The University of Georgia About Us About Athens Search Contact Us Home
Psychology Department
People
Research
Graduate
Undergraduate
Calendar
Resources
Clinic
PsycNews
Contributions

Graduate Programs

Clinical Psychology Information:

> Click here for more information about the Clinical Program

> Psychology Clinic

> Clinical Faculty

> Clinical Graduate Students


thin line


space
Graduate Programs

Clinical Program Information

The Clinical Program is an APA-approved program with a cognitive- behavioral/ social learning orientation and a strong research emphasis, organized to give the student a knowledge of the field of psychology as a method of inquiry into human behavior.

Dawgtracks: Clinical Program Newsletter (2009 issue)

Dawgtracks: Clinical Program Newsletter (2008 issue)

Dawgtracks: Clinical Program Newsletter (Spring 2007 issue)

Dawgtracks: Clinical Program Newsletter (May 2006 issue)

Dawgtracks: Clinical Program Newsletter (May 2005 issue)

Program Curriculum and Structure

The purpose of the APA-approved Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology is to train outstanding clinical scientists who will go on to make valuable contributions to the field of clinical psychology. Specific aims are: (a) to give the student a knowledge of the field of psychology as a method of inquiry into human behavior with a focus on the central role of empiricism in all aspects of clinical psychology; (b) to develop competence in theoretical and research issues that pertain to clinical psychology and related areas, and empirical methodologies for studying and providing clinical services; (c) to give the student an identification with psychology as an integrated basic and applied science; (d) to insure that the individual has the ability to function in research-oriented (e.g., academic) and applied (e.g., medical centers) settings through the development of competencies in the production and consumption of research, the teaching of clinical psychology, and the supervision and provision of clinical services.

The Clinical Psychology Program is based on the clinical science model, and as such, takes an empirical perspective with a cognitive behavioral orientation. Mentored research activities, course work in basic and clinical psychology, teaching, and clinical practica represent the training experiences available in this model. The critical role of empiricism as a unifying perspective for research experiences and clinical activities is viewed as an important aspect of the program. This integration is achieved by the student typically being involved in course work, research activities, and clinical practicum during each semester of residency on campus. The latter two experiences are achieved by the student working closely with selected faculty members within the context of one-to-one interactions with research faculty or small practicum teams in the clinical setting. Within this "learning by doing" approach, students are continuously involved in active research projects as well as actual supervised clinical practice. Follow this link for a list of the interests and expertise of individual faculty members.

An additional noteworthy feature of the program is that the internship occurs in the fourth year, rather than the fifth. Fifth year students return to campus for their final year, receiving extensive supervision and support from faculty as they complete their dissertations and apply for professional positions. This also affords them the opportunity to learn supervisory skills as they assist in supervision of junior students and share skills and experience acquired during the internship year. This feature has proven extremely effective in preparing our graduate students with the research and clinical skills necessary for success as well as resulting in the majority of our students completing the program within five years (see Admissions/Outcome Data section below for details).

Facilities and Resources

Dr. Nader Amir works with a graduate studentThe Program has available a host of valuable resources for the graduate student. Students benefit from faculty affiliations with multidisciplinary institutes and centers around campus including the Institute for Behavioral Research (IBR), the Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute (BHSI), the Bioimaging Research Center (BIRC), and the Gerontology Institute. The IBR sponsors numerous colloquia and seminars on topics of interest to psychologists and includes special interest groups that focus on Family Research, Behavioral Health, Cognitive Studies, and Models and Methods. The BHSI provides grant opportunities, seminars, colloquia, and interdisciplinary training within 4 divisions, including the Neurosciences Division. The BIRC offers opportunities to carry out clinical research using state-of-the-art neuroimaging tools including MRI/fMRI, MEG, and EEG technologies. The Gerontology Institute also provides a variety of resources including seed grants, specialized courses and special presentations and meetings geared towards graduate students with an interest in aging issues.

The Psychology Clinic, the program's teaching clinic, is located in the Psychology Building and offers excellent facilities for observation and supervision. The clinic, directed by Dr. Amos Zeichner, provides outpatient services to adults and children from Athens and surrounding counties as well as students, faculty, and staff of the University of Georgia.

