Clinical Psychology

The LSU Department of Psychology's Clinical Psychology Training Program (CPTP) has been continuously accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1956. Our program adopts the Clinical Scientist model that emphasizes the integration of the scientific and applied aspects of clinical psychology. Training focuses on conducting psychological research and on conducting clinical services in a scientific fashion, evaluating the clinical literature from a scientist's perspective, calling upon relevant empirical findings and principles in the creation and/or application of clinical procedures, and, integrating basic and applied (clinical) psychology into a suitable professional frame of reference. As such, the goal of the program is to graduate clinical scientists, all of whom have the knowledge and skills to function both as basic and applied researchers, as well as independent providers and overseers of clinical services. 

Program Structure

Consistent with the definition of Health Service Psychology (HSP) in the Standards of Accreditation, our program aims to prepare students for careers in HSP by offering broad and general training when appropriate, emphasizing the following elements:

• Integration of empirical evidence and practice: Practice is evidence‐based, and evidence is practice‐informed.
• Training that is sequential, cumulative, graded in complexity, and designed to prepare students for careers in academic, research, and applied settings.
• Respect for and understanding of cultural and individual differences and diversity.

Students in the PhD program in Clinical Psychology are eligible to receive a master's degree as part of their enrollment in the PhD program. However, this master's degree is not intended to be a terminal degree and is not designed to meet requirements for licensure for clinical practice at the master level.

Program requirements are detailed in the clinical psychology program handbook. The training is sequential, cumulative, and graded in complexity.  In the first year, students are prepared for the objectives of the program primarily through coursework. Once they have attained basic skills and information, practical experience is gained via mentoring on practica and on research projects (e.g., masters thesis). Expectations for students increase as they progress through the program. More support and direction are provided initially with increased autonomy and independence later in one’s training.

All students complete training consistent with the specialization of clinical psychology. There is additional coursework and practical research training that allows interested students to complete elective areas of study, including clinical child and neuropsychology tracks. Further, students may choose to minor in an area of interest (including but not limited to a minor in Applied Behavior Analysis).

The Program is designed to be completed in five to seven years, including the internship. Students complete a core set of broad and general as well as clinical coursework (see program Aims & Competencies).

Course Work

Students in the Clinical Program are expected to devote full-time to graduate study and complete the requirements for the Ph.D. within 5 to 7 years. To prepare them for clinical work, students are required to complete the following courses in their first year (and no later than end of their second year): Professional Considerations in Psychology (PSYC 7999), Developmental Disorders and Psychopathology of Children (PSYC 7171) or Advanced Psychopathology (PSYC 7982), and Child Behavior Therapy or Behavior Therapy (PSYC 7972/7185). Students are also required to complete at least one assessment course within their first two years. To prepare students for thesis work, PSYC 4111 and 7117 must be completed within the first two years.  All required coursework must be successfully completed (earn a grade of B- or higher) by the end of the fourth year (or by degree completion). Students are allowed two attempts to pass a required course, although they cannot make more than 1 grade below B-.

Research

Research training begins in the first year via (1) didactic training in statistics and (2) experiential training in participation in on-going research in the major professor’s laboratory. This training continues throughout the program via coursework (e.g., research methods, advanced statistics) and with the major professor. Two (2) research projects are required: a master's thesis and a doctoral dissertation. The master's thesis must be completed by the 5th semester and the dissertation must be successfully proposed prior to applying for internship. 

Resources

Commitment to Diversity

LSU’s Clinical Psychology doctoral program recognizes the importance of training in cultural and individual differences and diversity for all health service providers. The importance of this training is reflected in the standards for accreditation developed by the American Psychological Association (https://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/standards-of-accreditation.pdf).   

In the accreditation Standard I.B.2. Administrative Responsibilities Related to Cultural and Individual Differences and Diversity, accreditation requirements state that an accredited program:

 “must recognize the importance of cultural and individual differences and diversity in the training of psychologists. The Commission on Accreditation defines cultural and individual differences and diversity as including, but not limited to, age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. The program must make systematic, coherent, and long-term efforts to attract and retain students and faculty from diverse backgrounds into the program. Consistent with such efforts, it acts to ensure a supportive and encouraging learning environment appropriate for the training of individuals who are diverse and the provision of training opportunities for a broad spectrum of individuals. Further, the program avoids any actions that would restrict program access on grounds that are irrelevant to success in graduate training, either directly or by imposing significant and disproportionate burdens on the basis of the personal and demographic characteristics set forth in the definition of cultural diversity.”

LSU’s Clinical Psychology doctoral program has been accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1956 and it is the only accredited clinical doctoral program in the State of Louisiana. It unequivocally seeks to uphold these standards because like, APA, we view these standards as to integral to training in Clinical Psychology due to a number of reasons.  

First, the Clinical Psychology Program unequivocally denounces racism and other forms of hateful and discriminatory behavior with regard to culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, ability, among others. Racism and discrimination cause significant mental health concerns in those subjected to it and the program is committed to ending them. It is an integral part of the program’s mission to promote positive mental health for all people. 

Second, the lack of student diversity in most psychology training programs has contributed to the paucity of trained mental health providers in many communities across the United States. The rate of underserved communities is especially acute in Louisiana. The program is committed to reducing the number of communities that are underserved by mental health providers. We are committed to training early career scientists from diverse backgrounds and we strongly encourage students from backgrounds who have been historically underrepresented in psychology to apply to our program.  

Third, the history of psychology has been plagued by research that is not applicable to persons from diverse backgrounds and with the development of treatments that are limited in their effectiveness for individuals from diverse backgrounds. These serious limitations in the field of psychology have been in-part due to the lack of diversity in those conducting research and developing treatments. We are committed to conducting research and developing treatments that benefit all members of society. We are strongly committed to promoting diversity in our program, in both our faculty and our students, as we consider an ideal scientific community to be one that includes a diverse representation of individuals, with diverse talents, experiences, and ideas.  

Please visit our web page outlining how this commitment to diversity is reflected in our training of students in Clinical Psychology.  

Please also visit our web page for Committee on Diversity and Outreach in Psychology. Based on the importance of individual and cultural diversity to doctoral level training in all areas of psychology, not just clinical psychology, the Psychology Department formed the Committee on Diversity and Outreach in Psychology to help it fulfill this critical part of its training mission.     

APA Accreditation

We are currently accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association.

Questions related to our program's accreditation status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-336-5979
E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org
Website: APA Accreditation