Program Requirements
General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required to Earn the Degree: 32-68, depending on area of specialization1:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Psychology | 68 | |
| Cognition and Neuroscience 2 | 32 | |
| Developmental Psychology 2 | 32 | |
| Social Psychology 2 | 32 | |
- 1
For greater detail on requirements by area of specialization, consult the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Graduate Handbook, found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hoxVN1ol7ZGB10_9N0k8yVxkRDJLcMVYGTp-Nwgbm94/edit.
- 2
39 credits required with the Neuroscience specialization.
Required Courses:
Area of Specialization in Clinical Psychology
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| PSY 8011 | Graduate Statistics I 1 | 3 |
| PSY 8015 | Teaching of Psychology | 0 |
| PSY 8017 | Professional Issues for Psychology Careers | 0 |
| PSY 8021 | Graduate Statistics II 1 | 3 |
| PSY 8410 | Multicultural Issues in Clinical Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 8411 | Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies | 3 |
| PSY 8412 | Core Course in Psychopathology | 3 |
| PSY 8413 | Psychological Assessment I | 3 |
| PSY 8423 | Psychological Assessment II | 3 |
| PSY 8433 | Clinical Psychology: Scientific and Professional Dimensions | 3 |
| PSY 8481 | Social, Cognitive, and Developmental Aspects of Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 9187 | Clinical Practicum 2 | 3 |
| PSY 9287 | Clinical Practicum 2 | 3 |
| PSY 9387 | Clinical Practicum 2 | 3 |
| PSY 9411 | Clinical Research Methodology | 3 |
| PSY 9485 | Ph.D. Internship Course | 2 |
| PSY 9487 | Clinical Practicum 2 | 3 |
| PSY 9987 | Assessment Practicum | 6 |
| Bio-integrative Course 3 | 3 | |
| Electives | ||
| Clinical Elective | 3 | |
| General Electives | 6 | |
| Research Courses 4 | 6 | |
PSY 9994 | Preliminary Examination Preparation | |
PSY 9998 | Pre-Dissertation Research | |
PSY 9999 | Ph.D. Dissertation Research | |
| Total Credit Hours | 68 | |
- 1
Two terms of graduate coursework in Statistics must be successfully completed in the first year of study.
- 2
Students must complete 12 credits of Clinical Practicum, including PSY 9187, PSY 9287, PSY 9387, and PSY 9487.
- 3
The bio-integrative course is selected from the departmental list of approved courses.
- 4
A minimum of 6 credits is required, with at least 2 of the 6 credits required to be in PSY 9999. The remaining 4 credits can be taken in any combination of PSY 9994, PSY 9998, and PSY 9999. At least one credit of PSY 9999 must be taken in the academic term or summer session of graduation.
Areas of Specialization in Cognition and Neuroscience, Developmental Psychology, and Social Psychology
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| PSY 8011 | Graduate Statistics I 1 | 3 |
| PSY 8015 | Teaching of Psychology | 1 |
| PSY 8017 | Professional Issues for Psychology Careers | 1 |
| PSY 8021 | Graduate Statistics II 1 | 3 |
| Electives and Topical Seminars | 18 | |
| Research Courses 2 | 6 | |
PSY 9994 | Preliminary Examination Preparation | |
PSY 9998 | Pre-Dissertation Research | |
PSY 9999 | Ph.D. Dissertation Research | |
| Total Credit Hours | 32 | |
- 1
Two terms of graduate coursework in Statistics must be successfully completed in the first year of study.
- 2
A minimum of 6 credits is required, with at least 2 of the 6 credits required to be in PSY 9999. The remaining 4 credits can be taken in any combination of PSY 9994, PSY 9998, and PSY 9999. At least one credit of PSY 9999 must be taken in the academic term or summer session of graduation.
Optional Concentration in Quantitative Methods
Number of Credits Required to Complete the Optional Concentration: 3
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework taken as part of the Psychology PhD | ||
PSY 8011 | Graduate Statistics I | |
PSY 8021 | Graduate Statistics II | |
Two Advanced Multivariate Methods courses 1 | ||
| Coursework required outside of the Psychology PhD 2 | ||
| PSY 8031 | Survey of Multivariate Techniques | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 3 | |
- 1
To complete this requirement, students opt to take PSY 8032 Structural Equation Modeling and PSY 8033 Hierarchical Linear Modeling in lieu of elective or seminar courses required for the Psychology PhD. With the permission of the Graduate Director, an advanced statistics course may be selected instead of PSY 8033.
