Departmental Requirements
1. Introduction to the Profession of Psychology (2 units)
Incoming graduate students in all Department Programs are required to attend the seminar
entitled “Introduction to the Profession of Psychology” (Psych 292). This seminar provides
both a broad review of the field of psychology and an introduction to Psychology
Department faculty members who will discuss their particular programs as well as
summarize current developments in their areas. The seminar will also cover topics in
professional development (e.g., scientific writing, convention presentations, journal review
processes, professional and scientific ethics, and special issues facing women and minority
psychologists). Students take Psych 292 in the Fall semester of Year 1.
2. Seminar on Professional Development (2 units)
Graduate students in all Department programs are required to attend the Seminar on
Professional Development (Psych 293). Students typically take this in the spring of the
second or the third year in the program. The seminar participants select actual topics at the
beginning of the semester. Topics may include planning a research program, preparing for
qualifying exams, choosing a dissertation committee, identifying career options, presenting
work at conferences and in journals, preparing grant proposals, preparing for job interviews,
juggling professional and personal life, and recognizing obstacles in career development.
3. Statistics (6 units required)
All students are required to take two statistics courses while a student is in residence in the
program. Students typically take statistics courses taught in Psychology (e.g., Data Analysis:
Psych 205 & 206 but, in consultation with their advisor, may choose to take courses taught
in other departments to fulfill the statistics requirement. Psych 205 is usually taught each
year. Psych 206 is usually taught every other year. Students typically take these courses in
Year 1 or Year 2 of the program.
4. Teaching of Psychology (2 units)
Students must enroll in the Teaching of Psychology seminar (Psych 375) before or
concurrent with assuming GSI responsibilities. It is strongly recommended that students take
this seminar in the fall of Year 1 or Year 2. This course covers a variety of teaching
techniques, reviews relevant pedagogical issues, and assists graduate students in mastering
their initial teaching experiences.
5. Individual Research (1-12 units per semester)
Beginning in the first semester of Year 1 and continuing throughout their years in residence,
all students are required to register for individual research supervision (Psych 299) with a
faculty member, typically the faculty advisor.
During semester: Students are advised to fence off protected time to do their individual
research. A minimum of 8 hours per week is required in during Years 1-4 of the program.
During Year 5 of the program, students are advised to be spending a minimum of 18 hours
per week to their research.
Outside of semester: These periods of the program are an essential time for students to
progress on their research full-time. Here’s the reality: spending only 8-18 hours per week
year-round will not allow you to make a substantive contribution on their chosen topic of
research. Outside of semester is demarcated as the time to plunge into individual research!
Clinical Science Program Requirements
6. Clinical Science Program Colloquia Series (1 unit per semester).
All students registered and in residence are required to enroll in and attend clinical science
colloquia (Psych 239) every semester. In this course, students, faculty, and guest speakers
present material of concern to the field of clinical science. Each student in the program will give
a talk each year at our Research Festival in the Spring semester. These will not be high-stress
events. Quite the opposite. These will be an opportunity to practice and develop presentation
skills and to get faculty and students to help you as you develop your research program. In your
talk you could present an idea, ask for help with a problem or you might present data. The
Clinical Science Program Colloquia meets 4 or more times each semester. These colloquia, as
well as other program meetings to be scheduled on an impromptu basis, are held each semester
on Tuesdays, 3:30-5:00. Students should keep this time slot (Tuesdays 3:30-5:00) free for
colloquia and any such meetings. To facilitate this, no Psychology Clinic appointments are
scheduled Tuesdays from 3:30-5:00.
7. Clinical Science (2 units)
Clinical Science (Psych 230) is a three-semester sequence taken by students in Years 1 and 2 of
the program. The class meets for 2 hours each week. The course provides an introduction to core
topics and the conceptual bases of clinical psychological science. The week-by-week emphasis is
to truly integrate research and practice. This sequence will also provide a forum for discussing
and developing class members’ research ideas, both ongoing projects and those in the planning
stages.
8. Introduction to Clinical Methods (1 unit)
In the Fall semester of Year 1, students enroll in Intervention: Introduction to Clinical Methods
(Psych 237H). This 1 semester class meets for 2 hours each week. This workshop-style course
focuses on an introduction to the ethical applied practice of clinical science through training in
informed consent, clinical interviewing skills, risk assessment, diagnostic interviewing, case
formulation, cultural humility, and intervention approaches. This course takes on a problem-
based learning approach and integrates mock intakes with standardized patients, peer
supervision, formative feedback and goal-setting, observation and role-plays to enhance skill
acquisition.
