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Introduction

Welcome to the University of Kansas Clinical Psychology Program where we have been educating clinical psychologists since the mid 1940s. We have been continuously accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1949 and have produced hundreds of graduates who have, in turn, spread the Kansas influence throughout the world. Welcome to the long and proud tradition of Jayhawk clinical psychology.

The Larger Scholarly Context

As you participate in our Program, you should be mindful that we are part of a much larger institution. The University of Kansas, which was established in 1865, has grown to its present faculty of almost 2,000, with approximately 30,000 students, over 6,000 of whom are in the Graduate School. Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the University also belongs to the select American Association of Universities, which reflects quality graduate education and research. Also, because of its emphasis on graduate education and research, the University is rated as a Carnegie I Research University.

The Structure of Our Clinical Psychology Program

The Clinical Psychology Program at Kansas is one of five graduate programs (Clinical, Social, Cognitive, Quantitative, and Developmental) within the Department of Psychology. In addition, a Clinical Health Psychology Specialization operates as a subunit within the Clinical Psychology Program.

The Department of Psychology Chairperson oversees the Program Directors. There also are Associate Chairpersons who oversee the department's undergraduate and graduate programs, respectively. The Clinical Program Director is elected by the Clinical faculty and five graduate student representatives. His or her selection is ratified by a vote of the entire Psychology Department faculty. The Program Director delegates various responsibilities, including committee appointments, to one or more members of the Clinical faculty and graduate student body. The Program Director consults with the faculty and student representatives about matters ranging from advising and colloquia to curricular decisions. Issues involving Program policy decisions are taken to meetings of the entire Clinical faculty and the graduate student representatives. Such meetings occur, on average, once each month. Five graduate student representatives (one from each of the first four years in the program and another representing students in the fifth year-and-beyond) have full voting rights in the Program meetings. Graduate student representatives also participate on all major committees in the Program. Committee memberships are announced by the Program Director at the beginning of each fall semester.

The KU Psychological Clinic, Which serves as a practicum training facility for the Clinical Program in housed on the third floor of Fraser Hall. The Clinic Director is administratively responsible for the day-to-day and long-range developmental operations of the Clinic and oversees two office staff persons (the Clinic Administrative Assistant and the Clinic Secretary) and a student Clinic Systems Coordinator (an advanced student who helps in the daily functioning of the Clinic). The Clinic Director also chairs a Clinic Administrative Subcommittee that advises the Clinic Director on Clinic policies and procedures and has the major responsibility for implementing policy and procedure changes. Other Clinic committees are formed to carry out specific, time-limited functions.

Clinical Health Specialty Program

The Clinical Health Specialty has been a key part of the Clinical Psychology Program since 1977. Work in this specialty centers around the psychosocial and biomedical aspects of physical health, illness, and disability. Students are prepared to apply the knowledge and techniques learned to problems of prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation. In addition to the Clinical Health Specialty Coordinator, there also is a Steering Committee made up of the Health Specialty Coordinator, the Director of the Clinical Psychology Program, the faculty associated with the specialty, and five student representatives from the specialty. This Steering Committee meets as necessary, but at least once each year.

Program Philosophy and Training Model

The objectives of the KU Clinical Psychology Program are to educate students about: (1) the content issues that presently define the knowledge base in clinical psychology; and (2) the processes of learning and problem-solving that may be used across the span of their subsequent professional careers. Because we believe that the education of a sophisticated clinical psychologist requires systematic exposure to both the academic/research and clinical/applied areas of professional activity, our curriculum adheres to the "Boulder Model" so that these two areas are taught and integrated (Raimy, 1950). Additionally, depending on their particular career trajectories, students may take elective coursework or practica to augment either or both clinical/applied and academic/research skills. At graduation, our students are prepared to work in academic, research, and practice settings.

Our educational model is reflected in our training faculty. As a group, we embrace a dynamic/cognitive/behavioral orientation that is informed by biological understanding as well as the constructivist views of some of our faculty. Our shared belief is that the inner workings of the human mind and how it interprets circumstances, as well as environmental circumstances, together form a basis for understanding an individual's strengths and liabilities. Our faculty understand people within their context, including attention to diversity stemming from gender, race, age, sexual orientation, or cultural background. Such understanding is based not only on idiographic principles, but also on nomothetic, empirically-based behavioral or physiological markers whenever possible. Our educational model holds to the premise that there is a synergy between the practice and the science of psychology.

Our program strives to strike a vital balance between the scientist and practitioner facets of clinical psychology. Of the minimum 88 hours required by our general program, 30-32 are focused primarily on the scientist perspective (i.e., statistical methods [6-8 hrs], human learning and memory [3 hrs], research methods [3 hrs.], thesis [6 hrs], dissertation [12 hrs]); 25 emphasize clinical practice skills and issues (i.e., abilities and personality assessment [6 hrs.], consultation and supervision [1 hr], psychotherapy practica [15 hrs.], and internship [a year-long experience for which students enroll in 3 hrs.]), and from 27 provide a mixture of scientist and practitioner perspectives (i.e., diversity issues [3 hrs], biological foundations [3 hrs.], theories and methods of psychotherapy [3 hrs], history and systems [3 hrs], psychopathology [3 hrs], social psychology [3 hrs], developmental psychology [3 hrs], ethics [3 hrs] and professional issues [3 hrs]). The remaining 6 hours are electives. (Our Program's Clinical Health track requires an additional 9 hours for a minimum total of 97 hours.)

Scientist = 30-32 hrs -- Scientist/Practitioner = 27 hrs -- Practitioner = 25 hrs

This balance reflects an overall training context and philosophy wherein there is a synergistic relationship between clinical application and psychological science.

