Clinical Psychology

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY DOCTORAL PROGRAM

Overview

Welcome! The clinical psychology doctoral (Ph.D.) program at Texas A&M University (TAMU) has been accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1988. The program espouses a scientist-practitioner model with clinical science emphases. Our training program integrates the full range of research, clinical practice, teaching, and other applied skills relevant to training doctoral students. We value the importance of individual and cultural differences in all the work we do, and we integrate cultural humility in our approach to teaching, supervision, research, and clinical practice. We view research and applied skills as interwoven rather than as two discrete sets of skills. As a result, our graduates acquire the foundation for pursuing a strong clinical scientist career in an academic or research setting, a robust scientist-practitioner career in a medical or other training institution, and/or an administrative role in a service delivery agency.

Presently, during the 2024-2025 academic year, our program includes 31 enrolled clinical psychology doctoral students, of whom four are presently on pre-doctoral internship. We typically enroll cohorts of 5-7 students per year, and we routinely receive over 300 applications per cycle. 

We are a collaborative department. We enjoy spending time together in and outside the walls of TAMU. Faculty and students meet weekly on Wednesdays for the Clinical Area Seminar where we share student work, host external speakers, conduct in-service trainings, and discuss any issues of import to our community. The Clinical program supports an active speaker series that each year brings to campus distinguished faculty members from other universities. This series provides exposure to different perspectives on the field and the opportunity to network with professors at other institutions. For example, during the Fall 2024 semester, we hosted Dr. Temilola Salami, Associate Professor at Prairie View A&M University, and Dr. Delisa Brown, Assistant Professor at Medical University of South Carolina, to learn more about human trafficking and racial trauma, respectively.

Research and Mentorship

We employ a mentor-match model during the admissions process, wherein student portfolios are reviewed and matched with faculty who are best-suited to their career goals and interests. Therefore, students become involved in faculty-led research teams during their first year, affording them the opportunity to collaborate with team members in developing research questions, designing empirical studies, collecting and analyzing data, writing manuscripts, and presenting scientific papers at international, national, and regional conferences. The research conducted by students, under the mentorship of faculty, is intended to build into a Master’s thesis project. The Clinical program emphasizes student involvement in collaborative research beyond their thesis research, providing a broad foundation in research methodology prior to formulating their dissertation research. We expect our students to have authored or co-authored several scholarly publications and presentations at scientific meetings prior to applying for pre-doctoral internship.

Coursework

Students complete coursework, beginning in Year 1, that is sequential, cumulative, and graded in complexity, designed to prepare students for various career paths. Students enroll in three courses per semester in Year 1, and students begin experiential clinical training in Year 2 in the Department Clinic; and thus, Year 1 is typically the most course-intensive year in the program. Students are welcome to enroll in courses through the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at TAMU as well as related departments/schools, such as the Department of Educational Psychology and the School of Public Health. Any courses taken in external departments are first reviewed by clinical program leadership for content and fit with discipline-specific knowledge and program-wide competencies, as defined by the American Psychological Association.

Clinical Training

Students also acquire evidence-based clinical skills in assessment and intervention beginning in their second year. All students serve as primary therapists for clients at our Department Clinic serving children, adolescents, and adults from the community under close faculty supervision. Students work in the clinic as therapists-in-training starting in Year 2, and students are actively involved in assessment and intervention services in the Clinic for approximately 2-3 years, including summer semesters.

 Students can apply for external clinical practicum placements as they progress through the program. It is recommended that students successfully defend the Master’s thesis prior to applying to external practicum sites because of the time-intensive nature of such practica. Approval by the major advisor as well as clinical area leadership is required for applications to external practicum sites to ensure that students are making progress on program milestones.

Recent external practicum sites completed by our clinical psychology doctoral students include:

• Baylor College of Medicine-Neuropsychology, Houston, TX
• Baylor College of Medicine- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, TX
• Brazos County Detention Center, Bryan, TX [paid practicum, supervised by Dr. Kristy Cuthbert]
• Central Texas Veteran's Health Care Center, Austin, TX [practicum wil be closed starting in 2025-2026 academic year]
• Houston Methodist Hospital (Baylor College of Medicine)-Psychiatry, Houston, TX
• Dell Children’s Medical Center, Pediatrics, Austin, TX
• Oakwood Counseling, Bryan, TX
• Texas A&M University Telebehavioral Care Program, College Station, TX
• Texas A&M University Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT), College Station, TX
• Texas A&M University Telehealth for the Expansion of Adolescent and Child Healthcare (TEACH), College Station, TX (limited paid practicum)
• Texas Children’s Hospital-The Woodlands, TX
• Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Austin State Hospital, Austin, TX

Helpful Information

Our students are highly competitive for premier pre-doctoral internships nationally. Most of our graduates from the Clinical program pursue research positions in academic or medical settings, or clinical training or administrative positions in medical centers or community agencies. The Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at TAMU is not intended for individuals wishing to pursue a career primarily in independent clinical practice.

TAMU Graduate and Professional School: Program Requirements

TAMU Graduate and Professional School: Academic Expectations and Program Requirements

Clinical Curriculum Sequence 2024-2025

Clinical Curriculum Sequence 2025-2026

Clinical Curriculum Worksheet 2024-2025

Student Admissions, Outcomes and Other Data

Graduate Studies Handbook 2024-2025

Clinical Psychology Graduate Handbook 2024-2025

Clinical Area Program Leadership

Director of Clinical Training: Dr. Anka Vujanovic, Ph.D.

Associate Director of Clinical Training/Assistant Clinic Director: Dr. Robert Heffer, Ph.D.

TAMU Psychology Clinic Director: Dr. Kristy Cuthbert, Ph.D.

Additional Program Information:

The Clinical Psychology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

Other Departmental Faculty Who May Advise Clinical Graduate Students (they also may advise students through their primary programs)