9. Clinical Assessment: Theory, Application, and Practicum (3 units)
The two-semester Clinical Assessment course (Psych 233A: Adult--3 units; Psych 233B: Child--3 units) emphasizes the principles and methods of clinical interviews and includes intellectual, neuropsychological, socio-emotional, achievement, objective, and projective personality aspects of assessment. One semester focuses on adult assessment; the other semester focuses on child and adolescent assessment. The courses include both didactic instruction and hands-on assessment experience with clients. Psych 233A & B are taught alternately each spring. All students are required to take either 233A-Adult Assessment or 233B-Child Assessment. Students may be encouraged to take both Adult and Child, but it is not required.
10. General Specialty Clinics (3 units per semester for the General Clinic course, and 1 unit per semester for clinical supervision; four semesters are required in Years 2 and 3 as well as Year 4 students who continue to take cases in the clinic)
This class meets for 2 hours per week. The goals of this class are to: understand legal and ethical codes and gain experience conducting clinical practice ethically; gain competence in conducting psychological interviewing and delivering interventions; integrate the empirical literature and scientific understandings of psychopathology into applied clinical work; learn how to utilize supervision and provide supervision to others and learn how to present clinical cases and develop appropriate questions and recommendations for consultation with families, healthcare professionals and others. Along with the General Clinic course, students receive clinical supervision (Psych 237G, a separate course requiring separate enrollment). Students are required to enroll in a General Clinic course and in clinical supervision each semester in Years 2 and 3. Note: All Clinical Science students in-residence must purchase a 1 million/3 million Student Liability Insurance. Students apply for this insurance through the APAIT Trust or through American Professional (http://www.apait.org/apait/ or before beginning work in the clinic and renew it annually. Note that if you switch companies during your career, be careful to verify that you have “tail” coverage for your cases. The Clinical Science Program reimburses the cost of the coverage for clinical work conducted in the Psychology Clinic. Copies of the policy must be on file in the Clinic Office. See the program administrator for further instructions.
11. Professional Development in Clinical Psychology (3 units per semester; four semesters are required in Years 2 and 3.)
This class meets for one hour per week (plus one hour for individual meetings) to discuss Professional Development in Clinical Science including: supervision, consultation, clinical policies and procedures, ethical standards of clinical care (risk management, risk assessment, informed consent, professional boundaries and behavior, confidentiality and clinical documentation.) (Psych 237E) Students are required to enroll in this course each semester in Years 2 and 3.
12. Introduction to Clinical Supervision (PSYCH 237S, 1 Units; Fall semester).
This optional semester course is for students who are in their 2nd year and beyond. It focuses on introducing graduate students to the ethical, conceptual, and practical issues related to the practice of evidence-based supervision with an experiential component supervising a peer. Using a problem-based learning approach, the course has four primary components: review of theoretical models of supervision, overview of empirical literature on effective and ethical supervision (e.g., power differential, role clarity, diversity considerations), direct supervision in methods of supervision (e.g., role plays, formative feedback), and ongoing supervision and discussion surrounding supervision issues.
13. Clinical Assessments
Students are required to complete 2 assessments between Years 2 and 4 through the Psychology Clinic. Students should be aware that completing 2 assessments through the Psychology Clinic is the minimum requirement and might not adequately prepare students for internship training. Many internship programs require applicants to have at least 50 assessment hours to be considered for an internship position. Note that some students will accrue further assessment hours within their research team. Students wishing to obtain more assessment training experience can take on additional assessment cases in the Psychology Clinic (pending supervisor availability) or seek an off-site externship with clinical assessment component after Year 3.
14. Intervention
Students will began working in the Psychology Clinic around October of their first year. They will begin by conducting phone screens and intakes with clients. If available, during the Spring semester of the 1st year, students may take one case. Over the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years of the program, students will carry a case load of 2 cases and will attend supervision with an assigned supervisor each week.
15. Electives
Various electives are available. Students should work with their faculty advisor and their training committee to decide which electives are appropriate given their career goals and interests. In addition, students are encouraged to attend colloquia offered by other graduate programs, both in the Psychology Department and campus-wide.
16. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The discussion of diversity and ethnic minority issues takes place in most Clinical Science Program courses. Students are encouraged to take additional courses in diversity, equity, and inclusion while enrolled in the graduate program. Students with particular interests in the field of minority mental health and in cross-cultural psychology are also encouraged to seek internship experiences and to focus their research efforts in this field. The School of Public health also offers courses that are highly relevant to this topic.