The General Program Requirements (88 Credit-Hour Minimum)

Except for courses that are graded on a Satisfactory/Fail basis, all courses must be passed with grades of B- or higher. Courses graded C+ or less must be re-taken and passed with grades of B- or higher. Receiving grades of C+ or less in two or more courses is potential grounds for dismissal from the program.

I. Psychology Core Requirements (12 to 17 credits)

A. Quantitative Analysis of Behavior -- Both of the following (6-8 hrs)

    1.  PSYC 789 (3 hrs) Psychological Statistics: Foundations & Applications                     

                                or

          PSYC 790 (4 hrs) Statistical Methods in Psychology I *

    2. Completion of one of the following:

       PSYC 790 (4 hrs) Statistical Methods in Psychology 1 (only if not counted above)*
       PSYC 791 (4 hrs) Statistical Methods in Psychology II *
       PSYC 795 (3 hrs) Computing & Psychology
       PRE 811 (3 hrs) Statistical Methods II
       PSYC 879 (4 hrs) Applied Nonparametric Statistical Methods *
       PSYC 887 (4 hrs) Factor Analysis *
       PSYC 892 (4 hrs) Test Theory *
       PSYC 893 (4 hrs) Multivariate Analysis *
       PSYC 894 (4 hrs) Multilevel Modeling *
       PSYC 895 (4 hrs) Categorical Data Analysis *
       PSYC 896 (4 hrs) Structural Equation Modeling *
           *Adds one hr. to the program's 88 credit-hour minimum.

B. Cognitive Bases of Behavior (3 hrs) -- One course from the following:

    1.  PSYC 723 (3 hrs) Advanced Cognitive Psychology

    2.  PSYC 725 (3 hrs) Cognitive Neuroscience

    3.  PSYC 800 (3 hrs) Experimental Psychology: Cognition & Memory

    4.  PSYC 800 (3 hrs) Experimental Psychology: Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

    5.  PSYC 800 (3 hrs) Experimental Psychology: Memory, Emotion & Development

    6.  PSYC 831 (3 hrs) Advanced Human Learning and Memory

    7.  PSYC 870 (3 hrs) Cognitive Development (Also fulfills the program's developmental

             bases requirement.

    8.  PSYC 863 (3 hrs) Clinical Neuropsychology Across the Lifespan(Also fulfills the

             program's developmental bases requirement.)

            

C. Social Bases of Behavior (3 hrs) -- One course from the following:

    1.  PSYC 774 (3 hrs) Advanced Social Psychology I

    2.  PSYC 775 (3 hrs) Advanced Social Psychology II - Current Issues

    3.  PSYC 777 (3 hrs) Social Psychology: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications

    4.  PSYC 825 (3 hrs) Social Development (Also fulfills the program's developmental

             bases requirement.)

    5.  PSYC 956 (3 hrs) Social Neuroscience: Theory & Applications

D. Developmental Bases of Behavior (3 hrs) -- One course from the following:

     1.  PSYC 825 (3 hrs) Social Development (Also fulfills the program's socal bases

              requirement.)

     2.  PSYC 863 (3 hrs) Clinical Neuropsychology Across the Lifespan (Also fulfills the

              program's cognitive bases requirement.

     3.  PSYC 870 (3 hrs) Cognitive Development (Also fulfills the program's cognitive bases

              requirement.)

     4.  PRE 705 (3 hrs) Human Development Through the Lifespan

II. Clinical Requirements (76 credits)

A. Nine content courses (28 hrs): 

     1.   PSYC 805 (3 hrs) History of Psychology

                                    or

            ABSC 921 (3 hrs) History & Systems of Psychology

     2.  PSYC 888 (3 hrs) Diversity Issues in Clinical Psych

                                    or

            PRE 875 (3 hrs) Cross Cultural Counseling

     3.  PSYC 898 (6 hrs) Professional Issues in Clinical and Health Psychology (One hour

              enrollment in each of 6 semesters  

     4.  PSYC 946 (3 hrs) Theories and Methods of Psychotherapy

     5.  PSYC 960 (3 hrs) Advanced Psychopathology

     6.  PSYC 961 (3 hrs) Biological Foundations of Psychopathology

     7.  PSYC 968 (3 hrs) Research Methods in Clinical Psychology

     8.  PSYC 975 (3 hrs) Professional and Ethical Problems in Clinical Psychology

                                   or

            PRE 900 (3 hrs) Legal, Ethical & Professional Issues

     9.  PSYC 950 (3 hrs) Supervision and Consultation: Theory and Researc

B. Seven courses covering practicum coursework (21 hrs):

     1.  PSYC 850 (3 hrs) Assessment I: Foundations of Psychological Assessment

     2.  PSYC 855 (3 hrs) Assessment II: Integrative Psychological Assessment

     3.  PSYC 964 (3 hrs) Clinical Practicum I ( KU Psychological Clinic)

     4.  PSYC 965 (3 hrs) Clinical Practicum II (KU Psychological Clinic)

     5.  PSYC 966 (3 hrs) Clinical Practicum III (KU Psychological Clinic)

     6.  PSYC 969 (3 hrs) Clinical Practicum IV (KU Psychological Clinic)

                                    or

           PSYC 835 (3 hrs) Clinical Practicum IV: Health (KU Medical Center)

     7.  PSYC 970 (3 hrs) Clinical Practicum V (KU Psychological Clinic)

                                    or

           PSYC 836 (3 hrs) Clinical Practicum V: Health (KU Medical Center)

