Clinical Psychology Track

Clinical Psychology Track (48 credits)

The 48-credit Clinical Track involves preparation for professional careers in clinical psychology and related areas.

The Clinical Track is available for those majors who desire employment in the field immediately after graduation and/or who seek to pursue graduate study in clinical psychology or related areas. Special guidelines are provided in the Student Handbook, which is available from the department. The track requires that the student maintains at least a 3.3 QPA in Psychology and a general QPA of 3.0 as well as the completion of a four-course sequence (Psychology 431 or 432, 433, 434, and 451A), along with other recommended courses.

Honors Research is another important alternative in our curriculum. Students who are interested in pursuit of graduate study in psychology are particularly advised of the importance of honors research in facilitating advanced study. Honors research in Psychology requires the maintenance of a QPA of 3.25 in Psychology and 3.00 overall. Honors research in Psychology involves completion of Psychology 452 and/or Psychology H478 along with presentation of the results of this research. Psychology H478 is part of the University Honors Program. Students are encouraged to take Psychology 310, Research Apprenticeship, early in their coursework (e.g., sophomore year). Further details regarding Honors Research are available in the Student Handbook.

Experiential learning opportunities are integrated with classroom-based instruction at every opportunity. Students are encouraged to participate in a variety of formal and informal field experiences. Supervised internships in local agencies, leading to undergraduate credit, ordinarily are open only to those students who are majoring in Psychology.

Courses in the Psychology Department also frequently provide knowledge and tool skills for students in other programs concerned with human behavior and development. Concentrations in Psychology also may be combined with other areas, such as education, pre-law, biology, social work, and special education. While not offered as a specific program track, the department offers a number of courses related to various aspects of health psychology, a growing area in the field of psychology. See the Student Handbook for a listing of these courses.

General Requirements — All Students

PSYC 211, General Psychology, as part of the general liberal arts curriculum, fulfills the Social Sciences requirement and is a prerequisite of all other psychology courses. It is hoped that study in Psychology will aid the student in acquiring self- knowledge and gaining understanding of the scientific nature of the field. PSYC 211 attempts to enhance student skills in critical thinking, information literacy, research literacy and awareness of diversity issues.