Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology

Currently Duquesne's Department of Psychology offers a combined M.A./Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology. Only full-time students are accepted into the program.

Requirements

Pre-Doctoral Internship

Students are required to complete a one-year pre-doctoral internship as part of the requirement for the Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Applications for internships are typically submitted during the fourth year of Ph.D. studies, with the internships commencing in the following summer. Although some internships are available locally, most students travel elsewhere for their internships.

Examinations

Comprehensive: Students are required to take this exam following their third year of graduate studies. The exam is completed during the week preceding the fall semester. An examination will also be offered during the spring semester for students needing to retake failed portions of the fall exam.

Assistantships

First, second, third, and fourth year doctoral students are offered assistantships that include a nine-month stipend and a waiver of tuition. These positions require 15 hours of work per week as a teaching and/or research assistant.

Credit Requirements

A minimum of 78 credits (excluding six credits for the dissertation) is required.  There is a residence requirement, which is fulfilled while completing the coursework.  These 78 credits must include the following:

1. 3 credits in Introduction to Qualitative Research (513)
2. 3 credits in Phenomenology of Human Development (526)
3. 3 credits in Psychology as a Human Science (537)
4. 3 credits in Psychopathology (543)
5. 3 credits in Introduction to Psychotherapy (545)
6. 3 credits in Social Psychology (551)
7. 3 credits in Physiological Psychology (560)
8. 3 credits in Introduction to Assessment (571)
9. 3 credits in Advanced Qualitative Research 611 or 612,
10. 3 credits can be additional credits in 611/612 or 614, 615, or 616 (Please check Appendix B for details on research curriculum choices)
11. 3 credits in Philosophical Psychology (620)
12. 1 credit in Basic Statistical Concepts (622)
13. 1 credit in Ethics and Standards (623)
14. 3 credits in Experimental & Statistical Research Methods (624)
15. 3 credits in Cognition and Emotion (637)
16. 6 credits in Clinical Practice (640, 663)
17. 0 credit Clinic Practicum (650) – if seeing clients at the Clinic
18. 0 credit Field Practicum (651) – if seeing clients at external practicum sites
19. 3 credits in Advanced Assessment (671)
20. 3 credits in Psychology and Cultural Diversity (674)
21. 1 credit in Psychology Minicourse.  An additional 2 credits may be taken in minicourses.

Certificate Programs:  Students may take a certificate program but the credits will be IN ADDITION to the 78 required Psychology credits needed to graduate.  Cross listed courses that fulfill Psychology requirements will count toward the 78 required Psychology credits.

PSYC 691:  Readings courses (Independent Studies) see Section VI. for guidelines.

*The student earns an M.A. in Psychology upon completion of 30 credits in the Ph.D. program.   The student’s progress is reviewed at this point and if satisfactory the student continues on with Ph.D. coursework.  If the student’s progress is not sufficient the student graduates with an M.A. degree.

Students should also be aware of the following:

To fulfill Pennsylvania Psychologist Licensure Requirements:  “Twenty semester hours of psychology courses must be from the following fifteen areas, with at least one course from each of five different areas:  experimental psychology, developmental psychology, individual differences, psychological tests and measurements, social psychology, statistics, history and systems, experimental design, personality theory, psychology of learning, physiological psychology, abnormal psychology, comparative psychology, motivation, and perception.” 

In preparation for eventual licensure as a psychologist, students are urged to keep copies of all course syllabi throughout their graduate training.