clinical psychology phd programs texas

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Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology

The clinical psychology doctoral program blends the clinical-scientist model and the scientist-practitioner model. It integrates the full range of research, teaching and applied skills in training doctoral students.

We view research and applied skills as interwoven rather than as two discrete sets of skills. As a result, you will acquire the foundation for pursuing a(n):

• Clinical scientist career in an academic or research setting
• Scientist-practitioner career in a medical or other training institution
• Administrative role in a service delivery agency

Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology Program Requirements

Steps to Fulfill a Doctoral Program

Research Focus

In this program, students are involved in faculty-led research teams beginning in their first year. This affords them the opportunity to collaborate with team members in:

• Developing research questions
• Designing empirical studies
• Collecting and analyzing data
• Writing manuscripts
• Presenting scientific papers at national and regional conferences

The clinical program emphasizes student involvement in collaborative research beyond their thesis research. This provides a broad foundation in research methodology prior to formulating their dissertation research. We expect our students to have several scholarly publications and presentations at scientific meetings prior to graduation.

To support their development as clinical scientists, students complete courses in:

• Research methodology
• Scientific domains of psychological inquiry
• Core clinical courses in psychopathology, assessment and psychosocial interventions

You'll also take a diversity-focused course.

Topics of multiculturalism and diversity, as well as other profession-wide competencies, are infused throughout the program from coursework to colloquia and research team experiences.

Clinical Experience

Students begin to acquire clinical skills in assessment and intervention in their second year. All students serve as therapists, serving children, adolescents, and adults from the community (as individuals, couples, or families) under close faculty supervision. Advanced students may:

• Specialize in certain types of cases (e.g., eating disorders, chronic pain, substance abuse, attention-deficit disorders, or relationship problems)
• Provide peer supervision
• Gain exposure to a range of therapeutic approaches (e.g., CBT, DBT, ACT, among others),
• Involve themselves in one of the ongoing specialty training/research programs at the clinic, gaining intensive experience with a particular problem while participating in the design, conduct, and evaluation of a research project

The final year of the program is a clinical internship in which students typically match to a program at a different institution or clinic. This program provides immersive clinical experience and the opportunity to learn new approaches to clinical work and research.

Clinical Psychology

The program is designed for completion in five years, the last year of which is the clinical internship. The first two years are relatively course intensive, during which students complete basic courses in research methodology, scientific domains of psychological inquiry, and core clinical courses in psychopathology, assessment, and psychosocial interventions.

Students become involved in faculty-led research teams during their first year, affording them the opportunity to collaborate with team members in developing research questions, designing empirical studies, collecting and analyzing data, writing manuscripts, and presenting scientific papers at national and regional conferences. By the end of their first year, students propose their master’s thesis research to be completed during their second year. The Clinical program emphasizes student involvement in collaborative research beyond their thesis research, providing a broad foundation in research methodology prior to formulating their dissertation research during their third year. We expect our students to have several scholarly publications and presentations at scientific meetings prior to applying for the pre-doctoral internship.

Students also acquire clinical skills in assessment and intervention beginning in their second year. All students serve as primary therapists for clients at our  Department Clinic  serving children, adolescents, and adults from the community (as individuals, couples, or families) under close faculty supervision. Advanced students may specialize in certain types of cases (e.g., eating disorders, chronic pain, substance abuse, attention-deficit disorders, or relationship problems) and may also involve themselves in one of the ongoing specialty training/research programs at the clinic, gaining intensive experience with a particular problem while participating in the design, conduct, and evaluation of a research project.

Since the 1990s, the Clinical program has been successful in developing a variety of community and regional training sites in assessment, crisis intervention, individual and group therapy, behavioral health consultation, and program evaluation with children, adolescents, and adults.  We view community practica as a valuable means of expanding the breadth of our students’ clinical training in balance with their research and teaching needs.  At present, we have two paid community practica (Brazos County Detention Center and Brazos County Probation and Parole Services), with 2-3 students placed at each per academic year.  At Brazos County Detention Center, students develop skills in psychodiagnostic interviews, brief individual therapy, crisis management, and consultation with correctional staff as well as other community agencies servicing inmates, with common referrals involving noncompliance with staff, aggressive behavior, adjustment problems to jail placement, severe emotional distress, unmedicated serious psychiatric disorders, and suicide risk assessment.  At the Brazos County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, students develop skills in psychological assessment of anger and impulse control, substance abuse, and psychopathology, individual or group therapy for anger management, chemical dependence, or severe emotional disorders, and consultation to probation department staff.  In addition to these paid external placements, students may occasionally pursue unpaid practicum experiences at sites that meet specific training needs (e.g., pediatric facilities, VA hospitals).  Such opportunities are developed in conjunction with the primary research mentor and must be approved by the Director of Clinical Training.

Our students are highly competitive for premier pre-doctoral internships nationally (e.g., university and VA medical centers in San Diego, Seattle, New Orleans, New York City, Baltimore, Chapel Hill, Houston, and San Antonio). The majority of our graduates from the Clinical program pursue research positions in academic or medical settings, or clinical training or administrative positions in medical centers or community agencies. The Clinical program at Texas A&M is not intended for individuals wishing to pursue a career primarily in independent clinical practice.

The Clinical program supports an active speaker series that each year brings to campus distinguished faculty members from other universities. This series provides exposure to different perspectives on the field and the opportunity to network with professors at other institutions.

Additional Program Information:

Clinical Curriculum Sequence 20-21 

Student Admissions, Outcomes and Other Data

Clinical Psychology Graduate Handbook

The Clinical Psychology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. 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:  [email protected] Web:  www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

PhD Students in Clinical Psychology 2018

Department of Psychology

Clinical Psychology

*WE ONLY HOLD ADMISSIONS IN THE FALL FOR ENTRY A YEAR LATER*

The UNT Clinical Psychology doctoral (Ph.D.) program is one of only a handful of APA-accredited clinical psychology doctoral programs nationwide that is housed in a top tier (R1) university that also holds the distinction of being a minority serving intitution (MSI). Over the past decade our program has transformed into a majority-minority student body. Additional information is provided in our Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data .

We are committed to a student-centered learning approach with close faculty mentorship. The program offers intensive research training in the science of Clinical Psychology via highly productive faculty research labs . Simultaneously, students obtain in-depth, closely supervised training in the practice of Clinical Psychology. Students begin clinical practicum internally within our psychology training clinic, which is located in a mental health professional shortage area, before advancing to high quality external practicum sites across the DFW Metroplex, gaining experience with underserved areas or populations. In addition to achievements among our graduates , our program is:

• ranked 14th nationally (top 6%) on its number of publications in the most influential assessment journals 1
• ranked 6th nationally (top 3%) on its impact as measured by its citations in the area of assessment 1
• ranked 5th nationally (top 3% on its adjusted passing rate on the national licensing exam (EPPP) 2
• home to one of the largest psychology training clinics in the country; offering high quality, low-cost services to a diverse clientele
• accredited by the American Psychological Association

Our Commitment to Diversity

Across research areas, our faculty evidence their commitment to diveristy, broadly defined (race/ethnicity, sex, language, age, country of origin, sexual orientation, religious/spiritual beliefs, social class, and physical disability). We are a proud member of the BRIDGE Psychology Network , which aims to connect prospective students to programs that collaborate and improve initiatives that nurture inclusivity and diversity in psychology graduate programs, and encourage students to utilize anti-racist resources as part of their multicultural competency development. Resources that inform our training and pertain to diversity include:

• Definitions
• Allies Resource List
• APA Presidential Task Force on Enhancing Diversity
• Guidelines on Multicultural Education
• Resource Guide for Graduate Students with Disabilities
• Resource Guide for Ethnic Minority Graduate Students
• Guide for LGBT Students Navigating Graduate Training
• Working with Immigrant-Origin Clients
• Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Low Income and Economically Marginalized Individuals
• Inclusion of Social Class in Psychology Curricula: Resources for Educators
• A Guide for Supporting Trans and Gender Diverse Students
• UNT Division of Institutional Equity & Diversity
• UNT Multicultural Center
• Resources for Elevating Voices to Address Racial Stress and Trauma

THECB Marketable Skills

• Assessment evaluations
• Psychological diagnostics
• Psychotherapy interventions
• Measurement and psychometrics
• Psychological consultation

Statement on Licensure

Our program adheres to APA accreditation standards and prepares students for entry into the profession of Clinical Psychology. Given the varied and changing requirements across jurisdictions, we cannot assure, nor is it our responsibility, that graduates will meet all requirements for licensure in all states, territories, or international locations. Doctoral trainess in this program are encouraged to become familiar with licensing laws applicable to their career plans and discuss their curricular plan with their major professor and/or the Director of Clinical Training (DCT) as needed. A compilation of licensure requirements, organized by jurisdictions, is available and updated annually via these links:

https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.asppb.net/resource/resmgr/docs/7.22.21_consume...

https://asppbcentre.org/additional-resources/survey-questions-and-answers/

• Morey, L.C. (2010). Leading North American programs in clinical assessment research: An assessment of productivity and impact. Journal of Personality Assessment, 92, 207-211. doi: 10.1080/00223891003670133
• Callahan, J.L., Ruggero, C.J., & Parent, M.C. (2013). Hidden gems among clinical psychology training programs. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 7, 278-284. doi: 10.1037/a0034233

The Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at the University of North Texas is accredited by the American Psychological Association, Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. 202-336-5979 Email: [email protected] Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

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Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology

The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program seeks to train professionals with a broad knowledge of scientific psychology who will be skilled clinicians. The program’s educational philosophy is to produce scientist/practitioners who possess expertise in both research and clinical practice. The department believes that experience in applied settings produces scientists who are sensitive to pragmatic issues and who are on the cutting edge of research questions essential to practitioners in the field. Conversely, clinicians who have been trained as scientists understand emerging research and incorporate new findings into their daily practice. The program uses a flexible mentor model in which students are accepted to work with a particular member of the faculty for their degree-required research, but also are encouraged to seek research opportunities with other members of the Department faculty. All students are required to complete a dissertation and to be enrolled full-time. The demands of the program’s training are not amenable to part-time or weekend course schedules.

Additionally, the Ph.D. program includes a strong forensic emphasis. We train all students to be legally informed clinicians, who can explain psychological phenomena to courts or administrative agencies, intervene with individuals and families at various junctures in the social system, and provide assessment and treatment for both victims and offenders. All students have the opportunity to participate in performing forensic evaluations for the courts. Students will complete the program with the basic preparation they need to pursue postdoctoral specialty training and legally relevant clinical psychology research.

Clinical psychology is the psychological science that seeks to understand, assess, and treat psychological disorders and conditions. SHSU psychology students’ published research has examined test development, personality assessment, psychopathology, gender and minority issues, jury processes, and public policy, among other topics. Students’ practicum experiences have involved work with severely disturbed clients, people with brain injuries, persons with addictions, troubled adolescents, children and families, and persons in the legal system. Practicum settings have included a variety of inpatient and residential settings (neuropsychiatric, rehabilitation, and university medical center), private psychological practices, and correctional settings. In addition, the program operates its own Psychological Services Center where students provide services to a broad range of community clientele.

​ Additional information : Reference the Program Landing Page for additional information, such as cost, delivery format, contact information, or to schedule a visit.

