About the Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology Program

The Clinical Student Handbook contains important information not covered by the Psychology Graduate Student Handbook issued by the Psychology Department and the Academic Policies and Procedures Guidebook issued by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Clinical Psychology Major Areas of Study

Students can specialize in one of four areas through elective courses, selecting an appropriate externship, and by conducting either their master's or doctoral research in that area. The following four major areas of study are available:

Suggested Sequence of Study

For official graduate program course and credit requirements, refer to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Bulletin.

Students are expected to be in residence for their first four years, typically taking three to four 3-credit courses in addition to Clinical Topics Seminar and Research Colloquium per semester. Most students also take some courses over the summer, with up to two summer courses covered by their tuition scholarship. In total, students are required to complete 60 course credits. Externship (14 credits), Research Training (9 credits), and an APA-accredited internship (2 credits) brings the total to the 85 credits required for graduation. Courses taken over the summer or transferred from a prior institution may reduce the number of courses per semester or provide greater flexibility in selecting and scheduling electives.

Year

Fall

Spring

Summer

Year 1

Courses

  • Cognitive Assessment
  • Clinical Diagnosis
  • Research Methods
  • Intro to Statistics

Other Requirements

  • Externship III (Shadowing)
  • CTS
  • Research Colloquium
  • Identification of Child Abuse

Programmatic Milestones

  • None

Courses

  • Personality Assessment I  
  • Psychopathology
  • Psychotherapy Theories 
  • Regression Analysis  

Other Requirements

  • Externship IV (Shadowing)  
  • CTS
  • Research Colloquium

Programmatic Milestones

  • MA Preview Form Due May 1

Courses

  • History and Systems in Psychology  
  • Elective (optional)   

Other Requirements

  • Begin 1st externship placement 

Programmatic Milestones

  • Work on MA Thesis

 

Year Fall Spring Summer
Year 2

Courses

  • Ethics in Psychology 
  • Elective
  • Externship I 

Other Requirements

  • CTS
  • Research Colloquium
  • 1st externship placement  

Programmatic Milestones

  • MA Thesis Proposal Due November 1 

Courses

  • Introduction to Neuroscience 
  • Elective
  • Externship II

Other Requirements

  • CTS
  • Research Colloquium
  • 1st externship placement  

Programmatic Milestones

  • Continue working on MA Thesis 

Courses

  • Elective (optional)   

Other Requirements

  • Research Practicum
  • Begin 2nd externship placement  

Programmatic Milestones

  • Submit MA Thesis to Reader June 1 

 

Year Fall Spring

Summer

Year 3

Courses

  • Multicultural Seminar   
  • Elective
  • Elective (optional)
  • Externship III 

Other Requirements

  • CTS
  • Research Colloquium
  • 2nd externship placement  

Programmatic Milestones

  • Comprehensive Exam LOI Due (October)  

Courses

  • Cognition and Affect   
  • Elective
  • Elective (optional)
  • Externship IV 

Other Requirements

  • CTS
  • Research Colloquium
  • 2nd externship placement  

Programmatic Milestones

  • Comprehensive Exam Due (March)  

Courses

  • Teaching of Psychology 
  • Elective (optional)   

Other Requirements

  •  
  • Begin 3rd externship placement  

Programmatic Milestones

  • None 

 

Year Fall Spring Summer
Year 4

Courses

  • Externship V

Other Requirements

  • None

5-Year Graduation Track 

Programmatic Milestones

  • Dissertation Proposal  
  • Internship applications 
  • 3rd externship placement (optional)   

6-Year Graduation Track 

 Programmatic Milestones

  • Work on Dissertation 
  • 3rd externship placement (optional)  

Courses

  • Externship VI

Other Requirements

  • None

5-Year Graduation Track 

Programmatic Milestones

  • Dissertation data collection   
  • Internship interviews  
  • 3rd externship placement (optional)   

6-Year Graduation Track 

 Programmatic Milestones

  • Work on Dissertation 
  • 3rd externship placement (optional)  

Courses

  • None  

 

5-Year Graduation Track 

Programmatic Milestones

  • Begin Internship 

 

6-Year Graduation Track 

 Programmatic Milestones

  • Begin 4th externship placement (optional)  

 

Year Fall Spring Summer
Year 5

5-Year Graduation Track 

  • Internship   
  • Dissertation Progress Report    

6-Year Graduation Track 

  • Dissertation Proposal  
  • Internship applications 
  • 4th externship placement (optional)  

5-Year Graduation Track 

  • Internship   
  • Dissertation Oral Defense     

6-Year Graduation Track 

  • Dissertation data collection 
  • Internship interviews  
  • 4th externship placement (optional) 

5-Year Graduation Track 

  • Complete Internship   
  • Graduate!       

 

6-Year Graduation Track 

  • Begin Internship 
Year 6

6-Year Graduation Track 

  • Internship
  • Dissertation Progress Report

 

6-Year Graduation Track 

  • Internship
  • Dissertation Oral Defense    

 

 

6-Year Graduation Track 

  • Complete Internship   
  • Graduate!  

 

 

The doctoral training program in clinical psychology is a single program that prepares students for and makes them eligible to take the New York State Licensing Examination in Psychology. The CPDP has reviewed the educational requirements for licensure in all U.S. states and territories per new Department of Education regulations. We have determined that our program does not meet licensure education requirements for three states (California, Michigan, and New Mexico). While the CPDP meets the basic educational requirements for licensure, all three states require additional pre-licensure coursework/training that  are either (a) state specific (CA, MI) or (b) require completion of board specific modules (NM). Also note that licensure requires activities beyond the graduate education provided by the CPDP (i.e., supervised post-doctoral experiences) with each state mandating a different number of hours qualifying as supervised educational experiences (SPE) that varies by state. The Consumer Information Disclosure provides relevant information including a weblink to each state’s licensure statutes/regulations.