- 2
In addition, students are required to demonstrate the ability to teach statistics. This is done by serving as the: (a) primary instructor for an undergraduate-level statistics course, such as Introductory Statistics; (b) instructor of a recitation section for undergraduate statistics; or (c) teaching assistant for a statistics course at the graduate level. Alternately, students may present a cumulative total of 9 to 12 hours of workshop material on statistics in multiple workshops on the same or different statistical topics for the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. At least three hours should be didactic, with the remaining hours in consulting. Students prepare a plan to address these hours. Note that serving as a grader for a statistics course is insufficient for satisfying the teaching requirement for this concentration.
Internship: An internship is required for the Clinical Psychology area of specialization.
Culminating Events:
Preliminary Examination:
The purpose of the preliminary examination is to demonstrate critical and interpretive knowledge in a specialized area of Psychology. The exam should be modeled after published literature reviews in the field and evaluated by the criteria applied to reviews that are submitted for publication to scholarly journals. The examination evaluates the student's ability to apply specific research foci to anticipated problems in Psychology. The student must demonstrate a high level of oral and written competency in reviewing, synthesizing and evaluating an important topic in the field of Psychology.
The preliminary examination is generally completed by the end of the third year of study. The subject areas are determined, in advance, by the student and the Doctoral Advisory Committee. The Doctoral Advisory Committee must include at least three Graduate Faculty members from Temple's Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. The committee may be expanded to include other Temple Presidential faculty (from inside or outside the department) and/or doctorally prepared experts from outside the University, provided that a majority of the members of the committee are members of Temple's Graduate Faculty. The Doctoral Advisory Committee evaluates the examination. Each member votes to pass or fail the student. In order to pass, a majority of the committee members must agree that the exam has been satisfactorily completed. The examination is defended orally following an evaluation of the written document.
Students who are preparing to write their preliminary examinations should confirm a time and date with the Chair of the Doctoral Advisory Committee and notify all members of their training program.
Proposal:
The dissertation proposal demonstrates the student's knowledge of and ability to conduct the proposed research. The proposal should consist of the following:
- the context and background surrounding a particular research problem;
- an exhaustive survey and review of literature related to the problem; and
- a detailed methodological plan for investigating the problem.
The Doctoral Advisory Committee evaluates and approves the proposal or requests modifications by the student.
Dissertation:
The doctoral dissertation is an original empirical study that makes a significant contribution to the field of Psychology. It should expand the existing knowledge and demonstrate both the student's grasp of research methods and a mastery of their primary area of interest. Dissertations should be rigorously investigated; uphold the ethics and standards of the field; demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the primary area of interest and the broader field of Psychology; and be prepared for publication in a professional journal.
The Dissertation Examining Committee evaluates the student's dissertation and oral defense, including the student's ability to express verbally their research question, methodological approach, primary findings and implications. The Dissertation Examining Committee consists of the Doctoral Advisory Committee plus at least three additional doctorally prepared individuals. The majority of the individuals on the Committee must be members of the Temple University Graduate Faculty. The Dissertation Examining Committee votes to pass or fail the dissertation and the defense at the conclusion of the public presentation.
If a student needs to change a member of either the Doctoral Advisory Committee or the Dissertation Examining Committee, the new member must be approved by the Departmental Chair and registered with the department's Graduate Secretary and the Graduate School.
Students who are preparing to defend their dissertation should confirm a time and date with their Dissertation Examining Committee and register with the Graduate Secretary at least 15 days before the defense is to be scheduled. The Graduate Secretary arranges the time, date and room within two working days, and forwards to the student the appropriate forms.
After the Graduate Secretary has scheduled the defense, the student must send to the Graduate School a completed "Announcement of Dissertation Defense" form, found in TUportal under the Tools tab within "University Forms," at least 10 working days before the defense. The department posts announcements of the defense, and the Graduate School lists the defense on its website.