Applicants seeking admission to the doctoral program in clinical psychology must submit the following directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions :

• Graduate Application : The Graduate Application is an institutional application required by SHSU. Students must provide biographical and educational information and information relevant to determining State of Texas residency.
• Application fee : An university application fee is required for all applications to graduate programs at SHSU.
• Transcripts documenting all prior degrees.* Applicants are welcome to submit transcripts for coursework from additional institutions, though this is not necessary.
• Program application with the fee
• A minimum of two letters of recommendation (three are preferred)
• Personal Statement/Essay
• Current resume or curriculum vitae
• TOEFL score (if applicable)

*Applicants may submit unofficial transcripts for review by the admissions committee. However, under university policy, admission decisions are contingent upon receipt of official transcripts.

Note: GRE Scores are not needed and will not be reviewed for the 2024-2025 admission cycle. 

The application deadline is December 1, 2023.

The Doctoral Program seeks promising students from all backgrounds in the service of creating a diverse intellectual community.  High test scores and grades do not guarantee acceptance, and students whose lower scores are offset by other exceptional qualifications may be admitted.  New students may join the program with either a baccalaureate or a master’s degree.

For application forms or further information, write, or call:

Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program Department of Psychology and Philosophy Sam Houston State University Box 2210 Huntsville, TX 77341-2210 Telephone: (936) 294-1210 E-mail: [email protected]

Note: Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

All formal requirements for completion of the Ph.D. are described in the Clinical Psychology Doctor of Philosophy Program Handbook and may vary from one student to another depending on previous academic preparation. The following guidelines are offered to demonstrate the nature of the doctoral program and should not be misconstrued as representing the formal requirements for the PhD:

• A course of study that includes training in the discipline-specific knowledge of psychology, including research and quantitative methods; history and systems of psychology; and the affective, biological, cognitive, developmental, and social bases of behavior. Students are also trained in the profession-wide competencies associated with clinical psychology, which include research, ethical and legal standards, individual and cultural diversity, professional values and attitudes, communication and interpersonal skills, assessment, intervention, supervision, and consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills. This course of study is sequential, cumulative, graded in complexity, and designed to prepare students for entry-level practice and further organized training.
• Enrollment as a full-time student (i.e., a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester) on campus for at least four consecutive long (i.e., Fall, Spring) semesters.
• Earned grades of B or better in all classes. Please consult the Program Handbook for a more detailed description of policies regarding academic standards.
• Completion with a passing score on a written comprehensive examination.
• Completion and defense of a doctoral dissertation that is the product of original scholarly research and is of such quality as to represent a meaningful contribution to knowledge in the field of psychology.
• Completion of a year-long pre-doctoral internship, during which the student works full-time in an applied clinical setting.
• Completion of the degree within 6 years from the first semester of registration as a doctoral student (i.e., following completion of requirements for the master’s degree).

Students entering with a master’s degree in psychology and who have completed similar courses as part of their degree may have courses waived at the discretion of the Doctoral Program Faculty.

Students must take  PSYC 8383  for a minimum of nine hours and until such time as they enroll in Internship PSYC 8110 .

Once enrolled in PSYC 6099 , students must enroll in this course every semester until the thesis route sheet is received by the Office of the Registrar.

Once enrolled in PSYC 8099 , students must enroll in this course every semester until the dissertation route sheet is received by the Office of the Registrar.

Note:  Doctoral students must earn a grade of B or above in all classes.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) marketable skills initiative is part of the state’s 60x30TX plan and was designed to help students articulate their skills to employers.  Marketable skills are those skills valued by employers and/or graduate programs that can be applied in a variety of work or education settings and may include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas.

The Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology is designed to provide graduates with the following marketable skills:

• Graduates will meet the educational requirements for licensure as a psychologist in Texas.
• As licensed psychologists, or while working under supervision, graduates will be able to provide comprehensive, multi-method psychological evaluations to answer a wide range of referral questions.
• As licensed psychologists or while working under the supervision, graduates will be able to provide psychotherapy services to diverse clients using empirically supported treatment techniques.
• Graduates will be competent to conduct psychological research, including developing research questions, designing empirical research, and using quantitative methods.
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Doctor of philosophy in clinical psychology.

The Clinical Psychology program espouses a blend of the clinical-scientist model and the scientist-practitioner model, integrating the full range of research, teaching, and applied skills in training doctoral students. We view research and applied skills as interwoven rather than as two discrete sets of skills. As a result, our graduates acquire the foundation for pursuing a clinical scientist career in an academic or research setting, as well as a scientist-practitioner career in a medical or other training institution, or serving in an administrative role in a service delivery agency.

In this program, students are involved in faculty-led research teams beginning in their first year. This affords them the opportunity to collaborate with team members in developing research questions, designing empirical studies, collecting and analyzing data, writing manuscripts, and presenting scientific papers at national and regional conferences. The Clinical program emphasizes student involvement in collaborative research beyond their thesis research, providing a broad foundation in research methodology prior to formulating their dissertation research. We expect our students to have several scholarly publications and presentations at scientific meetings prior to graduation. To support their development as clinical scientists, students complete courses in research methodology, scientific domains of psychological inquiry, and core clinical courses in psychopathology, assessment, psychosocial interventions, and a diversity-focused course. Furthermore, topics of multiculturalism and diversity, as well as other profession wide competencies are infused throughout the program from coursework to colloquia and research team experiences.

Students begin to acquire clinical skills in assessment and intervention in their second year. All students serve as therapists, serving children, adolescents, and adults from the community (as individuals, couples, or families) under close faculty supervision. Advanced students may specialize in certain types of cases (e.g., eating disorders, chronic pain, substance abuse, attention-deficit disorders, or relationship problems), provide peer supervision, gain exposure to a range of therapeutic approaches (e.g., CBT, DBT, ACT, among others), and may also involve themselves in one of the ongoing specialty training/research programs at the clinic, gaining intensive experience with a particular problem while participating in the design, conduct, and evaluation of a research project. The final year of the program is a clinical internship in which students typically match to a program at a different institution or clinic, where they have a more immersive clinical experience and the opportunity to learn new approaches to clinical work and research.

Steps to Fulfill a Doctoral Program

Program Requirements

• Student's Advisory Committee

Degree Plan

Transfer of credit, research proposal.

• Preliminary Examination

Preliminary Examination Format

Preliminary examination scheduling, report of preliminary examination, failure of the preliminary examination, retake of failed preliminary examination.

• Final Examination

Report of Final Examination

Dissertation, student’s advisory committee.

After receiving admission to graduate studies and enrolling, the student will consult with the head of his or her major or administrative department (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty) concerning appointment of the chair of the advisory committee. The student’s advisory committee will consist of  no fewer than four members of the graduate faculty  representative of the student’s several fields of study and research, where the chair or co-chair must be from the student’s department (or intercollegiate faculty, if applicable), and  at least one or more of the members must have an appointment to a department other than the student’s major department . The outside member for a student in an interdisciplinary degree program must be from a department different from the chair of the student’s committee.

The chair, in consultation with the student, will select the remainder of the advisory committee. Only graduate faculty members located on Texas A&M University campuses may serve as chair of a student’s advisory committee. Other Texas A&M University graduate faculty members located off-campus may serve as a member or co-chair (but not chair), with a member as the chair.

If the chair of a student’s advisory committee voluntarily leaves the University and the student is near completion of the degree and wants the chair to continue to serve in this role, the student is responsible for securing a current member of the University Graduate Faculty, from the student’s academic program and located near the Texas A&M University campus site, to serve as the co-chair of the committee. The Department Head or Chair of Intercollegiate faculty may request in writing to the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School that a faculty member who is on an approved leave of absence or has voluntarily separated from the university, be allowed to continue to serve in the role of chair of a student’s advisory committee without a co-chair for up to one year. The students should be near completion of the degree. Extensions beyond the one year period can be granted with additional approval of the Dean.

The committee members’ signatures on the degree plan indicate their willingness to accept the responsibility for guiding and directing the entire academic program of the student and for initiating all academic actions concerning the student. Although individual committee members may be replaced by petition for valid reasons, a committee cannot resign  en masse . The chair of the committee, who usually has immediate supervision of the student’s research and dissertation or record of study, has the responsibility for calling all meetings of the committee. The duties of the committee include responsibility for the proposed degree plan, the research proposal, the preliminary examination, the dissertation or record of study and the final examination. In addition, the committee, as a group and as individual members, is responsible for counseling the student on academic matters, and, in the case of academic deficiency, initiating recommendations to the Graduate and Professional School.

The student’s advisory committee will evaluate the student’s previous education and degree objectives. The committee, in consultation with the student, will develop a proposed degree plan and outline a research problem which, when completed, as indicated by the dissertation (or its equivalent for the degree of Doctor of Education or the degree of Doctor of Engineering), will constitute the basic requirements for the degree. The degree plan must be filed with the Graduate and Professional School prior to the deadline imposed by the student’s college and no later than 90 days prior to the preliminary examination.

This proposed degree plan should be submitted through the online Document Processing Submission System located on the website  http://ogsdpss.tamu.edu . A minimum of 64 hours is required on the degree plan for the Doctor of Philosophy for a student who has completed a master’s degree. A student who has completed a DDS/DMD, DVM or a MD at a U.S. institution is also required to complete a minimum of 64 hours. A student who has completed a baccalaureate degree but not a master’s degree will be required to complete a 96-hour degree plan. Completion of a DDS/DMD, DVM or MD degree at a foreign institution requires completion of a minimum of 96 hours for the Doctor of Philosophy. A field of study may be primarily in one department or in a combination of departments. A degree plan must carry a reasonable amount of 691 (research). A maximum of 9 hours of 400-level undergraduate courses may be used toward meeting credit-hour requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy.

Additional coursework may be added by petition to the approved degree plan by the student’s advisory committee if it is deemed necessary to correct deficiencies in the student’s academic preparation. No changes can be made to the degree plan once the student’s Request for Final Examination is approved by the Graduate and Professional School.

Approval to enroll in any professional course (900-level) should be obtained from the head of the department (or Chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if applicable) in which the course will be offered before including such a course on a degree plan.

No credit may be obtained by correspondence study, by extension or for any course of fewer than three weeks duration.

For non-distance degree programs, no more than four courses may be taken by distance education without approval of the Graduate and Professional School and no more than 50 percent of the non-research credit hours required for the program may be completed through distance education courses.

To receive a graduate degree from Texas A&M University, students must earn one-third or more of the credits through the institution’s own direct instruction. This limitation also applies to joint degree programs.

Courses for which transfer credits are sought must have been completed with a grade of B or greater and must be approved by the student’s advisory committee and the Graduate and Professional School. These courses must not have been used previously for another degree. Except for officially approved cooperative doctoral programs, credit for thesis or dissertation research or the equivalent is not transferable. Credit for “internship” coursework in any form is not transferable. Courses taken in residence at an accredited U.S. institution or approved international institution with a final grade of B or greater will be considered for transfer credit if, at the time the courses were completed, the courses would be accepted for credit toward a similar degree for a student in degree-seeking status at the host institution. Credit for coursework taken by extension is not transferable. Coursework  in which no formal grades are given or in which grades other than letter grades (A or B) are earned (for example, CR, P, S, U, H, etc.) is not accepted for transfer credit . Credit for coursework submitted for transfer from any college or university must be shown in semester credit hours, or equated to semester credit hours.

