Doctor of Philosophy Psychology with a Concentration in Clinical Psychology (PhD)

Christina M. Rodriguez, PhD, Director of Clinical Training

The PhD in Clinical Psychology is a doctoral concentration in the ODU Department of Psychology. A founding member of the American Psychological Association (APA) accredited Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, ODU has led the administration of the Consortium and trained doctoral students in clinical psychology for over 43 years.

The ODU Clinical PhD Program applied for APA accreditation as a clinical psychology PhD program, independent of the Consortium, in Summer 2025 with a site visit anticipated in Fall 2026. Although the timeline and application outcome are not assured, we hope to receive independent APA Accreditation on Contingency in Spring 2027; if a student completes a program that is Accredited on Contingency prior to graduation, that student is deemed to have completed an APA accredited program. We will provide updates on the status of our ongoing efforts to secure independent APA accreditation online.

This PhD program requires four years in residence with an additional final year in a 12-month predoctoral internship that is completed off-site. The program follows a scientist-practitioner training model wherein students are engaged in research activities and clinical work throughout their training.

Admission

Admission to the PhD in Psychology is available through Graduate Admissions. Applicants must select Clinical Psychology to obtain the correct application. All applications for clinical psychology have a deadline of December 1.  To be considered for admission to the Clinical Ph.D. program, an applicant is required to have a baccalaureate degree with a substantive background in psychology, substantive research experience, clinically relevant experience, three compelling letters of recommendation, and strong fit to the program mission and to a specific research mentor.  A personal interview is also required prior to selection. 

Students are admitted into the program with a specific research mentor (please see the website to see which faculty affiliated with the clinical program are recruiting in any given year).  Applicants are encouraged to contact potential research mentors for additional information and to express interest to be prepared to clearly indicate their alignment with the mentor in their personal statements. 

For applications to receive full review, the following materials are required:

1. Official scores on the Graduate Record Examination are currently optional.
2. Official transcripts of academic coursework (transcripts from every institution contributing to the baccalaureate degree and transcripts for additional advanced degrees as applicable).
3. Supplemental application materials for clinical psychology includes:
   1. A personal statement outlining  (a) personal career goals, (b) how those career goals fit with the training program, (c) clinical interests, experiences, and goals, (d) research interests, experiences, and goals, (e) how those research interests and goals align with the program and with potential specific research mentor(s). 
   2. Statement that articulates your unique background and experiences that have shaped your career aspirations and would contribute to serving a diverse community.
   3. A curriculum vitae.
4. A minimum of three professional letters of recommendation.
5. Ranked choices of potential research mentors.
6. Completed graduate school application.

Curriculum Requirements

The PhD in Psychology Concentration in Clinical Psychology provides students with a high level of professional training. As the program seeks accreditation as independent institution, the curriculum follows the standards required for accreditation by the American Psychological Association (APA). To attain the degree, a minimum of five years of post-baccalaureate training is required, including four years full-time in residence (excluding predoctoral internship). An oral and written comprehensive examination, empirical doctoral dissertation, multiple years of clinical practicum training, and a full-time one year APA-approved predoctoral clinical internship are also required for the degree. All APA predoctoral internships are nationally competitive clinical placements that are offered off-site.

Students are required to complete a minimum of 87 credit hours as noted below.

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Coursework
CPSY 632	Intellectual Assessment
CPSY 651	Developmental Psychology
CPSY 661	Psychopathology
CPSY 664	Clinical Assessment: Personality and Individual Differences
CPSY 700	Clinical and Ethical Practice
CPSY 713	Research Methods in Psychology
CPSY 720	Multicultural Issues in Clinical Psychology
CPSY 725	Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CPSY 727	Analysis of Variance and Experimental Design
CPSY 728	Regression and Correlation Design
CPSY 749	Social and Affective Bases of Behavior
CPSY 801	Empirically-Supported Therapies
CPSY 826	Biological and Cognitive Aspects of Behavior
Total Credits for Required Coursework		0
Clinical Practicum		27
CPSY 895	Clinical Practicum
or CPSY 896	Advanced Clinical Practicum
Research		6
CPSY 698	Research in Psychology
CPSY 699	Thesis
Clinical Dissertation		12
CPSY 899	Clinical Dissertation
Internship		1
CPSY 890	Internship in Clinical Psychology

Additional Requirements

Student Evaluation

Students are regularly evaluated in academic course work, research activities, clinical work, and professional behavior.  A formal evaluation of student’s progress is conducted at least annually. Each student is also evaluated through a written and oral comprehensive examination.