Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology with Specialization in Clinical Psychology

96 credit hours minimum
Comprehensive exam
Dissertation and oral defense
Internship (one year, full-time)

The Ph.D. program with specialization in clinical psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association. Completion typically requires six to seven years of study beyond the bachelor’s degree, including a one year full-time internship. Students with prior graduate work may receive advanced credit. The program follows the scientist-practitioner model and emphasizes an integration of clinical practice and applied clinical research. Working with a faculty mentor, students begin research work their first year. Students complete three years of 15-20 hour/week practicum training that includes a wide variety of assessment and treatment experiences with a broad range of clients, including minority and underserved populations. Training sites include medical centers, community mental health centers, and clinics throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. All students complete an APA-accredited internship. The program prepares students to be license-eligible in the state of Illinois and most other states. Graduates typically function as practitioners and researchers in medical centers and multi-disciplinary clinical settings.

Curriculum

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology Common Requirements

The four-course core psychology sequence (PSYC 501PSYC 502PSYC 503, and PSYC 504) constitutes the Ph.D. qualifying exam. All Ph.D. in Psychology students must complete these four courses within the first two years in the program with a minimum of “B” average and no more than one “C” in these four courses.

All students are expected to show competency in methodology and research design, as well as in the specific content of their program areas. Before beginning dissertation research, a student must present a dissertation proposal for approval by a committee of the faculty. The final requirement of the Ph.D. program is an oral examination restricted to defense of the dissertation and conducted by a committee nominated by the department and appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Specialization in Clinical Psychology Requirements

Foundational Courses (30)
PSYC 501Biological Bases of Behavior3
PSYC 502Social Bases of Behavior3
PSYC 503Learning and Cognition3
PSYC 504Individual and Cultural Differences3
PSYC 505History and Systems of Psychology3
PSYC 511Psychometric Theory3
PSYC 540Research Methods3
PSYC 545Graduate Statistics I3
PSYC 546Graduate Statistics II3
PSYC 554Survey of Multivariate Statistics3
Base Clinical Courses (9)
PSYC 508Ethics and Professional Issues I2
PSYC 509Ethics and Professional Issues II1
PSYC 525Developmental Psychopathology3
PSYC 526Psychopathology3
Clinical Practice Courses (18)
PSYC 506Therapy I3
PSYC 507Therapy II3
PSYC 510Clinical Assessment I3
PSYC 512Clinical Assessment II3
PSYC 533Clinical Practicum4
PSYC 599Clinical Internship2
Elective Courses (9)
Some offerings in recent years: health psychology, affective disorders, neuropsychological assessment, eating and weight disorders, assessment and treatment of young children, child cognitive development, psychology of sport, performance and health, structural equation modeling, psychometric theory, hierarchical linear models.9
Master's Research Courses Applied to Elective Credit (6)
PSYC 591Research and Thesis M.S. 16
Doctoral Research (24)
PSYC 691Research and Thesis Ph.D. 224

Minimum degree credits required: 96 

1

Students entering the program with a prior earned Master of Science degree in psychology with an empirically-based thesis may qualify for a waiver of the PSYC 591 thesis requirement (six credit hours). Please contact your academic adviser for more details.

2

Up to three PSYC 600 credits can be substituted for PSYC 691 credits.