Courses used toward a degree at another institution may not be applied for graduate credit. If the course to be transferred was taken prior to the conferral of a degree at the transfer institution, a letter from the registrar at that institution stating that the course was not applied for credit toward the degree must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School.

Grades for courses completed at other institutions are not included in computing the GPA. An official transcript from the university at which transfer courses are taken must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions.

The general field of research to be used for the dissertation should be agreed on by the student and the advisory committee at their first meeting, as a basis for selecting the proper courses to support the proposed research.

As soon thereafter as the research project can be outlined in reasonable detail, the dissertation research proposal should be completed. The research proposal should be approved at a meeting of the student’s advisory committee, at which time the feasibility of the proposed research and the adequacy of available facilities should be reviewed. The approved proposal, signed by all members of the student’s advisory committee, the head of the student’s major department (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if applicable), must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School at least 20 working days prior to the submission of the Request for the Final Examination.

Compliance issues must be addressed if a graduate student is performing research involving human subjects, animals, infectious biohazards and recombinant DNA. A student involved in these types of research should check with the Office of Research Compliance and Biosafety at (979) 458-1467 to address questions about all research compliance responsibilities. Additional information can also be obtained on the website  http:// rcb.tamu.edu .

Examinations

Preliminary examination on for doctoral students.

The student’s major department (or chair of the interdisciplinary degree program faculty, if applicable) and his or her advisory committee may require qualifying, cumulative or other types of examinations at any time deemed desirable. These examinations are entirely at the discretion of the department and the student’s advisory committee.

The preliminary examination is required. The preliminary examination for a doctoral student shall be given no earlier than a date at which the student is within 6 credit hours of completion of the formal coursework on the degree plan (i.e., all coursework on the degree plan except 681, 684, 690, 691, 692, 693, 695, 697, 791, or other graduate courses specifically designated as S/U in the course catalog). The student should complete the Preliminary Examination no later than the end of the semester following the completion of the formal coursework on the degree plan.

The objective of preliminary examination is to evaluate whether the student has demonstrated the following qualifications:

a.     a mastery of the subject matter of all fields in the program;

b.     an adequate knowledge of the literature in these fields and an ability to carry out bibliographical research;

c.     an understanding of the research problem and the appropriate methodological approaches.

The format of the preliminary examination shall be determined by the student’s department (or interdisciplinary degree program, if applicable) and advisory committee, and communicated to the student in advance of the examination. The exam may consist of a written component, oral component, or combination of written and oral components.

The preliminary exam may be administered by the advisory committee or a departmental committee; herein referred to as the examination committee.

Regardless of exam format, a student will receive an overall preliminary exam result of pass or fail. The department (or interdisciplinary degree program, if applicable) will determine how the overall pass or fail result is determined based on the exam structure and internal department procedures. If the exam is administered by the advisory committee, each advisory committee member will provide a pass or fail evaluation decision.

Only one advisory committee substitution is allowed to provide an evaluation decision for a student’s preliminary exam, and it cannot be the committee chair.

If a student is required to take, as a part of the preliminary examination, a written component administered by a department or interdisciplinary degree program, the department or interdisciplinary degree program faculty must:

a.     offer the examination at least once every six months. The departmental or interdisciplinary degree program examination should be announced at least 30 days prior to the scheduled examination date.

b.     assume the responsibility for marking the examination satisfactory or unsatisfactory, or otherwise graded, and in the case of unsatisfactory, stating specifically the reasons for such a mark.

c.     forward the marked examination to the chair of the student’s advisory committee within one week after the examination.

Prior to commencing any component of the preliminary examination, a departmental representative or the advisory committee chair will review the eligibility criteria with the student, using the Preliminary Examination Checklist to ensure the student is eligible for the preliminary examination. The following list of eligibility requirements applies.

Student is registered at Texas A&M University for a minimum of one semester credit hour in the long semester or summer term during which any component of the preliminary examination is held. If the entire examination is held between semesters, then the student must be registered for the term immediately preceding the examination.

An approved degree plan is on file with the Graduate and Professional School prior to commencing the first component of the examination.

Student’s cumulative GPA is at least 3.000.

Student’s degree plan GPA is at least 3.000.

At the end of the semester in which at least the first component of the exam is given, there are no more than 6 hours of coursework remaining on the degree plan (except 681, 684, 690, 691, 692, 693, 695, 697, 791, or other graduate courses specifically designated as S/U in the course catalog). The head of the student’s department (or Chair of the Interdisciplinary Degree Program, if applicable) has the authority to approve a waiver of this criterion.

Credit for the preliminary examination is not transferable in cases where a student changes degree programs after passing a preliminary exam.

If a written component precedes an oral component of the preliminary exam, the chair of the student’s examination committee is responsible for making all written examinations available to all members of the committee. A positive evaluation of the preliminary exam by all members of a student’s examination committee with at most one dissension is required to pass a student on his or her preliminary exam.

The student’s department will promptly report the results of the Preliminary Examination to the Graduate and Professional School via the Report of Doctoral Preliminary Examination form. The Preliminary Examination checklist form must also be submitted. These forms should be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School within 10 working days of completion of the preliminary examination.

The Report of the Preliminary Examination form must be submitted with original signatures of the approved examination committee members. If an approved examination committee member substitution (one only) has been made, that signature must also be included, in place of the committee member, on the form submitted to the Graduate and Professional School. The original signature of the department head is also required on the form.

After passing the required preliminary oral and written examinations for a doctoral degree, the student must complete the final examination within four years of the semester in which the preliminary exam is taken. Exams taken in between terms will expire at the end of the term that ended prior to the exam. For example, a preliminary exam taken and passed during the fall 2019 semester will expire at the end of the fall 2023 semester. A preliminary exam taken in the time between the summer and fall 2019 semesters will expire at the end of the summer 2023 semester.

First Failure

Upon approval of a student’s examination committee (with no more than one member dissenting), and approval of the Department and Graduate and Professional School, a student who has failed a preliminary examination may be given one re-examination. In accordance with Student Rule 12.5, the student’s department head or designee, intercollegiate faculty, or graduate advisory committee should make a recommendation to the student regarding their scholastic deficiency.

Second Failure

Upon failing the preliminary exam twice in a doctoral program, a student is no longer eligible to continue to pursue the PhD in that program/major. In accordance with Student Rule 12.5.3 and/or 12.5.4, the student will be notified of the action being taken by the department as a result of the second failure of the preliminary examination.

Adequate time must be given to permit a student to address inadequacies emerging from the first preliminary examination. The examination committee must agree upon and communicate to the student, in writing, an adequate time-frame from the first examination (normally six months) to retest, as well as a detailed explanation of the inadequacies emerging from the examination. The student and committee should jointly negotiate a mutually acceptable date for this retest.  When providing feedback on inadequacies, the committee should clearly document expected improvements that the student must be able to exhibit in order to retake the exam.  The examination committee will document and communicate the time-frame and feedback within 10 working days of the exam that was not passed.

Final Examination for Doctoral Students

The candidate for the doctoral degree must pass a final examination by deadline dates announced in the “Graduate and Professional School Calendar” each semester. The doctoral student is allowed only one opportunity to take the final examination.

No unabsolved grades of D, F, or U for any course can be listed on the degree plan. The student must be registered for any remaining hours of 681, 684, 690, 691, 692, 791 or other graduate courses specifically designated as S/U in the course catalog during the semester of the final exam. No student may be given a final examination until they have been admitted to candidacy and their current official cumulative and degree plan GPAs are 3.00 or better.

To be admitted to candidacy for a doctoral degree, a student must have:

1.       completed all formal coursework on the degree plan with the exception of any remaining 681, 684, 690 and 691, 692 (Professional Study), or 791 hours,

2.       a 3.0 Graduate GPA and a Degree Plan GPA of at least 3.0 with no grade lower than C in any course on the degree plan,

3.       passed the preliminary examination,

4.       submitted an approved dissertation proposal,

5.       met the residence requirements.

The request to hold and announce the final examination must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School a minimum of 10 working days in advance of the scheduled date. Any changes to the degree plan must be approved by the Graduate and Professional School prior to the submission of the request for final examination.

The student’s advisory committee will conduct this examination. The final examination is not to be administered until the dissertation or record of study is available in substantially final form to the student’s advisory committee, and all concerned have had adequate time to review the document.  Whereas the final examination may cover the broad field of the candidate’s training, it is presumed that the major portion of the time will be devoted to the dissertation and closely allied topics. Persons other than members of the graduate faculty may, with mutual consent of the candidate and the chair of the advisory committee, be invited to attend a final examination for an advanced degree. A positive vote by all members of the graduate committee with at most one dissension is required to pass a student on his or her exam. A department can have a stricter requirement provided there is consistency within all degree programs within a department. Upon completion of the questioning of the candidate, all visitors must excuse themselves from the proceedings.

The student’s department will promptly report the results of the Final Examination to the Graduate and Professional School via the Report of Doctoral Final Examination form. These forms should be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School within 10 working days of completion of the final examination. The Graduate and Professional School must be notified in writing of any cancellations.

A positive evaluation of the final exam by all members of a student’s advisory committee with at most one dissension is required to pass a student on his or her final exam. The Report of the Final Examination Form must be submitted with original signatures of only the committee members approved by the Graduate and Professional School. If necessary, multiple copies of the form may be submitted with different committee member original signatures. If an approved committee member substitution (1 only) has been made, his/her signature must be included on the form submitted to the Graduate and Professional School.

The ability to perform independent research must be demonstrated by the dissertation,  which must be the original work of the candidate . Whereas acceptance of the dissertation is based primarily on its scholarly merit, it must also exhibit creditable literary workmanship. The format of the dissertation must be acceptable to the Graduate and Professional School. Guidelines for the preparation of the dissertation are available in the  Thesis Manual , which is available online at  https://grad.tamu.edu .

After successful defense and approval by the student’s advisory committee and the head of the student’s major department (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if applicable), a student must submit his/her dissertation in electronic format as a single PDF file. The PDF file must be uploaded to the website,  https://grad.tamu.edu . Additionally, a signed paper approval form with original signatures must be received by the Graduate and Professional School. Both the PDF file and the signed approval form are required by the deadline.

Deadline dates for submitting are announced each semester or summer term in the Graduate and Professional School Calendar (see Time Limit statement). These dates also can be accessed via the website  https://grad.tamu.edu .

Each student who submits a document for review is assessed a one-time thesis/dissertation processing fee through Student Business Services. This processing fee is for the thesis/dissertation services provided. After commencement, dissertations are digitally stored and made available through the Texas A&M Libraries.

A dissertation that is deemed unacceptable by the Graduate and Professional School because of excessive corrections will be returned to the student’s department head or chair of the intercollegiate faculty . The manuscript must be resubmitted as a new document, and the entire review process must begin anew. All original submittal deadlines must be met during the resubmittal process in order to graduate.

Additional Requirements

Continuous registration, admission to candidacy.

• 99-Hour Cap on Doctoral Degree

Application for Degree

A student who enters the doctoral degree program with a baccalaureate degree must spend one academic year plus one semester in resident study at Texas A&M University. A student who holds master’s degree when he/she enters doctoral degree program must spend one academic year in resident study. One academic year may include two adjacent regular semesters or one regular semester and one adjacent 10-week summer semester. The third semester is not required to be adjacent to the one year. Enrollment for each semester must be a minimum of 9 credit hours each to satisfy the residence requirement. A minimum of 1 credit hour must be in a non-distance education delivery mode. Semesters in which the student is enrolled in all distance education coursework will not count toward fulfillment of the residence requirement.

