Clinical Child Psychology Graduate Program
The Clinical Child Psychology Program (CCPP) at the University of Kansas is a graduate program leading to the doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in Clinical Child Psychology. The program is housed within the Department of Clinical Child Psychology. The CCPP is accredited by the American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation as a clinical psychology doctoral training program with a special emphasis on children, adolescents, and families. The program has strong ties with the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Kansas School of Medicine (KUMC) and with Children's Mercy Hospital. The program does not offer a terminal master's degree. However, students admitted to the Doctoral program without a master's degree will obtain an M.A. in Clinical Child Psychology en route to the Ph.D.
The Clinical Child Psychology training program emphasizes the acquisition of general knowledge and skills in the behavioral, social, cognitive, affective, and biological bases of psychology, and a thorough knowledge of research methodologies and statistical analyses that support clinical science. A particular strength of the interdepartmental program is the lifespan developmental perspective presented through all aspects of training. Within the specialty's clinical training, students take courses in assessment and intervention, child psychopathology, behavioral and family therapy, and ethical/legal issues. Special consideration is given to ethnic and cultural diversity issues, prevention, public sector and social interventions, and professional issues.
Didactic and practical experiences prepare the graduate for the multitude of roles open to clinical child psychologists. Students are able to assume positions in research/teaching in universities, medical schools, and internship training sites, and direct service delivery in mental health centers, hospitals, and schools. We anticipate that students who enter our training program will aspire to leadership positions in such settings.
The design of the program implements the recommendations of national training models. In doing so, the course work and research/clinical experiences in the curriculum provide the bases in development, psychopathology, assessment and diagnosis, and intervention in child mental health work with children, adolescents, and families. Furthermore, the accreditation criteria for the American Psychological Association direct the specialized didactic and clinical experiences of the CCPP.
Students are expected to complete course work, practica, and research requirements for the doctorate within four years of full-time study followed by a required one-year pre-doctoral internship at an approved site. Students are expected to, and indeed want to, participate maximally in research and clinical experiences. A master's thesis, comprehensive examination, and doctoral dissertation are formal milestones of progress through the program in addition to regular evaluation in courses, practica, and yearly faculty review.
Although admitted by the CCPP faculty "as a whole" (i.e., and not by any one faculty member), students are admitted into the program with some idea of whom they are likely to choose for their academic and research advisor. Students may work with or be supervised in research by any faculty member of the program or of the sponsoring departments with mutual agreement and approval by the program faculty. Students will be assigned to work on various clinical practicum teams to maximize their exposure to multiple styles of supervision and clinical decision making.
Admission to Graduate Studies
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.
- English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required.
Admission to the Clinical Child Psychology Program
Admission to the CCPP is highly competitive. All completed applications are reviewed and incoming students are selected by an admissions committee chaired by the Program Director and comprising core CCPP faculty members and student representatives. In addition to the University requirements for admission to graduate studies, the program requires applicants to provide the following:
- Transcripts and grade point averages (GPAs) from all previous educational institutions
- A professional statement of interests/goals
- The candidate's résumé or CV
- Three (3) letters of recommendation from professionals who can address the candidate’s potential in a doctoral training program
- A personal statement as outlined on our admissions page
Applicants may also submit a writing sample that demonstrates their technical/professional writing skills. The admissions committee will consider all submitted materials when determining suitability for admission. Highly rated applicants will be invited to interview with CCPP faculty and students prior to admissions decisions.
Essential requirements for admission include (a) a record of scholarly achievement that shows strong promise of success in course work, research, and clinical work, and (b) at least 15 credit hours in psychology coursework, including statistics and research methodology. The psychology subject GRE is accepted for non-psychology majors with under 15 hours of psychology credits. Preferred qualifications for admission include a strong record of research experience and evidence of research productivity (e.g., presentations, posters, honors theses).
These are the admission requirements in place at the time this catalog content was published. Submit your graduate application online including all supplemental materials. Applications are only accepted for Fall admission. Financial aid is available to admitted students. Please visit the program’s website for more information regarding student admissions, outcomes, and other data.
Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Clinical Child Psychology
The following courses are required for all students enrolled in the Clinical Child Psychology Ph.D. These courses are the minimum requirements to prepare for the oral comprehensive exam and must be completed by the end of the semester in which the exam is taken. Additional requirements for the degree, including enrollment in dissertation and clinical internship hours, are described below the grid under each respective heading.