All clinical faculty and students have offices and laboratory space in the Psychology Building, allowing for frequent interaction between students and faculty. Students have easy access to several excellent computer labs and to the University's Main Library and Science Library, as well as comprehensive access to most journals electronically from any computer.

Graduate students may take advantage of the many cultural and athletic events held on campus and may use the Ramsey Student Center for Physical Activities, which has been described as the best facility of its type in the country.

Graduate Students

There are currently (2008) 32 students enrolled in the program, 84% of whom are women. The median age of students is approximately 25. Students come from geographically and culturally diverse backgrounds, and the program has a strong commitment to cultural diversity in its student body.

Admission Requirements and Procedures

students in labStudents admitted to the Clinical Psychology Program must have strong research skills. In addition, it is expected that students will develop outstanding clinical skills. Students should be committed to the program's e mphasis on developing outstanding clinical scientists who expect to make significant contributions to the field of clinical psychology. This is exemplified in the cognitive-behavioral orientation of the program and its commitment to training of empirically-supported treatment modalities. Strongly considered in evaluating applications for admission are the student's research interests and career goals. Prospective students should be able to identify one or more members of the clinical faculty who could serve as their mentor based on mutual research interests.

Minimum criteria for admission are set by the Graduate School, the Department of Psychology, and the Clinical Program. These criteria include a bachelor's degree, an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00, a graduate GPA (if applicable) of at least 3.50, and GRE total (Verbal + Quantitative) score not less than 1100. However, credentials of students enrolled in the program substantially exceed these minimum criteria. The Written portion of the GRE is also considered and excellent writing skills are expected. For details of applications, class size and makeup, please see the Admissions/Outcomes Data section below.

Students who have earned master's degrees at the time of their admission to the program may be able to exempt a few courses but must complete the same number of hours of coursework as students entering with a bachelor's degree.

Application for admission is done entirely online and requires both a Graduate School application obtained from the University of Georgia Office of Graduate Admissions and a supplementary Psychology Department application obtained from the office of the Graduate Coordinator of Psychology. The deadline for receipt of all application materials (i.e., including GRE scores and transcripts) is December 1. Top-ranked applicants will receive an invitation to interview in January or February. For more on psychology graduate admissions click here.

Financial Aid

Upon admission to the program students are eligible for a variety of types of financial aid. These include teaching assistantships (Students with masters degrees may teach their own course; those with the bachelor's degree assist a faculty member); research assistantships (awarded in a university-wide competition or through a faculty member's grant); and clinic assistantships, through the Psychology Clinic. Coordination of assistantship applications by the Director of Clinical Training permits the largest possible number of program students to receive assistantships. Program policy is that students receive priority for assistantships based on seniority in the program, prior performance as an assistant, and academic performance. Therefore, newly admitted students will rarely be offered an assistantship at the time of admission. Typically, however, a majority of students receive an assistantship during their first year, and virtually all students are funded during their 2nd-5th years in the program (see Admissions/Outcomes Data section below for Financial Aid statistics and funding levels).

Students may also work directly with the University’s Office of Student Financial Aid (706-542-6147) for assistance in securing student loans.

Program Administration

> Dr. Stephen Miller, Director of Clinical Training

> Dr. Joshua Miller, chair of Admissions

> Ms. Marilyn Steffe, Student Affairs Professional

Admissions/Outcome Data

The Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology, of which The University of Georgia Clinical Psychology Program is a member, requests that prospective students be provided with the following data related to admission and student outcomes. Please click here for current Admissions / Outcome Data in PDF format.

Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP)

During the period from 1997 - 2005 the EPPP was taken by 43 graduates of The University of Georgia Clinical Psychology Program. The program mean score of 164.3 ranks in the top 15% among more than 500 programs whose scores are reported by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (2005 Educational Reporting Service Listing).

Accreditation

The Clinical Program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association. They can be reached at:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002

Phone: (202) 336-5979
Fax: (202) 336-5978

Website: http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

 

Top

  

 

Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Send Comments