Summary of Course Requirements:

The psychology faculty invites you to consider our innovative APA accredited Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Wichita State University. The program provides concentrated faculty mentoring and supervision in a supportive learning environment. The curriculum contextualizes clinical science and applications within a broader social-ecological or community perspective, and provides practicum experiences that closely parallel seminar course work.

Curriculum: The curriculum is grounded in scientist-practitioner and action-research models of professional activity. It has been designed to provide a sound foundation in core areas of psychology, a broad and general preparation for research and professional practice, and an opportunity to gain knowledge and expertise in specialty areas of interest and relevance to the student’s career. It uses individual, ecological and social-contextual theoretical orientations to prepare graduates to work in public non-profit health and mental health agencies, the private mental health sector, and in other social service organizations. There is an emphasis on the integration of theory, research and practice, and on intensive, individual supervision of research and practice experiences.

Master’s Degree: The department does not offer a terminal Master’s degree nor does it admit students to a Master’s program. After students have successfully completed their Foundation courses, their Research Methods Courses, Predoctoral Research, including a Second Year Project and an additional six hours they may make application for receipt of the M.A. degree.


All clinical students are required to complete the following core curriculum:

Foundations in Psychology (9 Hours):

  • 904: Biological and Philosophical Foundations of Psychology (3)
  • 905: Cognitive/Learning Foundations of Behavior (3)
  • 907: Social and Developmental Foundations of Behavior (3)

Research Methods (8 Hours):

  • 902: Advanced Research Methods I (4)
  • 903: Advanced Research Methods II (4)

Teaching of Psychology (3 hours):

  • 911: Teaching of Psychology: Principles, Practices and Ethics (3)

Research (22 Hours Minimum):

  • 901: Graduate Research* ( 10)
  • 908: Doctoral Dissertation (12)

Sum Required Academic Core Curriculum = 42 credit hours

Required Clinical Core Courses:
The Clinical Core Courses are divided into those that are required by the program and those that may be taken as electives according to the pattern of the individual student’s professional interest and State Licensing requirements. The 38 hours of required clinical courses are:

  • 912: Seminar in Cultural Diversity (3)
  • 940: Seminar in Community-Clinical Psychology (3)
  • 960: Ethical and Professional Issues in Clinical Psychology (3)
  • 961: Seminar in Cognitive-Behavioral Assessment (3)
  • 961L: Cognitive Behavioral Assessment Lab (1)
  • 962: Seminar in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (3)
  • 962L: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Lab (1)
  • 963: Practicum in Clinical Psychology (9)
  • 975: Seminar in Psychotherapy (3)
  • 976: Advanced Psychopathology (3)
  • 977: Internship in Clinical Psychology (3)
  • 979: Seminar in Personality Assessment (3)

Sum Required Clinical Core = 38 credit hours

A one year (2000 hour) predoctoral clinical internship (APA or APPIC approved) is required. To apply for a clinical internship students must have completed all required courses, qualifying examinations, their dissertation proposal and be “internship ready” as defined by APPIC.

Required Community Courses:
Clinical science and practice in the doctoral program is grounded and contextualized in a social- ecological or community frame of reference. Clinical students are required to take two (2) of the five (5) following courses:

  • 941: Applied Research Methods in Community Settings (3)
  • 942: Seminar in Community and Organizational Interventions (3)
  • 943: Seminar in Prevention (3)
  • 948: Seminar in Community Leadership (3)
  • 949: Seminar in Community Advocacy and Social Policy (3)

and at least three (3) hours of

  • 944: Practicum in Community Psychology (3)

Sum Required Community Core = 9 credit hours

Clinical Elective Courses:
In addition to the core clinical courses students must take at least 12 hours of elective courses. Six (6) of these hours must be in assessment and six (6) hours in intervention courses. Elective course choice depends on the student’s unique professional goals and must be made in consultation with the student’s faculty advisor. These electives may be taken from among the following courses listed below. However, electives are not limited to these courses. Students may take electives outside of the psychology department. There are many options available for educational experiences including the School of Education, School of Health Professions, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita and the Hugo Wall Center for Urban Studies.

Assessment (such as)

  • 941: Applied Research Methods in Community Settings (3)1
  • 965: Special Issues in Psychological Assessment (1-4; may be repeated)

Intervention (such as)

  • 942: Seminar in Community and Organizational Interventions (3)1
  • 943: Seminar in Prevention (3)1
  • 948: Seminar in Community Leadership (3)1
  • 949: Seminar in Community Advocacy and Social Policy (3)1
  • 963: Practicum in Clinical Psychology (beyond the required 9 hours)
  • 966: Special Issues in Therapeutic Interventions (1-4; may be repeated)

Other (such as)

  • 964: Development of Abnormal Behavior (3)2
  • 990: Seminar in Current Developments (3)2

1. If these courses were not used to satisfy Community Course Requirements
2. May be used to satisfy either Assessment or Intervention depending on subject matter.

Sum all Clinical Electives minimum = 12 credit hours

Total minimum credit hours for Clinical Program is 101
The student should take sufficient elective courses to attain this total.

 

Accreditation Status: The Clinical Psychology Program at Wichita State University has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association since 2005. Our accreditation status can be confirmed at:
Commission on Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20002-4242
(202) 336-5979

Practicum: Practicum experiences, many of them funded, are available in on campus settings and community organizations. Typical on campus settings included the Psychology Department Training Clinic and the University Counseling and Testing Center. Typical off-campus paid practica have included senior centers, mental health centers, hospitals, public schools, prevention centers and various other community organizations.

Teaching Opportunities: Typically beginning in their second year in the program, doctoral students become responsible for independent instruction of undergraduate courses in the Psychology Department. These courses include introductory psychology as well as lower division undergraduate courses in personality, developmental, and social psychology.

Resources: The WSU Psychology Department Clinic provides outpatient services using individual, group and family modalities. The Clinic has facilities for individual and group research. Clientele served include persons affiliated with WSU and the greater Wichita community. The Center for Community Support and Research, an action-research unit that includes a statewide self-help clearing house, provides opportunities for research and action projects. Faculty maintain working relationships with a number of governmental and community agencies which facilitate student involvement in community and clinical research and practice. These agencies which serve the half-million people who live in the Wichita area, include the public school system, Head Start and Early Head Start, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita and regional hospitals, local and state departments of health and mental health, private clinics, and many nonprofit social service agencies.

Admission Information: Most successful applicants have an undergraduate degree in psychology with course work in statistics, research methods, and history/systems of psychology. Admission to the program requires a minimum GPA of 3.00; three letters for reference, application to the Graduate School and to the Department of Psychology, and a career/goals statement. Application materials must be submitted by December 1.

Financial Assistance: Research and teaching assistantships are available, most of which carry varied amounts of tuition remission, as well as a direct stipend. The Department has typically been able to provide ongoing support for 3-4 years doctoral students who maintain good academic standing and full-time enrollment. A separate application form is required for these awards.

Address inquiries to:
Dr. Rhonda Lewis
Graduate Coordinator
Department of Psychology
Wichita State University
1845 Fairmount Box 34
Wichita, KS 67260-0034
rhonda.lewis@wichita.edu 

*Students finishing second year project on an early schedule and students transferring in Master’s Thesis credit may satisfy Psy 901 requirements with Psy 909 for a total of 10 hours.