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
To be admitted to the graduate program in clinical psychology, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below:
- A bachelor's degree from a college or university accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting agency or foreign equivalent.
- 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.
- 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.
- GRE scores for both the GRE General Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) and the GRE Psychology Subject Test. The GRE General Test score is due by the December 1st deadline and proof of registration for the GRE Psychology Subject Test is due by January 31st.
- Official transcripts.
- Current resume/CV.
- 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 submit a rank order clearly identifying their top three faculty they are interested in working with and why.
- 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.
- Three letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources, familiar with the applicant's professional or educational capabilities. At least two of these letters must come from faculty who have taught and/or have provided research mentorship to the applicant.
Application for admission must be submitted prior to the published deadline.
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.
| Fall 2021-Summer 2022 Rates Tuition and Mandatory Fees | ||||
| Graduate | ||||
| Resident | Non-Resident* | |||
| Number of graduate course(s) (hours per course) |
Fall or Spring | Summer Session (each) | Fall or Spring | Summer Session (each) |
| One graduate course (3 hours a semester) |
$1,584.89 | $1,437.79 | $2,808.89 | $2,661.79 |
| Two graduate courses (6 hours a semester) |
$2,875.58 | $2,728.48 | $5,323.58 | $5,176.48 |
| Three graduate courses (9 hours a semester) |
$4,166.27 | $4,019.17 | $7,838.27 | $7,691.17 |
Fees included above:
- University Services Fee - $38.10 per hour ($457.20 maximum)
- Student Services Fee - $5.83 per hour ($69.96 maximum)
- Intercollegiate Athletics Fee - $15.00 per hour ($180.00 maximum)
- Recreation Fee ‐ $75 per Fall or Spring; $37.50 per summer term
- Medical Services Fee ‐ $30 per Fall or Spring; $15 per summer term
- Student Union Fee ‐ $30 per Fall or Spring; $15 per summer term
All resident tuition and mandatory fees shown above remain the same for hours over 20. Add $408 nonresident tuition for each hour over 20.
*Includes nonresident statutory tuition charges set by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and subject to annual change.
Total does not include Lab and Supplemental Instruction Fees which vary by course, or Differential Tuition. To view graduate tuition and fees rates, visit UTRGV’s U Central.
Click here to view the program's course requirements from the current catalog.
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