Department of Psychology

Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology

Click to go to:

• Program Overview

• Clinical Psychology Grad School Fact Sheet

• Faculty Listing

• Student Admission Outcomes and Other Data

• Frequently Asked Questions

• Application Information

• Graduate Student Handbook

Note: Faculty interested in admitting a student for Fall 2012 include: Drs. Keane, Kwapil, Mendez, Nelson-Gray and Stein.

Program Overview

The Clinical Psychology Program at UNCG is based on the scientist-practitioner model. It aims to train skilled scientists and competent clinicians who use their expertise to understand, assess, treat, and prevent behavioral disorders, regardless of the setting in which they work (e.g., university psychology department, mental health center, private practice). Graduates of the doctoral program are prepared to work as independent researchers and practitioners.
To achieve this aim, our students are trained in the scientific method, basic areas in psychology, the special content domain of the clinical psychologist, and practical skills appropriate to the professional practice of psychology. Students are trained as clinical generalists, prepared to deal with adults and children, with individuals, families, and groups. The program teaches a broad range of empirically validated techniques in assessment and intervention. Although conceptual analyses of clinical phenomena most commonly represent a broadly based behavioral perspective, other perspectives are given serious study as well. We prefer to admit students who will continue to use their research training in academic settings or elsewhere, as graduates.

Faculty Listing
The Clinical Psychology Area includes seven tenure track faculty members who maintain active research laboratories. Click here for faculty interests and contact information.
Clinical Area Contact Person:  Dr. Susan Keane, (336) 256-0017,spkeane@uncg.edu

Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data
updated July 26, 2011

Program costs for a full-time student in the 2011-12 cohort:
In-state tuition: $ 3,969 (full-time; 12 or more credits)
Out-of-State Tuition: $16,195 (full-time; 12 or more credits)
Student Fees: $ 1,821.00
Total costs:
$18,016.00 (full-time, Out-of-state)
$5,790.00 (full-time, In-state)

Adjustments to Tuition:  Admitted students who are not residents of North Carolina typically receive an out-of state tuition waiver bringing their total program costs down to $5,275.00 (this figure includes in-state tuition and fees). However, each year, the clinical program is able to offer several competitive in-state waivers, making the annual program costs for those admitted students $1821.00. For the 2011-12 entering first year class, all out of state students received both out-of- state tuition waivers and in-state tuition waivers; all instate students received in-state tuition waivers. Thus, the annual program cost for all students entering in 2011-12 was $1,821.00.

In-state tuition waivers are also available for returning students on a competitive basis. For the 2011-12 academic year, all returning in-state students who were in good standing were awarded in-state tuition waivers. Similarly, all returning out-of state students who were in good standing were awarded out-of state tuition waivers and in-state tuition waivers. Please see the Graduate School link for more specific details regarding tuition and fees  (http://www.uncg.edu/grs/financial/estimatedcost.html).

Stipends, Fellowships and Other Funding: Students in the first few years of the program typically are awarded departmental TA/RA assistantships, requiring a 15-20 hr/week work commitment, split equally between TA and RA duties. The base stipend for the 2011-2012 cohort was $11,000 for the academic year.  For 2011-12 all entering students received a one-time increase in their stipend making their academic stipend $12,286.25.

When students receive their MA degree, they receive an automatic increase of $1,000 from the 11,000 pre-MA base stipend; the standard academic stipend for the current post-MA students is $12,000 for the academic year. For 2011-12 all post-MA students received a one-time increase of $286.25 making the post-MA stipend $12,286.25

Summer funding is available through grant support and competitive summer research assistantships offered by the Graduate School, or clinic assistantships. Students also have the opportunity to work at a summer day camp program for children with Asperger’s Disorder (DREAM Camp). Post-MA students also may apply to teach an undergraduate Psychology course one or both summer sessions. Summer funding ranges from $1,000 to $6,000, depending on the time commitment. Twenty-four students in the clinical program received some form of summer funding in 2010. Of these, three students were offered Graduate School summer research assistantships and three additional students were awarded the Rob and Debbie Guttentag summer research assistantship. For summer 2011, three additional students will receive summer research assistantships from the Graduate School; 19 others will receive other summer funding.

