Course of Study

The PhD Program in Clinical Psychology at LIU Brooklyn requires a minimum of five years of full-time academic study, the first three years of which a student is required to be in-residency at the Program's location on the LIU Brooklyn Campus. The basic, minimum program requirements are:

1. The completion of 90 credits of graduate study.
2. The development, completion, and presentation of an independent research project, The Second Year Research Project, which is initiated in the first year of training and completed no later than the beginning of the third year.
3. Successful completion of three years of training at a clinical practicum site. During the first year, students are in a carefully selected external clinical placement for eight to twelve hours a week. All students in the second year of the program are trained in the Psychological Services Center under the supervision of the doctoral faculty for fifteen hours per week. During the third year students are trained in a range of clinical external sites depending upon their area of interest for sixteen to twenty hours per week. All clinical placements are accompanied by an on-campus clinical practicum course where students are supervised by a member of the doctoral faculty.
4. Completion of the Clinical Qualifying Examination. The exam is designed to assess the student’s mastery of the empirical and theoretical literature, and the student’s ability to relate this literature to the treatment and assessment of a single clinical case treated by the doctoral student. Completion of the examination paper for the oral examination takes place no later than December of the third year of training. The oral examination ordinarily takes place within two months.
5. Successful completion of a full-time, twelve-month clinical internship at an A.P.A. accredited institution (hospital, community mental health center, etc.) usually during the fifth year.
6. A doctoral dissertation, which must be completed no later than the eighth year after entering the program.

Course of Study:

During the first year students are introduced to the basic theories, findings and empirical methods of psychology. These academic courses provide the necessary conceptual foundation for students as they begin the development and design of their independent research projects. Students are required to develop and submit the research proposal for the Second Year Research Project by the end of the second semester. In addition, students are introduced to the fundamentals of psychopathology from a psychodynamic perspective, psychological assessment, clinical interviewing and psychotherapy interventions techniques from both cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic perspectives. All students participate in a carefully supervised practicum placement in a clinical setting for eight to twelve hours that is accompanied by a practicum class. Students begin to develop their research skills by working closely with advisors in faculty research labs. The collaborative work that develops in the research labs continues throughout the student’s three years in residence.

The second year exposes students to more intensive work in the clinical area: students continue the psychological assessment sequence, are introduced to psychodynamic psychotherapy and participate in the two-and-a-half day a week practicum at the Psychological Services Center for fifteen hours a week. Students also take more advanced courses in research design and the general experimental areas in psychology. The collection and analysis of data for the Second Year Research Project are conducted during this year.

In the third year, students take an advanced course in psychodynamic psychotherapy and other clinically relevant courses, as well as additional coursework in the general-experimental area of psychology. They also participate in the sixteen to twenty hour a week closely supervised third year practicum at a regional mental health facility. In addition, doctoral candidates are strongly encouraged to formulate and develop a dissertation topic proposal by the end of the third year. The academic requirement of 90 graduate credits is generally completed by end of this year.

Students spend the fourth (and fifth) year of study working on their dissertation and complete their clinical internship in the fifth (or sixth) year. Many students elect to do advanced practicum work in specialized clinical areas or research during the fourth year of study.

SEQUENCE OF COURSES

FIRST YEAR

Required courses:
1. Psychopathology I & II
2. Introduction to Clinical Practice I & II
3. Professional Ethics
4. Tests and Measurements
5. Intervention Techniques

6. Data Management
7. Research Design
8. Psychological Assessment I
9. Statistics I

SECOND YEAR

Required courses:
1. Clinical Practicum III & IV
2. Dynamic Psychotherapy I
3. Clinical Neuropsychology
4. Psychological Assessment II
5. Research Design II or Psychotherapy Research

6. Contemporary Theory
7. Cross-Cultural Issues in Psychology

8. Developmental Psychology

9. Empirically Supported Psychotherapies

10. Externship II

11. Electives/Individual Research

THIRD YEAR

Required courses:
1. Clinical Practicum V & VI
2. Psychodynamic Psychotherapy II

3. Statistics II

4. Social Psychology

5. Cognitive Affective Issues

6. Externship III

7. Childhood Psychopathology

8. Elective: Psychotherapy of Children

9. Elective/Individual Research

FOURTH YEAR

Required course:

1. Dissertation Series (PSY 850 to 858) or Dissertation Topics Seminar

FIFTH-SIXTH YEAR

Required course:

1. Dissertation Series (PSY 850 to 858), until dissertation is completed.
2. Clinical Internship

For full information about university and program policy and procedures, see the following links:

LIU Brooklyn Academic Catalog: https://liu.edu/enrollment-services/registration/academic-catalogs

Clinical Psychology PhD Program Handbook: Handbook AY2023-24 v4 FINAL