Graduate Program

Clinical Science Program

The Clinical Science Program at the University of Delaware is strongly committed to training in applied and basic research. We believe that an understanding of the theories on which clinical practice is based, the ability to ask meaningful questions, and the ability to generate and evaluate scientifically meaningful data are essential for all clinical activities at the Ph.D. level.

If you have questions about the Clinical Science graduate program not answered on this site, please contact:

Dr. Larry Cohen
Director of Clinical Science Program

E-mail: lcohen@psych.udel.edu (preferred method of contact)
Phone: (302) 831-8724

Other program areas:
Behavioral Neuroscience

Cognitive Psychology

Social Psychology

 

About the graduate program

Nature and Goals of the Graduate Program

We believe that research is an essential career commitment for those who seek and obtain the Ph.D., and students accepted into our program are expected to share that commitment. Students also learn evidence-based assessment and interventions for adults and children with psychological disorders, but students whose primary career goal is the direct practice of psychology would be more satisfied in a different training program. The aim of our program is to provide a structured set of research and clinical experiences that will prepare students for a career in clinical science. Therefore, graduates of our program will be competent in designing, conducting, and evaluating psychological research, as well as in delivering empirically-supported psychological services. Consistent with this orientation, our program is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science — a prestigious group of 42 university-based clinical training programs and 9 internship sites that share similar goals for their programs and for the training of future clinical psychologists. The Clinical Science Program at the University of Delaware has also been accredited by the American Psychological Association since the early 1970s.

American Psychological Association
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
750 First Street, NE • Washington, DC • 20002-4242
Phone: 202-336-5979 • TDD/TTY: 202-336-6123

Admission and Student Outcome Data (Disclosure Data)

 

Application deadlines and information

Students are admitted to the Clinical Science Program to work toward a Ph.D. degree. This is a full-time program, and we do not offer a terminal master's degree. Applications are due in the Graduate Admissions Office by January 7 for enrollment the following September. There are no spring semester admissions in the Clinical Psychology Program. Application materials are to be submitted on the Graduate School website: http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/applicants/index.html

Please direct questions about the website to the Graduate Office numbers listed on the site.

Requirements

The Clinical Science Program is especially interested in receiving applications from individuals who have previous research experience. Students with a strong motivation and interest in research, as well as some undergraduate experience in research, fit well with the program. Familiarity with computers, and the ability to use statistical software packages for data analysis facilitate students' progress in the program. Although not required, a background in Psychology is helpful, especially courses in Research Design and Statistics.

Scores on the Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytic (Written) sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are required. The advanced psychology test is helpful but not required.

The application on the Graduate School website requires a personal essay, which should describe your interest in clinical psychology, your research interests, and your fit with the program and with a particular faculty mentor or mentors. You are also asked to submit your GRE scores, transcripts, curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation.

Mentor selection

One important criterion for admission is the fit between student research interests and those of faculty members in the program. During the admissions process, each student is matched with a faculty research mentor, on the basis of his or her research interests. The mentor trains the student throughout the program in research and helps to plan coursework and practicum training.

 

Interview policy

The Clinical Psychology Program at the University of Delaware receives approximately 200 applications a year. We conduct an extensive review of applications and invite approximately 15 to 20 people for a day long interview. Interviews are considered an important part of the application process. We appreciate your interest in our program, but because of the number of applicants, we can only meet with applicants who are invited for the interview days, which are usually held in mid to late February and early March. We will contact directly the applicants we are interested in interviewing. The program typically admits three to six students each year.

Student Outcome Data (Disclosure Data)

Please click the link above for the table of outcome data.

 

Synopsis of the Program

 

Formal coursework may be completed over a four to five year period. Graduate training is a full time enterprise, and there is no part-time training option in this doctoral program. The sequence of some coursework is fixed in order to provide the necessary background for simultaneous research and practicum activity. The fixed sequence normally includes Statistics, Research Design, Clinical Psychology: Philosophy, History, and Current Perspectives, Ethics and Diversity in Clinical Psychology, Developmental Psychopathology, and the assessment and intervention sequence. There is more flexibility in the timing and precise constitution of the departmental breadth and elective clinical courses. The breadth courses required by the clinical program are offered in the social psychology, cognitive science, and behavioral neuroscience areas of the department. These area requirements can be fulfilled with a variety of courses that can be scheduled in consultation with an advisor.

