Since the 1949 Boulder Conference
on Graduate Training in Clinical Psychology, the integration of research
findings and clinical practice has been an important goal for the field.
The Clinical Program at the University of Kentucky strongly endorses this
model and trains its students to be competent researchers, critical consumers
of the scientific literature, and practitioners who depend on empirical
findings to guide their applied activities. To accomplish these goals, the
program provides students with training experiences across a broad range
of topics in clinical research and science-based practice. Training modalities
include course work, practicum placements in a variety of clinical settings,
and research training under the mentorship of the faculty. The integration
of science and practice is modeled by the clinical faculty and emphasized
in course work and clinical supervision.We anticipate that students
will enter the program with varied professional goals, including research,
teaching, and delivery of clinical services. The program offers sufficient
flexibility that training can be tailored to support these goals. While
all students receive rigorous training in the fundamentals of both research
and practice, many students emphasize one area more than another. In addition,
classroom teaching and supervisory experiences are available to clinical
students. Ongoing conversations between students, their advisors, other
faculty members, and other professional psychologists assist students in
clarifying their professional goals and tailoring their training to support
them. It is our goal to train students to bring an empirical, science-based
approach to all of their professional activities, regardless of their ultimate
career paths. A survey of our graduates over the last 25 years reveals an
impressive record of professional accomplishments and appointments to clinical
and academic positions at prestigious institutions throughout the nation.
For recent rankings of APA-accredited PhD clinical psychology programs click
here. The doctoral training program
in clinical psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association’s
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation (750 First Street, NE,
Washington, DC, 20002-4242; 202-336-5979), and has a long history of providing
financial support to students in the form of research grants to individual
faculty, graduate school fellowships, minority student fellowships, teaching
assistantships, and training stipends from clinical practicum placements.Students and Financial Support
Students are accepted from all
areas of the nation; the clinical program maintains a policy of affirmative
action for minority applicants. Fellowship awards include full remission
of tuition, and out-of-state tuition is waived for those students on research
assistantships or clinical traineeships; students serving as teaching assistants
typically receive additional in-state tuition scholarships. Financial aid
has been made available for all clinical students during the four years
they are typically on campus; financial support for the fifth year is provided
by internship agencies. Every effort is made to facilitate students' completion
of the doctoral program; as a result, attrition by students has been very
low, averaging about one student or less per year for several years. More
information about financial support and student graduation and attrition
rates can be found below.Admissions Information
| Applicant Data | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
| Number of applicants |
157 | 194 | 185 | 177 | 199 |
| Number accepted for
admission |
13 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Actual size of incoming
class |
5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 |
| Number receiving financial
support |
5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 |
| Academic credentials of those accepted for admission | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
| Verbal GRE |
624 | 583 | 614 | 588 | 618 |
| Quantitative GRE |
643 | 670 | 707 | 651 | 704 |
| Undergraduate GPA |
3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.47 |
Training Information and Outcomes
In accordance with the Guidelines
for Accreditation of Programs in Professional Psychology, we want to provide
accurate information to students and to the public about our program. This
information will allow applicants to our program to make informed decisions
about education and training outcomes.Time to Complete Degree
It takes students an average
of 6.1 years to complete the program from the time of entrance to the program.
The median time to completion is 6 years. None of our students have completed
their degree in 4 years, 24% complete in five years, 56% complete in 6 years,
and 20% complete in seven or more years.| Graduation Outcomes | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
| Number of students
completing program |
5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Average years
to completion for cohort |
6.5 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 6.3 | 6.6 |
| Median years
to completion for cohort |
6 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Program Costs
For the 2007-2008 academic year, tuition costs areResident: $3,835/semester
Nonresident: $3,835/semester
Plus a health fee of $160.
Students are guaranteed funding for the first four years of the program. Teaching Assistantships and Research Assistantships pay $14,000 and the Fellowships average $16,000, with tuition waver.
