Graduate Programs

Clinical Psychology

Advisement and Evaluation

A. Advisement and Mentoring

1. Prior to or upon arrival at Rutgers, incoming students are assigned to a research mentor. Students typically have been admitted because of the close match between their research interests and those of a core faculty member, so this assignment is based on mutual interest. Although most students work with the same mentor throughout, students have the option of changing mentors as they progress through the program, and some students either change mentors or work with more than one faculty member concurrently. In all cases, however, the student has a close, apprenticeship relationship with a faculty member, who serves as the student’s primary advisor to guide the student in decisions about courses, research choices, and clinical experiences, and who is aware of the student's progress and difficulties. Students whose primary research mentor is a nonclinical faculty member should also select a clinical faculty to serve as a clinical mentor/advisor for purposes of career planning and mentoring around issues of professional behavior and development.

2. From the beginning of the first semester, the student works actively with the research mentor. The formal commitment to the research mentor is a minimum of eight hours per week, but most students spend greater amounts of time in research activities.

3. Students should engage in a variety of professional activities beyond research, clinical, and course requirements. Of foremost importance is publication of empirical research in peer-reviewed journals. Additional important activities include collaboration on scholarly chapters and presentation of research at meetings of professional societies. Students should also join professional societies most closely allied with their specific areas of scholarship. Development of a plan for publication, presentation, and involvement in professional societies should be accomplished in consultation with the student’s primary mentor.

B. Performance Evaluations and Feedback

Assessment of student progress is done formally twice a year, at the end of each semester, after course grades and written clinical supervisors' evaluations are available. The Director of the Psychological Clinic and the Practicum Coordinator forward clinical evaluations to the Clinical Area Coordinator, and all research mentors either attend these student evaluation meetings or provide input to the Area Coordinator prior to the meeting. Students are provided written feedback on the results of these evaluations, commending their accomplishments, and identifying any problems. A particular effort is made to identify those students who may be having academic, clinical or personal difficulties in the program. The faculty discussion that follows may result in a decision to meet with the student to provide feedback, to take a specific action such as requiring remedial action, or to continue to track the student's progress before acting. The faculty member designated to meet with the student may be the advisor, the Clinical Area Coordinator, or another member of the faculty who is in an especially good position to share information or talk with the student. In addition to these formal evaluations, any faculty member may raise a concern or question about a student at any faculty meeting.

Clinical Area Committees

The clinical program maintains several standing committees. Each student is expected to serve on at least one committee. These committees provide opportunities for students to contribute to the development and quality of their own training. Committees include the Graduate Student Association, the Diversity Committee, the Admissions Committee, the New Student Committee, Representative to Clinical Area Faculty Meetings, Representative to the Vice-Chair for Graduate Studies, and Representative to the Psychological Clinic Advisory Committee.