College of Liberal Arts
Auburn University
Department of Psychology

Curriculum

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY DOCTORAL PROGRAM

Note: The following curriculum description outlines requirements for students entering in the 2006-2007 academic year. See later on this page for the curriculum in place for students entering during the 2005-2006 academic year or earlier.

Overview

Students in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program complete courses that satisfy general departmental core requirements (29 semester hours), Master's and doctoral level research (14 hours), and clinical program core requirements (37-40 semester hours, depending on concentration). Students may be encouraged to pursue additional coursework depending on their personal career goals and educational needs. An empirical study is required for both the thesis and dissertation. Students must also successfully pass the General Doctoral Examination. Completion of an APA-approved clinical psychology internship program is also required. Curricular requirements are subject to change but students retain the option of graduating under the curriculum that was in place at the time they initiated the program.

Departmental Core Requirements

All students must complete the following core requirements.

Number        Course Title          Credits

I. Take all of the following:

PSYC 7100 History of Ideas in Psychology 3
PSYC 7120 Teaching of Psychology 2,2
PSYC 7130 Research Seminar 1
STAT 7000 Experimental Statistics I 4
PSYC 7270 Experimental Design in Psychology 4

II. Take three of the following:

PSYC 7140 Learning and Conditioning 3
PSYC 7150 Biological Psychology 3
PSYC 7160 Human Development 3
PSYC 7170 Theories of Personality 3
PSYC 7180 Social Psychology 3
PSYC 7190 Cognitive Psychology 3

III. Take one of the following:

PSYC 8250 Multivariate Methods 4
PSYC 7230 Psychometric Theory 3
PSYC 7240 Methods of Studying Individual Behavior 3
PSYC 7250 Clinical Research Methods & Ethics 3

IV. Take one of the following:

PSYC 7110 Ethics & Problems in Psychology 1
PSYC 8310

Introduction to Clinical Ethics and Methods

1

V. Take the following:

PSYC 7990 Research & Thesis 4
PSYC 8990 Research & Dissertation 10

Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program Requirements

In order to ensure broad and general exposure to the core areas of psychology, clinical students must complete the following additional coursework. Note that most options within each menu area fulfill departmental core requirements. When options within an area are available, courses should be selected in consultation with the major professor and program director.

Please note: The new clinical curriculum is organized around the previously outlined core core curriculum with both additional options and constraints in order to ensure compliance with the Guidelines and Principles of the APA Commission on Accreditation and our own training philosophy. It is important to understand that in pursuing this clinical curriculum, with its options, you must also adhere to the departmental core. So, for example, if you choose to pursue PSYC 8710 (Advanced Organizational Psychology) as the social bases requirement for the clinical program (see below), instead of PSYC 7180 (an option within the departmental core), you must still take three courses from the list marked II above. The same applies to the cognitive/affective basis and individual differences/development options below. Thus, although more options are available in order to meet the clinical core requirements, this may influence how you meet the departmental core requirements. Obviously, nothing prevents you from taking additional courses, as long as you meet both departmental and program requirements. Please refer to the Plan of Study Worksheet you will be given that integrates the revised curricula.

Area/Number         Course Title           Credits

Biological Bases :

PSYC 7150 Biological Psychology 3

Cognitive/Affective Bases (take one of the following):

PSYC 7190 Cognitive Psychology 3
PSYC 7140 Learning & Conditioning 3

Social Bases (take one of the following):

PSYC 7180 Social Psychology 3
PSYC 8710 Advanced Organizational Psychology 3

Individual Differences/Development (take one of the following):

PSYC 7160 Human Development 3
PSYC 7170 Theories of Personality 3
COUN 7310 Counseling Applications of Lifespan Development 3
HDFS 7010 Advanced Child Development 3
HDFS 7040 Conceptual Frameworks in Human Development and Family Studies 3
HDFS 8010 Relationship Development I: Childhood & Adolescence 3
HDFS 8020 Relationship Development II: Adulthood 3

HDFS = Department of Human Development and Family Studies

COUNS = Department of Counselor Education, Counseling Psychology, and School Psychology

Professional Standards & Ethics (take the following):

PSYC 8310 Introduction to Clinical Ethics and Methods 1
PSYC 8XXX Advanced Clinical Ethics and Professional Issues 1

Psychopathology:

PSYC 7300 Adult Psychopathology 3

Assessment:

PSYC 8320 Psychological Assessment of Adults 3
PSYC 8360 Assessment of Cognitive Abilities and Achievement 3

Intervention :

PSYC 8340 Systems of Psychotherapy (adult track only) 3

Clinical Practicum :

PSYC 8910 Clinical Practicum (6 consecutive semesters; Assessment & Intervention) 18

Cultural/Individual Diversity (take one of the following):

COUN 7330 Counseling Diverse Populations 3
COUN 7960 Directed Readings: Cultural Diversity 1-3

Additional Requirements for Child Track Students (including child/adolescent focused practica and research; note : 8340 not required):

PSYC 8410 Psychological Assessment of Children and Families 3
PSYC 8430 Conceptualization and Treatment of Childhood Psychopathology 3

Sample Course Sequence

Click here for a course sequence that will serve as an advisory model (subject to change).

