Graduate Program in Clinical Psychology
Dr. Todd Smitherman
Director of Clinical Training
662-915-1825 | tasmithe@olemiss.edu
The clinical psychology PhD program has been accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1973.* Completion of the program ordinarily requires 5-6 years beyond the bachelor’s degree. This time is devoted to a combination of course work, research and clinical training, clinical practicum experiences, and completion of a full-time clinical internship at an APA-accredited training site. Requirements for the master’s degree are also fulfilled during this period. However, the M.A. is considered to be a step in the doctoral training and not a terminal degree.
Program Orientation and Aims
The clinical program adheres to the scientist-practitioner model and values the integration of science and practice. We train our students to become competent researchers and clinicians whose work is guided by empirical foundations and scientific values of psychology. Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches characterize the clinical training and supervision offered, and evidence-based practice is prioritized.
Consistent with this philosophy, aims of our training program include:
1. Students will acquire and exhibit broad knowledge of psychology, and show the
ability to integrate these areas into clinical psychology.
2. Students will acquire the requisite knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate, conduct, and utilize psychological research.
3. Students will acquire a theoretical and empirical understanding of methods of assessment and clinical intervention, as well as develop skills necessary for clinical practice.
4. Our students will develop an understanding of ethics along with skills necessary to behave ethically and professionally as they carry out their various professional responsibilities.
Achievement of these aims and related competencies is assessed principally via performance in related coursework, observation and evaluation by supervisors, annual evaluations by the clinical faculty, accomplishments in research and scholarship, professional achievements (eg, passing EPPP, obtaining licensure), and student self-assessments.
General Structure of the Program
Students usually are admitted to work with a particular faculty mentor(s), but several of our students sit on multiple faculty lab groups, and some change labs/mentors while in the program. Overall, the Clinical Program is designed to provide a sequence of research and practical experiences that requires students to function at increasing levels of autonomy and independence. We provide the grounding for these experiences in a rigorous sequence of courses that are taken early in the program. The first two years of graduate study entail completion of a basic curriculum of academic scientific psychology covering such areas as statistics, research methods, learning, basic clinical skills, psychopathology, cognitive/intellectual and personality assessment, systems of psychotherapy, and evidence-based practice. Structured clinical and research activities are also scheduled during the initial two years of training. The third and fourth years are less intensive in terms of coursework and devoted primarily to elective courses, practica, and research. The fifth or sixth year is devoted to an internship at an APA-accredited site. The program assists the student in selecting an appropriate internship and maintains communication with the immediate supervisor during the internship.
Tuition: Students with full-time assistantships receive 100% tuition scholarship (so that no tuition is owed), health insurance subsidy, and an annual stipend so long as they matriculate through the program in a timely fashion.
Practicum Opportunities
During the first year students are assigned as research assistants for their faculty mentor and/or teaching assistants for undergraduate psychology courses. Students also sit in on a clinical supervision team within our Psychological Services Center (PSC) on campus. Beginning with the second year, students begin seeing clients at the PSC and are involved in practicum experiences provided across a variety of community and on-campus settings at increasing levels of independence, under the supervision of credentialed professionals. The majority of these placements involve clinical service delivery (assessment and therapy), though some focus on clinical research or administrative roles. Students desiring academic careers often have the opportunity to serve as instructor of record for one or more undergraduate psychology courses.
More detailed information about clinical and research training, clinical faculty and program facilities, and financial information is provided in the “Additional Information about the Clinical Program” link near the bottom of this page.
In accordance with the policies of the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology Programs (CUDCP), the clinical psychology program at the University of Mississippi makes Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data available to its students.
*Questions related to the program’s accredited 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
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation
Additional Information about the Clinical Program
Application Information
General Curriculum Sequence for Clinical Graduate Students
Current Students
Recent Internships
Program Graduates
Practicum Sites
