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. During the course of the PhD program, students also earn a Master of Science degree in Psychology. 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.
The GRE General Test and GRE Psychology Subject Test are currently waived due to COVID-19 and not required for admission. However, applicants who are admitted to the program will be required to complete the Psychology Subject GRE test as soon as it is safe to do so with respect to COVID-19. If you’ve taken the GRE or GRE Subject exam, please upload your scores to the admission application.
Review and submit all Program Requirements:
1. Submit a UTRGV Graduate Application at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply. There is no application fee.
2. Earned a bachelor's degree from a college or university accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency or foreign equivalent.
3. 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.
4.Earned 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.
5. Submit GRE test scores for both the General exam (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) and the GRE Psychology subject exam:
- The GRE General Test Score is due by the December 1st, 2019 deadline and proof of registration for the GRE Psychology Subject Test Score is due by January 31st, 2020.
6. Submit official transcripts.
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Request your official transcripts to be sent:
Electronically to gradapps@utrgv.edu
OR
Mailed to:
The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyThe Graduate CollegeMarialice Shary Shivers Bldg. 1.1581201 W. University DriveEdinburg, TX 78539-2999
7. Submit current resume/vita.
8. Submit 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 state whether they are bilingual English/Spanish with respect to written and spoken language. Applicants should clearly identify which faculty members they are interested in working with, and why, and submit a rank order of their top three faculty members.
9. Submit 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.
10. Arrange for three letters of recommendation to be 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
Additional requirements for domestic applicants who attended foreign universities:
- TOEFL or IELTS Language Proficiency Test with minimum scores: 550 on paper-based, 213 on computer based, or 79 on Internet-based for the TOEFL; 6.5 for the IELTS. TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for 2 years. For additional information, visit the Additional Documents for Domestic Applicants who Attend Foreign Universities section of our website.
- Certified English translation of educational records.
Additional requirements for international applicants:
- TOEFL or IELTS Language Proficiency Test with minimum scores: 550 on paper-based, 213 on computer based, or 79 on Internet-based for the TOEFL; 6.5 for the IELTS. For additional information, visit the English Proficiency Exam section of our website.
- Certified English translation of educational records.
- Financial Documentation showing sufficient funds to cover all expenses (living and academic) for the first year of study. For additional information, visit the Financial Documentation section of our website.
- Immigration documents, including a current copy of your valid passport. For additional information, visit the Immigration Documents section of our website.
UPDATE ON INTERNATIONAL ADMISSIONS FROM U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT:
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SEVP regulations prohibit the issuance of a Form I-20 based on conditional admission, effective July 13, 2016. University officials can only issue a Form I-20 when students have met all standards for admission for the program of study listed on the Form I-20. These standards for admission include any English proficiency requirements.
To view a list of application deadlines and program contacts for our traditional programs, click here.
The GRE General Test Score is due by January 6th, 2021 deadline, and proof of registration for the GRE Psychology Subject Test Score is due by January 31st, 2021.
| Residency | Per 3-Credit Hour Course | Semester (9-Credit Hours) | Total Estimated Cost |
| Texas Resident | $1,481.39 | $3,894.17 | $53,330.04 |
| Non-Resident/International | $2,708.39 | $7,575.17 | $97,502.04 |
*We estimate that tuition and fees will closely approximate the rates shown above; however, rates are subject to change. Please note that the rates above are estimated for on-campus students and those enrolled in 16-week online programs. The rate is different for Accelerated Online Programs (AOP). Visit the tuition and fees page for detailed information.
Click here to view the program's course requirements from the current catalog.
