University of MissouriDEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Doctoral Program with EmphasisIn

Clinical Psychology

OVERVIEW OF THE PHDPROGRAM

The Department of PsychologicalSciences offers a doctoral degree inPsychology with an emphasis in ClinicalPsychology, Cognition and Neurosci-ence, Developmental Psychology, Quan-titative Psychology, or Social/PersonalityPsychology. Once accepted and en-rolled, students may apply for the dualemphasis in Clinical and DevelopmentalPsychology or Clinical and QuantitativePsychology.

Students enter the program only in theFall semester. The program requiresall admitted applicants to be full-timestudents. Students earn their MA degreeas their first step on the way to the PhD.A terminal MA degree program is notoffered.

After admission to the program, stu-dents who have completed a master'sdegree (with thesis) from anotheruniversity may request review of theirthesis and coursework for possiblewaiver of the MA requirement.

The PhD in Psychology with emphasis in ClinicalPsychology is accredited by the AmericanPsychological Association and is a member of theAcademy of Psychological Clinical Science. Theprogram prepares students for careers in clinicalscience, in research, teaching, and service atuniversities, medical centers, clinics, hospitals, andsimilar agencies.

The program follows a clinical science trainingmodel. Clinical science is a psychological sciencedirected at the promotion of adaptive functioning;at the assessment, understanding, amelioration,and prevention of human problems in behavior,affect, cognition, or health; and at the applicationof knowledge in ways consistent with scientificevidence.

Clinical faculty and students are active in researchand scholarship that advances the understandingof the symptoms, causes, course, treatment, andprevention of many of our nation's most distressingand impairing mental/behavioral health issues (e.g.,addictions, anxiety, developmental disorders, juveniledelinquency, mood instability and disorders, schizo-phrenia). Students work primarily with core clinicalfaculty, but may also collaborate with researchersthroughout the department and in other campus andcommunity units.

Applicants should have a strong interest in research.With an emphasis on the development of researchskills, students receive training in the major sub-stantive areas and methodology of the science ofpsychology, empirically supported assessment andintervention approaches, research competence andbackground in theoretical and applied areas, and aclinical scientist orientation.

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Statistics MinorIn conjunction with the StatisticsDepartment, the Departmentof Psychological Sciences offersa diploma-designated minorin psychological statistics andmethods. Students will receivethorough training in advancedquantitative methodologiessuch as meta-analysis, structuraland latent variable modeling,hierarchical linear modeling,and mathematical modeling inpsychology.

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'. Course of StudyStudents in the clinical training program must meet curriculumrequirements of the program and the department. These includedistribution requirements in subject areas (abnormal, biologi-cal, cognition/learning, developmental. motivation/personality,and social), statistics and quantitative methods, general clinicalrequirements and electives and adult or child focus area require-ments.

The program curriculum specifies a sequence of both substantiveand technique courses during the first three years of study. Theseinclude courses in psychopathology, assessment, psychotherapyand clinical practice. In addition, all students take other coursefrom among a pool of clinical courses such as Health Psychologyand Family and Group Process.

Financial SupportAll applicants that are acceptedinto the program are guaranteedfinancial support through the firstfive years of graduate study whilein good standing. This support isusually in the form of graduateteaching assistantships, research .assistantships, or campus fellow-ships.

These placements carry with thema waiver of tuition and includebasic health insurance coverage.Summer funding, while not guar-anteed, is often available. In addi-tion, the department makes fundsavailable to support thesis anddissertation research and travelto make presentations at profes-sional meetings. During 2009-2010,departmental graduate assistantsreceive a minimum of $13,123 for9 months of half-time work.

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The program is designed so that, by pursuing a full-time courseload throughout, the above requirements for the PhD degree canbe completed in five or six calendar years beyond the bachelor'sdegree. Students are expected to work on some aspect of theirprograms during the summer session (e.g., research, class work).

PracticumAs part of a practicum team-approach, including four to fivestudents and a faculty supervisor, students begin direct clinicaltraining early in their program. Starting in their second semester,students participate in the teams' practicum activities; they beginseeing clients in their second year.

The Psychological Services ClinicThe Psychological Services Clinic, located in the PsychologyBuilding, is a community-based outpatient facility that serves asthe primary clinical practicum training site for the clinical pro-gram ...

