Overview

The Clinical Psychology program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association and is a charter member of the Academy of Clinical Science. We seek to train doctoral level clinical scientists who have a thorough grounding in research and scholarly activities, can develop and utilize scientific knowledge, are skilled in using their critical thinking and analytic tools in problem formulation and solution generation, and have a thoroughly developed repertoire of professional competencies, including applied skills.

The program emphasizes creative research and applications of psychological principles to a broad range of applied problems. The program´s scholars, faculty and students alike, make significant contributions in the areas of research methodology, treatment development, outcomes research, program development, program evaluation, training, supervision, technology transfer, basic behavioral research, and philosophy of science. The program values these behaviors regardless of the setting in which they occur.

The program includes:

• Training in basic psychology (a minimum of 4 courses)
• Research training (minimum 2 methods courses, 2 statistics courses, and MA-level and doctoral-level research projects)
• Didactic training in clinical psychology (7 courses)
• Practicum training

Basic Psychology Training

Training in basic psychology is designed to maximize flexibility while at the same time meet APA requirements for breadth of training. Two other areas exist in the Department: Cognitive and Brain Sciences and Behavior Analysis. The department also participates in an interdisciplinary program in Social Psychology. Twelve faculty teach in these programs. A wide variety of courses and seminars are taught in these areas.

Research Training

Students affiliate with one or more faculty for research training beginning in their first semester. Students normally are involved in research throughout their tenure in the program. Most students far exceed the minimum number of research projects required, namely, an MA thesis (or alternative predoctoral project) and the doctoral dissertation. In order to help students engage the research process, first and second year students sign up for research credits and present projects at an end of the year research festival. At the end of the first year, students present their research project complete with hypotheses and design. At the second year festival, students present the actual results of the project. The project is then sent for peer review in an appropriate journal.

Didactic Clinical Training

Didactic clinical training includes introductions to both assessment and intervention, problems and intervention with adults and children, advanced assessment, community psychology and program evaluation, cultural diversity, and related courses. Training starts in mid-August of the first year with an introductory course taught during the summer session. Other courses are usually made available during summer sessions as well.

Practical Training

Students begin practical training in the first semester of graduate training by sitting in on a treatment team, observing cases, and supervision. They begin providing direct services in their second semester, typically carrying one case with close supervision. In their second and third years, students take a clinical practicum in the Psychological Service Center (PSC). This practicum involves trainees for about 10 hours per week, and includes direct service hours (approximately 3 clients per week), supervision (2 to 4 hours per week), paperwork, and both formal and informal training. The PSC is an in-house, community oriented clinic serving the greater Reno community. Training and treatment are provided by service teams, all supervised by clinical faculty. Currently, the PSC houses both general and specialty training teams, including the treatment of incest victims (children and adults), agoraphobia, depression, couple and family problems, chronically suicidal adults, gerontological problems, substance abuse, victims of domestic violence, behavioral pediatric problems, and interpersonal difficulties.

In their fourth year students work half-time in a community externship agency. Externship placements are available at community mental health centers, residential psychiatric facilities, residential and community-based retardation facilities, the student counseling center, a pain clinic, a family treatment center, and several other agencies. There are also opportunities for students to meet this program requirement by working on ongoing applied projects being conducted in the clinical program itself.

In their fifth year students complete a 2,000 hour block-time APA-approved internship. Nevada students have always been extremely competitive at the top internship sites.

Curriculum

General Psychology Core

• Biologically-oriented course
• Course in Learning or Cognition
• History of Psychology
• Behavioral and Systems Assessment (optional)

Methods Core

• Single Case Designs
• Psychometrics and Group Designs
• Observational Research Methodology (optional)
• Psychotherapy Outcome Research Methods (optional)
• Behavioral and Systems Assessment (optional)
• Intermediate Statistics I & II

Research

• Master´s Thesis or Predoctoral research
• Doctoral dissertation

Area courses

• Introduction to Clinical Psychology
• Introduction to Clinical Assessment
• Introduction to Clinical Intervention
• Problems and Intervention with Children
• Problems and Intervention with Adults
• Advanced Assessment (optional)
• Community Psychology and Program Evaluation (optional)
• Cultural Diversity
• 1 seminar in core area

Practica

• Supervised clinical practica (12 credits)
• Advanced supervision and clinical practicum (optional)
• Half-time Externship
• Full-time Internship