Clinical Psychology Program Description
The goal of the Clinical Psychology Program at the University of Calgary is to prepare students for careers as doctoral level professionals in applied, academic and research settings. The training we offer is based on the scientist-practitioner model and provides students with an integration of academic knowledge, research skills, and clinical training and experience. This integration is achieved through formal course work, ongoing activity in faculty and self-directed research, and supervised clinical work in a variety of practica and internship settings. The program was granted full accreditation status for seven years by the Canadian Psychological Association in 2004.
Students are exposed to a core curriculum including research design and statistics, history and systems of psychology, ethics and professional standards, and breadth courses in the general domain of psychology. In addition to a breadth of knowledge within the general field of psychology, students will acquire:
training in the content areas and theoretical approaches specific to clinical psychology,
training in the techniques, procedures and ethics of assessment and intervention, and
the proficiency to execute and evaluate research.
Formal courses are complemented by community-based practicum training courses, summer clinical experiences, and advanced clinical practica (approximately 1,100 hours of experience), all of which take place during two years of study as a master's level student and two more years of full-time residency as a doctoral candidate. Students in the program will also complete a full-year (1,600 hours) predoctoral clinical internship. Training in this program is sensitive to diversity considerations.
Research training within the program consists of both a master's thesis and a doctoral dissertation, as well as other research activities with which the student may become involved. Research training is based upon an "apprenticeship" model in which students initially work closely with a faculty member in an area of mutual interest, gaining the knowledge and experience necessary to undertake self-directed independent research. It is expected that students will take graduate level statistics and research methods courses during their first two years of the program. During this time a master's thesis will also be completed. Based upon adequate performance, students will then normally proceed to doctoral level course work, candidacy examinations, doctoral level research, and a year-long predoctoral clinical psychology internship.
The following is an example of the list of courses which may be required:
Year 1
Year 4
Research Design
Professional Issues/Ethics
Adult Psychopathology
Child Psychopathology
Adult Assessment
Child Assessment
Summer Practicum
Advanced Clinical Seminar
Specialty Practicum
Dissertation Research
Year 2
Year 5
Adult Psychotherapy
Child Psychotherapy
Statistics/Methodology
Summer Practicum
Research Seminar in Clinical Psychology
History and Systems
Completion of Years 1 and 2, plus the M.Sc. thesis, constitute the requirements for the M.Sc. degree.
Pre-Doctoral Clinical Internship
Completion of Ph.D. degree
Year 3
Please Note:
Breadth Course
Elective Course
Specialty Practicum
Advanced Clinical Seminar
Students must take breadth courses in four areas, as stipulated by CPA and APA accreditation criteria.
Entrance Requirements
Entrance requirements for admission into the Clinical Psychology Graduate Program:
a four-year undergraduate honours degree in Psychology;
a minimum GPA of 3.6 over the last 20 half courses completed;
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test scores. The minimum criteria set is the 50th percentile in each the Verbal and Quantitative dimensions, although, applicants with scores less than the 60th percentile will not typically be admitted;
applicants whose background language is not English must take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and achieve a score greater than 600 (written test) or 250 (computer-based test), or successfully complete Level III of the Learning English for Academic Purposes (LEAP) Program.
How about the Union Institute?
Program at a Glance
Learners admitted into the Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies complete 65 credit hours of study beyond the master’s degree. The minimum time to complete the degree is three years (six terms). UI&U's doctoral program consists of the following components:
foundational interdisciplinary seminars related to Ethics and Social Justice, The Creative Process, and Engaging Differences
academic studies that include a core curriculum and advanced study within a primary and secondary area of concentration
praxis (connecting theory to practice) training and workshops
academic seminars in critical thinking and writing
study and research methods and humanistic approaches to inquiry
individualized study that is directly related to the learner's area of study, professional interests, and dissertation research (includes an optional internship)
dissertation research that, when completed, contributes new knowledge to the learner’s field of study.
Expectations of learners pursuing study in a selected area of concentration are to develop a program within a limited area of study aligned with the core values of UI&U and the Graduate College; achieve proficiency in general principles and approaches to doctoral inquiry; acquire both core and advanced knowledge; develop field/research proficiency; and conduct doctoral-level research by completing a dissertation that meets national standards for research at the doctoral level.
Criteria
The admissions criteria, in order of priority, are the following.
1) Intellectual/analytical ability and academic preparation as demonstrated through transcripts, letters of recommendation, application essay, and telephone interview.
2) Openness to and interest in doctoral research and advanced learning--or, stated differently, the absence of a dogmatic or closed or fixed point of view.
3) Reasonable fit within the three areas of concentration.
4) Related considerations such as a personal/professional schedule that makes it possible for an applicant to participate fully in the low-residency format, ability to work with others, and similar factors.