C. Research (18 hrs)

     1.  PSYC 899 (minimum 6 hrs) Thesis

     2.  PSYC 999 (minimum 12 hrs) Dissertation

D. Task Requirement (0 hrs)

E. Electives (6 hrs)

F. PSYC 974 (3 hrs) Internship (1 hr in each of three semesters, incl. one summer)

The Clinical Health Specialty Requirements (97 Credit-Hour Minimum)

The Clinical Health Specialty has been a key part of the Clinical Psychology Program since 1977. Work in the Clinical Health specialty centers around the psychosocial and biomedical aspects of physical health, illness, and disability. Students are prepared to apply the knowledge and techniques learned to problems of prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation. In addition to a Clinical Health Specialty Coordinator, there is a Steering Committee made up of the Health Specialty Coordinator, the Director of the Clinical Psychology Program, the faculty associated with the specialty, and five student representatives from the specialty. This Steering Committee meets as necessary. A more detailed overview of the Clinical Health Specialty is available from the Health Specialty page of this web site.

Students in the Clinical Health Specialization complete all the requirements of the general clinical program plus nine additional credit hours (i.e., PSYC 832, PSYC 833, PSYC 834). In addition to these differences, the Clinical Health Specialization requires that two semesters of advanced clinical practicum (PSYC 835 and PSYC 836) occur on health teams via the KU Medical Center (instead of at the KU Psychological Clinic); that students’ thesis and dissertation topics be relevant to the health area; and that students’ internships provide training in behavioral medicine or health/rehabilitation psychology.

The following represent requirements in addition to or (where indicated) in lieu of requirements of the General Clinical Program:

Three Required Courses: (9 total hours)
     PSYC 832: Clinical Health Psychology I: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
     PSYC 833: Clinical Health Psychology II: Acute and Chronic Illness
     PSYC 834: Clinical Health Psychology III: Physical Aspects of Health and Disease

Elective Course Requirement: (6 total hours from the following list in lieu of the General Program's six elective hours requirement.)
    (ABSC = Applied Behavioral Science; PRVM = Preventive Medicine)

     PSYC 838: Pain and Its Management
     PSYC 839: Palliative Care in Health Psychology
     PSYC 840: Psychology of Women's Health
     PSYC 841: Stress and Coping
     PSYC 842: Specialized Health Psychology Practicum
     PSYC 843: Behavioral Pharmacology
     PSYC 844: Mental Health & Aging
     PSYC 864: Clinical Neuropsychology
     ABSC 705: Pediatric Psychology
     PRVM 800: Principles of Epidemiology

          *Other potential elective courses are available via petition to the health specialty coordinator.

Practica (PSYC 835 and PSYC 836; 6 total hrs. These practicum courses are taken in lieu of the General Program’s PSYC 969 and PSYC 970.)

Research Skills Requirement (General & Health)

Because courses that fulfill the research skills requirement have been noted above in the required curriculum under I.A. & II.A., they do not represent additional credit hours. The research skill requirement is fulfilled by completing the following with grades of B or better:
     1. PSYC 968 Research Methods in Clinical Psychology
     2. One of the following:
           PSYC 789 Psychological Statistics: Foundations & Applications
           PSYC 790 Statistical Methods in Psychology I
           PRE 811 Statistical Methods II
    3, One of the following:
           PSYC 790 Statistical Methods I (If not counted above)
           PSYC 791 Statistical Methods in Psychology II
           PSYC 795 Computing & Psychology
           PRE 811 Statistical Methods II (If not counted above)
           PSYC 879 Applied Nonparametric Statistical Methods
           PSYC 887 Factor Analysis
           PSYC 892 Test Theory
           PSYC 893 Multivariate Analysis
           PSYC 894 Multilevel Modeling
           PSYC 895 Categorical Data Analysis
           PSYC 896 Structural Equation Modeling I

Responsible Scholarship Requirement (General & Health)

Because the courses that fulfill the responsible scholarship requirement have been noted above in the required curriculum under I.A. & II.A., they do not represent additional credit hours. The responsible scholarship requirement is fulfilled by completing the following:

     1.  PSYC 968-Research Methods in Clinical Psychology

     2.  PSYC 975-Professional & Ethical Problems in Psychology

     3.  Students also must complete:

          a. Research & Graduate Studies online tutorial for Responsible Scholarship

          b. Institutional Review Board (IRB) online tutorial

          c. HIPPA-online tutorial (completed annually)

Clinical Practicum Requirement (General & Health) (15 credits)

The basic clinical practicum requirement involves enrollment in 15 credit hours of clinical practicum coursework (i.e., PSYC. 964, 965, 966, 969 or 835, 970 or 836). In addition to this 15 credit-hour enrollment requirement, the clinical program requires students to accumulate a minimum of 450 direct, face-to-face client contact hours. If students have not completed the 450 contact hour minimum by the time they have completed their required 15 credit-hour enrollment, they must continue seeing clients (typically by enrolling in PSYC 977--Specialized Clinical Practicum or PSYC 842--Specialized Health Psychology Practicum) until they have satisfied the 450 contact-hour minimum. Students in the general program must accumulate all 450 contact hours within either the KU Psychological Clinic or within approved external practicum settings. For students in the Clinical Health Specialty, a minimum of 125 contact hours must be garnered within the KU Psychological Clinic. The remaining 325 contact hours may be completed within any of several Health Specialty-approved practicum settings.

Although students generally are encouraged to continue their practicum training beyond completion of the program's basic requirements, students in the sixth year of the program or beyond are restricted from enrolling in elective practica unless they have received permission from the program to do so. The primary criterion for receiving permission to continue with elective practicum training beginning in the sixth year is that the student can demonstrate that doing so will not impede his or her completion of the program's Comprehensive Oral Exam and Dissertation requirements (see below).

