Clinical Psychology
Overview
Clinical psychology programs prepare people to diagnose and treat clients with mental disorders.They learn to work with groups, individual clients, adults, or children.
Clinical psychology programs include topics such as:
- Theory of personality development
- Mental disorders
- Clinical assessment and diagnosis
- Child and adolescent therapy
- Psychotherapy
- Behavior modification
- Statistics and research methodology
Internships
Internships allow students to develop skills. Most clinical psychology programs require students to complete an internship.
Schools
A few colleges and universities offer bachelor’s degrees in clinical psychology. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.
Many universities and psychological institutes offer graduate degrees in clinical psychology. A master’s degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor’s degree. Doctoral (PhD) degree programs usually require two or more years of study beyond the master’s degree.
See schools that offer this program.
Related Educational Programs
- Addiction Counseling
- Behavioral Sciences
- Biopsychology
- Cognitive Science
- Community Services
- Counseling Psychology
- Human Services
- Marriage and Family Counseling
- Neuroscience
- Psychology, General
- Rehabilitation Counseling
- Statistics
Related Careers
Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study
Other Careers Related to this Program of Study
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Psychiatrists
- School Psychologists
- Social and Community Service Managers
Program Admission
You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.
Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:
- Biology
- English Composition
- Pre-Calculus
- Probability and Statistics
- Psychology
- Public Speaking
Graduate Admissions
Admission to graduate programs is highly competitive. You need a bachelor's degree, good grades, and good test scores. Your bachelor's degree may not need to be in psychology if you have taken some courses in the subject.
Additional requirements at some schools include:
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Psychology (less often)
- Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
- Letters of recommendation
You may also need to complete an interview. Experience assisting with psychological research is a big plus.
Typical Course Work
A bachelor's degree program in psychology typically requires that you study the following core courses:
- English Composition
- Experimental Psychology
- Introduction to Statistical Methods
- Introductory Psychology
- Pre-Calculus
In addition, you usually must choose several (but certainly not all) of the following subjects:
- Abnormal Psychology
- Adolescent Psychology
- Child Psychology
- Experimental Design
- History and Systems of Psychology
- Internship in Mental Health
- Memory and Cognition
- Organizational Psychology
- Physiological Psychology
- Psychological Tests and Measurement
- Psychology of Adulthood and Aging
- Psychology of Learning
- Psychology of Sex and Gender
- Social Psychology
- Theories of Personality
As preparation for graduate school, it helps to include one or more courses in biology.
A doctoral degree program in clinical psychology typically includes courses such as the following:
- Clinical Psychology Practicum
- Community Psychology
- Intermediate Statistics
- Professional Ethics
- Psychological Assessment
- Psychopathology
- Psychotherapy and Behavior Change
- Research Methods in Clinical Psychology
In addition, doctoral programs typically require the following:
- Master's thesis
- Preliminary exams
- Dissertation and dissertation defense (may not be required for PsyD degree)
Graduate programs usually include several practicums, which are supervised experiences of real work in this field. At first you may merely follow a professional around and observe what that person does. Later, you take on more real tasks, including research.
A one-year internship is a standard part of the doctoral degree program.
Things to Know
For independent practice as a clinical psychologist, you need to be licensed by your state. Requirements vary. Usually you need a doctorate from an approved program, plus complete at least two years of supervised professional experience. You also need to pass an exam.
Schools
East Side Area
Washington State University - Pullman
- Clinical Psychology
King-Snohomish Area
Antioch University
- Clinical Psychology
City University of Seattle
- Applied Psychology
Seattle Pacific University
- Clinical Psychology
University of Washington - Seattle
- Psychology
Spokane Area
Eastern Washington University
- Psychology--Applied Developmental Psychology
- Psychology--Clinical