17. Ethics and Professional Issues
Ethics and other professional issues constitute an important part of training in clinical science. These issues are discussed in a number of contexts including most Clinical Science Program courses, Lab Meetings, Individual Supervision, and Clinical Science Program Colloquia. Ethical issues are also discussed during the opening weeks of Psychology 292, a required course for all first-year students. An optional half-day Legal & Ethical Workshop is periodically offered by the Clinic Director.
18. Fifth year forum
Although any student is welcome to attend, this class is specifically for students in their fifth year of the program. The focus is on preparing for their careers at the forefront of clinical science. The course will include content on various topics including: post-docs, K awards, preparing for the job market, leadership training and grant writing training.
Other Program Requirements
1. First-Year Research Proposal
During the Clinical Science course in Year 1, students submit a brief proposal (not more
than three pages) describing their Masters-level research project for review by the core
Clinical Science Program Faculty. Students work closely with their faculty advisors to
develop these proposals, and a portion of the course time in the Clinical Science course is
devoted to helping students complete them. The completed proposal is to be sent
electronically to the program administrator at psychcsprgadmin@berkeley.edu; the due date will be set by the Clinical
Science course instructor, but final versions are typically due to the faculty by February 1 of
in Year 1. If the proposal is not completed by the due date, a student may petition for an
extension to the DCT. However, a student will not be considered to be in good standing until
the project is completed. Students are encouraged to meet with clinical science faculty
individually to gain feedback about their proposal.
Note: The summary must be three pages total, no cover page, no appendices or
attachments. 11 point font and .5 inch margins are acceptable, and references can appear
on a fourth page. Please put your name and paper title at the top of the page.
2. Masters-Level Research
All students enrolled in the Clinical Science Program must complete a Masters-Level
Research project regardless of having received an MA from another institution. This project
typically begins in Year 1 or Year 2 of the program; the final version of a paper/thesis based
on a research project is to be completed and approved no later than the last day of Spring
Semester of Year 3. Please consult the academic calendar for the specific date:
http://registrar.berkeley.edu/CalendarDisp.aspx?terms=current. If the project is not
completed by this time, a student may petition for an extension to the Director of the
Program. However, a student will not be considered to be in good standing until the project
is completed. The paper need only be approved by the research advisor and one other faculty
member unless the student wishes to receive a Master's degree, in which case the thesis must
be approved by the research advisor and two other faculty members. (See the program administrator for the
appropriate internal approval form for advisor signature only.)
Additional paperwork is required if the student wishes to apply for a Master’s degree. For
this application, please refer to this link: http://grad.berkeley.edu/academic-progress/forms/.
Students planning to file for a Master's degree should consult the Student Calendar in the
Schedule of Classes for actual deadline dates. Applications for admission to candidacy are
available online at: http://grad.berkeley.edu/academic-progress/forms/. The application for
the MA must be submitted to the Graduate Division by the respective semester deadlines.
Completed Master's theses must be filed no later than the respective deadlines in December,
May, or August.
Because many internship sites require applicants to have a M.A. degree when applying for
internship, for students who were admitted into the program without a masters' degree, it is
strongly recommended that they complete the M.A. requirements and file a M.A. degree
before applying for internships.
Note: Copies of all official forms must be supplied to the Program Administrator, and the Psychology
Department Graduate Student Advisor, prior to submission to the Graduate Division.
Each second-year student is expected to present his/her Masters-Level Research Project at a
special Department-wide poster session organized in mid-May. In addition, Clinical Science
Program students are required to present on their Masters-Level research projects in the
Clinical Science Colloquia series in the Fall of Year 3.
Please forward an electronic copy of your final MA-Level Project to the program administrator,
psychcsprgadmin@berkeley.edu .
3. Graduate Student Instructor (GSI)
During their careers at Berkeley, Psychology graduate students are required to spend two
semesters as Graduate Student Instructors (GSI). The Department may require one of these
semesters to include Psychology 1 (Introductory Psychology) or 101 (Statistics). Psychology
375 (Teaching Psychology – 2 units) is required of all graduate students in the Department.
This seminar must be taken before or concurrent with first assuming GSI responsibilities. It
is recommended that students take the seminar in the fall of Year 1.
4. Qualifying Examination.
During Year 3, students should select a qualifying examination committee. The committee
consists of at four members: a chair (this person cannot be the student’s dissertation chair, per
University regulations—no exceptions), and three additional academic senate members (two
must be from the Psychology Department, the fourth can be from the Psychology Department of
another department). Students will work with their committee members to select the three areas
and written products that will serve as the basis of the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination ("orals").
