Mission Statement

The mission of the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at the University of Louisville is to produce clinical psychologists who exemplify the scientist-practitioner model in the following way: (1) they are competent to conduct and to evaluate psychological research in domains that contribute to the enhancement of the practice of psychology; (2) they are current in their knowledge of both the theoretical underpinnings of clinical research and practice and in the empirically-supported applications of these theories; (3) they are competent in implementing research-supported clinical practice; and (4) they are ethical and professional in their relationships with clients, students, and colleagues.

General Information

The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, in the College of Arts and Sciences, offers Ph.D. programs in Experimental Psychology and Clinical Psychology.

The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program usually requires four years of full-time course work and research activities. Each student must also complete a one-year approved internship. Students are required to complete a Master's Research Portfolio. After completion of the Master's portfolio, students write their preliminary examination and then move on to their dissertation work. A dissertation proposal must be defended by September of the year the student is applying for internship.

Financial support for graduate students in the Ph.D. program is available in the form of research assistantships, Graduate School University Fellowships and part-time jobs and placements in laboratories and community service settings. Information regarding these various awards can be obtained from Ms. Carolyn Mask, Graduate Admissions in PBS, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.

Program Admission Procedure

1. Clinical and Experimental Ph.D. Programs Application Deadline - December 1
2. Submit completed graduate application to the University of Louisville Office of Graduate Admissions. There is a $50 application fee (on-line at http://graduate.louisville.edu/apply/) or call the Office of Graduate Admissions at 502-852-3101 for more information. Our Ph.D. programs admit students for the Fall semester only, which begins in late August.
3. The Graduate Record Examination is required or application will not be acted upon. We only require the general section of the GRE (minimum scores for Verbal and Quantitative must be 550 each). Those for whom English is not their native language must also submit TOEFL scores.
4. Transcripts of college records from all schools attended must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Students must have earned an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 for all undergraduate and prior graduate work.
5. Three letters of recommendation from academic sources are required and must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
6. Please contact the Psychological and Brain Sciences for our departmental packet. This packet has information we ask the applicant to complete and return directly to Ms. Carolyn Mask. To request a departmental packet, call 502-852-8272.
7. Only when the application is complete will the Department Review Committee act on the application and inform prospective students of its decision. Usually the last information to be received is the reference letter, so ask your letter writers well in advance of the deadline.
8. In addition to meeting Graduate School requirements for a doctoral degree (see Graduate School catalog), each student must meet department requirements such as core courses, research, the preliminary examination, a research portfolio, a dissertation, and an approved internship. More detailed information on programs and requirements can be obtained from Ms. Carolyn Mask, Graduate Admissions in PBS, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.

The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. curriculum contains 2 basic sets of core courses: department cores and clinical cores. The curriculum closely follows guidelines for accreditation established and maintained by the American Psychological Association's Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation.  Students take a two-course assessment sequence, a three-course intervention sequence, courses in psychopathology, personality, legal and ethical issues, and advanced seminars in specific clinical topics.

In addition to the clinical core curriculum, students take basic psychology core courses including a statistics and research methods sequence, behavioral neuroscience, personality, developmental, cognitive, and social psychology. A course on the history of psychology is required for students who have not had an equivalent undergraduate course. Students also complete research hours for master's and dissertation research. Three topical seminars are also required. 

Department Core:

• 620 Human Learning or 621 Cognitive Processes
• 642 Behavioral Neuroscience
• 670 Advanced Social Psychology
• 661 Advanced Developmental Psychology
• 673 Advanced Personality 
• 610 and 611 Advanced Statistics I and II
• 501 History and Systems (waived with an A or B in undergraduate)

Clinical Core: 

• 656 Legal and Ethical
• 679 and 680 Assessment I and II
• 683, 684, 697 Interventions I, II, and III  
• 693 Interviewing
• 689 Advanced Clinical Psychopathology  
• 685 Clinical Practicum

Electives: 

Topical seminars are offered to augment the curriculum and allow students more detailed exposure to areas of interest. Recent seminars include: Schizophrenia, Geropsychology, Neuropsychology, Anxiety Disorders, and Behavioral Medicine. Students may also, with approval from their mentor and the director of clinical training, take seminars in other departments of the University.

Students entering the program with graduate courses from another program may request that core courses be waived provided the appropriate instructors judge them to be of equivalent content.