Medical/Clinical Psychology
To obtain specific instructions for how to apply to the graduate Ph.D. in Medical/Clinical Psychology, prospective students should visit this page: https://www.uab.edu/cas/psychology/graduate-programs/medical-clinical-psychology
The Ph.D. in Medical/Clinical Psychology places strong emphasis on integration of biological and behavioral sciences. Thus, the research and clinical training that the program provides assumes an undergraduate background in both psychology and life science. The program engages students in continued pursuit of knowledge and skill fundamental to research and clinical practice. In addition, students focus their research and a clinical training in one or more of the several areas of clinical and health psychology that the program emphasizes, and pursue advanced scientific and applied coursework, clinical practica, and directed research activities that culminate in the doctoral dissertation.
Course requirements for the Ph.D in Medical/Clinical Psychology include:
- General Psychology and Neuroscience – cognitive, biological, social, emotional and developmental bases of behavior, as well as the history of the discipline
- Statistics and Research Design – statistical methods, research design, and the responsible conduct of research. The statistics courses have associated computer labs.
- Foundations of Clinical and Health Psychology – personality, psychopathology, an overview of psychotherapeutic methods, health psychology and the ethics of professional practice
- Psychological Assessment and Intervention – interviewing; behavioral, cognitive and personality assessment; and an introduction to cognitive-behavior therapy.
Additional courses and/or seminars may be taken as electives and may be required depending on the student’s area(s) of emphasis.
Students in Medical/Clinical Psychology are actively engaged in research throughout the time that they are enrolled in the program and typically complete a master’s thesis project during their second or third year. Clinical practicum experiences begin in the summer of the first year, and in their final year students complete an APA-accredited clinical psychology internship, typically in a medical facility. The doctoral degree is awarded upon successful defense of the dissertation and completion of the internship.
Master of Science in Medical/Clinical Psychology
| Requirements | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Coursework 1 | 24 | |
| Professional Issues and Ethics in Psychology | ||
| Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Research and the Workplace | ||
| Introduction to Statistics and Measurement and Lab for Introduction to Statistics and Measurement | ||
| Applied Statistical Methods and Lab for Applied Statistical Methods | ||
| Adult Personality and Psychopathology | ||
| Interviewing and Behavioral Observation | ||
| Cognitive Assessment: Child and Adult | ||
| Personality Assessment | ||
| Survey of Psychotherapeutic Methods | ||
| Psychotherapy Practice Shadowing | ||
| Thesis Research | 6 | |
| Master's Level Thesis Research | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
Individual course requirements may be waived based on evaluation of coursework completed prior to matriculation, either at UAB or elsewhere. If a course requirement is waived, then the credit hours must be replaced by approved electives or by coursework required for the doctoral degree in Medical/Clinical Psychology. Course waivers may not exceed half of the required credit hours across the master’s and doctoral degrees in Medical/Clinical Psychology; research, clinical practicum and internship hours are not included in this computation. No course may satisfy requirements for both the master’s in Medical/Clinical Psychology and another degree, whether completed at UAB or elsewhere.
PhD in Medical/Clinical Psychology
| Requirements | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Coursework 1,2 | 28 | |
| Social Psychology | ||
| Brain and Cognition | ||
| Developmental Psychology | ||
| Advanced Research Design | ||
| Multivariate Statistical Methods and Lab for Multivariate Statistical Methods | ||
| Human Neuropsychology | ||
or PY 731 | Health Psychology | |
or PY 741 | Child and Adolescent Psychopathology and Treatment | |
| Cognitive Behavior Therapy | ||
| Foundations of Clinical Supervision and Consultation | ||
| Clinical Practicum in Medical Psychology | ||
| Predoctoral Degree Graduate Research | ||
| Principles of Scientific Integrity | ||
| Waiver Deficit 3 | ||
| Doctoral Dissertation | 12 | |
| Doctoral Dissertation Research | ||
| Internship 4 | 27 | |
| Internship in Clinical Psychology | ||
| Total Hours | 67 | |
- 1
-
Individual course requirements may be waived based on evaluation of coursework completed prior to matriculation, either at UAB or elsewhere. If a course requirement is waived, then the credit hours must be replaced by approved electives. Course waivers may not exceed half of the required credit hours across the master’s and doctoral degrees in Medical/Clinical Psychology; research, clinical practicum and internship hours are not included in this computation. No course may satisfy requirements for both the doctorate in Medical/Clinical Psychology and another degree, whether completed at UAB or elsewhere.
- 2
At least 28 hours (including 3 hours of GRD 717) must be completed prior to admission to candidacy. Remaining hours must include at least 15 hours of graduate-level Psychology coursework. PY 797 and PY 798 do not count towards this 15 hour coursework minimum.
- 3
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Students who do not meet the 28-hour minimum in this category due to course waivers can make up the deficit with any combination of the following:
- Other elective courses approved by the program for this purpose.
- Up to 3 additional hours of non-dissertation research credits (PY 698, 699, and 798) that were not used to satisfy requirements for the master’s degree.
- 4
Includes 12 hours that satisfy the Graduate School’s requirement for “appropriate research-based coursework which has been approved by the graduate student’s program.”