This requirement is designed to recognize career-enhancing activities that have taken place
during the first three years of the program. As such, the three written products that constitute the
written part of the Qualifying Examination can include a number of options. Note that only one
may be a clinical case or conference paper:
A. First-authored publication: First-authored scientific or clinical case publication
submitted to a peer reviewed journal. Note: The substantive portion of all first-authored
papers must be written after entering the program to be considered for the Qualifying
Examination, even if the data were collected elsewhere. First-authored book chapters will
not count toward the written requirement of the Qualifying Examination.
B. Conference presentation: First-authored written conference paper – scientific
research paper or clinical case presentation presented or accepted to be presented at a
conference, e.g., ABCT or SRCD. Must be an oral full-length (15 minutes or longer) talk
presented by the graduate student. Can be a presentation made as part of a symposium. A
first-authored poster will not count. The oral talk can be transcribed to meet this
requirement).
C. Substantive grant application: Must be of the scope of National Research Service
Award (NRSA) application, and must be submitted.
D. Review paper on area of interest. Can be a quantitative meta-analysis or qualitative
review. Does not have to be submitted before the meeting.
E. Written essay exam questions provided by the committee, based on a reading list that
is also approved by the committee.
As required by the Graduate Division, the three written products of the Qualifying Examination
should cover three distinct subject areas related to the student’s major field of study. The
qualifying examination committee will review the written products to determine whether they
cover a wide enough range. Committees have the right to decide that products have too much
overlap, and that other products must be substituted to broaden the range.
5. The oral portion of the Qualifying Examination, a requirement of the Graduate School, must
be scheduled one week after the three written products are turned in. It is expected that the
Qualifying Examination will be ideally completed by the end of Year 3 or Year 4 at the
latest. If not completed by that point, students must submit a request for an extension, along
with a description of the reasons for the delay and the planned progress. Those who have
not completed the qualifying exam in a timely fashion will be considered not to be in good
standing, and may be asked not to continue clinical work until the qualifying examination is
completed.
Note: Doctoral students who are preparing to take the Qualifying Examination (QE) must
submit an online application at least three weeks prior to the proposed date for the
examination. http://grad.berkeley.edu/academic-progress/forms/
6. The Advancement to Candidacy online application must be filed with the Graduate Division
no later than the semester following completion of the exam.
http://grad.berkeley.edu/academic-progress/forms/
7. Dissertation
A thesis advisory committee consisting of three faculty members (the faculty advisor plus two additional academic senate faculty members, one of whom must be faculty in the Psychology Department) must approve the dissertation proposal. Students are welcome to have additional members on the thesis advisory committee, but it is not mandatory. It is important to informally engage and seek feedback from potential committee members early in the development of your dissertation research. Working with your committee is a tremendous opportunity to learn and consider a range of perspectives and approaches. This will greatly strengthen your research and provide an opportunity to get to know other faculty. After the proposal is approved, the three-person committee guides the work on the dissertation and is responsible for accepting the final dissertation. Dissertation plans should normally be completed and approved ideally during Year 4 or in Year 5 at the latest, with the dissertation completed during Year 5 or in Year 6 at the latest. Students must have their dissertation proposals approved prior to embarking on their full-time internships. More specifically, the dissertation proposal must be approved by October 1 of the year the student wishes to apply for internship. The dissertation is typically set out like a paper to be submitted to a top peer-reviewed journal in your field. However, the introduction should be longer than a typical paper and should include theoretical depth and clearly explain the novelty, importance, and potential impact of your work. The discussion might be longer than a typical paper as well, and you might include additional tables and figures that wouldn’t make it into the paper you submit to a journal. If there are coding manuals or other study specific materials, like novel questionnaires, etc, it is appropriate to include those materials as an Appendix. For students in the Clinical Science Program, the doctoral degree cannot be awarded until after BOTH the successful completion of the internship AND the completion of a dissertation. Doctoral degrees are conferred three times a year, in December, May and August. Deadline dates appear in the Schedule of Classes. Note: There are special instructions for submitting the dissertation prior to or during the internship year. The clinical science graduate advisor can advise students about the appropriate procedures. An electronic copy of your dissertation must be forwarded to the advisor as soon as it is submitted to Graduate Division. UC has also developed a policy that students can withdraw during the time they are on internship to avoid paying tuition. Again, check with the graduate advisor.