Internships
| Applicants for Internship | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| Number of applicants |
7 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Number (%) who obtained
internships |
7 (100%) | 3 (100%) | 6 (100%) | 4 (100%) | 5 (100%) | 4 (100%) |
| Number (%) who obtained
paid internships |
7 (100%) | 3 (100%) | 6 (100%) | 4 (100%) | 5 (100%) | 4 (100%) |
| Number (%) who obtained
APPIC internships |
7 (100%) | 3 (100%) | 6 (100%) | 4 (100%) | 5 (100%) | 4 (100%) |
| Number (%) who obtained
APA-accredited internships |
7 (100%) | 3 (100%) | 6 (100%) | 4 (100%) | 5 (100%) | 4 (100%) |
| Number (%) who obtained
two year half-time internships |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Eight out of 49 (16%) students
in the last seven years have failed to complete the program. The reasons
for leaving the program are varied and include a change in interests, moving
to a new location, following a spouse/partner, following a mentor to a different
university, and failing to meet the academic requirements of the program.Licensure
Of the 41 students who graduated
from the program between 1997 and 2004, 27 (66%) have been confirmed to
have received licensure within ten years of graduation. Two out of the 41
(5%) are known to be unlicensed, and we do not know the licensure status
for the 12 other graduates (29%).Curriculum
The curriculum provides not
only breadth of coverage in traditional and contemporary science-based aspects
of clinical psychology, but also considerable freedom in choice of electives
by the student beyond the first year. The program emphasizes broad exposure
to the major areas of clinical psychology; beyond this, the student and
the student's doctoral committee outline a plan of study most relevant to
the student's interest, both within and outside the department. Students
may concentrate in such areas as research methodologies, individual psychotherapy,
neuropsychology, psychopathology, mental health administration, community
psychology, health psychology, or clinical child psychology.Coursework
The required courses for all
clinical students include Interviewing (PSY 629, two semesters of Personality
and Intellectual Assessment (PSY 630, PSY 631), Personality Theory (PSY
622), Psychopathology (PSY 603), Systems of Psychotherapy (PSY 636), and
supervised Practicum in Psychotherapyand Behavior Change (PSY 637). Additional
required courses include two semesters of Statistics (PSY 610, PSY 611)
and ethics (PSY 710). Students also choose from a variety of advanced clinical
seminars, at least two of which are required, to meet their particular interests
and training needs. Research competence is acquired through a Clinical Research
and Design seminar (PSY 616), and completion of a master's thesis and doctoral
dissertation. Doctoral students pursuing academic or research careers engage
in considerable additional research with the faculty.The American Psychological Association
and state licensing boards require that doctoral students demonstrate competence
in each of the following areas: biological bases of behavior, cognitive-affective
bases of behavior, social bases of behavior and individual differences.
Required and elective courses are provided to ensure that students meet
these requirements. For more information on courses and program requirements,
please see our Graduate
Handbook.Doctoral students in clinical
psychology complete their training at an internship setting accredited by
the American Psychological Association. The internship typically is completed
in the fifth or sixth year, following completion of all course requirements
and the dissertation proposal.Health Psychology Concentration
The Department of Psychology,
in collaboration with the Department
of Behavioral Science in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine,
offers a specialization in Health Psychology. Specialization in Health Psychology
requires completion of several seminars in the Department of Behavioral
Science, and contact with the medical patient population and with the faculty
and staff in the various academic and clinical departments in the Medical
Center. It also provides an opportunity to conduct doctoral dissertation
research and to participate in other research projects in the medical setting.
NIH stipends, fellowships, or graduate assistantships are available through
the Department of Behavioral Science for graduate students in the Department
of Psychology who are pursuing an interest in Health Psychology. All graduate
students wishing to be certified as having specialized in the Clinical Psychology
program must fulfill the following academic and research requirements. In
addition, students in the Clinical Psychology program must participate in
relevant clinical practicum experiences.Academic Requirements
The academic requirements consist
of six courses or 18 credit hours. There are two required courses:
- BSC 626: (same as PSY 626): Survey of Health Psychology
- PSY 627: Proseminar in Physiological Psychology
Research Requirements
At least one research project
in the general field of Health Psychology must be completed. Thesis and
dissertation research are the most obvious means of fulfilling this requirement,
although an independent research project would also be sufficient. Students
with Health Psychology concentrations may have a primary mentory for their
research from either the Psychology or the Behavioral Science faculty. At
a minimum, it is assumed that, in the case of theses or dissertations, a
member of the Behavioral Science Department will serve on the committee.
