Curriculum
In addition to general department requirements for the Ph.D. and breadth requirements outlined by the American Psychological Association in 1979, the following sequence of courses and clinical training is required for students majoring in clinical psychology.
Year 1:
Foundations of the Scientist Practitioner
During Year 1, students will learn the foundations of research methodology, clinical practice, and psychopathology. Through the design of the first year experience, students will learn to integrate the three. Likewise, the completion of Year 1 will have prepared students adequately for completing their thesis, and will have them well-trained for conducting other research throughout their career at UWM.
Fall Semester
- 510: Statistics
- 712: Ethics, Issues & Methods
- 912: Developmental Psychopathology
- 790/890: Master's Research or a Research Foundation Course
- Vertical Team
Spring Semester
- 610: Experimental Design
- 741: Systems of Psychotherapy
- 802: Clinical Practicum
- 790/890: Master's Research or a Research Foundation Course
- Vertical Team
Summer
An Area Paper requirement will be due by September 1 of year 2 in the program. The topic of the area paper should be consistent with the person's idea for a thesis. The completed paper must be approved by the thesis committee, and submission of the paper to a peer-reviewed journal will be strongly encouraged. The area paper will allow the students to conduct a literature review leading to their thesis proposal.
Practical Training During Year 1
Students learn basic interviewing and test administration skills in the first year practicum. They also participate in a "vertical team." Vertical teams are the method by which we do our "hands on" therapy training. Each vertical team consists of a first year student, a second year student, two third year students, and a supervising Psychologist. Each student has a defined role on the team. Third year students serve as therapists, second year students conduct psychological assessments, and first year students are asked to observe therapy sessions and learn the empirical basis for intervention with the different cases seen on the team. Each team meets weekly to discuss cases with the supervisor.
Year 2:
Foundations of Clinical Practice
The curriculum for Year two continues to build the clinical foundations for students to become true scientist practitioners. Students will learn the foundations of assessment, will continue their therapy training, and will start to broaden their knowledge of the empirical basis of psychology through taking core courses. During Year 2, students will utilize the research training obtained during Year 1 by completing a master's thesis.
Fall Semester
- 831: Assessment I
- 821: Assessment I Practicum
- 742: Empirically Supported Interventions
- 843: Empirically Supported Interventions Practicum
- 790: Master's Research
- Vertical Team
Spring Semester
- 832: Assessment II
- 843: EST Practicum
- Additional Course
- 790: Master's Research
- Vertical Team
Summer
Thesis should be defended by end of the summer.
Practical Training During Year 2
During the second year, students are taught to administer and interpret psychological tests. In addition, they begin to acquire hands on experience in implementing empirically supported interventions. Also, they continue to participate in a vertical team.
Year 3:
Integration of Science and Practice
The curriculum for this year continues to help students fully implement their scientist practitioner training by implementing their scientist training in a clinical setting.
Fall Semester
- Advanced Research Course
- 842: Practicum in Therapy
- Additional Course
- Additional Course
- Vertical Teams
- Conduct at least 1 full assessment battery
Spring Semester
- Advanced Research Course
- 842: Practicum in Therapy
- Additional Course
- Additional Course
- Vertical Teams
Summer
Students can fulfill the preliminary exam requirement by passing the traditional written exam or by producing a written clinical product that integrates research and practice. This clinical product must be approved by the student's dissertation committee. Examples of written clinical products could include treatment manuals, a critical literature review or meta-analysis, or a detailed case studies involving single subject research design.
Practical Training During Year 3
Third year students on the vertical teams are responsible for seeing clients in the Department's Psychology Training Clinic. Third year students participate in two different vertical teams concurrently, and have 2-3 cases per team. Students sit on two vertical teams so they are exposed to different supervision styles and theoretical orientations.
Year 4:
Community Placement
The curriculum for year four requires the students to take their scientist practitioner training to the community. In addition, students will complete their core courses and elective courses in addition to proposing their dissertations.
Fall Semester
- 811: Community Placement
- Additional Course
- 990: Doctoral Research
Spring Semester
- 811: Community Placement
- Additional Course
- Additional Course
- Dissertation Research
Summer
- Dissertation Research
- Optional: 811 or 842
Practical Training During Year 4
In the fourth year, students spend 16-20 hours per week working in one of many community agencies under the supervision of adjunct faculty.
Community agencies that have been involved in the department's training program include the...
- Children's Hospital of Wisconsin,
- Family Services of Milwaukee,
- Medical College of Wisconsin,
- Bureau of Community Corrections,
- Roger's Memorial Hospital
- UWM Counseling Center
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and
- Waukesha County Mental Health Center.
Year 5:
Dissertation Research
The curriculum for Year five allows the student to spend time applying for internship and completing their dissertation. Students should leave for internship with their dissertation completed.
Fall Semester
- 811: Community Placement (optional)
- Apply for Internship
- 990: Doctoral Research
Spring Semester
- 811: Community Placement (optional)
- Internship Interviews
- 990: Doctoral Research
- Defend Dissertation
Practical Training During Year 5
The program does not require any specific practical experience during the fifth year, but students will often want to round out their experiences with additional work, and often get involved in learning how to provide supervision to more junior students. This supervised supervision experience is a valuable experience to those students choosing to participate.
Year 6:
Internship
An extramural, APA-approved one-year, full-time (2000 hour) internship is required for the clinical psychology program.