There is even more flexibility in what are considered clinical electives. The only formal constraints here are that a minimum of three electives must be completed, and one of the three elective courses must have a developmental focus. The departmental breadth and clinical electives can be taken any time in years two through five. Department breadth and clinical electives that have been offered on a fairly regular basis include: Integrative Neuroscience; Cultural Psychology; Personality in Social Context; Cognition, Affect, and Individual Differences; Child Development; Hierarchical Linear Modeling; and Structural Equation Modeling.

Students start their research involvement in the first year, during which an intensive review of the literature in a research area, a familiarity with relevant research methods, and the conduct of a substantive pilot study may be reasonable goals. By the end of the first year, a 'first-year project', developed in consultation with the advisor, must be written and also orally presented and defended to the clinical faculty. The precise nature of the project may vary somewhat from advisor to advisor. This project will likely lead into the ‘second-year project’ (or optional master's thesis) that must be defended and submitted to the clinical faculty by February of the third year.

Some practicum training starts in the first year, when students take a two semester course sequence in assessment integrated with the clinic experience, as well as a course on ethics and diversity. Students also sit in on supervision with second year students to become familiar with clinical assessment and intervention strategies. Practicum intensifies in the second year, when the psychotherapy course sequence is offered and students serve as primary therapists under close faculty supervision at the department clinic. Additional clinical courses are offered in the third year, along with clinical practica and possible electives. At the end of the third year, students must successfully negotiate the comprehensive exam, which includes both written and oral components.

The fourth and fifth years are devoted primarily to research. The dissertation proposal must be completed by October 1 of the year that the student plans to apply for internship. The student's internship recommendations will reflect the consensus of the clinical faculty regarding the student's integration of both research-academic and clinical aspects of the program. Students typically go on internship in their sixth year. The Ph.D. cannot be awarded until both the internship and dissertation are completed.

Coursework

The program is planned for five years. There are three or four years of course work, with years two and three involving formal clinical practicum experience. A first-year research project is required as is an empirical master's thesis and a doctoral dissertation. A year's internship is usually taken during the fifth or sixth year. Data for the doctoral dissertation must be collected prior to the internship.

The Clinical Program was initially approved for A.P.A. accreditation in the fall of 1975, and has been continuously accredited since that time. Our most recent accreditation was in 2000 and our next visit is scheduled for 2007.

The program for clinical students is as follows:

		Classes  (Note: 867 denotes seminar, each seminar has a different section number)
1st year
1st semester		PSY 817 Intelligence and Achievement Testing (Assessment I, 3 credits) PSY 860 Psychological Statistics (Analysis of Variance, 3 credits) PSY 867 Clinical Psychology: Philosophy, History, and Current Perspectives (1 credit) PSY 867 Ethics and Diversity in Clinical Psychology (2 credits) PSY 834 Clinical Practicum (1 credit) PSY 868 Research  (2 credits)
2nd semester		PSY 809 Research Design or PSY 829 Developmental Psychopathology (3 credits, offered alternating years) PSY 820 Psychological Assessment (Assessment II, 3 credits) PSY 861 Statistics (Regression, 3 credits) PSY 835 Clinical Practicum (1 credit) PSY 868 Research (2 credits) DEFEND FIRST YEAR PROJECT
2nd year
3rd semester		PSY 819 Child Psychotherapy: Ethics, Diversity, and Therapy (3 credits) PSY 867 History and Systems (1 credit, to begin 2008) PSY 834 Clinical Practicum (3 credits) PSY 868 Research (3 credits, changes to 869 after 2nd year project submitted to university as Master's Thesis in Spring of third year) Elective and Breadth Courses* (optional for this semester)
4th semester		PSY 809 Research Design or PSY 829 Developmental Psychopathology (3 credits) PSY 827 Adult Psychotherapy: Empirically-Supported Therapies (3 credits) PSY 835 Clinical Practicum (3 credits) PSY 868 Research (3 credits, changes to 869 after 2nd year project submitted to university as Master's Thesis In Spring of third year)
3rd year
5th semester		PSY 836 Clinical Practicum (3 credits) PSY 964 Research (3 credits, precandidacy credits before comprehensive exams passed and dissertation proposal defended) Elective and Breadth Courses* DEFEND SECOND YEAR PROJECT (optional: submit as Master’s thesis in Spring. Must have letter grade for research credits)
6th semester Summer		PSY 837 Clinical Practicum (3 credits) PSY 964 Research (3 credits, precandidacy credits before comprehensive exams passed and dissertation proposal defended) Elective and Breadth Courses* COMPEHENSIVE EXAM
4th year           If Clinical Practicum continued, PSY 836 Fall and PSY 837 Spring (3 credits each)
7th semester		PSY 964 Research (3 credits) Elective and Breadth Courses* CAN PROPOSE DISSERTATION. Must propose by OCTOBER 1 of the year apply for internship
8th semester		PSY 964 (if have not proposed dissertation) or 969 Dissertation credits (Must have 9 credits of precandidacy 964 credits to transfer to dissertation credits after passing comprehensive exam and dissertation proposal) Elective and Breadth Courses*
5th year
9th semester		PSY 969 Dissertation credits Elective and Breadth Courses*
10th semester		PSY 969 Dissertation credits Elective and Breadth Courses* DEFEND DISSERTATION
6th year
11th semester		UNIV 554  Graduate Internship Semester (DCT will send letter to Graduate Office to register students)
12th semester		UNIV 554  Graduate Internship Semester

