8365: Advanced Clinical Practicum 3
Elective 1* 3
SPRING
PSYC 8330: Emotions and Cognitions: A Developmental Perspective 3
PSYC 8365: Advanced Clinical Practicum 3
Elective 2* 3
SUMMER
PSYC 8165: Adv Clinical Practicum (Optional: not required for degree) 1

* Students must take two electives either in year 3 or year 4.

YEAR 4

Curriculum table
FALL
PSYC 8365: Advanced Clinical Practicum 3
PSYC 8372: Supervision and Consultation 3
PSYC 9300: Dissertation 3
Elective 1* 3
SPRING
PSYC 8365: Advanced Clinical Practicum 3
PSYC 9300: Dissertation 3
Elective 2* 3
SUMMER
PSYC 8165: Adv Clinical Practicum (Optional: not required for degree) 1

NOTE: Students are required to have completed the Program Competency Requirement by the end of Year 4.

YEAR 5

Curriculum table
FALL
PSYC 8165: Advanced Clinical Practicum 1
PSYC 9300: Dissertation 3
SPRING
PSYC 8165: Advanced Clinical Practicum 1
PSYC 9300: Dissertation 3

YEAR 6

Curriculum table
PSYC 8100: Required 12-month Clinical Internship 2

Forms Completed by Students
Evaluation of Work Done by the Supervisor each semester
Student Employee Permission Request prior to outside employment
Student Evaluation of Research Training Form each semester
Student Practicum Evaluation twice a year
Student Self Assessment annually
Approval of Second Year Project or Dissertation Proposal

Forms Completed by Faculty
Doctoral Milestones Agreement Form annually
Annual Evaluation Form annually
In Vivo Supervision Evaluation Form each semester
Practicum Evaluation Form twice a year
Research Contract beginning of each term
Research Training Evaluation Form each semester

  • Program Milestones
  • Second Year Project Guidelines
  • Program Competencey Requirements
  • Dissertation Guidelines
  • Policy and Procedures Manual
  • Summary of CUDCP Policy for Graduate School Offers and Acceptances
    Information for Applicants

Policy and Procedures Manual - Updated September 2024

Policy and Procedures Manual - Updated September 2023

Areas of Research

Dr. Montiel-Nava’s research focuses on four topics: 1) Understanding ethnic disparities among children with autism spectrum and neurodevelopmental disorders, 2) ADHD and its comorbid disorders, 3) Evidence-based interventions that can be carried out by parents of children with developmental delays in underserved populations, and 4) Validity and acculturation of diagnostic instruments. Her research has as an ultimate goal to reduce the gap in access to services that identify and treat neurodevelopmental disorders to improve the quality of life of RGV residents.

For more information about the lab, please visit our BeChildLab website.

Dr. Charak's program of research is aimed at understanding the cumulative effect of childhood adversities, including child abuse and neglect in the development of traumatic stress reactions, such as PTSD and substance use, and revictimization across the lifespan. She has examined the same in samples from geographically diverse regions, namely, India, Burundi, the United States, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Northern Ireland. A recent focus of the lab has been on the interpersonal violence among sexual minorities, and the intergenerational transmission of violence from parent(s) to the sibling dyad.

Please feel free to contact Dr. Charak via our website http://www.utrgv.edu/actlab. 

 

Dr. Cantos' area of research is family violence in general and the characteristics of perpetrators of intimate partner violence and their treatment, more specifically. Dr. Cantos has been a strong critic of current mandated one size fits all interventions for perpetrators of intimate partner violence and a strong proponent of developing interventions that address the needs of the perpetrators following Gordon Paul's Epic Question: "What treatment, by whom, is most effective, for this individual, with that specific problem and under which set of circumstances (Paul, 1967).

Dr. Cantos completed a five year program evaluation of the treatment of perpetrators on probation in Lake County, Illinois, and has been engaged in collaborative treatment outcome research with researchers in Spain and Ohio. Dr. Cantos' lab is currently working on a research project on dating violence in the Rio Grande Valley with the goal of identifying cultural variables that may be important to understanding dating violence in this population. In addition, we are continuing to conduct studies to assess characteristics of perpetrators of intimate partner violence which are relevant for the development of interventions based on an individualized comprehensive assessment of perpetrator needs.

Family Violence Lab website link. 

Dr. Alfonso Mercado’s research lab focuses on a myriad of issues pertinent to the Latino population. Of special research interest are trauma, cultural values, and health in recent immigrants and refugees. The lab also examines personality, acculturation, and substance use within the Latino population. The effectiveness of empirically supported mental health treatments, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy, in Latino groups are explored. Dr. Mercado also studies the development of ADHD and IDD in Latino children and support for their families.

Dr. Mercado is the Director of the UTRGV Multicultural Clinical Lab.

Dr. Velez Agosto's research focus is (1) Qualitative Health Psychology with an emphasis on Psyco-Oncology and Primary Care Mental Health Integration; as well as (2) foundational questions in Psychology: qualitative inquiry and mixed-methods approach to research and theory building, the role of culture in Developmental Psychology models, multicultural clinical approaches for working with vulnerable populations, and the teaching of critical perspectives in Psychology, and (3) the study of integrating new technologies in research and learning interventions. 

 

Effects of Spanish/English bilingualism on cognition; Causation in Alzheimer's disease and other age-related neurodegenerative processes; Anosognosia; Organization of emotion within the brain, especially concerning the function of anterior cingulate and insula cortices; History of neuropsychology.

 

Research on the role of different neural systems in the regulation of social behavior, learning, and motivation, with a focus on identifying the genetic and physiological factors that underlie individual differences in behavior and disease susceptibility.

 

Applying advanced quantitative methods, such as structural equation modeling, item response theory, multilevel modeling, and network psychometrics, to address complex problems in psychology and education; risk and protective factors of juvenile delinquency; violence risk assessment 

 

Contact College of Liberal Arts


Brownsville

BMAIN 1.534 
956- 882-7818

Edinburg

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956-665-3551

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