"Proseminar" (Psych. 898) Requirement (6 credits)

The Clinical Program maintains an active proseminar series aimed at exposing students and faculty alike to historical, current, and emerging professional issues in clinical and clinical health psychology. This proseminar series consists of a variety of presentations and activities including such things as faculty colloquia, visiting speakers, student research presentations, student job talks, case presentations, etc. Such activities are planned to occur, on average, approximately once every two weeks during the academic year. Students enroll in one hour of PSYC 898 in each of 6 different semesters and are expected to attend a minimum of 75% of scheduled proseminar activities in each of those semesters.

Empirical Thesis Requirement (General & Health) (6 credits)

All students are required to complete an empirical Masters Thesis (minimum of 6 credit hrs) and to defend it in an oral defense. The Masters thesis, which is to be written in a form suitable for journal submission, is to be completed no later than the end of the student's fourth year in the program.

Within one month of the beginning of their second (i.e., spring) semester in the program, students are expected to present a letter to the Program Director declaring that a mentor relationship for the thesis has been arranged. These letters, which are co-signed by the thesis mentor, are then placed in the student's file. If such a relationship has not been established during the student's second semester, the Program Director will try to facilitate a match. Ultimately, however, arranging for a thesis mentor is the student's responsibility. The thesis mentor assists the student in preparing a thesis proposal and in selecting the other two faculty members comprising the Masters Thesis Committee. Once the thesis mentor judges the thesis proposal to be sufficiently developed, the student schedules a meeting of the thesis committee to review the proposal and to make sure that it is acceptable to the committee members. Only after the thesis proposal has met with the committee's approval can the student proceed to conduct the thesis research.

Given that our program encourages students to begin the thesis process in the first year of the program, they generally are expected to complete the thesis by October 1 of the third year. If the thesis has not been defended by then, the student must petition for an extension of the program's "Thesis Rule" if he or she wishes to enroll in non-thesis related coursework in the subsequent spring and summer sessions. The "thesis rule" states that a student who has not completed the oral defense of the masters thesis by October 1 of his or her third year in the program may only enroll in thesis-related or specifically required practicum coursework in subsequent semesters until such time as the thesis has been successfully defended. The intent of the rule is to encourage students to make steady progress toward completion of the thesis.

Successful petitions for extension of the "thesis rule" typically involve extenuating circumstances related to equipment needs or procuring research participants. The progress of students both receiving and not receiving thesis rule extensions for the third year of the program is reviewed each subsequent semester until the thesis has been defended. Students whose petition requests for the third year are granted must petition again if the thesis has not been defended by the beginning (August 15) of their fourth year in the program if they wish to continue enrolling in non-thesis supporting hours. Students should consider, however, that thesis rule extensions for the fourth year in the program are unlikely to be granted. Failure to complete and defend the thesis by the beginning (August 15) of the student's fifth year in the program is considered potential grounds for dismissal from the program.

Evaluation of the MA Thesis

Once the thesis project is completed, it is defended in a two-hour Thesis Defense Oral Exam. The three members of the oral exam committee are the members of the thesis committee. Should the student not pass the oral defense, the exam committee may require a new thesis project, may require the student to make specified improvements in the thesis write-up before being allowed to sit for a second (and final) thesis defense, or may recommend that the student be dismissed from the program. Regardless of the outcome of the oral defense, the program will undertake a "Post-MA Defense" review of the student's performance in the program. (See below section labeled "Student Progress".) <.p>

Substandard performance during the master's thesis research and masters thesis defense can include the following:

  1. Failure by the student to show adequate active participation and effort during the completion of the necessary components of the research project including: research design, data collection data analysis, and thesis manuscript preparation and revision.
  2. Evidence (as provided in either the written document or in the oral defense of the thesis) that the student does not have a reasonable understanding of the theoretical and methodological issues addressed in the thesis project.
  3. Evidence (as provided in either the written document or in the oral defense of the thesis) that the student does not have the research or analytical skills necessary for the completion of subsequent phases of the doctoral training program.

Students Entering the Program with a Masters Degree

Students who are admitted into the Clinical Program with Masters Degrees already in hand are, nonetheless, required to fulfill our program's "empirical thesis" requirement. If such students completed an empirical thesis for their MA program, they may submit the thesis to the Program Director for an evaluation of its "equivalency" to theses that are performed by students in our program. The Program Director submits the thesis to a subcommittee of program faculty who evaluate it. If the thesis is judged to be equivalent, the student is credited for having completed the program's "empirical thesis" requirement. If the thesis is judged to be not equivalent, or if the student did not do an empirical thesis as a part of his or her MA program, the student is required to complete an empirical thesis as a part of our program.

Task Requirement (General & Health) (0 Credits)

In lieu of traditional written comprehensive exams, each student in the Clinical Program must propose and demonstrate competency in one task or project. A detailed description of the task system is available on the Program’s "Task Guidelines" web page.

Students use the task system in a manner that corresponds with their projected careers. For example, students going into academic/research positions usually perform a review paper task project, although occasionally they will do an applied or program evaluation task that is of special interest or relevance. Students anticipating careers as applied professionals sometimes prefer applied or program evaluation tasks.

The task typically is done in the student's third year, following completion of the MA thesis. The task may be in the areas of clinical application, research/methodology, or program evaluation. The task involves an independent demonstration of competency by the student. After completing the task, the student writes a detailed summary that is submitted to a two-person faculty committee via the Program Director. The task is rated as "pass" or "fail." If a student fails a task, he or she may either petition the task review committee for permission to revise and resubmit the task, or she or he may submit a different task. Permission to revise and resubmit the original task may be granted if the review committee believes that revisions can redress the manuscript’s deficiencies. Students are allowed only one revision and resubmission or “do over.” Students who perform research/methodology tasks must demonstrate that the task is sufficiently distinct from the MA Thesis to significantly enhance their breadth of scholarship.