Clinical InternshipA one-year full-time clinical internship must be completed at anagency approved for internship training by the Clinical Psychol-ogy training committee or by the American Psychological Asso-ciation.

CareersGraduates are employed in positions that involve research, teach-ing and service in universities, medical centers, clinics, hospitalsand similar agencies. .

Faculty and Research InterestsDebora Bell, professor, PhD West Virg:inia University 1989.Associate Chair for Cl:inical Sci-ences and Director of Clinical Tra:ining. Youth anxiety and depression, especially social, social-cognitive, and emotion regulation aspects of youth internalizing problems.

Charles M. Borduin, professor, PhD University of Memphis 1982. Family interaction, child-adolescent psychopathology; multisystemic model for treating juvenile delinquency, childabuse, and autism.

Shawn Christ, assistant professor, PhD Washington University-St. Louis 2004. Cognitive andneural dysfunction in children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, func-tional brain imaging.

Ian Gizer, assistant professor, PhD Emory University 2008. Genetic influences on externaliz-ing disorders such as alcohol and other substance dependence, conduct disorder, and atten-tion deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Kristin Hawley, assistant professor, PhD University of California-Los Angeles 2002. Therapyprocesses that affect outcomes for children and families in community-based mental healthsettings.

John G. Kerns, associate professor, PhD University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign 2001. Cog-nitive and emotional control, their involvement in the development of schizophrenia, func-tional brain imaging.

Denis McCarthy, associate professor, PhD University of Kentucky 1999. Cognitive motiva-tions for alcohol use and drinking and driving behavior. Genetic, personality, and environ-mental factors that influence alcohol-related learning.

Thomas M. Piasecki, associate professor, PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison 1999. Indi-vidual differences in drug motivation, negative reinforcement such as alcohol hangover andtobacco withdrawal symptoms.

Kenneth J. Sher, professor, PhD Indiana University 1981. High-risk studies of alcoholism,psychological effects of alcohol; anxiety and anxiety disorders; psychopathology and preven-tion.

Wendy Slutske, professor, PhD University of Minnesota 1993. Classification and etiology ofexternalizing psychopathology (alcoholism and substance abuse, conduct disorder, antisocialpersonality disorder); behavior genetic studies.

Tim Trull, professor, PhD University of Kentucky 1988.Diagnosis and classification of psy-chopathology, particularly personality disorders; personality assessment; borderline personal-ity disorder; psychometrics; ambulatory assessment; personality and addictions; dialecticalbehavior therapy.

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Application Deadline: December 1st for Fall Admission

AdmissionsAlthough there are no specific requirements for acceptance into the PhDprogram in Psychology with emphasis in Clinical Psychology, a broadgrounding in major substantive areas of psychology, other sciences, andstatistics/mathematics is recommended.

The clinical program adheres to a mentorship model; students are admit-ted who have research interests that are similar to the research interest ofone or more of the clinical faculty. Therefore, applicants will be asked toprovide detailed information regarding research background and inter-ests on their applications.

A formal interview is required for finalists.

Applicants must provide both a department and graduate school appli-cation, three letters of reference, a personal statement, transcripts fromall previous degree programs, and official GRE scores. A sample of workthat demonstrates writing and research capabilities is also strongly rec-ommended.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE)The Department requires GRE scores in Verbal, Quantitative and Ana-l~tical Writing. The subject test in Psychology is strongly recommended,but not required. Official test scores are required and must be sentdirectly from the testing center to the Department.

Admissions StatisticsThe department receives about 140 applicants to the clinical psychologyemphasis area every year. Of these, about 11 to 15 receive offers and theincoming class is usually from five to seven.

For more information, contact:

Graduate Student ServicesPsychological Sciences210 McAlester HallUniversity of MissouriColumbia, MO 65211

Phone: (573) 882-0838FAX: (573) 882-7710Email: gradpsych®rnissouri.edu

http://psychology .rnissouri.edu

At MU, graduate diversity matters. The University of Missouri System is an Equal Opportunity/Affirma-tive Action institution and is nondiscriminatory relative to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexualorientation, age, disability or status as a Vietnam-era veteran.

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