Several Graduate School Fellowships are also offered to students with exceptionally strong credentials and letters of support. For 2010-2011, four clinical students were awarded Greensboro Graduate Scholar Awards amounting to $2,000-3,000 each. For 2011-12, three students will receive the Greensboro Graduate Scholar award (a $2,000 add on for 2 years). In addition, two students in our second year class were awarded the prestigious Hayes Fellowship for 2010. This award offers a $22,000 stipend as well as full (in-state and out-of-state) tuition remission. For 2011, one student was named an Alumni Fellowship winner, which also carries a $22,00 stipend and full tuition remission. We were fortunate to also have two advanced students be awarded an $8,000 Duffy Award in 2010 named after the late Elizabeth Duffy, former Professor Emeritus of Psychology at UNCG.  For 2011, one student from the program has won the Duffy award. Five students were also awarded the UNC Campus wide fellowship for 2010-11; four students were awarded UNC Campus scholarships for 2011. These fellowships range from $2,000-$8,000, depending on demonstrated financial need.

Students may also be supported on faculty sponsored research grants, training grants or student-awarded fellowships. Grant stipends are comparable to the above noted rates but also include a summer stipend, typically $3000. Graduate Psychology Education Program Training grant stipends are 12-month stipends, currently set at $21,180. For 2011-12 we have four GPEP training stipends.

Advanced Practicum students (year 4) are supported by clinic or other placement funds. Stipends for these placements are currently $12,000; for 2010-11 an additional $286.00 departmental add-on was provided. No TA responsibilities are expected of students supported on grant, fellowship, or clinic support.

Health Insurance:  Basic Health Insurance ($390/ term) is covered for all funded students (TA, RA, clinic or grant-support).

Admission data: For Classes enrolling in Fall of specified year

Scores for admitted students:

 ATTRITION:

Licensure:   

Licensure percentage (over past 10 years): 48/53= 90.6%

Time to Completion of Ph.D.:

Internship Acceptance Rates:

 * percentages based on the total number of students who sought internship. Please note that all students who went on internship, obtained an APA, funded internship.

For additional information concerning Clinical Psychology at UNCG, please e-mail Susan Phillips Keane, Ph.D. (spkeane@uncg.edu).

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What are the philosophy and goals of the clinical training program?

The Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology is based on the scientist-practitioner model. Consistent with this model, our overarching goal is to foster the development of students as psychologists first, and secondarily as clinical psychologists.  Other program goals include: To train students in the competent practice of psychology; To train students in the integration of science and practice; To produce professionals who engage in ethically responsible behavior and to foster and develop in our students a sense of professional identity and development. To reach these goals, we focus on a student’s competence in several domains: broad and general knowledge in psychology, designing and conducting research, providing evidence-based practice, engaging in responsible and ethical behavior, and knowledge of how culture impacts research questions, findings and clinical practice. Also emphasized in our training model is the idea that a complete and thorough understanding of abnormality and psychopathology cannot be achieved in the absence of knowing the normal variations in human behavior that occur across development and in different social contexts.  Thus, students in our program receive broad training in other domains of psychology, including the developmental, social, and biological areas, to familiarize themselves with normal processes. Students in our program also learn about individual and cultural diversity through their courses, through their practicum training, and through their interactions with students and faculty from diverse backgrounds.

2. Is the clinical program fully accredited by the American Psychological Association and what are the implications of accreditation?

The clinical program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association. Full approval is the highest level of accreditation possible and reflects: (a) that training in clinical psychology received at UNCG is compatible with other APA approved programs both in terms of training models and curriculum; and (b) that the institutional setting, faculty (both clinical and non-clinical), and facilities are adequate to meet and support the student's academic needs. In terms of a student's career development, graduation from an APA approved clinical program is often a prerequisite for certain block-time internship placements and/or job opportunities. This credential also eases the licensure process and entry into some professional organizations. The current level of accreditation will remain in effect for seven years, at which time a re- evaluation by APA is conducted. This site visit is scheduled for 2011. Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

3. What is the curriculum of the clinical program?

The Ph.D. curriculum for clinical students consists of nine clinical courses and seminars, six courses and seminars in other areas of psychology or in advanced statistics, three research tool courses such as statistics and research methods, practicum and internship training, and 24 credit hours of research including the thesis and dissertation. The program is planned to be completed in five or six years, depending on the progress of the individual student.

