PhD in Clinical Psychology

Degree Requirements

• 72 credit hours of approved graduate work 
• Two tools of research are required but do not result in course credit toward the degree. The tool requirement is flexible and can be met in a variety of ways: 1) demonstration of knowledge of a language relevant to the student’s career;  2) demonstration of mastery in a computer program language; 3) satisfactory completion of one skill-oriented graduate course offered by another department at American University or by nonpsychology departments of the Consortium universities; 4) participation in one clinical institute which is approximately equal in time and difficulty to a full course; and 5) supervised tool training in other settings when approved by the student’s advisor and the department chair. 
• Four comprehensive examinations outlined by advisors or other faculty members. These are tasks which involve students in the kinds of activities they will later engage in as professional psychologists. At least one of the four comprehensives must be oral and at least two must be written. 
• Dissertation: A written proposal for the dissertation is to be submitted to the dissertation committee by the middle of the second semester of the third year. The original proposal, or a revision thereof, should meet the requirements of the committee by the end of the second semester of the third year. This allows adequate time for completion of a quality dissertation even if initial experimentation turns out to be exploratory in nature. The dissertation must be accepted by the dissertation committee, the department chair, and the university. 
• Internship: Clinical students must serve a one-year internship in an appropriate setting outside the university. 

Course Requirements 

• PSYC-502 History and Systems of Psychology (3) 
• PSYC-550 Psychological Research (3) 
• PSYC-551 Psychopathology: Theory and Research (3) 
• PSYC-618 Principles of Neuropsychological Assessment (3) or assessment course approved by the department 
• PSYC-630 Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice (3) 
• PSYC-633 Psychological Assessment I (3) 
• PSYC-652 Assessment of Intellectual Function and Personality (3) 
• PSYC-680 Experiential Psychotherapy Practicum I (3) 
• PSYC-681 Experiential Psychotherapy Practicum II (3) 
• PSYC-710 Behavior Therapy Practicum (3) 
• PSYC-791 Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Practicum I (3) 
• PSYC-792 Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Practicum II (3) 
• One course in Biological Bases of Behavior from the following:

• PSYC-501 Physiological Psychology (3)
• PSYC-513 Neuropharmacology: The Biochemistry of Behavior (3)
• PSYC-518 Advanced Human Neuropsychology 

• One course in Cognitive-Affective Bases of Behavior from the following:

• PSYC-530 Conditioning and Learning (3)
• PSYC-575 Advanced Memory and Cognition (3) 

• One course in Individual Bases of Behavior from the following:

• PSYC-505 Advanced Personality Psychology (3)
• PSYC-560 Advanced Developmental Psychology (3) 

• One course in Social Bases of Behavior from the following:

• PSYC-521 Ethnic and Minority Issues in Psychology (3)
• PSYC-540 Advanced Social Psychology (3)
• PSYC-545 Psychology of Sex Differences (3) 

• 6 credit hours from the following:

• PSYC-798 Doctoral Dissertation Seminar (3)
• PSYC-799 Doctoral Dissertation Research (1–9) 

• 6 credit hours of statistics
  
• 12 credit hours of electives