Dissertation Requirement (General & Health) (12 credits)

The dissertation is expected to be a substantial empirical project for which the student takes the lead. Each student, however, has a dissertation chairperson who provides constructive feedback as the student prepares the formal dissertation proposal document and sees the approved project through to completion.

Once students have successfully completed all program requirements excepting the dissertation and internship, they may schedule the two-hour "Comprehensive Oral Exam." According to Graduate School rules, the Comprehensive Oral Exam Committee consists of at least 5 faculty members, one of whom must be from a department other than Psychology. This "outside" member represents the Graduate School for quality assurance purposes.

Although questions may be asked about anything in the area of clinical psychology, the main focus of the Comprehensive Oral Exam is the student's defense of his or her dissertation research proposal. Dissertation proposals include an introduction, research questions and hypotheses, research methods, proposed analyses, and the implications of potential outcomes. Should the student not pass the Comprehensive Oral Exam, the exam committee may fail the student and require a totally new dissertation project, it may require the student to make specified improvements in the dissertation proposal before being allowed to sit for a second (and final) Comprehensive Oral exam, or it may recommend to the program that the student be dismissed from the program. If a student fails the initial Comprehensive Oral Exam but is not recommended for dismissal from the program, he or she may schedule another (and final) Comprehensive Oral Exam date no sooner than 60 days following the original exam date. Failure to pass a second Comprehensive Oral Exam results in dismissal from the program.

Once a student passes the Comprehensive Oral Exam and becomes a "doctoral candidate," he or she may begin enrolling in dissertation credits. A three-member dissertation committee is then formed. This committee is composed of three faculty members who are regarded as having more specific responsibility for advising the candidate and for insuring that the dissertation meets the graduate school standards for dissertation quality. All Dissertation Committee members must be members of the graduate faculty. In addition, the Dissertation Committee chairperson must specifically be authorized to chair dissertations. In those instances wherein the chair is not authorized to chair dissertations, the student is required to have an additional committee member, a co-chair who is so authorized. The Dissertation Committee need not have a member from outside the department, although it may. The members of the Dissertation Committee, plus two other faculty members (usually also from the Comprehensive Oral Exam committee), will later be responsible for evaluating the student's write-up and oral defense of the completed dissertation project during a required two-hour Final Oral Exam (Dissertation Defense). The final oral exam committee must include a member from outside of the department.

In addition to the Graduate School policies governing the composition of Comprehensive Oral Exam, Dissertation, and Final Oral Examination Committees, the Clinical Program imposes the following, supplemental requirements: (1) At least two members of the above committees must be from the Clinical Program graduate faculty. (2) When a Clinical Program doctoral student's potential dissertation chairperson is from a department other than Psychology or does not have at least a 50% appointment within the Department of Psychology, the potential chair must either be specifically approved by the clinical program (see note below), or the student must have a co-chairperson from within the clinical program. In those instances where a clinical program co-chairperson is required, the clinical program co-chairperson will be the chairperson of record (i.e., the person who signs the "Do-All" form certifying the exam outcomes).

(Note: Students seeking program approval for a disertation chairperson who is not a psychology department faculty member should contact the clinical program director.)

Internship Requirement (General & Health) (3 credits)

Students are required to complete an American Psychological Association (APA) approved pre-doctoral clinical psychology internship. In order to apply for internships, students must pass their Oral Comprehensive Exam (dissertation proposal defense) by October 15 of the year they intend to apply. This means that the students will have completed all program requirements, save their final dissertation defense and internship, prior to applying for internship. (Internships typically have application deadlines ranging from late October to early December.) Although it is not a program rule, the faculty believes that students are best served by completing the dissertation, including the final oral defense if possible, prior to beginning the internship. Taking this approach enables students to concentrate on maximizing the internship experience and makes it unlikely that students will fail to complete their dissertations in a timely manner following their internships.

In order to prepare our students for the internship application process, we have a faculty committee that coordinates internship matters. In yearly workshops, every aspect of applying for internships is covered, including role-plays of potential interview situations that students might encounter. Students also are counseled individually about their particular needs regarding internships. Additionally, current or former interns often conduct a workshop for our aspiring interns to give their first-hand impressions about the application, recruitment, and selection process, as well as what it is like to be on internship (e.g., the hours, types of assignments, etc.). Perhaps as a result of such preparation, as well as the high caliber of our students and the educations they receive at Kansas, our students typically obtain one of their top internship choices. In recent years, obtaining a good internship has become a more competitive process, and we encourage students to start thinking about internship well ahead of the actual application time.

Program Deadlines (General & Health)

The following deadlines are set for successful completion of the doctoral training process:

  Completion Expected Completion Deadline
Masters Thesis & Oral Defense Year 2 (by the end of the summer term) Year 4 (by the end of the summer term)
Comprehensive Oral Exam Year 4 or 5 (by the end of the summer term) Year 7 (by October 1)
Dissertation & Final oral Defense Year 5 or 6 (by the end of the summer term) Year 8 (by the end of the summer term)
All Program Requirements (Including Internship) Year 6 (by the end of the summer term) Year 8 (by the end of the summer term) *

* The Program ordinarily requires that all degree requirements will be completed by the end of the student's eighth year in the program, but recognizes that internships that begin in the fall semester of year 8 cannot be completed until the fall semester of year 9.