To satisfy the residence requirement, the student must complete a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester or 10-week summer semester in resident study at Texas A&M University for the required period. A student who enters a doctoral degree program with a baccalaureate degree may fulfill residence requirements in excess of one academic year (18 credit hours) by registration during summer sessions or by completion of a less-than-full course load (in this context a full course load is considered 9 credit hours per semester).

Students who are employed full-time while completing their degree may fulfill total residence requirements by completion of less-than-full time course loads each semester. In order to be considered for this, the student is required to submit a Petition for Waivers and Exceptions along with verification of his/her employment to the Graduate and Professional School. An employee should submit verification of his/her employment at the time he/she submits the degree plan. See  Registration .

See  Residence Requirements .

All requirements for doctoral degrees must be completed within a period of ten consecutive calendar years for the degree to be granted. A course will be considered valid until 10 years after the end of the semester in which it is taken. Graduate credit for coursework more than ten calendar years old at the time of the final oral examination may not be used to satisfy degree requirements.

A final corrected version of the dissertation or record of study in electronic format as a single PDF file must be cleared by the Graduate and Professional School within one year of the semester in which the final exam is taken. Exams taken in between terms will expire at the end of the term that ended prior to the exam. For example, a final exam taken and passed during the fall 2022 semester will expire at the end of the fall 2023 semester. A final exam taken in the time between the summer and fall 2022 semesters will expire at the end of the summer 2023 semester. Failure to do so will result in the degree not being awarded.

A student in a program leading to a Doctor of Philosophy who has completed all coursework on his/her degree plan other than 691 (research) are required to be in continuous registration until all requirements for the degree have been completed. See  Continuous Registration Requirements .

• completed all formal coursework on the degree plan with the exception of any remaining 681, 684, 690, 691 or 791.
• a 3.0 Graduate GPA and a Degree Plan GPA of at least 3.0 with no grade lower than C in any course on the degree plan,
• passed the preliminary examination (written and oral portions),
• submitted an approved dissertation proposal,
• met the residence requirements. The final examination will not be authorized for any doctoral student who has not been admitted to candidacy.

A student is required to possess a competent command of English. For English language proficiency requirements, see the Admissions section of this catalog. The doctoral (PhD) foreign language requirement at Texas A&M University is a departmental option, to be administered and monitored by the individual departments of academic instruction.

99-Hour Cap on Doctoral Degrees

In Texas, public colleges and universities are funded by the state according to the number of students enrolled. In accordance with legislation passed by the Texas Legislature, the number of hours for which state universities may receive subvention funding at the doctoral rate for any individual is limited to 99 hours. Texas A&M and other universities will not receive subvention for hours in excess of the limit.

Institutions of higher education are allowed to charge the equivalent of non-resident tuition to a resident doctoral student who has enrolled in 100 or more semester credit hours of doctoral coursework.

Doctoral students at Texas A&M have seven years to complete their degree before being charged out-of-state tuition. A doctoral student who, after seven years of study, has accumulated 100 or more doctoral hours will be charged tuition at a rate equivalent to out-of-state tuition. Please note that the tuition increases will apply to Texas residents as well as students from other states and countries who are currently charged tuition at the resident rate. This includes those doctoral students who hold GAT, GANT, and GAR appointments or recipients of competitive fellowships who receive more than $1,000 per semester. Doctoral students who have not accumulated 100 hours after seven years of study are eligible to pay in-state tuition if otherwise eligible.

Doctoral students who exceed the credit limit will receive notification from the Graduate and Professional School during the semester in which they are enrolled and exceeding the limit in their current degree program. The notification will explain that the State of Texas does not provide funding for any additional hours in which a student is enrolled in excess of 99 hours. Texas A&M University will recover the lost funds by requiring students in excess of 99 hours to pay tuition at the non-funded, non-resident rate. This non-funded, non-resident tuition rate status will be updated for the following semester and in all subsequent semesters until receipt of a doctoral degree. Please see the  Tuition Calculator  at the non-resident rate for an example of potential charges.

The following majors are exempt from the 99-Hour Cap on Doctoral Degrees and have a limit of 130 doctoral hours:

• Biochemistry
• Biomedical Sciences
• Clinical Psychology
• Counseling Psychology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Health Services Research
• Medical Sciences
• Microbiology
• Neurosciences (School of Medicine)
• Oral and Craniofacial Biomedical Sciences
• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Public Health Sciences
• School Psychology

For information on applying for your degree, please visit the  Graduation  section.

Clinical Psychology P h D

Advance your career with a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from UT Tyler.

• Uniquely focused on mental health for underserved populations.
• Offering specializations that are in demand across the nation.
• Our student financial support is among the best in the state.
• Earn a UT System-caliber degree on a supportive campus.

Why UT Tyler?

Scholarships.

You will receive a generous financial support package to allow you to focus on your studies.

Comprehensive

Our five-year residential PhD provides a strong foundation in scientific and behavioral psychology through coursework, research and assessment/therapy training.

Extensive Practice

You will develop interview, therapy and assessment skills in our on-campus clinic in your second year. Clinicals thereafter are external, culminating in a 12-month internship.

Research Mentorship

UT Tyler’s award-winning, nationally recognized faculty will mentor you throughout your research experiences.

Meet a Professor

Dr. Adam McGuire

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Dr. McGuire has published articles on PTSD and trauma-related distress, veterans, and positive psychology principles. He teaches applied therapy for clinical psychology graduate students, which introduces basic clinical skills and includes training in motivational interviewing and mindfulness-based approaches. He has a dual-appointment at the VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans and partners with Veterans Affairs Medical Centers to conduct research on trauma recovery in veterans.

Three High-Demand Concentrations

Veterans/active duty military.

Serve the mental health needs of military veterans, service members and their families.

Rural Mental Health

Prepare to work with populations experiencing the greatest need for services. Tele-mental health training included.

Geropsychology

Specialize in an area of practice that is in high demand as the number of older adults continues to increase.

Growing Career Opportunities

The demand for clinical psychologists is projected to surge statewide by 21 percent and nationally by 14 percent through 2028, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Associate Professor, Coordinator of the Clinical Psychology M.S. Program

Sarah Sass conducts research on the treatment and prevention of high levels of anxiety and depression. She approaches this work using various methods, including psychophysiological ones. The work aligns with a social justice framework in promoting culturally-informed treatment approaches and delivery methods that reduce barriers to care, particularly in rural populations. She collaborates in this work with faculty in education and engineering, has published articles in top-tier journals, and teaches courses at the graduate and undergraduate level including abnormal psychology, applied therapy skills, cultural diversity, and cognitive behavioral treatment approaches.

Get More Information

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Psychology PhD

The Psychology PhD degree program offers advanced study and research training for students seeking to become leading scientists and scholars in the field

The Psychology PhD degree program offers advanced study and research training for students seeking to become leading scientists and scholars in the field. The program encompasses a wide array of specialty areas within psychology, including developmental, cognitive, social and personality psychology, and spans the study of both healthy and clinical populations from infancy through older adulthood.

From the start of their training, doctoral students in psychology work closely in research laboratories with faculty mentors. Although the department is highly interdisciplinary, there are three primary areas of research focus:

• Developmental psychology, which spans topics in children’s social-emotional, cognitive, and language development;
• Cognitive psychology, including topics in traditional cognitive psychology such as attention, motivation, perception, learning and memory, and face perception ranging from basic science perspectives to applied approaches including interventions to improve cognitive function.
• Social and personality psychology, including work focused on cultural differences in socio-emotional processing, moral decision making, the formation and evolution of interpersonal relationships between romantic partners and friends, and research on health disparities.

In addition, a number of research labs conduct research with implications for clinical science, including the effects of stress on health, adolescent mood disorders, and social cognition in autism and schizophrenia populations. We also offer strong training in advanced statistical techniques critical for psychology research including courses on dyadic group analyses, longitudinal growth curve modeling, multilevel modeling, and advanced multivariate analyses.

Doctoral students in psychology benefit from a rich intellectual climate at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS), including weekly lectures and research presentations by students, faculty, and visiting scholars. The school hosts an annual colloquium series presented by internationally known scientists, and its four research centers periodically offer symposia and workshops that are freely available to doctoral students. Doctoral students receive funding support for presenting their research at professional meetings and conducting their dissertation research. Finally, doctoral students are provided with a variety of other professional development experiences, including opportunities to develop their teaching skills.

The BBS offices and research facilities are located on the Richardson campus and in centers located in Dallas near the campus of the UT Southwestern Medical Center. Facilities at all locations include classrooms and research laboratories for studies of neuroscience, psychology and communication across the lifespan in both typical and clinical populations.

The PhD program in psychology offers exceptional research facilities on the Richardson campus, including state-of-the-art laboratories equipped for studies of event-related potentials, eye tracking, infant visual and auditory preferences, child learning and development, parent-child interactions and adult interpersonal relationships. In addition, the school’s Center for Children and Families , housed at the Callier Center-Richardson location, offers an array of clinical and community outreach activities organized around three main initiatives: promoting healthy families, strengthening interpersonal relationships and enhancing children’s thinking and learning. Partnerships with area hospitals, clinics, agencies and schools further expand student research opportunities. Students also benefit from working with faculty mentors in the Center for BrainHealth and the Center for Vital Longevity.

Degree Requirements

The PhD program in psychology requires a minimum of 75 semester credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree. Students declare a concentration in developmental psychology, cognitive psychology or social/personality psychology. Students are expected to complete the program coursework and research requirements in four to five years. The research requirements include a qualifying thesis research project and a dissertation research project. Students work collaboratively with their faculty mentor and committee to successfully complete all program milestone projects.

The UT Dallas graduate catalog provides information on degree requirements for the PhD in psychology . For updates, please contact [email protected] . The university’s course look-up site, CourseBook , describes some of the program’s specific courses. The Office of Graduate Studies provides information on academic and other policies .

The psychology admissions committee evaluates applications using a holistic review, which includes prior GPA, letters of recommendation, quantitative and verbal scores for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), and a close examination of the statement of purpose. Admission is contingent on a match between the research interests of the applicant and faculty. Applicants are strongly encouraged to identify faculty with similar research interests and to contact them about current opportunities for admission.

Typically, applicants have an average undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, and completion of an undergraduate degree in a related major is advisable. Completion of a master’s degree is not required. Applicants without a prior degree in psychology should contact the program head for prerequisite coursework.

Applications to the PhD program must include official transcripts, GRE scores, three letters of reference from people qualified to evaluate your potential for successful doctoral study, and a statement of purpose detailing your previous research and professional experiences, your current research interests, and your career goals. The statement of purpose is an extremely important part of your application.

International applicants must provide proof of English proficiency via TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE meeting University minimum requirements.

* GRE scores waived for Fall 2022-24 applicants. Submission of GRE scores (general or subject tests) are optional.

To Submit an Application

Please see the enrollment page of the UT Dallas Office of Graduate Admissions for details on how to submit an application to the PhD program in psychology .