During the first year, clinical students typically take courses in adult and child psychopathology, in theory and methods of psychotherapy and of behavior therapy, and in graduate research methods; two statistics courses; and two courses from four of five core areas in psychology (behavioral, psychobiological, cognitive, developmental, social.) During the second year, clinical students typically take courses (combining theory and methodology) in personality and intellectual assessment; a clinical seminar; introductory practicum experiences in the UNCG Psychology Clinic; as well as remaining core courses. The Master's thesis should be completed during the first 2 or 2 1/2 years. During the third year, clinical students take additional courses or seminars in basic psychology and/or advanced statistics and a clinical seminar; complete 200 client contact hours of supervised practicum training in the UNCG Psychology Clinic; and conduct independent doctoral research. The preliminary examination is taken by the fourth year. During the remaining two or three years, clinical students complete any remaining course work and seminars in clinical or in other areas of psychology, complete 350 clock hours of advanced practicum in a local community agency or in the UNCG Psychology Clinic, complete the independent doctoral research project and a dissertation, and take a 2,000 hour block-time APA-approved internship. A sample plan of study is presented below.

 Sample Plan of Study

Master’s Degree Requirements (55 credit hours)
Core area - 4 courses totaling 12 credits

• 3 of these 4 must be from outside the clinical area
• 1 of these 4 may be fulfilled using PSY 661 or PSY 662
• a grade of B or higher must be earned in each of these four courses (the reason for this is that the core courses are used as a substitute for taking lengthy written comprehensive examinations…had you been required to take comprehensive exams, grades of B or higher would have been necessary to pass)

Clinical area - 6 courses totaling 18 credits

• PSY 622, 623, 626, 640, either 661 or 662 (which ever did not count as your core course), 724

Research - 3 courses plus thesis totaling 17 credits

• PSY 624 (3 credits)
• 2 basic statistic courses with a lab (8 credits)
• PSY 699 – thesis (6 credits)

Practicum training (PSY 642)- 4 courses totaling 8 credits

• 1 credit for each semester in the fall and spring of year 1
• 3 credits for each semester in the fall and spring of year 2

Doctoral Degree Requirements – 102 credit hours
Nonclinical area – 6 courses totaling 18 credits
In addition to the 4 basic core courses taken for the Master’s degree:

• 2 advanced seminars outside the clinical area - 1 of these must address research design/statistical issues
• the other may be either from one of the other areas in Psychology (PSY 735 C, D, S) or from another department, or address additional research design/statistical issues
• both advanced seminar courses should be approved in advance by the student’s doctoral committee
• for APA accreditation purposes, 1 of these 6 nonclinical courses must address the social bases of behavior; another must deal with biological bases of behavior. Other courses must, in combination, address the cognitive and affective bases of behavior.

Clinical area -9 courses totaling 27 credits
In addition to the 6 clinical area courses taken for the Master’s degree:

• 2 advanced clinical seminars (PSY 735 J)
• Multicultural Issues in Clinical Psychology (PSY 745)

 Research tools - 35 credits
In addition to the 3 courses and thesis hours taken for the Master’s degree:

• 2 semesters of pre-dissertation research (PSY 751) totaling 6 credits
• A minimum of 12 (maximum of 24) dissertation (PSY 799) credits

Clinical training - 22 credits
In addition to the 8 credits of PSY 642 for the Master’s degree:

• 6 additional credits (3 each semester) of practicum (PSY 642)

• 6 credits (3 each semester) for advanced practicum (PSY 762)
• minimum 2 credits (1 each semester) for clinical internship year (PSY 763)

4. What are practicum opportunities?

Clinical practicum and internship is required of all clinical students. In the first and second years, students enroll in assessment and intervention courses that include a methodological component. In these courses, basic clinical skills (e.g., interviewing, testing, cognitive therapy, systematic desensitization) are learned. Concurrently, in the first year, students participate in weekly clinical group supervision and observe more advanced students serving as therapists in the UNCG Psychology Clinic. In the second year, students carry a small caseload. In their third year, students complete 200 client contact hours of practicum training at the UNCG Psychology Clinic where they are supervised by clinical faculty. The client population at this facility is diverse, both in terms of presenting problems and other demographic variables.

In the 4th year, students complete their advanced practicum training of 350 client contact hours. Current practicum sites include: UNCG Psychology Clinic, the AD/HD Clinic and UNCG Counseling & Testing Center. The skills learned during advanced practicum are designed to augment those achieved during earlier practicum years. After completing most or all of the other Ph.D. requirements, clinical students seek 2,000 hour, block-time internships that are approved by the American Psychological Association. There are hundreds of these internships as listed on the APA website  http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/programs/internships-state.aspx.
It is expected that students will complete their dissertation before leaving for internship.

Since 2002, the program has been awarded a Graduate Psychology Education Program (GPEP) Training grant.  This grant provides opportunities for students to gain additional exposure working with underserved populations, including refugee and immigrant populations. Current placements include: Cone Family Practice, Cone In-Patient Behavioral Health Adult and Adolescent Units, Cone Pediatrics, the Teen-Mom Program, the Newcomer’s School, and Learning Together. The program also sponsors DREAM Camp, a summer day camp for children with Asperger’s Disorder and the Depression Treatment and Research Program, a specialized practicum and research program providing empirically-based assessment and treatment approaches for clients with mood disorders.

