College of Sciences and Humanities
Department of Psychological Sciences
www.kent.edu/psychology

About This Program

Advance your impact in mental health through Kent State’s Clinical Psychology Ph.D., where rigorous coursework, hands-on clinical training and cutting-edge research come together to prepare you for meaningful careers in practice, research and academia. Work closely with expert faculty in a program grounded in the clinical scientist model, gaining the skills to translate real-world observations into innovative research and evidence-based care. Read more...

Contact Information

• Chris Flessner | cflessne@kent.edu | 330-672-2236

• Connect with an Admissions Counselor

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*

Accreditation

The Ph.D. degree in Clinical Psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association. Information on accreditation can be obtained by contacting the APA Commission on Accreditation by phone at 202-336-5979 or by mail at the Commission on Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC, 20002-4242.

^{* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.}

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university
• Minimum junior-senior 3.000 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• 18 credit hours in psychology, including a course in statistics
• Broad background in psychology
• Official transcript(s)
• Goal statement
• Three letters of recommendation
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:¹
  • Minimum 94 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 7.0 IELTS score
  • Minimum 65 PTE score
  • Minimum 120 DET score

Admission to the Ph.D. degree is limited to students whose records clearly indicate both scholarly and research potential to do doctoral-level work.

¹

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Admitted students to the Ph.D. who would like to declare the Quantitative Methods of Psychology concentration must meet the following admission requirements:

• Good academic standing
• Written approval of the student’s primary advisor
• Completion of PSYC 61651 and PSYC 61654 with an A grade, or an approved waiver of this criterion based on equivalent prior coursework
• Identification and written acceptance of a quantitative mentor from the list of department quantitative faculty

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Application deadline: December 1

All application materials (including applicable fee, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) submitted by this deadline will receive the strongest consideration for admission.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

PSYC 71894 is required for students who teach starting their third year.

²

A limited number of graduate courses outside the department may be credited toward graduation. No 50000-level psychology courses may be applied to the degree. PSYC 81498 can be used to partially satisfy additional program electives.

³

Doctoral candidates, upon admission to candidacy, must register for PSYC 81199 for a total of 30 hours. It is expected that doctoral candidates will continuously register for PSYC 81199, and thereafter PSYC 81299, each semester, until all requirements for the degree have been met.

Additional Requirements for Students Not Declaring the Concentration

Quantitative Methods of Psychology Concentration Requirements

¹

Psychologists with strong quantitative skills often are expected to disseminate statistical knowledge to their colleagues; thus, students who pursue the concentration must have at least one practicum experience. This teaching experience can be as an instructor of an undergraduate course (PSYC 21621, PSYC 31684) or becoming the teaching assistant for the first-year graduate sequence.

²

Students must demonstrate mastery of quantitative methodology through the inclusion of an advanced technique as part of a milestone or independent project that has been approved by the student’s quantitative mentor. Students should either (a) complete a thesis/dissertation that has a strong quantitative component or (b) publish a first-authored quantitative-focused paper or a first-authored content paper with sophisticated analyses, as determined by the student’s quantitative mentor. Specifically, students should demonstrate that they are able to appropriately conduct and interpret sophisticated statistical analyses. Note, however, that this requirement does not necessarily suggest that students need to develop a new statistical technique or methodology.

Candidacy Requirement

• Students who have been admitted into the doctoral program will be considered for Ph.D. candidacy after they have met all requirements for the M.A. degree and have passed a qualifying examination in a major area of specialization in psychology.
• The Department of Psychological Sciences reserves the right to separate from the program a student who, in the opinion of a duly constituted departmental committee, is not likely to succeed professionally despite earning acceptable grades.
• Proficiency in a foreign language is not a requirement for the Ph.D. degree.

Graduation Requirements

• The program requires full-time continuous enrollment, including summers.
• Post-baccalaureate students are required to complete a minimum of four years of full-time attendance.
• All Ph.D. candidates (regardless of area of specialization) complete a program of basic core courses and clinical practical, select additional courses and seminars with the aid of a faculty advisor and complete a doctoral dissertation.
• Students must complete a supervised traineeship in a faculty-approved mental health facility outside the department, which involves a minimum of 1,000 hours. Additionally, a 2,000-hour internship in a setting approved by the American Psychological Association is required over a calendar year's duration.
• The Department of Psychological Sciences will permit the waiving of program coursework if supported by appropriate graduate-level coursework for post-master's students admitted to the program. Students may earn the Ph.D. degree with less than 113 credit hours but no less than 98 total credit hours.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate competencies in research methodologies specific to their area of interest.
2. Demonstrate competencies in teaching undergraduate courses.
3. Demonstrate competencies in providing psychological assessment and treatment services.

Full Description

The Ph.D. degree in Clinical Psychology prepares students to conduct research, to serve on college and university faculties and to provide a range of clinical services. The program adheres to the clinical scientist model of education and training, which is founded on the idea that the practice of psychology should be based on the science of psychology, and that practicing psychologists should be able to translate clinical observation into researchable questions and pursue new knowledge on the basis of their observations. Students are expected to develop an area of special expertise in research, and opportunities for specialized clinical training are offered.

In addition to general training in clinical psychology, students may receive specialized research and clinical training in one of the following areas: adult psychopathology, assessment, child, health or neuropsychology.

The Clinical Psychology major includes the following optional concentration:

• The Quantitative Methods of Psychology optional concentration trains individuals in some of the more recent developments of statistical science and, particularly, the application of these developments to real-world psychological data. One unique feature of the concentration is the focus on the application of quantitative methods in psychological research; although department faculty members have expertise in an area of statistics, they also conduct research in a substantive area of psychology. The concentration is intended for those students who intend to pursue academic careers, wherein the use of advanced quantitative methods in one’s own program of research is highly valued, and who also intend to teach undergraduate or graduate courses in statistical methods.

Professional Licensure Disclosure

This program is designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure or certification and contact information for state licensing boards at Kent State's website for professional licensure disclosure.