The Program stays informed regarding students' progress via the Program's annual (spring) advising and student evaluation process (see below under "Student Progress"), and informs students in writing if they are in danger of missing deadlines for completing aspects of the curriculum. Students who fail to meet a completion deadline are considered on an individual basis, with Program faculty reserving the right to exercise the option deemed most appropriate for the given case. Students are informed, in writing, of missed deadlines and the associated consequences. In unusual circumstances, missed deadlines may be extended, but students should anticipate that the more common outcome is dismissal from the Program. As with all adverse decisions affecting them, students terminated from the program or otherwise sanctioned for missing a deadline have the right to appeal (see section below entitled: "Student Appeal and Grievance Rights and Procedures").

A Sample Sequence of Program Requirements:

The curriculum proceeds from core courses providing an educational foundation to more specialized topics geared toward students' individual interests. During the first year of the program, students complete courses aimed at ensuring basic knowledge in psychopathology, research methodology, psychological assessment, statistics, and biological foundations of psychopathology. Also during the first year, students begin attending colloquia and other professional issues-related presentations designed to acquaint them with current research in the program and field more generally, to orient them to current ethical and professional issues in the field, and to further the process of professional enculturation. Additionally, students are encouraged to attend any research groups that interest them. Students are welcome to attend more than one group despite working officially with one professor, allowing for a greater breadth of exposure to various methods and topics.

During their second year, students begin seeing clients in the KU Psychological Clinic, having been prepared for this by a comprehensive clinic orientation during the summer of their first year. Second-year students also are working on completing their masters theses, as well as taking other core psychology and clinical psychology courses.

The "task requirement" is a central feature of the third year. As noted previously (see above section titled "Task Requirement") it may take the form of a literature review, a clinical intervention demonstration, or a program evaluation project. The course work during the third year is comprised of both elective and required classes, and students continue their practicum training in the KU Psychological Clinic (or the KU Medical Center in the case of students in the Clinical Health Subspecialty).

Fourth-year students generally have completed most of their course work and their required practica, and focus on the doctoral dissertation. Also, during the fall of the fourth (or fifth) year, most students complete the application process for the predoctoral internship, thereafter spending their final year in the program at an internship site.

The following listing represents one example of a yearly set of courses reflecting the previous description.

1st YEAR------------------------------------------------------------Credits

Fall Semester

     •PSYC 798 (3 hrs) Psychological Statistics: Foundations & Applications......3
     •PSYC 898 (1 hr) Professional Issues in Clinical & Health Psychology.........1
     •PSYC 961 (3 hrs) Biological Foundations of Psychopathology....................3
     •PSYC 968 (3 hrs) Research Methods in Clinical Psychology.......................3

Spring Semester

     •PSYC 790 Statistical Methods in Psychology I ........................................... 3-4
            (Or an alternative that satisfies the quantitative analysis requirement.)
     •PSYC 850 Assessment I: Foundations of Psych. Assessment......................3
     •PSYC 898 Professional Issues in Clinical & Health Psych...........................1
     •PSYC 946Theories and Methods of Psychotherapy......................................3
     •PSYC 960 Advanced Psychopathology.........................................................3
     •PSYC 899 Thesis..........................................................................................0-1

Summer Semester

     •PSYC 899 Thesis.........................................................................................0-1
     •Elective (PSYC 977-Prep for beginning practicum).................................... 0-1

                                                                                                 Total 1st Year:  23-27

2nd YEAR

Fall Semester

      •PSYC 855 Assessment II: Ingtegrative Psychological Assessment............3

      •PSYC 898 Professional Issues in Clinical & Health Psych.........................1
      •PSYC 964 Clinical Practicum I...................................................................3
      •PSYC 975 Professional & Ethical Problems in Clinical Psyc.....................3
      •PSYC 899 Thesis........................................................................................2

Spring Semester

      •PSYC 898 Professional Issues in Clinical & Health Psych...................... ..1
      •PSYC 965 Clinical Practicum II..................................................................3
      •PSYC 899 Thesis........................................................................................2-3
      •Psychology Core Requirements or Electives...............................................3-6

      •PSYC 899 Thesis........................................................................................2

Summer Semester

      •PSYC 966 Clinical Practicum III.................................................................3
      •PSYC 899 Thesis........................................................................................0-1

                                                                                                Total 2nd Year:  24-29

3rd YEAR

Fall Semester

      •PSYC 888 Diversity Issues in Clinical Psychology....................................3
      •PSYC 969 or PSYC 835 Clinical Practicum IV.........................................3
      •PSYC 898 Professional Issues in Clinical & Health Psych........................1
      •PSYC 805 History of Psychology..............................................................3
      •PSYC 950 Supervision & Consultation: Theory & Research.....................1
      •Psychology Core Requirements or Electives...............................................3

Spring Semester

      •PSYC 898 Professional Issues in Clinical & Health Psych........................1
      •PSYC 970 or PSYC 836 Clinical Practicum V..........................................3
      •Psychology Core Requirements or Electives..............................................3-6
      •PSYC 999 Dissertation..............................................................................3-6

Summer Semester

     • PSYC 999 Dissertation..............................................................................3
                                                                                                Total 3rd Year: 27-33

4th YEAR

Fall Semester

      •Psychology Core Requirements or Electives..........................................3-4
      •(PSYC 999 Dissertation.........................................................................3-6

Spring Semester

      •Psychology Core Requirements or Electives..........................................3-4
      •PSYC 999 Dissertation..........................................................................3-6

Summer Semester

      •Electives-------------------------------------------------------------------------0-1
      •PSYC 999 Dissertation..........................................................................0-3
                                                                                            Total, 4th Year: 12-24

5th YEAR

Fall, Spring, & Summer Semesters

      •PSYC 974 Internship (one credit hour per semester)............................3
                                                            Overall Minimum Hours Required: 88

Student Progress

The Clinical faculty are committed to ensuring that our students obtain a top-flight education in an efficient manner. We currently require a minimum of 88 hours in our general Clinical Program (although many students, especially those in the Clinical Health Specialty, obtain more total hours). In recent years, when our general clinical program required a minimum of 97 hours to graduate, our graduates have typically obtained their Ph.D. degrees (including internships) in approximately 6.5 years. Specific information regarding years to graduation can be found on the Student Admissions Outcomes & Other Data page of our program web site.

