Clinical Psychology, PhD

Contact:

Kevin Antshel, Ph.D.
430 Huntington Hall
kmantshel@syr.edu
(315) 443-9450

The clinical psychology training program at Syracuse University is a doctoral program designed to train students to be responsible, innovative, and scholarly psychologists. The program embraces the scientist-practitioner model, and a strong emphasis is placed on both research and clinical training. The program is accredited by the American Psychological Association.

Admission

In making decisions about admission, the clinical faculty consider a student’s grades, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and evidence of the hard work, interest, and motivation that is vital to success in graduate school. Experience in research is also looked on positively. Applicants should have at least 18 credits of psychology, including a laboratory course and a statistics course. Recently admitted applicants have averaged higher than 1210 on the verbal + quantitative GREs and had higher than 3.5 undergraduate GPAs. The program does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, ethnic origin, religion, or physical disability. Applications are considered for the fall term only, and the deadline for receipt of the COMPLETED application is December 1. The program receives about 180 applications per year for four to five openings. There are approximately 20 students in the program.

Financial Assistance

The department makes a determined effort to offer each student financial support from several sources: graduate scholarships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, clinical assistantships, and fellowships.

Program Requirements

The Ph.D. requires at least 90 credits, including a 6-credit master’s thesis and an 18-credit dissertation. Students must attend the University on a full-time basis and remain in residence until the 90 credits are completed. The required clinical curriculum includes coursework in clinical research methods, psychopathology (child and adult), assessment, and psycho¬therapy, along with supervised clinical practica. The APA-required core curriculum also includes courses in the following areas: statistics and design, cognitive-affective, social, individual differences, biological, history and systems, professional ethics, and issues of cultural and ethnic diversity. The clinical curriculum includes 9 credits of electives. Students must pass a Ph.D. qualifying exam that includes a critical review of a substantive area in clinical psychology that is evaluated by members of the core clinical faculty. A full-time, one-year, APA-accredited internship is also required before the Ph.D. is awarded; this is usually completed in the fifth or sixth year. The internships carry stipends and may be completed at any APA-accredited agency in the United States or Canada.

Psychological Services Center

The clinical psychology program is associated with the SU Psychological Services Center, which is a service delivery, training, and research facility that serves SU students and members of the Syracuse community. Services are provided to children, adolescents, and adults. The Psychological Services Center is staffed by a director, clinic secretary, and graduate students in clinical psychology and related fields. Supervision is provided by full-time clinical faculty and part-time adjunct faculty drawn from local hospitals and clinics. Supervisors vary in their conceptual approach to understanding and modifying behavior. A broad array of clinical services are offered, including individual, marital, family, and group therapy, as well as psychological evaluations and testing.