Doctor of Philosophy - Psychology; Clinical Psychology Concentration

College of Humanities and Sciences

Catalog Year: 2022-23

Summary

Degree Specific Credits: Variable: 90 credit min

Required Cumulative GPA: 3.0

Notes

• MA degree is conferred on route to the terminal doctoral degree based on credits and completion of the MA Thesis Project.
• In the first year, and in addition to Psychopathology, Statistics, and Ethics, students take a course in Clinical Interviewing as well as a two-course sequence of Psych Eval I & Psych Eval II, where they learn intelligence testing, the use of objective tests, and begin report-writing
• In the second year, and in conjunction the study of clinical interventions, students begin direct clinical therapeutic contact & practice at the Clinical Psychology Center
• Each semester, on a rotating basis, faculty offer Interventions or Special Topics courses in their specific treatment specialty, research area or methodology.  Topics include:  Multicultural Psychology, Family Psychology, DBT, Substance Misuse, Integrated Behavioral Health, Motivational Interviewing, and LGBTQ Issues.
• Clinical Training
  Training for our students includes both classroom instruction and direct clinical experience.  Our students work with people of diverse backgrounds, lifestyles, and experiences and are trained to adapt to a rapidly changing service-delivery environment in mental health and human service arenas.  
  Much of our students’ clinical training is done at the Clinical Psychology Center (CPC) on the UM campus.  In the second year of training, clinical PhD students enter practicum and begin seeing clients.
  • The CPC is a training clinic, offering assessment, consultation, intervention, and psychotherapy services to the general Missoula community; clients receive services on a sliding fee scale 
  • Staffed by Clinical and School doctoral students, the CPC is the primary training site for both programs
  • Clinicians are supervised by Department of Psychology clinical and school faculty members & licensed community psychologists
  • Students take practica from a variety of supervisors and are exposed to a range of theoretical and applied points of view
  • Some schools of thought represented in the techniques and approaches are:  Cognitive-Behavioral, Psychodynamic, Emotion-Focused, Interpersonal Therapy, Functional Analytic
  • Our student clinicians carry fairly small caseloads (typically 3 – 5 clients) in order to provide optimal care and have close supervision
  • As they progress, student clinicians assume increasing responsibility for the care of their clients; they are encouraged in their development of case conceptualizations and treatment plans
  • The CPC has therapy rooms for individual, group, family, child therapy, as well as assessment

Courses

¹

Equivalent Courses: PSYX 535 Child Interventions, PSYX 536 Advanced Child Psychopathology, PSYX 537 Child Assessment, PSYX 694 Title Advanced Neuropsychology, or Psychopharmacology

Minimum Required Grade: B-