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VCU Psychology Department
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Are mindful people better at regulating their emotions?

Emotions such as fear, sadness, anger, and so on often need to be "regulated" for us to behave in healthy, adaptive ways. How can people better regulate their emotions when stressed? read more...

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Can we help children with ADHD succeed in school?

Adolescents with ADHD often experience significant problems in school, such as failing grades and low achievement test scores. Can we predict these problems before they occur? read more...

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Why do African American youth trade cigarettes for cigars?

Many youth perceive cigars to pose fewer health risks than cigarettes. But, is this true? read more...

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Are cultural issues important in rehabilitation medicine?

Many health problems and disabilities disproportionately affect ethnic minority communities. But what can rehabilitation specialists do to change that? read more...

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Is religious counseling effective?

Many religious people say they want religious counseling. But is it effective? And, if it is not available, is secular counseling less effective for religious people than religious counseling? read more...

FAQs

What is the program emphasis?

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Clinically
oriented
  
Equal
emphasis
Research
oriented

What is the percentage of faculty subscribing to the following orientations?

  • Cognitive/cognitive-behavioral = 75 percent
  • Interpersonal = 15 percent
  • Family systems/systems = 10 percent

What courses are required to be considered for admission to the clinical program?

It is recommended that applicants complete 18 hours of psychology which should include courses in:

  • General Psychology
  • Abnormal Psychology
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Statistics

What is the percentage of students who have received financial assistance?

100 percent of our students receive tuition waiver and assistantship or fellowship for at least the first three years of training.

What is the degree level of incoming students?

B.A. or B.S. = 75 percent
Master’s = 25 percent

What is the percentage of women and minority students?

Women = 89 percent
Ethnic minorities = 25 percent

What is the percentage of students accepted into APA accredited internships for last five years?

88 percent

Ordinarily students take their internship during their fifth year in the program. Students may apply for internship at any time after (a) having completed all requirements for the master’s degree, (b) having been approved for continuation in the doctoral program, (c) having passed the doctoral prelim examination, (d) having successfully completed all practicum training and (e) having successfully defended their dissertation proposal.

All students are expected to complete an APA-approved internship. Students may apply to a non-APA-approved internship only under highly unusual circumstances. Official approval must be obtained, in writing, from the clinical director before accepting a non-APA-approved internship.

Virtually all VCU clinical students have been successful in eventually obtaining their high-choice APA-approved internships. Some students in recent years needed to apply a second year to get these preferred internships. It is the rule for our students on internship to receive outstanding performance evaluations, and this has contributed to our program's excellent reputation. Internship sites where some of our clinical students have been trained in recent years include:

  • Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Conn.
  • Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, Va.
  • UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Va.
  • VA Medical Center, Gainesville, Fla.
  • University of Florida Medical School, Gainesville, Fla.
  • CPC Behavioral Health Care, Red Bank, N.J.
  • University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, Ill.
  • VA Medical Center, West Haven, Conn.
  • Washington, DC Commission on Mental Health Services, Washington, D.C.
  • Yale University Medical School, New Haven, Conn.
  • Virginia Treatment Center for Children, Richmond, Va.
  • Eastern Virginia Medical School , Norfolk, Va.
  • University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, S.C.
  • San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, Calif.
  • Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Fla.
  • Malcolm Grow Medical Center, AS Air Force, Andrews AFB, Md.
  • Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colo.
  • UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  • VA Medical Center, Salem, Va.
  • Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Va.
  • New Orleans VA Medical Center, New Orleans, La.
  • Children's Hospital/Judge Baker Children's Center, Boston, Mass.
  • Medical College of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C.
  • Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa.
  • Rush Presbyterian Hospital, Chicago, Ill.
  • Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
  • Brown University Clinical Psychology Training Consortium, Providence, R.I.
  • Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 
  • Virginia Beach Public Schools, Programs for Exceptional Children, Virginia Beach, Va.
  • Denver Children's Hospital, Denver, Colo.
  • University of New Mexico Children's Hospital, Albuquerque, N.M.
  • Vanderbilt VAMC, Nashville, Tenn.
  • University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.
  • Atlanta VAMC, Decatur, Ga.
  • Medical College of Georgia and VAMC Psychology Consortium, Augusta, Ga.
  • Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salem, Va.
  • Virginia Treatment Center for Children, Richmond, Va.
  • Miami VA Primary Care/Behavioral Medicine Program, Miami, Fla.
  • Brown Consortium-Pediatric Child Track, Providence, R.I.
  • MCP Hahnemann Philadelphia, Pa.
  • Columbus Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
  • Spring Grove Hospital Center, Catonsville, Md.
  • VCU/Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Va.

What is the average number of years to complete the doctoral program (including internship)?

5.85 years for students graduating in the last 5 years

What clinical opportunities exist in the program?

What are the faculty research areas and grants?

Faculty research areas: # Faculty # Grants
Behavioral genetics 1 1
Behavioral medicine 4 3
Child clinical/pediatric 4 3
Psychopathology 1 1
Psychotherapy 1 1
Substance abuse 3 2
Stress and coping 3 0
Psychophysiology 2 0
Anxiety 2 0
Adolescent 5 4
Community 3 2
Emotion 2 0
Divorce 1 0
Forensic psychology 1 0
Minority/crosscultural 2 1
Pregnancy issues 1 1

Is there information available to guide me in understanding how to apply to and get into a clinical psychology program?

Yes. We recommend that you review this fact sheet and review books available to help guide you in the process including:

1. Getting In: A Step-by-Step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate School in Psychology, The American Psychological Association - 800-374-2721, www.apa.org

2. Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology, Tracy Mayne, John Norcross, and Michael Sayette, Guilford Press - 800-365-7006, www.guilford.com