Goals of Clinical Psychology
The aims of the clinical psychology PhD training program are to:
- Develop clinical scientists who have both a broad understanding of the theoretical and methodological foundations of psychological science, and more specifically, of the field of clinical psychology and a depth of knowledge in their chosen area of expertise.
- Develop clinical scientists who possess the knowledge and skills to conduct high quality and ethical research and make meaningful contributions to the empirical and theoretical literature in the field of clinical psychology.
- Develop clinical scientists who are competent in the practice of clinical psychology and are skilled in the ethical application of empirically informed principles and techniques of assessment and intervention in their professional activities.
- Develop clinical scientists with the professional skills required to function effectively, including appropriate communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrating respect for diversity and inclusion and a commitment to continued learning.
The Temple Department of Psychology and Neuroscience maintains an outpatient clinic called the Psychological Services Center (PSC). The PSC functions as a training, research, and service facility for Temple University and the surrounding community. In the PSC, clinical doctoral students conduct psychological assessments as well as individual and group therapy, all under the supervision of licensed clinical psychologists. We espouse an evidence-based practice approach to the training of clinical scientists. As such, we provide clinical training opportunities in psychological treatments that have received ample empirical scrutiny and support. Subsequent to training at PSC, clinical skills continue to be acquired through supervised practica in a wide variety of settings, both on and off campus.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity
The Clinical Psychology PhD Program has always been strongly committed to the importance of respect for and understanding of cultural diversity, and we adhere to the principle that excellence should be the primary characteristic upon which our decisions are based. We also believe that there is educational and professional value in attracting students and faculty who represent diverse ethnic, cultural, and personal backgrounds. The University, CLA, Department, and Clinical Program seek to establish an environment that generates understanding, attitudes, and perspectives that create an atmosphere of inclusivity, civility, collegiality, appreciation, and mutual respect for diversity and cultural differences. Accordingly, there are clear nondiscrimination policies in place that prohibit any actions that would restrict program access or completion on grounds that are irrelevant to success in graduate training or the profession (see https://diversity.temple.edu/eo/university-policies-resources for University nondiscriminatory policies).
The Department and Program continually strive to create a learning environment that is accessible and welcoming to all students, and to engage in actions that indicate respect for, and understanding of, cultural and individual diversity across all aspects of the graduate program. Efforts in support of this goal include, but are not limited to, the use of holistic student admissions policies; faculty’s use of their own research funds to provide waivers for graduate student applicants who demonstrate financial hardship; dedicated multicultural course that all PhD clinical students take; initiatives to increase faculty knowledge and awareness of diversity and inclusivity (e.g., facilitated dialogues, journal clubs); graduate student organization’s efforts focused on inclusivity; faculty community-based participatory research with key stakeholders in the local diverse community; and development with the Department’s Graduate Committee of a graduate student reporting guide and other preventive issues to support inclusivity within the Department.
CUDCP Policy
Information for Applicants The Council of University Directors of Clinical Training has adopted the following guidelines for offers into doctoral clinical psychology programs. If you are applying to a CUDCP program, you should expect the following policies will apply:
- In most CUDCP programs, a subset of applicants will be invited for an interview. Within a few weeks of the final interview dates, applicants will be notified regarding the status of their application. You may be offered admission, declined admission, placed on a wait list, or in some cases, a decision has not yet been reached regarding your application.
- Training programs will notify students no longer being considered for admission as soon as possible. In some cases, this information is communicated by the university graduate school and can take several weeks to be processed. In some cases, you may be able to get updated information on the status of the application process (e.g., whether all interview invites have been extended; whether all offers have been extended), on a clinical program’s website, or by contacting a program administrator. Beware of information posted on student-focused online forums that may be inaccurate or incomplete.
- Offers of admission can be extended during a large time period. Most initial offers of admission are extended by April 1. Offers may be communicated by phone or email, but should be followed up by a written confirmation within 48 hours.
- You should not be pressured, nor feel compelled to accept an offer of admission before April 15! This applies to offers of admission and to funding offers that accompany admission. It is impermissible for programs to request a decision prior to April 15 or to indicate that funding will be available only if students make decisions earlier than this date. Violations of this policy should be reported to CUDCP immediately and your identity will be protected. Of course, it is permissible for you to accept an offer as soon as you are certain of your decision (i.e., even before April 15). But the decision to do so should be based on you, and not due to pressure placed upon you by a training program.
- Do not hold more than two offers for more than one week unless there is specific information (e.g., a visit is scheduled, funding decisions) you are waiting to receive from the program. Difficulty making up one’s mind is not considered an adequate excuse to limit the options available to other applicants.
- Once you have accepted an offer of admission to a training program, you should inform all programs in which you are still being considered. Be sure to inform programs either that you are declining outstanding offers of admission or you no longer wish to be considered for admission.
How to Apply to the Clinical Psychology PhD Program
Application deadline for the Clinical Psychology PhD program is November 15.
Important Message for Applicants
Even after you have submitted your application, paid the application fee, and uploaded your CV/resume, personal statement, unofficial transcripts, and we have received all 3 letters of recommendation, your application may still show up as Incomplete in the online application system. DO NOT WORRY. Your application is complete for the Clinical program, and we will fully consider your application. We will email you to ask for official transcripts if and when you are under more serious consideration. Please DO NOT send us your official transcripts until requested. If you send them prior to our request, we will not retrieve them, and you likely will have to resend them when requested. Additionally, if you receive an email stating that your application is incomplete, this is an automated email from the system, and if you have uploaded all the documents above, you should ignore this automated email.
Applicants must complete an online application. All applicants to the Clinical Psychology PhD program must apply through the online application for the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University, https://apply.temple.edu/cla/pages/welcome.aspx. Further instructions can be found on the Psychology Graduate Bulletin Admissions page.
Clinical Psychology Resources