Completed applications must be received on or before December 1 for admission the following fall. There are no spring or summer admissions.

You can check the status of your application using the university’s Orion program.

Questions about the application process can be directed to:

Psychology Doctoral Program School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences The University of Texas at Dallas 800 W. Campbell Rd., GR41 Richardson, TX 75080 [email protected]

Graduate Application Fee Waiver Program

The Office of Graduate Education and the Office of Admission and Enrollment at The University of Texas at Dallas are pleased to offer a Graduate Application Fee Waiver Program to  qualified participants  (past or present). To qualify, students must be applying for a PhD or Master’s degree at UT Dallas. Non-degree applicants are not eligible for fee waivers. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to request a fee waiver.

Financial Aid

Financial support of full-time doctoral students in psychology is awarded through teaching or research assistantship stipends and tuition scholarships. Admitted students are automatically considered for teaching and research assistant positions.

Other information on financial aid for graduate students is available on the UT Dallas graduate admissions page.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Financial support of full-time doctoral students in psychology is awarded through teaching or research assistantship stipends and tuition scholarships. Admitted students are automatically considered for these sources of financial support, and most admitted students receive some type of support. Please see the UT Dallas Graduate Admissions site for information on other sources of financial aid for PhD students.

UT Dallas’ main campus is located in Richardson, Texas, about 15 miles north of downtown Dallas; some of the centers of the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences are located in Dallas, near the campus of the UT Southwestern Medical School. Both Richardson and Dallas are vibrant communities, with opportunities for art, drama, music, athletics, and other activities. Visit the UT Dallas visitors website for more information about the University.

Richardson and Dallas are richly diverse cities located in one of America’s largest and fastest growing metropolitan areas. The Dallas area boasts 50,000 acres of public park land, the nation’s largest urban arts district with excellent symphony, opera, and art museums, five major sports franchises, multiple entertainment districts, and a thriving culinary scene. The DART rail system runs from the suburbs of Plano and Richardson to the arts district, downtown Dallas, and DFW airport. Yes, it is hot in the summer, but the average daily temperature is 65 degrees (spring, fall, and winter are great!). The area offers a reasonable cost of living and an abundance of sunshine.

Most doctoral classes are held on the main UT Dallas campus in Richardson, but some class offerings may be held in Dallas, at the Callier Center for Communication Disorders, the Center for Brain Health, or the Center for Vital Longevity. Your duties as a teaching assistant or research assistant likely will take place on the main campus in Richardson or at one of the centers in Dallas. Because locations of classes and duties may change over semesters it can be difficult to choose a place to live. Public transportation options are improving, but because commuting by car is relatively easy, many students choose to live in areas between Richardson and Dallas. Some student housing is available on the main campus in Richardson, but on-campus housing caters primarily to undergraduates. You can use online search engines to find housing options that fit your price range and target location, and the program office can also provide information and recommendations from current doctoral students.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact potential mentors prior to submitting application materials. The admissions committee evaluates applications on several dimensions, including not only prior GPA and GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and personal statements, but also the fit between the research interests of the applicant and faculty, and the willingness and ability of the proposed mentor or mentoring team to accept new PhD student supervision responsibilities.

Prior to being admitted, students are invited to visit UT Dallas, to meet with prospective faculty mentors and see their laboratories.

Completed applications must be received on or before  December 1  for admission the following fall. There are no spring or summer admissions.

Yes. We strongly encourage you to identify faculty who share your research interests and to contact them about current opportunities for admission. A primary consideration in PhD admission is a faculty member’s agreement to serve as a student’s mentor.

Decisions on admission are made in mid- to late-February.

The psychology PhD program is an experimental psychology program and provides training for a career in teaching and research. Former graduates have successfully acquired university faculty positions, as well as research positions in hospitals, school systems, healthcare start-ups, and research institutes. Graduates also have worked in applied research settings, conducting program evaluation research with education and intervention programs.

No, we do not offer a clinical or counseling master’s or PhD degree.

This depends on your goals. The master’s degree is appropriate for students interested in broad psychology training beyond the undergraduate level or additional training to prepare them for applying to doctoral programs in clinical psychology and other areas of psychology. The PhD program is appropriate for students interested in careers in research and teaching and involves extensive training in research design and methodology.

These two programs have a lot in common. There is overlap in the coursework of these programs and many of the faculty members are involved with both programs. The psychology program allows for broader training in psychology; students can select a concentration in developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, or social/personality psychology. The cognition and neuroscience program focuses more narrowly on cognitive psychology or neuroscience. One way to decide what program may be best for you is to think about what type of department you see yourself affiliated with in the future and which degree best serves your career goals.

Program Contacts

Program head.

Karen M. Rodrigue, PhD [email protected]

Program Coordinator

Alice Presti Office: JO 4.310 Phone: 972-883-2697 [email protected]

For Additional Program Information

Phd student guide.

The PhD student guide provides information on policies and procedures in the PhD programs in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

PhD Student Forms and Information

Degree Plan Psychology Registration and Related Forms Graduate Change of Program Register, Add, Drop, Withdraw Repeated Course Grade Adjustment Transfer of Credit Request Milestones and Annual Reporting Forms Milestones Agreement Form Psychology Guidelines for Completing Theses and Dissertations Psychology Annual Report Qualifying Papers and Projects Qualifying Plan 1: Thesis Overview of Qualifying Plan 1 Psychology Guidelines for Completing Theses and Dissertations Qualifying Thesis Committee Membership Qualifying Thesis Proposal Approval Qualifying Thesis Final Approval Public Presentation of Research Project Request for Extension Dissertation Committee Appointment Form Dissertation Proposal Meeting Public Presentation of Dissertation Proposal Request for Final Oral Exam In Absentia Registration Memo – Absent Committee Member Memo – Committee Member Attending Remotely Checklist for Final Submission of Doctoral Dissertation UTDPP1052

Teaching and Research Assistantship Forms and FAQs UTDPP1075

Requests for Student Travel and Dissertation Support Student Request for Travel Support PhD Research Small Grants Program Application

Program Resources

Psychology PhD Fast Facts This document provides a quick, printable overview of the program.

Please visit the Office of Graduate studies for additional information on academic policies , PhD deadlines , PhD forms , guidelines for preparing dissertations , and a profile of characteristics of doctoral programs at UT Dallas.

Student Achievement Data

View the Student Achievement Data on the Callier Center for Communication Disorders page.

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Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program

• Psychology and Philosophy
• Doctoral Program

Our educational philosophy is to produce scientist/practitioners who possess expertise in both research and clinical practice. Our program and the associated career opportunities fit the needs of both students whose primary interest lies in psychological research and those who are primarily focused on a career in clinical practice.

Program Mission Statement

Through a rigorous foundation in scientific psychology as well as broad and general training in research and clinical practice, the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at Sam Houston State University provides candidates with opportunities to develop attitudes, knowledge, and skills to become effective clinical psychologists as well as researchers and scholars.

SHSU Statement of Belonging

As a core value at SHSU, we are committed to being an institution that is welcoming, compassionate, and supportive, a place that provides all students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to engage, learn, and work in an environment of mutual respect and understanding. We strive to foster a campus culture of belonging where everyone is valued and has a positive, meaningful experience.

Mentor Model

Students are admitted to the program under the supervision of a primary research mentor who serves as the supervisor for a student's first-year research assistantship. Although students will be generally expected to complete thesis and dissertation projects with their primary research mentor, they are encouraged to interact and engage in research with other faculty members, as well. Students who develop research interests that fall outside their primary mentor's areas of expertise may conduct thesis and/or dissertation research under the supervision of other faculty members.

Accreditation

The Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Sam Houston State University has been continuously accredited by the American Psychological Association since 2006. The program received reaccreditation in May 2019 and will have its next site visit in 2028.

Commission on Accreditation American Psychological Association 750 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20002-4242 (202) 336-5979 [email protected]

Clinical Psychology Graduate Programs in Texas

1-16 of 16 results

College of Liberal Arts - University of Texas - Austin

Austin, TX •

University of Texas - Austin •

Graduate School

University of Texas - Austin ,

Graduate School ,

AUSTIN, TX ,

Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

Dallas, TX •

Southern Methodist University •

Southern Methodist University ,

DALLAS, TX ,

College of Arts and Sciences - Baylor University

Baylor University Graduate School •

Blue checkmark.

Baylor University Graduate School ,

University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley College of Engineering and Computer Science

University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley •

Graduate School •

EDINBURG, TX

Concordia University - Texas

• • Rating 4.84 out of 5   19

College of Business & Communication - Concordia University - Texas

Concordia University - Texas •

College of Arts and Sciences - Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX •

Texas Tech University •

Texas Tech University ,

LUBBOCK, TX ,

LeTourneau University School of Psychology and Counseling

Longview, TX •

LeTourneau University •

LeTourneau University ,

LONGVIEW, TX ,

College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences - University of Houston

Houston, TX •

University of Houston •

• • Rating 4 out of 5   3 reviews

Current Master's student: The academic program is rather good at the University of Houston. I have three social work classes and they are robust and full of great information. The choices of classes at UH is very good and allows students to follow their academic path and find classes that fit their program. The advisors at UH are on top of things and are always able and willing to help. I would honestly say that UH is a great place for academics! ... Read 3 reviews

University of Houston ,

HOUSTON, TX ,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Current Master's student says The academic program is rather good at the University of Houston. I have three social work classes and they are robust and full of great information. The choices of classes at UH is very good and... .

Read 3 reviews.

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College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences - University of North Texas

Denton, TX •

University of North Texas •

University of North Texas ,

DENTON, TX ,

Abilene Christian University College of Arts and Sciences

Abilene, TX •

Abilene Christian University •

Abilene Christian University ,

ABILENE, TX ,

College of Humanities and Social Sciences - Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, TX •

Sam Houston State University •

Sam Houston State University ,

HUNTSVILLE, TX ,

University of Texas - Tyler College of Education and Psychology

Tyler, TX •

University of Texas - Tyler •

University of Texas - Tyler ,

TYLER, TX ,

Southwestern Assemblies of God University

Waxahachie, TX •

• • Rating 4.82 out of 5   17 reviews

Master's Student: The Southwestern Assemblies of God, Educational Leadership program is short and very well thought out. The best part of the program I would say is class size. I have gotten to get to know all my professors and have been able to have mentorship conversations with all of them. I would say the program can improve by creating a network with other students in my cohort. ... Read 17 reviews

WAXAHACHIE, TX ,

17 Niche users give it an average review of 4.8 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The Southwestern Assemblies of God, Educational Leadership program is short and very well thought out. The best part of the program I would say is class size. I have gotten to get to know all my... .

Read 17 reviews.

University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley College of Liberal Arts

Edinburg, TX •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   4 reviews

Master's Student: The faculty were very knowledgeable, talented, and supportive! I would like to see more organization from the college administration. ... Read 4 reviews

University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley ,

EDINBURG, TX ,

4 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The faculty were very knowledgeable, talented, and supportive! I would like to see more organization from the college administration. .

Read 4 reviews.

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College of Liberal Arts - University of Texas - El Paso

El Paso, TX •

University of Texas - El Paso •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   6 reviews

Master's Student: UTEP's Online MFA program is flexible and allows students to do the program at their own pace. It is perfect for Full time workers and families. The professors are experts in their craft and are always available for their students. ... Read 6 reviews

University of Texas - El Paso ,

EL PASO, TX ,

6 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says UTEP's Online MFA program is flexible and allows students to do the program at their own pace. It is perfect for Full time workers and families. The professors are experts in their craft and are... .

