Graduate Programs
Clinical Psychology
Goals and Objectives
The clinical training program is organized to help students accomplish three major goals with specific objectives and competencies within each goal. These include:
Goal 1: To produce graduates who contribute to the scientific knowledge
base of clinical psychology.
Objective 1a: Acquisition of knowledge in the breadth of scientific psychology
Competency 1a1: Knowledge of biological bases of behavior
Competency 1a2: Knowledge of social bases of
behavior
Competency 1a3: Knowledge of cognitive bases
of behavior
Competency 1a4: Knowledge of history and systems
of thought in psychology
Objective 1b: Acquisition of a core set of research
knowledge and skills
Competency 1b1: Knowledge of statistics and research design and
skills in application of this knowledge to research
Competency 1b2: Knowledge of psychological measurement
and skills in application of this knowledge to research
Competency 1b3: Knowledge of research ethics and
skill in the application of this knowledge to specific
research dilemmas
Competency 1b4: Skills in the design of research,
execution of research, analysis of data, and interpretation
of results
Competency 1b5: Skills in the dissemination of
knowledge in clinical psychology
Objective 1c: Acquisition of knowledge of the scientific, methodological, and theoretical foundations of practice
Competency 1c1: Knowledge of individual differences in behavior,
including developmental aspects
Competency 1c2: Knowledge of psychopathology
Competency 1c3: Knowledge of professional standards
and ethics
Competency 1c4: Knowledge of psychological assessment
and measurement approaches of relevance to evidence-based
treatment
Competency 1c5: Knowledge of evidence-based approaches
to treatment
Competency 1c6: Skills to evaluate the efficacy
of specific interventions
Objective 1d: Acquisition of knowledge of issues of cultural and individual diversity
Competency 1d1: Knowledge of research concerning the impact of
gender, ethnicity, race, culture, sexual preference, and physical disability
on risk of various forms of psychopathology
Competency 1d2: Knowledge of the impact of cultural
identity on access to and utilization of service delivery
systems
Competency 1d3: Knowledge of research on the influence
of cultural factors on response to interventions
Competency 1d4: Awareness of self and personal
values in interacting with culturally different clients
Goal 2: To produce graduates with entry-level competence for clinical
practice.
Objective 2a: Acquisition of basic clinical and professional skills and attitudes related to diagnosis, assessment, intervention, and supervision
Competency 2a1: Skills to establish and maintain a working alliance
with clients
Competency 2a2: Skills in the development of treatment
plans based on assessment data and knowledge of evidence-based
treatments
Competency 2a3: Skills in the application of clinical
ethics to clinical practice
Competency 2a4: Skills in supervision
Objective 2b: Development of skills to apply scientific knowledge and evidence-based interventions to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of health and mental health problems
Competency 2b1: Skills in the use of evidence-based approaches
to assessment
Competency 2b2: Knowledge of DSM diagnoses and
skill in the diagnosis of clients
Competency 2b3: Knowledge of evidence-based clinical
practices, techniques, and treatments
Competency 2b4: Skills in the delivery of evidence-based
treatment for at least one psychological disorder
Objective 2c: Acquisition of knowledge and sensitivity to cultural and individual diversity, and skill in the application of this knowledge to service delivery
Competency 2c1: An attitude of respect for others’ standards,
practices and beliefs related to health and psychological functioning
Competency 2c2: Skill in utilizing cultural context
in the diagnosis of psychopathology
Competency 2c3: Skill in the application of knowledge
of individual and cultural diversity to enhance client
retention and response to treatment in clinical practice
Competency 2c4: An attitude of willingness to
consult outside professionals on relevant cultural issues
to inform clinical practice
Goal 3: To produce graduates who integrate the science and practice
of clinical psychology.
Objective 3a: Development of an attitude of respect for the importance of integrating scientific knowledge into clinical practice
Competency 3a1: Skill in translation of research findings into
practice
Competency 3a2: A demonstrable attitude of interest
in life-long learning and scholarly inquiry
Competency 3a3: Knowledge of major journals and
publication outlets
Objective 3b: Acquisition of knowledge about different research methodologies for conducting process and outcome research in clinical psychology
Competency 3b1: Knowledge of methodologies used in major outcome
studies
Competency 3b2: Demonstrated ability to design
new research and critically evaluate it prior to execution
and after completion
Competency 3b3: Demonstrated ability to derive
research from theory
Objective 3c: Skills in critical thinking related
to clinical research and practice
Competency 3c1: Knowledge of how and under what conditions the
findings of randomized clinical trials generalize to clinical service settings
Competency 3c2: Demonstrated ability to critique
existing research and theory.
We anticipate that our graduates will use these areas of skill and knowledge in a range of career paths, including academic/clinical positions in departments of psychology or psychiatry in universities or medical schools, and clinical or clinical/administrative jobs in medical schools or mental health centers. A minority of our graduates focuses exclusively on science-based clinical practice.
By the completion of training, program graduates are expected to possess critical analytic skills; be able to identify new knowledge and bring that knowledge to bear upon research and clinical problems; and be competent to use core knowledge in the design of research studies, in their teaching, and in the manner in which you deliver clinical services.
You should be competent to select and apply assessment approaches and treatments with empirical support for their effectiveness, should be relatively resistant to “fads” in the clinical realm, and should pass the state licensing examination without difficulty.
Program graduates should be able to read the scientific literature critically; select and formulate research questions; and be skilled in research design, data collection, data management, and data analysis.
You should be involved actively in the conduct of research and program evaluation activities, and dissemination of that research through presentations at professional meetings and publications in the scientific literature.
In the conduct of your clinical work and the design of research, you should be knowledgeable about issues of clinical and research ethics, and function within the ethical guidelines of the American Psychological Association and the laws of your state.
You should be competent in the treatment of diverse client populations, in the recruitment of diverse subject populations in their research, and competent to formulate research questions and select research methods appropriate to populations under study.