Applicants who are most competitive for the PhD in Clinical Psychology program typically demonstrate:

• Strong academic record at the undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or master’s level
• Desire to pursue a primary research career (e.g., professor at a university of academic medical center)
• Prior experience conducting research within PI-directed research laboratories as a Research Assistant/Intern, Study Coordinator, Lab Manager, Clinical Assessor, or similar roles
• Publication record (e.g., lead author or co-author in peer-reviewed publications) and conference presentations (e.g., poster presentations, oral presentations)
• Research interests that clearly align with the current work being carried out at the EQUITY Research Group

The PhD in Clinical Psychology is heavily focused on providing doctoral students with rigorous training in conducting clinical and translational research. Dr. Nagy accepts graduate students who are passionate about and enjoy the process of community-engaged research. Training with the EQUITY Research Group could be an especially good fit for individuals seeking to pursue primary academic careers or who would like research to be a significant portion of the work that they carry out post-graduation. Accepted graduate students are partners in our research efforts and are therefore expected to conceptualize and carry out mentored projects that align with the lab’s mission, as well as collaborate on a range of shared projects. For this reason, we usually accept graduate students who have significant research and processional experiences.

You do not need to have a Master’s degree prior to applying to work with out lab. Students enrolled in the PhD program fulfill the requirements for a Master’s in Clinical Psychology en route to the PhD. Doctoral students who completed a prior Master’s Degree can consult program administrators (e.g., Director of Clinical Training, Director of Graduate Training, Chair of Psychology) to waive some requirements of the program that they completed within their previous degree. These waivers are conducted on a one-on-one basis and are not guaranteed. Typically, students complete both programs in approximately 6-7 years (inclusive of pre-doctoral internship).

The coursework and academic tasks required of PhD students in our lab and program require strong foundational (and even advanced) training in clinical psychology, both in terms of coursework and prior professional experiences. For this reason, applicants who have not completed a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology and/or who have not accrued significant experience conducting clinical psychology research may not be the most competitive applicants. All applications will be reviewed holistically with an appreciation for diverse training experiences that could prepare applicants for graduate school. While there are no strict criteria that we utilize when reviewing graduate applications, the most competitive applicants tend to have a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in psychology as well as several years of professional research experience as students and/or post-graduation.

Doctoral students will be involved with a range of projects, often providing day-to-day oversight and management (e.g., IRB applications, training research personnel, data collection and analysis, etc). Doctoral students will also begin to foster their own research interests, which will serve as the basis for their Master’s Thesis and Doctoral Dissertations as well as peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

PhD students will begin training in clinical assessment and psychotherapy upon arrival into the program. Students complete on-site practica in our Departmental Psychology Clinic as well as through a range of community-based placements (including Community Health Centers, Academic Medical Centers, Veterans Affairs hospitals, and Private Practices). In the last year of training, students complete a full-time pre-doctoral internship. Students enrolled in the program accrue sufficient hours to be competitive for pre-doctoral internships nationally and our students are typically placed at very competitive sites. The program generally places all applicants at APA-accredited internship sites. In addition to accruing clinical hours through practica, PhD students in the EQUITY Research Group might still get experience in clinical research assessment (e.g., utilizing validating assessment batteries with research participants) as well as psychosocial intervention delivery (for example, being a facilitator for the Cultivating Resilience intervention) in the context of research studies.

All enrolled PhD students receive funding through the length of their PhD (with the exception of the clinical internship year, during which interns are compensated by their internship site). Students may be funded through a Teaching Assistantship, Graduate Fellowship (internal or external), or Research Assistantship.