The Clinical Psychology program emphasizes practical
skills and experience in psychological assessment and psychotherapy
focusing on adults and couples. A secondary emphasis is on theoretical
knowledge about psychology generally and various theories of psychopathology
and the many forms of psychological intervention. The program is
a member of the Council of Applied Master's Programs in Psychology
(CAMPP) and adheres to the academic and training standards of CAMPP.
Graduates of the program regularly meet the state requirements for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and/or Licensed Psychological Associate (LPA).
Professional training in the program includes course
work in basic psychotherapy and counseling skills, cognitive/behavioral
and group therapy, elective therapy specializations and intellectual
and personality assessment. Clinical Practicum, which is the student's
first professional training contact with real clients, is conducted
in the Psychological Services training clinic, and involves following
one or two clients over the course of a long semester under direct,
live supervision by a faculty supervisor. Clinical training culminates
with the Internship in which the student spends 500 hours, spanning
a minimum of two semesters, in a mutually selected facility where
he/she is supervised by an appropriately credentialed clinician,
preferably a licensed psychologist. Recent internship facilities
include Harris County Psychiatric Center (affiliated with University
of Texas-Houston Medical School), the VA Medical Center, and the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice, as well as a number of smaller
agencies and sites.
The program accepts applications once each year for
summer/fall admission; the application deadline is January 25. Approximately
20 students are accepted yearly, which is about one-third to one-half
of the applicants in recent years. Applications require an application
form; recommendations from three recommenders; an essay outlining
the candidate's goals; a curriculum vitae; and recent GRE scores.
Top candidates are invited for individual interviews with the program
faculty. In selecting candidates for the program, the faculty look
for evidence of
- academic ability to successfully complete graduate course
work,
- personal maturity and interpersonal skills necessary for
mental health practitioners,
- life experience and professional background which could be
expected to enhance professional competence, and
- motivation and commitment to studying clinical psychology
along with appropriate career and professional goals.
The Clinical Psychology program prepares students
for careers in a variety of mental health settings; recent graduates
have been successfully employed as master's-level counselors and
practitioners by public agencies and non-profit organizations, research
institutions and private clinics and practitioners.
The program sponsors the Clinical Psychology Student's
Association, a student organization which offers programs for professional
growth and social contact throughout the academic year for current
students and others interested in becoming students.
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