Our goal is for each student to succeed in obtaining the Ph.D. degree. Students are evaluated and must meet performance standards, of course, but we want our students to succeed and try to help in whatever way is best suited to the individual student's needs. This supportive stance does not preclude dismissing students from the program if their performance warrants it, but this is not common.

Advisory Committee Selection: A first source of student evaluation involves the course grades and reviews students receive from faculty members. Beyond this, however, the Program evaluates each student each year until they have applied for and been accepted for an internship. Students are required to select an advising committee by February 15 of their first year in the program. This committee consists of two or three members of the clinical faculty or contributing faculty (at least one member must be a clinical program faculty member) and is commonly, but not always, chaired by the student's thesis advisor. Advising committee members are typically selected from among those faculty who are most closely associated with the student's academic, research and professional interests. In consultation with their advising committee chair, students may change any members of the committee, including the chair, when appropriate. The advising committee meets at least yearly with the student for both advising and ongoing evaluation.

Annual Student Evaluations: During the latter half of each spring semester, the clinical program faculty meet to evaluate all students who have not yet applied for and been accepted for internship. In preparation, the Program Director sends a memo to students and faculty alerting them to the upcoming evaluations and instructing students to begin preparing by meeting with their advising committees. Students then meet with their advising committee and submit a current curriculum vita, an updated ARTS form (i.e., unofficial transcript), an updated GAPS form (a form for recording one's academic progress), an updated record of their clinical practicum contact hours, and a summary of their program related activities over the past year. Students are welcome to attend the program meeting in which their performance is evaluated by the program faculty, but they are not required to do so. In this meeting they are represented by their advising committee. Following the program evaluation meeting, the student receives feedback from the meeting via a completed Annual Evaluation Form. A copy of the completed form is placed in the student's file.

Post-MA Thesis Defense Evaluation: At the first regularly scheduled faculty meeting after a student stands for the oral defense of the master's thesis, the Clinical Program faculty reviews all aspects of the student's performance (including academic,clinical, research and interpersonal). The faculty evaluares the student's potential for completion of the Ph.D. degree at an expected high level of quality in all domains such that the student would be able to receive positive recommendations for internships, postodoctoral fellowships, and employment positions. The faculty will provide feedback to the student about the outcome of the evaluation, which will include a decision about the student's continuation in the program leading to doctoral candidacy and the Ph.D.

Internship Evaluations: Students receive formal feedback while on internship. Internship directors and supervisors deliver quarterly or semi-annual feedback about the student's progress. Although our students routinely are evaluated positively, there may be rare instances where the student's internship performance raises serious concerns about deficiencies in skill or professional conduct. On such occasions, the clinical program meets to review input from all parties involved, with the goal of developing an appropriate course of action.

Special Student Evaluations: Any time sufficient concerns are raised about a student's performance, special Clinical Program meetings may be scheduled, often with the student attending, to discuss possible remediation. In the past, remediation plans have included, first-and-foremost, intensified and/or additional advising relationships and specific skill remediation experiences. On occasion, one- or, perhaps, two-year leaves of absence are recommended in order for students to address personal or health problems. Personal therapy has also been recommended, although never mandated. (Several local psychotherapists will treat our students at reduced rates, and the Program can often help to pay up to the first $300-$500 out of our Development Fund.)

If the concerns arising from evaluation meetings are such that the faculty does not regard remediation as adequate or appropriate, the student is notified of his or her termination from the program, both in person (if possible) and via a formal letter from the Program Director. Through that letter, the student is also informed that she or he can request a reconsideration of the termination decision. In such an appeal meeting, the student may attend, may bring supporting written information, and may speak as to why the decision should be reversed. If the Clinical faculty does not support the appeal, the student is so notified (by letter and in person, if possible), and is given information about the next level of appeal (if appropriate).

A summary of some of the key issues in evaluations may help to give you an overall sense of what we expect from our students. The evaluations take into account students' grades, research progress, clinical performance, response to supervision, ethical and professional deportment, professional and peer relations, and general progress through the program. Although there are no absolute markers for evaluation feedback, and the faculty members consider many aspects of the student's performance in providing feedback, the student generally is expected to (1) maintain mostly A grades and relatively few B grades; (2) have few or no incompletes; (3) make timely progress and achievement on the master's thesis and dissertation; (4) demonstrate satisfactory clinical skills and judgment in working with clients (including issues related to ethical and diversity matters); (5) maintain appopriate interpersonal relationships; (6) abide by the current APA code of ethics; and (7) maintain close contact with the advisory committee, the research mentor, and the faculty more generally so that a thorough sense of progress, openness to feedback, and personal demeanor may be accurately assessed.

Policy on Public Professionalism & Electronic Media

As communication channels proliferate, the lines between public and private information blur. Personal websites, blogs, email signature lines, answering machine messages and twitters afford previously unknown avenues for personal expression and increasingly call for discretion and good judgment in how they are used.