Read 6 reviews.

Southwestern Adventist University

Keene, TX •

• • Rating 4.83 out of 5   6 reviews

Niche User: I’m a current junior at southwestern Adventist university aka swau. What I love about this school is that although you’re far from home you instantly have a profound connection with the students and staff which makes it feel like home. ... Read 6 reviews

KEENE, TX ,

6 Niche users give it an average review of 4.8 stars.

Featured Review: Niche User says I’m a current junior at southwestern Adventist university aka swau. What I love about this school is that although you’re far from home you instantly have a profound connection with the students and... .

College of Human Sciences and Humanities - University of Houston - Clear Lake

University of Houston - Clear Lake •

• • Rating 1 out of 5   1 review

University of Houston - Clear Lake ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 1 stars.

Read 1 reviews.

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences - University of Texas - Southwestern Medical Center

University of Texas - Southwestern Medical Center •

University of Texas - Southwestern Medical Center ,

American University

WASHINGTON, DC

• • Rating 4.54 out of 5   147

College of Education - Concordia University - Texas

Rowan University Graduate

GLASSBORO, NJ

• • Rating 4.38 out of 5   29

Showing results 1 through 16 of 16

Psychological Sciences

• Clinical Psychology

Graduate Program

For questions regarding admissions, please contact our Admissions Coordinator, Dr. Andrew Littlefield ( [email protected] ). For general questions regarding the Clinical Psychology Program, please contact the Director of Clinical Training, Dr. Jason Van Allen ( [email protected] ).

Aim 1: To provide students in our doctoral program with broad and general training in the field of psychology.

Objective 1: Students will gain the requisite knowledge covering the breadth of scientific psychology including the following discipline-specific knowledge areas: 1) history and systems of psychology; 2) affective aspects, biological aspects, cognitive aspects, developmental aspects, and social aspects of behavior; 3) advanced integrative knowledge of basic discipline-specific content areas; and 4) research methods, statistical analysis, and psychometrics.

Aim 2: To produce graduates who have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to conduct and evaluate research.

Objective 2A: Students will gain the theoretical and empirical knowledge, skills, and attitudes to conduct and evaluate methodologically and ethically sound research.

Objective 2B: Students will gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to integrate science and practice into their research endeavors and their scholarship.

Aim 3: To produce graduates who have the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes to engage in evidence- based practice of clinical psychology.

Objective 3A: Students will gain knowledge in the scientific, methodological, and theoretical bases of the competencies associated with the evidence-based, ethical, and culturally informed practice of clinical psychology.

Objective 3B: Using their knowledge, students will gain skill in evidence-based assessment and diagnosis of dysfunctional behavior, problems in living, and interpersonal difficulties across settings and will do so with professionalism, self-reflection, ethicality, and interpersonal and cultural sensitivity.

Objective 3C: Using their knowledge, students will gain skill in evidence-based interventions for dysfunctional behavior, problems in living, and interpersonal difficulties across settings and will do so with professionalism, ethicality, and interpersonal and cultural sensitivity.

Objective 3D: Using their knowledge, students will gain skill in teaching.

Aim 4: To produce graduates who participate actively in professional service related to clinical psychology.

Objective 4: Students will identify with the specialty of clinical psychology, participate in their professional communities, and remain active in community and professional services throughout their careers.

The profession-wide competencies (PWCs) for which students receive training and on which they are evaluated include the following: • Research • Ethical and legal standards • Individual and cultural diversity • Professional values and attitudes • Communication and interpersonal skills • Assessment • Intervention • Supervision • Consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills

Clinical Training

Training in clinical skills involves three major components. First, the psychological assessment component includes training in a wide variety of psychological tests and assessment instruments. Courses are selected from the following areas: intellectual and cognitive assessment, personality assessment, and assessment of psychopathology using standardized self report, interview-based, and other methods, child/adolescent assessment using a multi-method approach, and neuropsychological assessment.

The second component involves seminars in psychological intervention focusing on the theoretical and scientific basis of psychotherapy. This sequence begins with an introductory course in clinical interviewing and psychotherapy, along with subsequent advanced clinical training. One goal of these courses is to examine issues relevant to the integration of psychotherapy research and clinical practice. Students are also required to take a multi-cultural course. Options include a course focusing on ethnic minority issues and community interventions. There are a number of clinically relevant elective courses available, in addition to the required curriculum.

The third major component of the clinical practice training involves a sequence of on-site clinical practica (which take place in our Psychology Clinic) . The first practicum is part of the introductory clinical interviewing/psychotherapy course and includes training in basic aspects of clinical interviewing, such as establishing and maintaining a clinical relationship, as well as basic elements of empirically-supported interventions (with a particular emphasis on behavioral and cognitive approaches). The second practicum focuses on the clinical assessment and psychotherapy of adults, and a third practicum focuses on clinical assessment and treatment of children/adolescents and families. After these three practica, students continue taking advanced practica and/or participate in external practica experiences. Although these advanced practica involve further learning and consolidation of basic skills, they also involve developing more advanced skills, such as working with complex or comorbid cases, cases with organic or medical problems complicating treatment, couples therapy and group treatment approaches, and psychological, neuropsychological, and behavioral assessment. In general, the clinical practicum training seeks to develop a balance of intervention skills involving both standardized, manual-based protocols and individualized treatment planning. Weekly group and individual supervision often include reviews of videotaped assessment and therapy sessions.

Psychology Clinic All on-site practica involve seeing clients in the Psychology Clinic , located in a wing of the Psychology Building. It is one of the largest sliding-scale fee agencies for delivery of mental/behavioral health services in West Texas. Students are exposed to clients ranging from young children to adults, including a wide range of psychopathology such as anxiety and mood disorders, personality disorders, developmental disabilities, adjustment disorders, and juvenile delinquency. In addition to providing an excellent setting for training in assessment and psychological intervention, practicum training in the Clinic helps students gain experience in other aspects of professional functioning. For example, students learn to effectively interface with other health and mental health providers, including those from community agencies, private practice, and agencies affiliated with the University (e.g., the student health and student counseling centers). All of the therapy rooms are equipped for video recording.

Externships In addition to the formal clinical training, which is part of the doctoral program, many students take advantage of a number of additional opportunities for clinical training and further clinical experience both within the Department of Psychological Sciences and at sites affiliated with the department. Within-department opportunities include working as a co-director in the Psychology Clinic, and doing assessment interviewing, psychological or neuropsychological assessment, or psychotherapy in clinical research studies conducted by faculty or graduate students. Opportunities for further clinical training and experience at affiliated sites include paid positions in various departments at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, work within the Lubbock and surrounding area school districts, work at assessment and treatment units of a detention or correctional facilities, and work with local clinical practitioners. All of these sites are closely linked to our program to ensure proper supervision and coordination with the student's doctoral training. Some of the regular opportunities for clinical training and experience include:

Center for Superheroes: Training in trauma-focused assessment and treatment.

Clinical Experience with Private Practitioners

Lubbock County Juvenile Justice Center

Lubbock-Crosby County Community Supervision and Corrections Department

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (TTU PCIT Clinic)

Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units, University Medical Center

Southwest Cancer Center, University Medical Center

StarCare-Practicum in Developmental Disabilities

Texas Tech University Athletics

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Departments of Family Medicine and Internal Medicine

Research Training

Research training in the clinical program involves completing both methodology courses and original empirical research (research involving data collection).

Course work in research includes three required graduate statistics courses: Experimental Design, Advanced Correlational Methods and Factor Analysis, and one advanced course, including Multivariate Statistics or Structural Equation Modeling. In addition, all first year clinical students take a course in clinical research methods focusing on experimental and quasi-experimental design, psychometric concepts, and passive observational designs, all with particular application to clinical populations and research issues.

The second major component of research training involves completion of two original research projects: a thesis project and the dissertation. Both projects are designed and implemented with input, supervision, and monitoring from a faculty research advisor and thesis/dissertation committee. The research mentoring experience matches the student's level of training with the level of expectations for student input into the conceptualization, design, implementation, and analysis of the study. Thus, the level of independent student input to the conceptualization, design, implementation, and analysis of the study increases from the thesis to the dissertation.

Faculty within the clinical division conduct programmatic research that has attracted national attention. Areas of research presently being pursued by clinical faculty include personality assessment, assessment of child/adolescent psychopathology, cognitive development and social problem solving in children and adolescents, effects and treatment of child abuse and other trauma, neuropsychological assessment, development of clinical case formulations, anxiety and depressive disorders in children and adults, substance abuse, and child and adult health psychology. The clinical and research interests of each clinical faculty member are described on their Web pages .

Students interested in careers in academic settings may wish to obtain formal training and experience in the teaching of psychology courses. First year graduate students often assist a faculty instructor. Second year students are frequently employed as teaching assistants for the introductory psychology course, which involves teaching a small section of the class. During their first summer, graduate students receive formal training in the teaching of psychology via a weekly seminar. Opportunities also exist for advanced clinical students to assist in graduate courses (e.g., objective or intelligence assessment, advanced clinical practicum, introductory or multivariate statistics) and to teach a section of a more advanced undergraduate course (e.g., abnormal psychology, abnormal child psychology, child and adolescent psychology, developmental psychology, elementary statistics, physiological psychology).

Financial Assistance

Applicants who are admitted to the Clinical Psychology doctoral program are guaranteed financial support. This financial support is in the way of a 20-hour assistantship each semester. The assistantship is contingent upon being in good academic standing and making adequate progress through the program. Assistantships are generally in the form of research assistantships, clinical assistantships, and teaching assistantships. Teaching assistantships can be in the form of being the instructor of record for an undergraduate course (e.g., Psy 1300: General Psychology) or serving as a graduate level TA. Other employment opportunities include working as a Co-Director in the Psychology Clinic or being an assistant in the Undergraduate Advising Office. In addition to these assistantships, advanced graduate students qualify for assistantships through different practicum sites.

