The PsyD in Clinical Psychology is a 98-credit hour, five-year doctoral program designed to prepare students for licensure as clinical psychologists and for careers in direct clinical service, leadership, and applied research. Emphasizing a practitioner-scientist model, the program integrates advanced coursework, supervised clinical training, and an applied dissertation.

Clinical training begins in the second year and includes rotations in diverse outpatient and inpatient settings across UTHealth Houston and affiliated institutions. In the final year, students complete a full-time, American Psychological Association (APA) accredited or APPIC-member internship.

The curriculum is designed to meet the APA’s Standards of Accreditation and includes training in evidence-based assessment and intervention, ethics, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Students also complete a comprehensive examination and a dissertation that may emphasize the application of research to clinical services and/or settings.

Graduates will be eligible for licensure in Texas and prepared to serve in a variety of healthcare, community, and academic settings. The program addresses the growing demand for doctoral-level mental health providers and is committed to producing skilled, compassionate, and individually responsive clinical psychologists.

The PsyD in Clinical Psychology is not yet accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation. Any questions about accreditation status may be addressed to:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st St. NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979
Email: apaaccred@apa.org

Admission requirements and required prerequisite courses for the PsyD in Clinical Psychology include:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education
  • If bachelor's degree is in Psychology, no additional prerequisites will be required
  • If the bachelor’s degree does not include a major in Psychology, 18 SCH in the following areas must be demonstrated:
    • Introduction to Psychology (3 SCH),
    • Abnormal Psychology (3 SCH), 
    • Social Psychology (3 SCH),
    • Theories of Personality (3 SCH),
    • Developmental Psychology (3 SCH), and
    • Research Methods and Statistics (3 SCH).
• Students with international college transcripts must submit a course-by-course evaluation report by either World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). Final transcript credential evaluation results must be submitted with the application through PSYCAS.  

• The program will use a holistic approach when reviewing applications, with the following components:
  • Preference will be given to applicants with prerequisites completed and an undergraduate overall GPA of 3.5 or higher.
  • Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) results are requested but will be weighed in the context of the totality of the application and will not serve as a stand-alone measure of potential success in a graduate program.
  • A statement (500 - 1,000 words) expressing interest in the program, including a description of the motivations for pursuing a PsyD in Clinical Psychology at SBHS. The statement should outline the anticipated contributions to the community as a future psychologist and explain how the education and training received through the program will support the achievement of professional goals. Additionally, it should address how this preparation aligns with the increasing demand for mental health providers in the state of Texas.
  • Three professional letters of recommendation from academic faculty and/or work supervisors who are in a position to evaluate the applicant’s qualifications for graduate study.

Suggested PsyD in Clinical Psychology Curriculum

Semester 1 - Fall
CPSY 5102       Developmental Psychology & Developmental Disabilities (3 SCH)
CPSY 5201       Psychotherapy Skills and Techniques (3 SCH)
CPSY 5901       Intellectual Assessment (3 SCH)

Semester 2 - Spring
CPSY 5104       Psychopathology (3 SCH)
CPSY 5202       Applied Ethics (3 SCH)
CPSY 5902       Personality Assessment (3 SCH)

Semester 3 - Summer
CPSY 5304       Integrative Psychological Assessment (3 SCH)
CPSY 5302       Cognitive/Affective Bases of Behavior (3 SCH)
CPSY 6306       Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities (3 SCH)

Semester 4 - Fall
CPSY 5253       Research Design and Methodology (3 SCH)
CPSY 6302       Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (3 SCH)
CABS 6301       Biological Bases of Behavior (3 SCH)
CPSY 6111       Assessment Practicum and Seminar (1 SCH)

Semester 5 – Spring
CPSY 7919       Community Psychology (3 SCH)
CPSY 7914       Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) (3 SCH)
CPSY 5401       Statistics (3 SCH)
CPSY 6111       Assessment Practicum and Seminar (1 SCH)

Semester 6 - Summer
CPSY 5503       Group Psychotherapy (3 SCH)
CPSY 5906       Gender and Cultural Factors in Clinical Practice (3 SCH)
CPSY 7303       Theories of Measurement (3 SCH)
CPSY 6111       Assessment Practicum and Seminar (1 SCH)

Semester 7 - Fall
CPSY 7112       Intervention Practicum and Seminar (1 SCH)
CPSY 7301       Psychopharmacology (3 SCH)
CPSY 7302       Assessment and Treatment of Severe & Persistent Mental Illness (3 SCH)
CPSY 7915       Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) (3 SCH)

Semester 8 - Spring
CPSY 7112       Intervention Practicum and Seminar (1 SCH)
CPSY 5501       Addictions: Research and Practice (3 SCH)
CPSY 5301       History and Systems of Clinical Psychology (3 SCH)
CPSY Elective (3 SCH)

Semester 9 - Summer
CPSY 7112       Intervention Practicum and Seminar (1 SCH)
CPSY 6303       Supervision and Consultation (3 SCH)
CPSY 7918       Trauma Focused Approaches to Intervention (3 SCH)
CPSY Elective (3 SCH)

Semester 10 – Fall
CPSY 9201       Proposal/ Research Thesis I (1 SCH)
CPSY 8113       Advanced Practicum and Seminar (1 SCH)

Semester 11 – Spring
CPSY 9202       Research Thesis II (1 SCH)
CPSY 8113       Advanced Practicum and Seminar (1 SCH)

Semester 12 – Summer
CPSY 8200       Dissertation* (1 SCH)
CPSY 8113       Advanced Practicum and Seminar (1 SCH)

Semester 13 – Fall
CPSY 8200       Dissertation (1 SCH)
CPSY 8122       Internship (1 SCH)

Semester 14 – Spring
CPSY 8200       Dissertation (1 SCH)
CPSY 8122       Internship (1 SCH)

Semester 15 – Summer
CPSY 8122       Internship (1 SCH)

*Students may enroll in CPSY 9203 Research Thesis III if needed to complete the requirements of the research thesis.

Elective Courses (choose 2 courses for 6 SCH total)
CPSY 7912       Advanced Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy
CPSY 7913       Couples and Family Therapy
CPSY 7916       Forensic Psychology
CPSY 7917       Sexuality and Gender Issues Across the Lifespan
CPSY 7920       Neuropsychological Assessment and Conceptualization
CPSY 6322       Advanced Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy