Program Overview

Clinical Psychology (MA)/(PhD)

The Clinical Psychology Program, which includes both clinical-child and clinical-community tracks, is one of four MA/PhD programs in the Department of Psychology at DePaul University. The American Psychological Association (APA) first accredited the Clinical Program in 1976, and it has held continuous APA accreditation since then.

Program Aims

The Clinical Program trains students within the scientist-practitioner model, providing training in both research and practice. The Clinical Program has four broad program aims:

• To educate students generally about psychology and instill a commitment to life-long learning
• To prepare graduates with knowledge and skills to engage in and shape research and scholarship
• To prepare graduates for diverse leadership career paths in the practice of clinical psychology and more in-depth preparation in child and/or community applications and policy
• To prepare graduates to work in the public sector, in an urban environment, with diverse ethnic and socio-economic populations, and with those who have been traditionally underserved by psychology

Specific Competencies

Specific competencies that support these aims include:

• Ethical and legal standards
• Individual and cultural diversity
• Professional values and attitudes
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Psychological assessment
• Psychological intervention
• Supervision
• Consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills

Program Objectives

Program objectives are for students to acquire understanding and competence in psychological theory, research, and practice, with particular attention to developmental psychopathology, community psychology, evidence-based treatments, dissemination, and program evaluation with children, adolescents, and families of diverse backgrounds.

Focus on Diversity

Our program's focus on diversity is intended to promote students' understanding about the societal and systemic/ecological forces that have contributed to current manifestations of inequality for many diverse groups, such as for poor, urban, and ethnically diverse populations, and on how these conditions influence mental health, family/community processes, and access to mental health services.

Program Requirements

MA Degree Requirements

• 68 Total hours required
• Core Courses:
  • PSY 461: Ethics & History of Psychology Seminar
  • PSY 499: Introduction to Clinical Skills, Consultation, and Supervision
  • PSY 560: Social Cognition
  • PSY 554: Emotional Development
• Statistics and Methodology Courses:
  • PSY 410: Advanced Statistics I
  • PSY 411: Advanced Statistics II
  • PSY 420: Quantitative Research Design
  • Select one of the following:
    • PSY 418: Multivariate Statistical Analysis
    • PSY 419: Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling
• Additional Courses:
  • PSY 481: Child Assessment
  • PSY 482: Adult Assessment
  • PSY 486: Advanced Psychopathology
  • PSY 488: Principles of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change
  • PSY 493: Advanced Community Psychology
  • PSY 520: Principles of Human Diversity
  • PSY 565: Professional Development Seminar
  • PSY 590: Thesis Research Seminar
• Elective Courses:
  • Select three electives
  • Students may select additional graduate courses as electives with program approval
• Clinical Practicum:
  • Three quarters of clinical practicum need to be successfully completed
  • The Director of Clinical Training must approve the practicum placement in advance
• Master's Thesis Requirements:
  • Research Course: PSY 597 Master's Thesis Research
  • Master's Thesis: Complete a thesis on a topic approved by the department
  • Master's Thesis Examination: The examination is an oral defense of the student's thesis

PhD Requirements

• 12 Total hours required
• Core Courses:
  • PSY 550: Seminar in Teaching Psychology
  • PSY 565: Professional Development Seminar (6 quarters)
  • PSY 596: Internship in Clinical Psychology (5 quarters)
• Area of Emphasis:
  • At least two additional courses consistent with an area of emphasis are required
• Additional Required Courses for Clinical-Child:
  • PSY 491: Treatment Methods with Children
  • PSY 570: Seminar in Psychotherapy Research
• Additional Required Courses for Clinical-Community:
  • PSY 492: Principles of Consultation
  • PSY 569: Seminar in Program Evaluation
  • PSY 585: Fieldwork in Community Settings
• Clinical Practicum:
  • Six quarters of clinical practicum need to be successfully completed
  • The Director of Clinical Training must approve the practicum placement in advance
• Doctoral Candidacy:
  • Comprehensive Project: Designed to assess the student's general knowledge of clinical psychology and the student's area of emphasis
  • 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 Comprehensive Project
• Internship:
  • One-year supervised internship in an approved doctoral training site
• Doctoral Dissertation Requirements:
  • Research Course: PSY 599 Doctoral Dissertation Research
  • 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.

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
• Students must complete their MA degree requirements prior to completing their requirements for admission to doctoral candidacy

Program Graduate Academic Student Handbook

• Minimum Grades: The minimum grade considered acceptable for a graduate course is a B+
• Academic Probation: Students are expected to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.20
• Academic Dismissal: Students may be dismissed for breaches of academic honesty, or breaches of the code of student responsibility
• Graduation Requirements: Students need a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20 in courses required by the program
• Graduation with Distinction for MA: The criteria for graduating "with distinction" are a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75 and the recommendation of "with distinction" by the thesis committee