The TTU Graduate School also offers competitive scholarships and fellowships. Information can be found through their website: Graduate School Scholarships

Prospective students are also encouraged to visit the following TTU Graduate School webpage:  Funding your education

Fall: Psy 5338: Seminar in Psychopathology Psy 5404: Intelligence Testing Psy 5480: Experimental Design Psy 5356: Seminar in Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience Psy 6000: Master's Thesis

Spring: Psy 5447: Advanced Correlational Methods and Factor Analysis Psy 5345: Research Seminar in Clinical Psychology Psy 5318: Introduction to Clinical Psychology and CBT Psy 5302: Lifespan Development Psy 6000: Thesis

Summer: Psy 5101: Colloquium in the Teaching of Psychology Psy 5306: Seminar in Professional Ethics Psy 6000: Master's Thesis

Fall: Psy 5311: Introduction to Psychotherapeutic Intervention and Management Psy 5303: Developmental Psychopathology Psy 5327: Social Psychology and Emotion Psy 6000: Master's Thesis

Spring: Psy 5312: Introduction to Child and Adolescent Psychological Treatment Psy 5314: Beginning Child Practicum Psy 5301: Biological Bases of Psychological Function Psy 6000: Master's Thesis Psy 5367: Analysis of Repeated Measures and Intensive Longitudinal Designs, Psy 5448: Advanced Multivariate Analysis for Psychologists, or 5460: Structural Equation Modeling for Psychologists (choose 1)

Summer: Psy 5002: Advanced Practicum in Counseling and Clinical Psychology Psy 6000: Master's Thesis

Fall: Psy 5315: Objective Personality Assessment Psy 5002: Advanced Practicum in Counseling and Clinical Psychology

Spring: Psy 5398: Ethnic Minority and Community Interventions or Psy 5396: Multicultural Counseling Psy 5409: Clinical Neuropsychology Psy 5002: Advanced Practicum in Counseling and Clinical Psychology

Summer: Psy 5002: Advanced Practicum in Counseling and Clinical Psychology

Fall: Psy 5377: Behavioral Medicine Psy 8000: Dissertation

Spring: Psy 5105: Supervision and Consultation Psy 5350: History and Systems of Psychology Psy 8000: Dissertation

Summer: Psy 8000: Dissertation

Fall: Psy 5004: Internship Psy 8000: Dissertation

Spring: Psy 5004: Internship Psy 8000: Dissertation

Summer: Psy 5004: Internship Psy 8000: Dissertation

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• Psychology Programs

Accredited Clinical Psychology Graduate Programs and Schools in Texas [2024]

Clinical psychology is a highly rewarding career that allows you to help people through difficult times. Whether you work with children with autism, adults with personality disorders, couples struggling with conflict, or something in between, you can make a positive difference in your clients’ lives.

Of course, you must get the proper clinical psychologist training first!

Many clinical psychology doctoral programs across the United States are well-regarded for their curricula, faculty, and clinical internship opportunities. This includes many different psychology programs in the Lone Star State .

If you have set your sights on getting a degree in clinical psychology and want to do so in Texas, consult the following list of top-notch programs.

Clinical Psychology Graduate Programs in Texas

Listed below are some of the popular schools offering clinical psychology programs in Texas:

University of Texas – Austin

• Grand Canyon University
• University of Houston
• Lamar University

Texas A&M University – College Station

• Pepperdine University
• University of North Texas
• Capella University

Baylor University

• The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
• Texas Tech University

When people think of colleges in Texas, many probably think first of the University of Texas (UT) – Austin. Deservedly so, too! UT – Austin is the flagship institution in the University of Texas system and is one of the largest colleges in the country, with nearly 52,000 students .

As a student at UT – Austin, you have a wealth of academic programs at your disposal. There are more than 150 undergraduate majors, nearly that many graduate programs, and almost 100 doctoral programs as well. These academic pursuits are organized into 18 colleges and schools. This includes UT – Austin’s highly-regarded doctoral program in clinical psychology offered by the College of Liberal Arts.

Clinical Psychology Program Information

The clinical psychology doctoral program at UT – Austin serves several purposes for you as a student. This is an excellent program if you want to use your education to advance research. Likewise, many graduates go into education and serve as psychology professors at the collegiate level. If clinical work is your passion, this degree prepares you for that line of work as well.

The ability to provide varying career paths is due in part to the program’s emphasis on the scientific underpinnings of psychology. Whether you are on a research or clinical track, you will learn about empirical research and clinical techniques alike. What’s more, you can focus your studies on a number of clinical psychology specialties, including:

• Neuropsychology
• Anxiety disorders
• Behavioral genetics
• Cognitive psychology

You will participate in a spectrum of training opportunities and research experiences to enhance your understanding of basic and specialized psychological principles. This includes lab-based research, clinical psychology internship placements, training in assessments and diagnoses, and the like.

This program is accredited by the American Psychological Association . As such, it’s held to high standards of rigor. Likewise, the program is designed to prepare you for competent work in psychology, whether you envision a career in research, clinical practice, or both.

Admission to the program is based on numerous factors, including letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and upper-division coursework. Likewise, you must submit a personal statement to the admissions committee.

University of Houston (UH)

The University of Houston is a public research university with campuses in Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, and Technology Bridge. All told, UH has over 47,000 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Even with such a large student body, UH is still only the third largest institution of higher learning in the state, with Texas A&M and UT – Austin being the two larger schools.

The University of Houston is known as a hub of research and innovation. You can pursue cutting-edge studies in many different fields – more than 275 programs are offered between the four in-person campuses and UH’s online platform. Of those, more than 100 are graduate programs, including the clinical psychology program discussed below.

One of the unique features of UH’s clinical psychology doctoral program is that you can specialize in one of three areas: clinical psychology, clinical child psychology, or clinical neuropsychology. Whichever track you choose, you should expect to spend five to five and a half years in the program.

Throughout your time at UH, you will have many opportunities to advance your understanding of psychology in collegial settings. This includes:

• Scientific lab work
• Detailed psychological research with faculty
• Clinical practice placements
• Traditional classroom studies and seminars

As you progress through these and other learning experiences, you will learn about various research, clinical, and theoretical approaches. This multi-modal approach ensures that you have a well-stocked toolkit on which to rely when you begin your clinical psychology career. This includes gaining proficiency in crucial areas of clinical psychology, such as psychometrics, psychological interventions, and psychological assessment.

This program is accredited by the American Psychological Association. As such, it’s held to high standards of rigor. Likewise, the program is designed to prepare you for competent work in psychology whether you envision a career in research, clinical practice, or both.

You must complete the following steps to apply to this program:

• Fill out an online graduate school application
• Submit official transcripts from each college you’ve attended
• Submit relevant test scores
• Submit three letters of recommendation, a curriculum vitae or resume, and a 2-3 page career statement

Texas A&M University was founded in 1876 in Brazos County, Texas. Over the years, A&M garnered a reputation for academic excellence that caused rapid growth of its campus and student body.

Today, A&M is one of the largest universities in the United States, with an enrollment of almost 70,000 students . It’s also a Tier 1 research university – just one of three such institutions in the state of Texas (UT – Austin and Rice University are the others).

Texas A&M’s size enables it to offer unique experiences for students. The campus, which covers about 5,200 acres, is home to hundreds of student organizations, clubs, and sports teams.

Likewise, the university offers an incredible variety of academic programs. This includes more than 130 undergraduate majors, nearly 200 master’s degree programs, and around 100 doctoral degrees. The school’s commitment to rigorous research also means that your studies in clinical psychology will be challenging and informative for your career.

The clinical psychology PhD program at Texas A&M University offers a comprehensive education that adheres to the two prevailing methods of clinical psychology teaching: the scientist-practitioner model and the clinical-scientist model.

Unlike some programs that focus on one of these models, the Texas A&M program blends the two together. As a result, you will graduate from this program with the skills needed to pursue a career in academics, research, or clinical practice.

Over the course of your five years in the program, you will complete academic tasks that range widely. The program’s first two years are primarily spent completing the required coursework, including psychological science, research methods, and statistics. Moreover, you will take core clinical courses that develop your skills related to psychological assessment, psychopathology, and psychosocial interventions.

Likewise, the first two years are spent in research supervised by a faculty member. You will complete research requirements and conduct independent research for your master’s thesis during this time before moving into doctoral work in years three through five. The final year of the program is dedicated to a doctoral-level clinical internship.

Texas A&M offers many financial aid opportunities to help offset the cost of your studies and fund your research. Doctoral candidates can utilize scholarships, fellowships, and campus employment to help pay for academic expenses. Student loans are also available.

You can apply to this program by completing the following steps:

• Submit a completed Texas A&M graduate studies application
• Submit relevant test scores and official transcripts from any colleges you’ve previously attended
• Submit a statement of purpose, a resume or curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation

University of North Texas (UNT)

Located in Denton, just north of Dallas-Fort Worth, the University of North Texas was founded in 1890 as a teacher’s college. Today, UNT is a major public research university with more than 42,000 undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees from one of ten colleges. The student body size ranks among the top 40 in the nation, yet UNT is just the fifth-largest school in Texas!

UNT’s mission is to develop innovative leaders of tomorrow amidst a caring and creative academic community. As a clinical psychology doctoral student, you will be challenged to conduct rigorous research, develop essential clinical skills, and draw upon the expertise of the clinical psychology faculty to become a well-rounded doctoral candidate.

UNT’s clinical psychology PhD program boasts a unique curriculum that blends instruction in clinical research and scientific practice. What’s more, the curriculum is sequential and grows in complexity with each year in the program. Most students need five years to complete the program, though additional time might be awarded, as needed.

The first year of the program focuses on foundational coursework to build your competency of essential aspects in clinical psychology. Year two builds on that foundational work with advanced studies in topics like psychopathology, psychological assessment, and professional ethics. Likewise, year two includes a practicum experience that focuses on clinical practice.

This program’s third and fourth years again become more advanced and complex. Year three includes more educational and training opportunities, including a psychotherapy practicum during which you will work with a supervisor to hone your therapeutic skills.

Your fourth year of studies revolves around an external practicum experience, studying for and passing the qualifying examination, and working on a dissertation.

The fifth year (and subsequent years, if needed) you can continue advanced training or begin the pre-doctoral internship. This internship is a full 12-month residential training experience during which you’re expected to demonstrate advanced clinical psychology skills in both scientific and clinical settings.

Applications to this program must be submitted by December 1 of the academic year prior to your desired enrollment. In addition to the application, you must submit official transcripts from each college you’ve attended and letters of recommendation.

Baylor is a private Christian university located in Waco, a mid-sized city in central Texas. The rolling plains, the abundance of trees, and plentiful recreational opportunities make this both a beautiful and an exciting place to live.

Baylor’s campus – which is nestled on 1,000 acres along the Brazos River – certainly makes it an attractive school. With state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and learning, you can enjoy a top-tier education with your classmates and instructors.

Baylor was founded in 1845, making it the longest continually-running university in the state. Today, the university boasts nearly 21,000 students, most of whom hail from Texas, though a large number of out-of-state and international students make their way to Baylor’s campus for their college education.

Baylor offers hundreds of degrees and programs for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in its 11 schools and colleges. This includes the well-respected clinical psychology Ph.D. program discussed below.

The PsyD program at Baylor was developed with a practitioner-scientist model in mind. This is different from the more common scientist-practitioner model, which emphasizes the science of psychology over the practice of psychology. However, at Baylor, you will learn how to be an effective practitioner of psychology with a strong foundation of psychological science to inform your work.

This five-year program focuses on your development as a competent clinician. The program’s first four years are dedicated to coursework, seminars, and research. The fifth year of the program is a three-term clinical internship. Coursework includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Psychological Assessment
• Psychotherapy
• Social-Organizational Psychology
• Neuropharmacology
• Psychological Treatment of Children and Adolescents

To help guide you through your studies, you will work with clinical psychology professors that are themselves psychology practitioners. Each faculty member has thorough experience in clinical, academic, and other professional psychology applications. Likewise, the clinical psychology faculty actively engage in scholarship and research.

Applying to this program is a straightforward process:

• Submit an online application to Baylor’s graduate school
• Submit unofficial transcripts from each university from which you have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher
• Submit three letters of reference

Requirements to Become a Clinical Psychologist in Texas

Clinical psychology licensure in Texas is overseen by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists . The board issues three types of psychology licenses, including Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Psychological Associate, and Licensed Specialist in School Psychology.