*	Indicates where the three required departmental breadth courses (social, cognitive, behavioral neuroscience) and three clinical electives may be taken. Choose based on availability, desirability of course offerings, and progress toward other program requirements.

 

Practicum Training

The Clinical Program at the University of Delaware emphasizes diversified practicum experiences in a range of clinical settings with varied patient populations and staff from different disciplines. The first year practicum typically involves a few hours per week. Practicum experiences generally involve one and a half to two days per week in an approved clinical setting and are required throughout the second and third years as prerequisites for the Internship. The first and second year practica take place at our Psychological Services Training Center. Third year practica are available in campus settings, hospitals, children in-patient facilities, medical schools, and community mental health and child guidance clinics. Every effort is made to arrange a third year practicum site that is consistent with a student's professional goals. Practicum training beyond the third year is available but not required.

Psychological Services Training Center

The Department's Psychological Services Training Center is used as the initial practicum site for our clinical students. The Center is run by the clinical psychology program. All first and second year students train at this Center, which treats adults, adolescents, children, and families from the surrounding community. The Center provides a setting for students to develop clinical skills under the supervision of the faculty and professional staff. The two-course sequence in assessment and in psychotherapy, are integrated with the student's practicum experience at the Center. During the first year, students are expected to observe intakes, attend the biweekly clinical science case series, conduct conjoint intake interviews with second year students, and conduct psychological assessments. In the second year, students serve as primary therapists for clinic cases and continue to conduct psychological assessments, under close faculty supervision. Please visit our link for this site at

http://www.psych.udel.edu/research/psych_services_center/index.asp

 

Specialization in Developmental-Clinical

Through coursework, practica, and research experiences, interested students can develop a systematic focus in developmental-clinical psychology. This specialization takes the form of: (1) coursework devoted to child clinical issues. In addition to the foundation course that include training in child and adult assessment and interventions, the following elective courses are available: Social and Emotional Development; Developmental Risk, Developmental Psychology Seminar, and Child Development and Public Policy; (2) clinical practica devoted to child and family issues. The department clinic consistently attracts a large number of child, adolescent, and family assessment and intervention cases, and third year practicum sites include an impressive variety of child-oriented facilities (e.g., a child guidance clinic, a residential facility for preadolescents, and a children's hospital; and (3) research and prevention programs that are devoted to child clinical issues. Specifically, the research programs of Drs. Ackerman, Hubbard, Izard, Dozier, and Kobak are directly relevant to child development and risk.

Students With Master's Degrees

Although students may receive a general Master's degree after completion of their master's thesis, only students intending to finish a full doctoral program should apply. Students with a master's degree from another school may get credit for their master's thesis if it meets the standards of our clinical faculty. It must be a complete research thesis rather than a pilot study or library research. The thesis must be defended and submitted to the previous school prior to enrollment at the University of Delaware. Students who come with a master's degree, or graduate coursework from other schools, are generally expected to take all of our clinical courses, required seminars, and practica. An exception may occasionally be made if the student can demonstrate (with syllabi and reading lists) that a previous course covered the same areas as the corresponding course given by our faculty.