8. Year-Long Clinical Internship (or 2-year half-time UCSF-UC Berkeley Internship)
A year-long, full-time internship (or the UCSF Clinical Psychology Training Program
equivalent 20-hour per week two year internship) is required of all students. Students
normally submit applications in Year 4 or 5 for internships in Years 5 or 6. Students are
required to obtain a nationally accredited internship. Given the limited number and highly
competitive nature of internships in the Bay area, it is important for students to plan to apply
broadly to internship sites across the country. Internships in non-APA approved settings
have negative implications for students’ career options and thus will only be considered for
approval by the Clinical Science Program faculty under extraordinary circumstances.
Students must complete all required course work prior to beginning the year-long internship.
The dissertation proposal must be approved no later than October 1 of the year a student
applies for internship or registers for APPIC. Ideally, students will have completed the
dissertation before the internship begins.
As students approach the milestone of internship application, the Clinical Science faculty
discuss and evaluate the student’s fit for clinical internship. These discussions take into
account the observations and feedback from multiple faculty members (e.g., the student’s
research mentor, faculty members who have supervised the student in clinical work and
teaching, faculty instructors of graduate courses, as well as faculty members who have
served on the student’s thesis or qualifying exam committees). This information forms the
basis of the internship verification form that the faculty complete as part of the internship
application process. This form includes questions beyond knowledge and skills for clinical
work, including domains such as the student’s emotion awareness, ethical conduct,
professionalism, judgement, capacity to participate in supervision constructively, and ability
to modify behavior in response to feedback. Performance across the entire period of
graduate school is considered.
Note: Those students who are planning on applying for the 2-year, half-time internship at
UCSF need only complete their Qualifying Exams by October 1st prior to applying for
internship. Advancing to Candidacy, having final courses signed, and setting the thesis
meeting can be done during the first year of internship. For more Internship Guidelines:
https://psychology.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/preparing_for_intern...
When applying for internship, you will be required to describe each of your clinical hours.
As you can imagine, it gets hard to keep track of the many different ways you have earned
clinical experience (including intakes, therapy sessions at various sites, assessments, work
conducted for your clinical research team that includes assessment or therapy, etc.).
We highly advise that you begin logging your practicum hours during Year 1 and
continuing each and every semester that you are in the program. Past students have
found that the commercial online application Time2Track (time2track.com, which can
be purchased with a yearly fee) a useful tool to keep track of clinical hours and
practicum experiences. Starting in 2020-2021, all APPIC applicants must enter their
psychology training experiences and practicum hours in Time2Track to complete their
APPIC Application for Psychology Internships (AAPI) application. For additional
information, please visit:
https://help.liaisonedu.com/Time2Track_Help_Center/Trainee/AAPI_Psycholo...
ning_Experiences/01_Quick_Start_Guide#Reviewing_Your_Summary_of_Practicum_
Experiences
Additional Research
Formal and informal research training and experience begin in the first year under the
supervision of the student's advisor and training committee. Research training is tailored to the
needs and career plans of the individual student. For most students, the formal research
requirements (i.e., Masters-level research and the dissertation) are supplemented by additional
individual and collaborative research projects undertaken during their tenure in the program.
Students should discuss their evolving career plans with their advisors and training committee.
Research goals can then be set that are most consistent with these plans.
Additional Course Work
The graduate program in Clinical Science is designed to have a limited number of required
courses, which are augmented by elective courses. Throughout their graduate work, students are encouraged to study substantive, research, and theoretical issues in diverse areas.
The bulk of applied clinical training takes place during Years 1 through 4. To ensure a balance
between theoretical and practicum learning and to facilitate student progress in meeting the
research and other program requirements, students are asked to place a reasonable limit on
clinical practicum activities. Specifically, students should carry no more than 2 cases at a time.
There may be circumstances in which carrying 3 cases is possible, but this must first be approved by the Clinic Director, the research mentor and the training committee. The small caseloads and intensive supervision provides a firm base for developing the concepts and skills necessary for effective intervention. Students who are in good standing in the program at the end of Year 3 may opt to obtain additional clinical experience in Years 4 or 5. Students may seek an off-site externship as a way of broadening their exposure to additional clinical populations, problems, and settings. These externships should require 10 hours or fewer per week. Participating in externships that entail 11-20 hours per week will not be approved. Participation in a 10-hour-per-week externship requires that the student be in good standing in the graduate program and making good progress in their research (e.g., publications, conference presentations). All externships must be approved by the Clinical Science Program Director and the faculty mentor prior to a student’s accepting an externship (Please see the program administrator for the appropriate required approval forms and Memorandum of Understanding prior to agreeing to an externship.)