5. How is research training conducted in the clinical program?

Research training in UNCG's clinical program begins during the first year through course work in clinical research methodology and in statistics. Also in the first year students associate themselves with research laboratories. Many students also conduct research as part of a departmental research assistantship responsibility. During the first year, students begin to develop a thesis research project through the clinical research methods course and under the direction of a faculty member. It is expected that second year students make a presentation at the Graduate Research Conference, scheduled early in the fall term. The thesis is typically completed during the second or third year. An independent doctoral research project, which is usually pilot work for the dissertation, is generally done during the third or fourth years, and the doctoral dissertation during the fourth or fifth years.

Students also have the opportunity to participate in non-required research throughout their training. Students are encouraged to co-author papers for publication and/or presentation at professional meetings. All students are encouraged to focus on problems of fundamental general importance. To this end, the Department supports students who want to develop research programs with both clinical and nonclinical faculty; many on-going collaborations among faculty exist to support students in this endeavor. All clinical students must demonstrate research competence prior to graduation.

6. What is the attrition rate among clinical students?

Of 46 students admitted during the last 7 years, 68% are currently in the program (some of whom are on internship). Six students (13%) were awarded the Ph.D. degree, seven students (15%) left to pursue other degree programs; one student (2%) left for personal reasons and 1 student (2%) left due to personal/professional problems.

7. What are the admission requirements?

Successful candidates typically exceed the following minimum criteria:
·         Psychology (or equivalent) major
·         Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better
·         Undergraduate Psychology GPA of 3.0 or better
·         GRE verbal and GRE quantitative sub-scores each above the 40th percentile
·         For non-native English speakers TOEFL scores above Graduate School minima (currently, 79 for internet-based test and 550 for paper-based test)
·         For students applying with an MA degree, a graduate GPA of 3.3 or better

Applicants who did not major in Psychology should have taken the following Psychology courses: Introductory Psychology, Statistics and Research Methods, Abnormal (or Clinical) Psychology, plus at least one additional course in Psychology. Applicants who did not major in Psychology are also strongly encouraged to submit a score from the Psychology subject GRE.

For the Clinical Program, applications are considered only once per year (during February and March) for admission in the following fall term. Application deadline: December 15th. Applicants are evaluated in two stages. First, a faculty committee examines the applicant's previous grade point averages, Graduate Record Examination scores, undergraduate research and preclinical experiences, letters of recommendation, and the statements of purpose and research interests. We are seeking applicants who are bright, well prepared, motivated, socially skilled, and whose interests are compatible with our model of training. Normally, competitive candidates have credentials which exceed the departmental minimum standards including, an undergraduate Psychology major, very good grades (e.g., 3.2 or above), solid GREs (e.g., 1200 total or above; good advanced score), evidence of prior research and applied experience, solid letters of recommendation, an interest in scientist-practitioner training, research interests that match those of current faculty mentors, and an interest to continue research after graduation. See Table above for scores of our current graduate students.

Secondly, we interview the top 30 or so candidates (of the several hundred who apply each year), usually in person. We schedule these interviews in February or March. (Applicants should not initiate interviews - if you are in the top group, you will be contacted.) In the interviews, we evaluate the candidate's research interests, career goals, background, and social skills. From all of this input, we select about 10 persons for admission, and construct a short list of alternates, with plans for an incoming class of about six or seven clinical students.
Successful applicants are notified by April 1 of each year. The selection process is usually completed by April 15 of each year.

We usually take no more than one or two students a year who already have a Master's degree, and these candidates rarely come from allied professions (e.g., Child Development). Usually about one year's worth of prior graduate work will transfer, and students generally must be here at least one year before formal admittance to the Ph.D. program. We do not admit part-time students. Professionals in the Greensboro area wishing to go on for a Ph.D. are welcome to apply, but they will be evaluated according to the same rigorous standards as other applicants and must be prepared to do full-time training. Except in extraordinary circumstances, we do not offer clinical retraining of persons with a Ph.D. in another area of psychology. Qualified persons may take specific graduate courses in the department (e.g., Psychological Disorders of Adults or of Children) without admission to the program. Interested students should contact the Graduate School for admission as a non-degree student. The assessment courses are open only to psychology graduate students. The intervention courses and practicum are open only to clinical psychology graduate students.