Program Overview

Clinical Psychology Program Overview

The Joint Doctoral Program in clinical psychology is an interdisciplinary partnership between the Department of Psychiatry at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Department of Psychology at San Diego State University. This program provides graduate study leading to the PhD degree in clinical psychology.

Program Goal

The program goal is to provide outstanding education and training to scientifically oriented research professionals, who will subsequently make significant contributions to the field of clinical psychology in their areas of specialization, in clinical psychological concepts, methods, theories, and data, together with intensive concentrations in specialized areas of clinical psychology.

Areas of Study

The program has three major areas of study:

• Behavioral medicine
• Neuropsychology
• Experimental psychopathology

Program Structure

The joint doctoral program is a clinical science program emphasizing the integration of research and practice in training, activities, and experience. Students are actively involved in clinical research activities throughout their stay in the program. The program is designed as a five-year curriculum, including a one-year clinical internship. The curriculum is based on a twelve-month academic year.

Accreditation

The program is accredited by the American Psychological Association.

Required Courses

Specific courses currently required as part of the core at UC San Diego include:

• Clinical Psychology 227A-B
• Clinical Psychology 294A-B-C (required for neuropsychology track majors only)
• Clinical Psychology 228 (required for non-neuropsychology track majors only)
• Clinical Psychology 296 (independent study, lab practicum)

PhD Time Limit Policies

• Students must be advanced to candidacy by the end of five years.
• Total university support cannot exceed six years.
• Total registered time at UC San Diego cannot exceed seven years.