  • Internship programs conduct web searches on applicants' names.
  • Prospective clients conduct web-based searches on potential therapist names.
  • Clients often approach therapists via networking sites and email.
  • Employers conduct on-line searches prior to interviews and job offers.
  • Legal authorities review personal websites for evidence of illegal activities.
  • Listserv postings reflect either positively or poorly on oneself and one's program.
  • Email signature lines that express our philosophies, religious beliefs and political views may elicit adverse reactions from others.
  • Use of email for clinical purposes is restricted and practicum sites have policies managing the use of signature lines when using email for clinical purposes.
  • Answering machine messages that convey our individuality may be professionally off-putting.

When program members reveal information about themselves or the program in the various media outlets, this information becomes part of their program- and profession-related behavior and may be used in student evaluations. In particular, information relating to unethical or unprofessional behavior (e.g., disclosing confidential client or research information), will factor into program decisions regarding student probation, remediation or termination.

Students are encouraged to carefully review and monitor their use of personal web pages, twitters, blogs, email, and other electronic media. Particular attention should be addressed to what they reveal about themselves in these forums, and whether there is personal information they would not want program faculty, clients or future employers to view. What happens on the Web stays on the Web. Students who use electronic media are well advised to protect the security of their private information.

Student Appeal and Grievance Rights and Procedures

Whenever the Program makes decisions regarding a student's progress, the student is encouraged to talk with the Program Director and the student's advisory committee. Students have the right to appeal any adverse decisions and to ask the Clinical faculty to reconsider. The student is informed that he or she can attend the appeal meeting and present his or her material orally, in writing, or both. If a student's appeal is not upheld at this stage, the student is informed in person (if possible) and via letter of the decision and the reasons for it. Such students also are informed of their next level of appeal. This usually involves contacting the University Ombudsman, although the student may choose to immediately move to a higher appeal level.

If the Ombudsman is recruited by the student, the Ombudsman reviews the case and speaks with those who may be involved. The role of the Ombudsman is to find solutions that are agreeable to both the student and the Program. If no compromise can be reached, the student is informed by the Program Director that an appeal may be made to the Psychology Department Chairperson. The specific procedure for that appeal can be obtained from the Clinical Program Director or the Psychology Department Chairperson. Descriptions of these procedures, in the form of this program description, are given to all graduate students when they first enter the program. Basically, the Psychology Department Chair establishes a special committee formed of uninvolved Psychology Department faculty. If the decision of this Committee is adverse to the student, the Psychology Chairperson apprises the student of the reasons for the decision and the subsequent appeals procedures that may be available. (A full exposition of students' rights and responsibilities is contained in each semester's university timetable of classes.)

To summarize, the steps available to students who appeal academic decisions made about them are:

  1. If the Clinical Psychology faculty makes a decision about a student, that student is apprised of the decision and any available appeal process in a feedback letter and in person by the Program Director.
  2. The student can present an appeal in person, via a written document, or both, to a full meeting of the Clinical Psychology Faculty members. The student can attend that meeting.
  3. If the student's appeal at the Clinical Program level is not upheld, the student is informed of the reasons (in writing and in person) and of the next step in the appeal process -- mediation by the University Ombudsman. The student may bypass this step and go directly to step #4.
  4. If mediation is unsuccessful or is not pursued, the student may appeal to the Psychology Department Chairperson who appoints an appeals committee comprised of uninvolved faculty from other programs in the Department.
  5. The Psychology Department Appeals Committee conveys its written decision to the student. If the decision is adverse, the student is informed of appeal steps available at the University level.

In the instance of other grievances brought by students, the steps outlined in the Department of Psychology Grievance Procedure would be taken. These Grievance Procedures can be obtained from the Clinical Program Director or the Psychology Department Chair.

Student Support Services

The first line of students' support comes from their advisors, course instructors, and Clinical Program Director. At the Program level, there is a fund that can provide modest amounts of financial assistance to help students defray such expenses as thesis and dissertation costs, travel expenses for conferences, and personal therapy.

In particular, we want to support and encourage any student seeking psychotherapy during their time here at the University of Kansas. Below are some of the resources available in the community and that students have utilized in the past:

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Watkins Health Center--864-2277 (students must have paid the student health fee and be enrolled).

Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center--843-9192.

In addition to these resources, the Clinic Director, Dr. Sarah Kirk, maintains a list of local private practitioners who have been willing to work with our students on a sliding fee basis.

The KU Endowment Association also will supply short-term, no-interest loans to our students. For students with disabilities, the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities offers assistance in an attempt to level the playing field so that persons with disabilities can succeed more readily. Support services available on campus include:

Financial Aid

Various types of financial assistance are available to students in the Clinical Program. These include University Fellowships administered through the Graduate School, and teaching assistantships funded through the Department of Psychology, and research assistantships. Although the Clinical Program has been able to offer financial assistance to all of its entering students and nearly all of its continuing graduate students in recent years, we cannot guarantee this in the future. However, it is expected that a reasonable supply of paid, part-time positions of a psychological nature in various programs of the University and surrounding areas will be available for advanced students, along with research assistantships on faculty grants. Students are encouraged to explore other sources of financial aid for their graduate education as well.

References Cited

Raimy, V. (1950). Training in clinical psychology. New York: Prentice-Hall.

For additional information or questions on the accreditation of the KU Clinical Psychology Program, contact the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Web: http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/ Phone: 202-336-5979. E-Mail: apaaccred@apa.org.



The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression and genetic information in the University’s programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, IOA@ku.edu, 1246 W. Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS, 66045, (785)864-6414, 711 TTY.