General Doctoral Examination

Each student must successfully pass the General Doctoral Examination. The exam consists of two parts: 1) Written Exam (either a Major Area Paper or Preliminary Examination), and 2) Oral defense of the written examination. Requirements are explained in greater detail at: http://www.auburn.edu/psychology/gs/doctoral/administrative/mappol2.htm and at http://www.auburn.edu/psychology/gs/doctoral/administrative/rules_and_regs.htm

Exemption from Required Courses

Students may request exemption from specific required courses based upon the completion of similar graduate level work at Auburn or elsewhere. Approval of substitutions/exemptions is secured via an "Exemption from Departmental or Program Requirement" form signed by your major professor, program director, the teacher who most recently taught the course from which you seek exemption, and the department Chair. Students seeking this exemption must provide an official transcript showing completion of the course(s) upon which they are basing their exemption request and must demonstrate mastery of the required subject matter in a manner to be determined by the relevant faculty members.

Exemption from the Master's Thesis

Students who enter the program with a Master's Degree and Master's Thesis from another program may request exemption from the thesis requirement. Students seeking such exemption should discuss it with the program director during their first semester in the program and should secure approval as soon as possible (but no later than the end of their second semester) via an "Exemption from Departmental or Program Requirement" form signed by their major professor, program director, and the Department Chair. Students seeking this exemption must provide an official transcript demonstrating that they earned the Master's degree and secured official approval of the thesis upon which they are basing their exemption request. The suitability of the thesis as a basis of exemption from our thesis requirement will be assessed in a manner to be determined by the relevant faculty members.

Residency Requirement

The program requires of each student a minimum of three full-time academic years of graduate study and completion of an internship prior to awarding the degree. At least two of the three academic training years must be at Auburn University , and at least one year of which must be in full-time residence at the university.

This is the end of the description for the curriculum to be implemented beginning Fall 2006

 

Note: The following curriculum description applies to students entering during the 2005-2006 academic year or earlier, unless they choose to adopt the curriculum described above.

Departmental Core Requirements (required of all students regardless of program)
Course Number Title Semester Credit Hours
Take all of the following:  
PSYC 7100 History of Ideas in Psychology 3
PSYC 7110 Ethics & Problems 1
PSYC 7130 Research Seminar 1
PSYC 7140 Learning & Conditioning 3
PSYC 7150 Biological Psychology 3
     
Take 1 of the following:  
PSYC 7160 Human Development 3
PSYC 7180 Social Psychology 3
PSYC 7190 Cognitive Psychology 3
     
Quantitative Courses, take 3 of the following:  
STAT 7000 Probability & Stat. Fndtns. 4
STAT/PSYC 7270-71 Experimental Design in Psychology 4
STAT 7020 Multiple Regression 3
PSYC 7230 Psychometric Theory 3
PSYC 7240 Methods of Studying Individual Behavior 3

Minor:

At least 3 courses (summing no less than 9 sem. hrs) taken outside  the student's major program and approved by the doctoral committee. Graduate and undergraduate courses from any department may fulfill this requirement Note that courses taken to fulfill the child clinical track requirements may also be used to fulfill this minor requirement.

General Doctoral Exam:

Written Exam (either Major Area Paper or Written Preliminary Examination) with oral defense.

Research (MS Thesis & PhD Dissertation with oral defense):

Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program Requirements (these requirements are in addition to the departmental core requirements specified above)

A. Clinical Core

Departmental Core Requirements (required of all students regardless of program)
Course Number Title Semester Credit Hours
PSYC 7160 Human Development; OR HDFS 7010: Adv. Child Dev.; OR COUN 7310: Counseling Applic. Lifespan Development 3
PSYC 7180 Social Psychology 3
PSYC 7190 Cognitive Psychology 3
PSYC 7300 Adult Psychopathology 3
PSYC 7960 Seminar: Clinical Research Methods 3
PSYC 8310 Intro to Clinical Ethics & Methods 3
PSYC 8320 Psychological Assessment of Adults 4
PSYC 8330 Behavior Therapy 3
PSYC 8340 Systems of Psychotherapy 3
PSYC 8410 Psych. Assess of Children & Fam. 4

B. Vertical Team:

C. Child Clinical Track:

Students in the child clinical track must take all of the above plus the following courses. Adult clinical track students are not required to take the courses below. Note that courses taken to fulfill the child clinical track requirements may also be used to fulfill minor requirements.

HDFS = courses offered by Auburn University's Department of Human Development and Family Studies

 

Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program Residency Requirement

The program requires of each student a minimum of three full-time academic years of graduate study and completion of an internship prior to awarding the degree. At least two of the three academic training years must be at Auburn University, and at least one year of which must be in full-time residence at the university.

 

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Last updated on September 12, 2005

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