If a Behavioral Science faculty member is the primary research mentor, there
must be a co-chair from Psychology.Clinical requirements
Students in the clinical program
must also complete 500 hours of relevant (e.g., health-oriented) clinical
practicum experience. This is equivalent to one year of a 10-hour per week
placement. Such placements should reflect the student's interests and can
include one of several mental health agencies, various departments in the
medical center, or other relevant placement opportunities.Health Psychology Advisory Committee
Two members from both the Psychology
and Behavioral Science Departments will be appointed by the respective chairs
to serve as an advisory committee to determine whether a student has fulfilled
the academic, research, and clinical requirements for a Specialization in
Health Psychology. The committee is the final arbiter in determining whether
specific courses, research topics, and clinical experiences fulfill the
requirements spelled out above. Similarly, the committee determines which
courses taken at another university can count toward the specialization.
The research and clinical requirements must be fulfilled at UK.For further information about the specialization in health psychology please contact:
Suzanne C. SegerstromNeuropsychology Concentration
Health Psychology Liaison
Department of Psychology
112 Kastle Hall
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0044
The University of Kentucky Clinical
Psychology Doctoral Training Program offers a concentration in Clinical
Neuropsychology. This concentration is organized to meet the INS/Division
40 guidelines for doctoral training clinical psychology. It is intended
to prepare graduate students for an internship in clinical neuropsychology,
and ideally a post-doctoral fellowship as well.The clinical neuropsychology
concentration is a specialty area within the clinical psychology doctoral
training program, and students must first be admitted to the clinical
program and must follow all procedures and requirements necessary for admission
and ultimately graduation from the clinical program.Because of the substantial additional
course requirements (approximately 15 hours) and other experiences necessary
to meet the INS/Division 40 guidelines, the clinical neuropsychology program
will typically require at least 5 years of graduate training prior to the
internship. However, because research training is an important component
of the concentration, students should complete the dissertation prior to
internship, and hence, be able to complete the Ph.D. in 6 years, approximating
the median time currently taken to complete the Ph.D. (6-7 years). Although
the program only guarantees support for the first 4 years, in practice,
all 5th year students desiring support through the department have obtained
it in recent years.The clinical neuropsychology
concentration is housed in the doctoral clinical psychology training program
offered by the Department of Psychology, but a number of additional neuropsychologists
are affiliated with the concentration. Currently five neuropsychologists
are involved in the concentration.A number of training sites feature
neuropsychological experience, including Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital,
the Department of Psychiatry at the UKMC, the Department of Neurology at
the UKMC, the Aging Center at the UKMC, the Veteran's Administration Medical
Center, Eastern State Hospital, and the Harris Psychological
Services Center.For further information about
the concentration in neuropsychology, please click on Information
on Neuropsychology or contact:
David T. R. Berry
Coordinator of Neuropsychology Concentration
Department of Psychology
115 Kastle Hall
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0044
The clinical faculty actively
model their commitment to integrating both clinical practice and research;
the majority serve on the editorial or advisory boards of scholarly journals
in clinical psychology and related fields. Several faculty have received
substantial research awards from federal agencies in recent years; others
serve on national committees involved in directing graduate training and
clinical practice. All faculty are expected to model excellence in clinical
skills in addition to their research endeavors.Baer, Ruth A., West Virginia University, 1985; Associate Professor.
Berry, David T. R., University of Florida, 1985; Professor.
Brown, Tamara., University of Illinois, 1996; Associate Professor.
Carlson, Charles R., Vanderbilt University, 1983; Professor and Department Chair.
Giancola, Peter, University of Georgia, 1996; Associate Professor.
Milich, Richard S., Washington University, 1976; Professor.
Segerstrom, Suzanne, C., UCLA, 1997; Associate Professor.
Last updated: September 10, 2007Smith, Gregory T., Wayne State University, 1985; Professor and Director of Clinical Training.
Widiger, Thomas A., Miami University, 1981; Professor.