The Psychology Department offers course work and dissertation supervision for a Doctorate of Philosophy degree. The program is designed to produce researchers and practitioners in adult clinical psychology with an emphasis in the normal and abnormal psychological processes that accompany aging (Geropsychology). The program, adhering to the scientist-practitioner model, trains students in mental health diagnosis, assessment and intervention for diverse adults and older adults, and basic and applied research on the psychological functioning of adults and aging individuals. Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared to work in a range of settings, including mental health clinics and clinical practices, hospitals, nursing homes, colleges and universities, state offices, research institutes, and as consultants to a wide variety of housing and social service providers to adults and older adults. For more information on faculty and their area of specialization, http://www.uccs.edu/psych/people/faculty/.html.
Goals and Objectives, Clinical Psychology PhD Program with Curricular Emphasis in Geropsychology
Goal #1: Produce graduates who have the requisite knowledge and skills for entry into the professional practice of clinical psychology
Objectives for Goal #1
- 1-A: Demonstrate knowledge and increasing competence in clinical assessment
- 1-B: Demonstrate knowledge and skill in psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions
- 1-C: Demonstrate competence in the ethics and professional standards of clinical practice
- 1-D: Demonstrate knowledge and skill in clinical supervision and consultation that is commensurate with level of training
Goal #2: Produce graduates who are capable of conducting, evaluating, and disseminating research
Objectives for Goal #2
- 2-A: Develop attitudes and skills essential for life-long learning and scholarly inquiry
- 2-B: Develop knowledge and skills to conduct empirical psychological research
- 2-C: Develop knowledge and skills to disseminate research effectively to professional and lay audiences
Goal #3: Produce graduates who demonstrate competence in knowledge and skills in geropsychology
Objectives for Goal #3
- 3-A: Develop attitudes and beliefs about aging that are appropriate to practice of geropsychology
- 3-B: Demonstrate knowledge and skills in professional practice consistent with competencies associated with graduate training within the Pikes Peak Model of Training in Geropsychology
- 3-C: Develop knowledge and skills to conduct empirical research in geropsychology
Program Requirements
Knowledge and skills in clinical psychology and basic scientific psychology are the foundations on which the geropsychology focus is built. Students in this program are preparing to be clinical psychologists first and foremost, with a focus on geropsychology as their curricular emphasis. Students entering this program are essentially agreeing to focus their work on aging rather than sampling the variety of populations and problems that might form the elective offerings in another program.
This program adheres to the scientist-practitioner model of training in clinical psychology, commonly referred to as the Boulder model. Under this model, professional psychologists are trained to be both scientists and practitioners with the goal of enhancing the interplay between science and practice. In an emerging field, such as geropsychology, it is of utmost importance that practitioners add to the existing knowledge base regarding effective application strategies and that scientists be informed of applied issues in shaping their pursuit of knowledge. Throughout content and applied areas of training, the program encourages awareness of and respect for diversity of culture, language, national origin, race, gender, age, disability, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, lifestyle, and other individual differences.
The curriculum will require at least six years of post-baccalaureate work to accomplish requirements of the doctoral degree. Students complete 126 hours of required and elective courses, a comprehensive exam, an empirical thesis and a dissertation of original scholarship, clinical practica, and a 12-month pre-doctoral clinical internship (off-site). The clinical curriculum is designed to meet Colorado requirements for licensure as a psychologist as well as American Psychological Association accreditation standards. Students who enter the program with a BA or BS degree will earn an MA en route to the doctoral degree through the mechanism of the existing MA program.
Completion of the Clinical Psychology PhD program from the BA or BS starting point will typically take five years residence on campus with the sixth year allocated for internship. Students should expect this as the general rule pending unusual exceptions.
Accreditation
The PhD program is accredited by the American Psychological Association through 2012.
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 2002-4242
Tel: (202)336-5979 Email: APAAccred@apa.org
Admissions Requirements
Applicants should have the following credentials:
- A BS or BA degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university.
- An overall average of 3.0 (“A” is equivalent to 4.0) or above in all undergraduate courses, and 3.5 or better on all graduate course work.
- Graduate Record Exam scores of at least above the 50th percentile on the verbal and quantitative sections. The advanced psychology test is strongly recommended.
- An adequate undergraduate program in psychology including college-level mathematics, statistics, experimental psychology, and some background in the biological, physical, and social sciences.
- Applicants should have career goals consistent with the program emphasis in geropsychology and desire training consistent with the scientist-practitioner model of training.
Promising students who do not meet all the requirements may be considered as applicants. Applicants with previous graduate course work or degree may request a review of their transcript and related materials to determine whether specific courses or thesis requirements may be waived.
Faculty of the program and of the psychology department are strongly committed to respecting diversity in all of its forms. We strive to recruit and retain a diverse faculty and student body.
Application Material and Deadlines
The application deadlines for fall admission each year is January 1st. See the following Web site for an online application: http://www.uccs.edu/psych/graduate-program/phd.html.
Contact Information
Questions concerning the Clinical Psychology PhD Program with curricular emphasis in Geropsychology can also be addressed by calling (719) 255-4500 or e-mailing ddubois@uccs.edu.
All written correspondence and credentials should be mailed to:
Clinical Psychology PhD Program with curricular emphasis in Geropsychology
Psychology Department
UCCS
1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway
Colorado Springs, CO 80918-3733
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