The Clinical program espouses a scientist-practitioner model integrating the full range of research, teaching, and applied skills in training doctoral students. We view research and applied skills as interwoven rather than as two discrete sets of skills. As a result, our graduates acquire the foundation for pursuing a strong clinical scientist career in an academic or research setting, as well as a robust clinician scholar career in a medical or other training institution or serving in an administrative role in a service delivery agency.
Our program was awarded full accreditation by the American Psychological Association in the Summer of 1988 and was most recently reaccredited in the Spring of 2009.
The program is designed for completion in five years, the last year of which is the clinical internship. The first two years are relatively course intensive, during which students complete basic courses in research methodology, scientific domains of psychological inquiry, and core clinical courses in psychopathology, assessment, and psychosocial interventions. Students become involved in faculty-led research teams during their first year, affording them the opportunity to collaborate with team members in developing research questions, designing empirical studies, collecting and analyzing data, writing manuscripts, and presenting scientific papers at national and regional conferences. By the end of their first year, students propose their master’s thesis research to be completed during their second year. The Clinical program emphasizes students’ involvement in collaborative research beyond their thesis research, providing a broad foundation in research methodology prior to formulating their dissertation research during their third year. We expect our students to have several scholarly publications and presentations at scientific meetings prior to applying for the predoctoral internship.
Students also acquire clinical skills in assessment and intervention beginning in their second year. All students serve as primary therapists for clients at our Department Clinic serving children, adolescents, and adults from the community (as individuals, couples, or families) under close faculty supervision. Advanced students may specialize in certain types of cases (e.g., eating disorders, chronic pain, substance abuse, attention-deficit disorders, or relationship problems) and may also involve themselves in one of the ongoing specialty training/research programs at the clinic, gaining intensive experience with a particular problem while participating in the design, conduct, and evaluation of a research project. The Clinical program has also developed training assistantships at various agencies in the local community including the community mental health center and various correctional facilities.
Our students are highly competitive for premier predoctoral internships nationally (e.g., university and VA medical centers in Atlanta, Boston, Charleston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Miami, New York city, San Antonio, and San Diego). The majority of our graduates from the Clinical program pursue research positions in academic or medical settings, or clinical training or administrative positions in medical centers or community agencies. The Clinical program at Texas A&M is not intended for individuals wishing to pursue a career primarily in independent clinical practice.
All graduate students admitted to the Department of Psychology are provided a fellowship or assistantship that pays a competitive monthly salary. Almost all students keep their fellowship or assistantship for their entire period of graduate studies, four or five years. Office space, computers, funds to travel to professional conventions, and health insurance also are provided. The Clinical program supports an active speakers series that each year brings to campus distinguished faculty members from other universities. This series provides exposure to different perspectives on the field and the opportunity to network with professors at other institutions.
Additional Program Information
For additional information regarding (a) admissions, (b) time to completion of the Ph.D. degree, (c) program costs, (d) success in obtaining internships, (e) attrition, and (f) attainment of licensure, go to this link: Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data for TAMU Clinical Psychology Program
For additional information regarding program accreditation, contact the following: Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Phone: 202.336.5979
Useful Links:
TAMU Clinical Psychology Program Handbook (downloadable PDF version)
TAMU Psychology Department
Bryan/College Station - General Information
APA Minority Fellowship Program
APA Book on Graduate Study in Psychology
