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 ways: (1) they are competent to conduct and to evaluate psychological research; (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, research, and clinical 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 1 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 teaching and research assistantships, University Fellowships, and placements in community service settings.

Program Admission Procedure

1. The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program application deadline is December 1.
2. Completed graduate applications should be submitted to the University of Louisville Office of Graduate Admissions. There is a $60 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 to begin in the Fall semester, with a usual start date of July 1.
3. The Graduate Record Examination General Test is required. 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.
5. Three letters of recommendation from academic sources are required and must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
6. Please go to the Psychological and Brain Sciences Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program Webpage: http://louisville.edu/psychology/doctorate/clinical-psychology/clinical-psychology-ph-d-program-application.html.  Click on Clinical Psychology, Ph.D. Program and this will take you to the Apply Page.  At the end you will find the Instructions for Submission and the Applicant Data Sheets for Submission.  There is also a checklist included in these forms that will help you with this process.
7. In addition to Graduate School requirements, each student must meet department requirements including core courses, research, the preliminary examination, a research portfolio, a dissertation, and an approved internship.

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.