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 44 years.
The ODU Clinical PhD Program applied for APA accreditation as a clinical psychology PhD program, independent of the Consortium, with a site visit scheduled for 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 best prepared to clearly articulate their alignment with the mentor in their personal statements.
For applications to receive full review, the following materials are required:
- Official scores on the Graduate Record Examination are currently optional.
- Official transcripts of academic coursework (transcripts from every institution contributing to the baccalaureate degree and transcripts for additional advanced degrees as applicable).
- Supplemental application materials for clinical psychology includes:
- A personal statement outlining (a) personal career goals, (b) how those career goals fit with the training program; (d) research interests, experiences, and goals; (d) how those research interests and goals align with the program and with potential specific research mentor(s); and (c) clinical interests, experiences, and goals.
- Statement that articulates your unique background and experiences that have shaped your career aspirations and would contribute to serving the community representing a range of backgrounds.
- A curriculum vitae.
- A minimum of three professional letters of recommendation.
- Ranked choices of potential research mentors.
- 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 independent accreditation, the curriculum carefully 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. Consistent with APA programs across the country, all APA predoctoral internships are nationally competitive full-time clinical placements that are offered off-site.
Students are required to complete a minimum of 87 credit hours to attain the doctoral degree. At least three-fifths of the minimum required hours for a doctoral degree must be completed at the 800 level.
For students entering without a master's degree or approved master's thesis, coursework below will be assigned in the following categories applied to the master's degree and doctoral degree.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Research Core Coursework (Master's Level) - 17 Credits | ||
| CPSY/PSYC 698 | Research in Psychology | 3 |
| CPSY/PSYC 699 | Thesis | 3 |
| CPSY/PSYC 713 | Research Methods in Psychology | 3 |
| CPSY/PSYC 727/827 | Analysis of Variance and Experimental Design | 4 |
| CPSY/PSYC 728/828 | Regression and Correlation Design | 4 |
| Required Core Foundational Coursework (Master's Level) - 12 credits | ||
| Select four of the following: * | 12 | |
| Developmental Psychology | ||
| Psychopathology | ||
| Multicultural Issues in Clinical Psychology | ||
| Social and Affective Bases of Behavior | ||
| Biological and Cognitive Aspects of Behavior | ||
| Required Clinical Core (Master's Level) - 9 credits | ||
| CPSY/PSYC 632 | Intellectual Assessment | 3 |
| CPSY/PSYC 664 | Clinical Assessment: Personality and Individual Differences | 3 |
| CPSY/PSYC 700 | Clinical and Ethical Practice | 3 |
| Required Core Foundational Coursework - 3 credits (Doctoral level) | ||
| Select one of the following: ** | 3 | |
| Developmental Psychology | ||
| Psychopathology | ||
| Multicultural Issues in Clinical Psychology | ||
| Social and Affective Bases of Behavior | ||
| Biological and Cognitive Aspects of Behavior | ||
| Required Clinical Course - 34 credits (Doctoral level) | ||
| CPSY/PSYC 725 | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | 3 |
| CPSY/PSYC 801 | Empirically-Supported Therapies | 3 |
| Practicum Courses - 27 credits | 27 | |
| Clinical Practicum | ||
or CPSY 896 | Advanced Clinical Practicum | |
| Internship Course | 1 | |
| Internship in Clinical Psychology | ||
| Required Research - 12 credits (Doctoral level) | 12 | |
| Clinical Dissertation | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 87 | |
- *
whichever one not selected here for masters degree contributes to the doctoral hours
- **
whichever one not applied to masters degree contributes to the doctoral hours
For students entering the program with a completed master's degree AND an empirical masters thesis that has been approved by the program faculty for waiver of the thesis requirement, students are required to complete a minimum of 87 credit hours with a combination of the master's level courses and the doctoral level courses.
Master's Degree in Psychology
To earn a master's degree in Psychology, please see the curriculum for M.S. in Psychology for more information.
Clinical Psychology students will be advised by their research mentor and Director of Clinical Training (DCT) regarding the appropriate courses to take to prepare them for the PhD in Clinical Psychology as shown in the course list above. The Graduate Program Director for the M.S. in Psychology program will work with Clinical Psychology students and DCT regarding required curriculum choices for the master's program.
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.