As a graduate of one of the clinical psychology programs, you should meet the basic requirements for becoming a licensed psychologist in Texas . To do so, you must:

• Have a doctorate in psychology (which includes at least 1,750 hours of supervised clinical practice)
• Complete at least 1,750 hours of post-doctoral supervised clinical practice
• Achieve a passing score on the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology
• Pass the Jurisprudence Examination

Applicants that have practiced psychology in another state for at least five years may qualify for a supervised hours waiver. Moreover, if you hold a current Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology, you meet all requirements for licensure apart from having to take the Jurisprudence Examination.

Applicants with an active specialist certification from the American Board of Professional Psychology need only to pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology and the Jurisprudence Examination.

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Clinical Psychology

About | Program Overview and Admissions Information  |  Clinical Faculty | Adjunct and Other Faculty  |  Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data  | Labs & Facilities |  Area Talks |  Recent Events  

Andreana P Haley Clinical Psychology Area Head Director of Clinical Training

The Clinical Psychology Training Program at The University of Texas at Austin is broadly based on a clinical science training model. The primary objective of our training program is to prepare students for research and teaching careers, and the secondary objective is to train students for the professional practice of clinical psychology. The clinical science is emphasized in both research and clinical training. Thus, while students have the opportunity to be exposed to a variety of clinical perspectives, the major focus is on empirically supported/cognitive behavioral treatments. The program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (202-336-5979), the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) , and is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science (APCS) , an alliance of doctoral and internship programs with strong commitments to and established records of successful clinical science training. 

The University of Texas Clinical Program ranks at #10 in the latest U.S. News & World Report (2020), placing it in the top 4% of clinical programs in the US.

The Clinical Psychology Training Program at The University of Texas at Austin has been accredited by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) since 2019. The program has also been accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1949.

The program offers a broad range of opportunities for research and training experiences. Faculty interests include human sexuality, neuropsychology, depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, stress and coping, multiculturalism, aging and cognition, behavioral genetics, and autism. We believe that research training is enhanced by strong, science-based clinical training that informs students' understanding of psychological assessment and intervention, and we therefore also provide ample training in clinical assessment and treatment.

In addition to the information available here on the website via the links appearing at the top and side of this page, students are encouraged to review the Clinical Student Handbook for further detailed information about the program, including faculty biographies, the sequence of training, and program requirements. 

Clinical Psychology

• College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Department of Psychology

Clinical Psychology Department of Psychology University of Houston 3695 Cullen Boulevard Room 126 Houston, TX 77204-5022 (713) 743-8500

The Clinical Psychology program at UH is a member of the BRIDGE Network - a group of graduate programs working in parallel to develop initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion in the field. Need a Relationship check-up?

The Center for Couples Therapy offers pyschological services

DPL Developmental Psychopathology Lab, Dr. Carla Sharp

Center for Forensic Psychology

Professional services for attorneys and courts are offered

The Clinical Psychology program offers specialty training in three major areas of study: 1) Clinical Program (CP, adult), 2) Clinical Child Program (CCP), 3) Clinical Neuropsychology (CN)

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About the Program

Leading Faculty

Drs. Luis Medina and Rheeda Walker are among 15 faculty members who are known for their outstanding clinical science.

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• PsyD vs PhD

Texas Psychology Doctorate Programs

Students interested in a career in psychology may want to consider earning their Psy.D. In Texas, there are several good options for earning this clinical-focused degree. You also can choose to earn your Ph.D. and there also are several highly regarded programs you can choose from in Texas. Also, learn below how to earn your psychology license in this state. Keep reading to learn more.

What’s On This Page

Quick facts.

• Texas PsyD Programs
• Texas Psychologist Requirements
• Texas Doctorate Salary Outlook
• The University of Houston has a 92% licensure rate among psychology graduates.
• The annual tuition of an in-state student at Texas Tech is just $23,633.
• Attending Texas A&M will cost an annual tuition of roughly $27,000.
• Texas Tech sports a graduation rate of nearly 60% among first-time, full-time students.
• The University of Houston is the third largest university in the state of Texas.

List of PsyD Programs In Texas

Below are programs in Texas where you can earn your Psy.D. This degree is a good option for students who want to work as clinicians in their psychology careers.

SEE ALSO:   5+ Best Online PsyD Programs

Our Lady of the Lake University

Our Lady of the Lake University offers a Psy.D. with a concentration in counseling psychology that trains doctoral students for the practice of assessment and intervention with individuals, families, groups, and couples. This Psy.D. program stresses competencies and skills that are needed in the professional practice of psychology. There is more concentration in this program in psychology application in the field and less on academic research activities. This is a four-year program and is accredited by the American Psychological Association. A total of 117 hours are required for graduation if you already hold a master’s degree. One year of full-time residency is also required.

• Institution type: Private
• Main campus: San Antonio, Texas
• Annual tuition: $20,000 in-state and out-of-state
• Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology
• Accreditation: APA
• Visit School: Click here

Baylor University

Baylor University offers a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology whose goal is to develop competent and professional psychologists with the clinical and conceptual competencies needed to contribute to the science of psychology. The program also aims to teach doctoral students to deliver comprehensive psychological services in a way that is responsive and effective to individual and societal needs. A major focus of this four-year program is didactic coursework and a supervised clinical internship where the student’s clinical competencies can be honed. The program is accredited by the APA.

• Main campus: Waco, Texas
• Annual tuition: $39,270  in-state and out-of-state
• Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology

University of Houston Clear Lake

The University of Houston Clear Lake offers an APA-accredited Psy.D. in Health Service Psychology with a focus on clinical practice. The major aim of the four-year program is to prepare doctoral students for health professional careers in clinical and school environments. It is modeled to focus on the offering of health services with a strong focus on cognitive-behavioral psychology. Graduates will be highly competent in evidence-based practice, including, assessment, intervention, and consultation.

• Institution type: Public
• Main campus: Houston
• Annual tuition: $10,035 in-state, $20,375 out-of-state
• Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Health Service Psychology

Other Psychology Doctorates in Texas

If you would rather earn your Ph.D. in psychology with a focus on academic research, you have some good options in Texas, which are described below.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at UT Southwestern Medical Center is accredited by the APA that prepares graduate students to serve as effective psychological clinicians and researchers. The training philosophy in this five-year program reflects a clinical-researcher training model and features a combined experience of clinical and research settings. The program offers advanced research training for students who want to pursue clinically focused careers. In addition, students interested more in academic or research careers have an excellent clinical foundation to build on. During the practica experience, students will have 1,400 hours of supervision and training.

• Main campus: Dallas
• Annual tuition: $9,941 in-state, $23,636 out-of-state
• Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology

The University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin offers a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that is based on a proven clinical science training model. The major objective of the program is to prepare doctoral students for teaching and research careers. The second objective is to train students to practice psychology in a clinical setting. The scientific perspective is stressed in the clinical and research training in the five-year, APA-accredited program. Faculty are scholars in many vital aspects of psychology, such as addictive behaviors, human sexuality, PTSD, stress and coping, autism, aging and cognition, and depression.

• Annual tuition: $8,700 in-state, $17,200 out-of-state

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University offers a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that blends the clinical-scientist and scientist-practitioner models. It integrates the complete range of teaching, research, and applied skills in training Ph.D. students. Graduates of this APA-accredited program have a strong foundation to pursue a career as a clinical scientist in an academic or research environment. They also can work successfully in clinical settings with patients, or in a high-level administrative role in a healthcare facility. Students typically compete successfully for pre-doctoral internships at major medical centers across the country.

• Main campus: College Station, Texas
• Annual tuition: $10,173 in-state, $22,196 out-of-state

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University offers a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that is APA-accredited, with the aim of providing doctoral students with broad and general training in major aspects of psychology. Students will develop the empirical and theoretical knowledge and skills to conduct sound and ethical research. Further, graduate students will develop the knowledge and skills to effectively engage with patients in the practice of clinical psychology. Students will have intensive practicum training at the on-campus Psychology Clinic, but they also can get this essential training at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, University Medical Center, and other local healthcare facilities.

• Main campus: Lubbock, Texas
• Annual tuition: $8,181 in-state, $15,651 out-of-state

The University of Texas at Tyler

The University of Texas at Tyler offers a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that offers doctoral students high-quality academic, research, and clinical training with traditionally underserved populations. The focus of the APA-accredited program is to train students to work in rural areas, with veterans, and geropsychology. Intense training in cultural diversity issues is built into the five-year program. Required clinical training is offered in the on-campus clinic as well as in several agencies in East Texas. The program requires 99 credit hours to graduate and there is a one-year clinical internship.

• Main campus: Tyler, Texas
• Annual tuition: $9,700 in-state, $21,000 out-of-state

Sam Houston State University

Sam Houston State University offers a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that is designed to produce scientists and practitioners who have expertise in clinical practice and research. The APA-accredited program also has an emphasis on training doctoral students to be legally informed clinicians, with experience and knowledge providing professional psychological services in the US justice system. Students will learn techniques for applying clinical psychology skills to address needs and answer vital research questions in the legal arena.

• Main campus: Huntsville, Texas

SEE ALSO:  Top 5 Online PsyD in Clinical Psychology Programs

How To Become A Practicing Psychologist In Texas

Pursuing a license in the State of Texas will require attending to a variety of different matters. First and foremost, you’ll have to start out by attaining all of the required education. After that, you’ll need to work with the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists in order to attend to all of the documentation, examination, and approvals required to receive your license.

You’ll start out on your path toward a psychologist license by earning both your master’s and bachelor’s degree. You’ll end up spending close to six years in pursuit of both of these degrees though that can change based on the university that you choose to attend. So long as you meet all certification requirements outlined by the APA, you will be able to move forward toward your doctorate. Keep in mind, Texas is incredibly specific about which courses are viable for licensure, so refer often to the Texas State Board.

After acquiring your master’s you will be ready to achieve your PsyD or Ph.D. in the field of psychology.  Your doctoral program must be verified and approved by the American Psychological Association or the National Association of School Psychologists . Along the way, you’ll need 60 total credit hours and nearly 1,800 hours of supervised work experience.

After you have your education in hand, you’ll be ready to approach the board for your license.

• Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology
• Jurisprudence Examination
• After your examinations are complete, you’ll be able to apply for a provisional license. This provisional license allows you to practice under the supervised expertise of a licensed professional psychologist. In order to attain this provisional license, you must pass a criminal background check while also supplying two passport photos as well as your school transcripts.
• With your provisional license, you must complete two years of supervised training which will total up to 3,500 total work hours. Half of these hours can be earned during an internship while the other half must be acquired after you receive your doctoral degree. If you are trying to become a school psychologist, 600 of those hours must be earned at a public school.
• Finally, you’ll be able to apply for your full license. You can apply for your license online via the PLUS program. It takes six weeks to process your application as well as an additional application fee of $180.

Texas Clinical Psychologist Salary and Job Outlook

Texas is positioned to become one of the leaders in the field of psychology. Texas fields the third-highest employment numbers for licensed psychologists in the nation, trailing only New York and California.

SEE ALSO: Texas Clinical Psychology Salary Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual mean wage of a certified practicing psychologist in Texas is $70,060. The top 10% of earners in Texas are making an annual salary of $98,510. Job growth in the state is expected to continue on a positive trend with an outlook of growth nearing 14%.