MA/PhD Degree Requirements
The Clinical Psychology MA/PhD is a combined degree. The MA is non-terminal and, therefore, only students intending to confer the PhD are admitted.
MA Course Requirements
The MA portion of the combined degree program requires a minimum of 64 quarter hours beyond the completion of a bachelor’s degree, including four quarter hours of thesis research.
Core Courses
Course List
Course |
Title |
Quarter Hours |
PSY 406 | PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES | 4 |
PSY 461 | ETHICS & HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY SEMINAR | 4 |
PSY 499 | INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL SKILLS, CONSULTATION, AND SUPERVISION (3 quarters) | 0 |
| 4 |
PSY 404 | PERCEPTION AND COGNITION | |
PSY 426 | LANGUAGE AND COGNITION | |
PSY 473 | THE PSYCHOLOGY OF JUDGMENT AND DECISION- MAKING | |
| 4 |
PSY 430 | SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF THE SELF | |
PSY 556 | PREJUDICE AND INTERGROUP RELATIONS | |
PSY 560 | SOCIAL COGNITION | |
| 4 |
PSY 439 | COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT | |
PSY 554 | EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT | |
PSY 555 | SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT | |
Statistics and Methodology Courses
Course List
Course |
Title |
Quarter Hours |
PSY 410 | ADVANCED STATISTICS I | 4 |
PSY 411 | ADVANCED STATISTICS II | 4 |
PSY 420 | QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN | 4 |
| 4 |
PSY 418 | MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS | |
PSY 419 | FACTOR ANALYSIS AND STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING | |
Additional Courses
Course List
Course |
Title |
Quarter Hours |
PSY 481 | CHILD ASSESSMENT | 4 |
PSY 482 | ADULT ASSESSMENT | 4 |
PSY 486 | ADVANCED PSYCHOPATHOLOGY | 4 |
PSY 488 | PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOTHERAPY AND BEHAVIOR CHANGE | 4 |
PSY 493 | ADVANCED COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY | 4 |
PSY 520 | PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN DIVERSITY | 4 |
PSY 565 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR (3 quarters) | 0 |
PSY 590 | THESIS RESEARCH SEMINAR (3 quarters) | 0 |
Clinical Practicum
Three quarters of clinical practicum need to be successfully completed. The Director of Clinical Training must approve the practicum placement in advance. All practicum courses are zero credit hours.
During year two, students should enroll in the following practicum courses:
Course List
Course |
Title |
Quarter Hours |
PSY 577 | PRACTICUM IN CLINICAL ASSESSMENT (autumn quarter) | 0 |
PSY 578 | PRACTICUM IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY (winter quarter) | 0 |
PSY 579 | PRACTICUM IN CHILD CLINICAL PROCEDURES (spring quarter) | 0 |
Master's Thesis Requirements
Research Course
Master’s Thesis
Complete a thesis on a topic approved by the department.
Master’s Thesis Examination
The examination is a defense of the student’s thesis.
PhD Course Requirements
The PhD portion of the combined degree program requires a minimum of 28 quarter hours beyond the completion of the master’s degree, including four quarter hours of dissertation research. The following requirements must be completed to confer the PhD.
Core Courses
Course List
Course |
Title |
Quarter Hours |
PSY 565 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR (3 quarters) 1 | 0 |
PSY 596 | INTERNSHIP IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY (5 quarters) | 0 |
PSY 598 | DISSERTATION RESEARCH SEMINAR | 0 |
Area of Emphasis
At least three additional courses consistent with an area of emphasis are required to reach minimum number of hours required for the PhD.
Additional Required Courses for Clinical-Child (may be used as general electives for Clinical-Community)
Course List
Course |
Title |
Quarter Hours |
PSY 491 | TREATMENT METHODS WITH CHILDREN | 4 |
PSY 562 | SEMINAR IN FAMILY THERAPY | 4 |
PSY 570 | SEMINAR IN PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH | 4 |
Additional Required Courses for Clinical-Community (may be used as general electives for Clinical-Child)
Course List
Course |
Title |
Quarter Hours |
PSY 492 | PRINCIPLES OF CONSULTATION | 4 |
PSY 495 | GRANT WRITING IN PSYCHOLOGY | 4 |
PSY 569 | SEMINAR IN PROGRAM EVALUATION | 4 |
PSY 585 | FIELDWORK IN COMMUNITY SETTINGS (3 quarters) | 0 |
General Electives
Students must complete three general electives to reach the minimum number of hours required for the PhD.
Course List
Course |
Title |
Quarter Hours |
PSY 416 | METHODS IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH | 4 |
PSY 483 | ADVANCED ASSESSMENT | 4 |
PSY 489 | ADVANCED TOPICS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY | 4 |
PSY 511 | HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY | 4 |
PSY 567 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY | 4 |
PSY 568 | SEMINAR IN PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION | 4 |
Clinical Practicum
Six quarters of clinical practicum need to be successfully completed. The Director of Clinical Training must approve the practicum placement in advance. All practicum courses are zero credit hours.
During year three, students should enroll in the following practicum courses:
Course List
Course |
Title |
Quarter Hours |
PSY 582 | ADVANCED PRACTICUM-CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY (autumn quarter) | 0 |
PSY 583 | PRACTICUM IN COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH (winter quarter) | 0 |
PSY 584 | ADVANCED PRACTICUM IN EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE IN PSYCHOLOGY (spring quarter) | 0 |
If students choose to complete additional years of practicum beyond year four, students should enroll in PSY 574 (taken separately in AQ, WQ, and SQ).
- PSY 574 (taken separately in AQ, WQ, and SQ)
Doctoral Candidacy Examination (Comprehensive Examination or Review Paper)
Designed to assess the student’s general knowledge of clinical psychology and the student’s area of emphasis (clinical-child or clinical-community). The examination is given in two sections. One section consists of an examination in the areas represented by the required courses in clinical psychology. A second section consists of an examination in the student’s area of emphasis -- clinical-child or clinical-community psychology. An alternative to the Doctoral Candidacy Examination is to complete a major comprehensive review paper based on the literature within an area relevant to the field of clinical psychology. This paper must be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed clinical psychology journal.
Admission to Doctoral Candidacy
Formally given to the student with satisfactory coursework performance who has successfully completed the master’s thesis and passed the Doctoral Candidacy Examination; the candidate has no more than five years from this date to complete the PhD requirements or dismissal from the program will ensue.
Students denied candidacy will be required to withdraw from the program or withdraw after completion of the MA.
Internship
One-year supervised internship in an approved doctoral training site. Students typically intern during the fifth or sixth year in the program.
Doctoral Dissertation Requirements
Research Course
Doctoral Dissertation
Departmental committee approval and acceptance of topic and outline of dissertation given only after admission to doctoral candidacy.
Doctoral Dissertation Examination
Student to defend dissertation and to show competence in the general field of psychology and in the area of specialization of the dissertation.
Residency Requirement
The clinical psychology program requires a minimum of three full-time academic years of graduate coursework and residency, a master's thesis and dissertation, comprehensive exam/project, and completion of an internship prior to awarding the doctoral degree. The program's residency requirement is addressed through the requirement that students complete their coursework (in all courses, but one) in face-to-face classes during the first three years in the program, and complete their required graduate assistantship and teaching assistantship roles. Students are required to complete the internship before the degree is awarded.
Time Limitations
- No more than four years between admission to the MA/PhD program and admission to doctoral candidacy.
- No less than eight months and no more than five years between admission to doctoral candidacy and the final doctoral oral examination; or dismissal from the program will ensue.
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