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| |
| ABSC 857 | Biological Bases of Behavior | 3 |
| PSYC 870 | Cognitive Development | 3 |
| ABSC/PSYC 825 | Social Development | 3 |
| PSYC 805 | History of Psychology | 3 |
| or EPSY 882 | History and Systems of Psychology |
| ABSC/PSYC 888 | Diversity Issues in Clinical Psychology | 3 |
| or EPSY 875 | Understanding Cultural & Individual Differences in Professional Psychology |
| |
| ABSC/PSYC 905 | Psychopathology in Children | 3 |
| ABSC/PSYC 803 | Fundamentals of Psychological Assessment and Intervention with Children | 3 |
| ABSC/PSYC 811 | Achievement and Intellectual Assessment in Clinical Child Psychology | 3 |
| ABSC/PSYC 812 | Behavioral and Personality Assessment of Children | 3 |
| |
| Therapeutic Interventions with Children | |
| |
| Theory of Couples and Family Counseling | |
| Theories and Methods of Psychotherapy | |
| Practicum in Clinical Child Psychology I | |
| Practicum in Clinical Child Psychology II | |
| Advanced Practicum in Clinical Child Psychology III | |
| Advanced Practicum in Clinical Child Psychology IV | |
| |
| Professional Issues: Clinical Child Psychology | |
| |
| Professional and Ethical Problems in Clinical Psychology | |
| Ethical and Legal Issues in Psychology and Counseling | |
| |
| Clinical Supervision and Consultation | |
| Special Topics in Clinical Child Psychology: _____ | |
| |
| PSYC 790 | Statistical Methods in Psychology I | 3 |
| EPSY 810 | Regression and ANOVA: General Linear Models | 3 |
| PSYC 815 | Design and Analysis for Developmental Research | 3 |
| or PSYC 968 | Research Methods in Clinical Psychology |
| |
| Total Hours | 77 |
Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship
The University requires that every doctoral student receive training in responsible scholarship pertinent to the field of research and obtain research skills pertinent to the doctoral level of research in their field(s). These requirements must be completed by the end of the semester that the student takes the oral comprehensive exam. For students in the Clinical Child Psychology Ph.D. program, this requirement is satisfied by completion of:
- ABSC 809 OR PSYC 809
- PSYC 815
- PSYC 975 OR EPSY 880
- Completion of the online tutorial for Responsible Scholarship, IRB (HSC-L) and HIPAA data at https://www.citiprogram.org/.
Research Skills Training Requirement
The Research Skills requirement is fulfilled by an elective selected in consultation with the student's faculty advisor.
Professional Competencies
Students in the program must demonstrate profession-wide competencies and program-specific competencies before being approved to apply for the required Doctoral Internship. The competency assessment process includes evaluation of the student’s professional artifacts (i.e., work products) as well as the student’s self-evaluation of how the artifacts collectively demonstrate the professional competencies. The CCPP utilizes the Task system as its preliminary examination in research methodology, teaching, or applied/clinical area.
Oral Comprehensive Exam
Upon completion of all course requirements for the Ph.D. and of the Task, with the exception of dissertation and internship, the student must pass the oral comprehensive examination. This examination addresses the formal written proposal for the dissertation as well as larger questions in the field. The oral comprehensive exam is presented before a committee of faculty that must meet the requirements outlined in the Doctoral Student Oral Exam Committee Composition policy.
Enrollment Requirements Post-Comprehensive Exam
Upon passing the comprehensive examination, the student becomes a candidate for the Ph.D. degree and is approved to proceed with their dissertation research and project. Starting the semester following successful completion of the oral comprehensive exam, students must enroll in accordance with the Office of Graduate Studies’ Doctoral Candidacy Policy. This enrollment includes, but is not limited to, at least 1 dissertation hour every semester until graduation. See the Doctoral Candidacy policy for more information about this University level requirement. Clinical Child Psychology PhD students must complete at least 12 hours of dissertation enrollment (ABSC 998/PSYC 998) by the semester in which the dissertation defense occurs.
Doctoral Internship
A 12-month clinical internship at a setting accredited by the American Psychological Association is required. Students apply to accredited internships through the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) and are matched to an internship by National Matching Services, Inc. The Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology may not be awarded until the internship is successfully completed. Students will enroll in one internship hour (ABSC 963/PSYC 963) each semester they are away on internship, for a total of three credit hours. For students in the CCP Ph.D. program, internship hours are an approved dissertation equivalent, so students who have successfully defended their dissertation before the conclusion of their internship year need only enroll in internship credits to fulfill their enrollment requirement for the Doctoral Candidacy Policy.
Dissertation and Final Oral Defense
The Ph.D. dissertation will be a substantial piece of original research representing an original scholarly contribution to the knowledge of the field and must be based on an original, empirical investigation. If a student does not defend the dissertation before the end of their internship year, they must return for the semester following completion of the internship and must remain in residence until the dissertation is successfully defended and the dissertation document has been approved. The final dissertation defense includes a public presentation of the dissertation research by the candidate and concludes with a period of questioning by the student's committee.
Further details on these requirements are available in the Clinical Child Psychology Program Training Manual, available on the program's website.
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- critically evaluate and produce empirical research.
- demonstrate and deliver evidence-based psychological services for children, adolescents, and families.
- internalize and demonstrate the professional values, attitudes, and behaviors of psychology.
- demonstrate responsiveness to individual an cultural diversity across their professional roles.
- demonstrate communication and leadership skills to contribute to the field of clinical child psychology.
