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Clinical PhD Program

Overview

The Clinical Psychology Program at The University of Texas at Austin trains clinical scientists. Our graduates go on to careers in research, teaching, and clinical practice. We are accredited by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) and the American Psychological Association, and are a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science. Our program ranks #15 in the most recent U.S. News & World Report survey.

About 35 doctoral students are in residence at any time, working with 10-15 faculty. Training usually takes six years, including a year of pre-doctoral internship. A complete description of the program requirements can be found in the Clinical Psychology area handbook.

What we study

Our faculty study how psychological, biological, and social processes interact across the life course to shape mental and physical health, and how that understanding can be turned into interventions that reach people in everyday life. Our research spans molecular biology to community implementation, and clusters around three overlapping themes: (1) life-course mechanisms of risk and resilience to mental illness, (2) biological embedding of social experience, and (3) translational intervention science in real-world contexts. We have particular strengths in health psychology (including cognitive aging, eating pathology, and sexual health); anxiety, trauma, and exposure-based interventions; and psychiatric genetics.

Training opportunities

Our students learn scientific methods matched to their research questions rather than a single technique. Across the area, training is available in:

  • Ambulatory assessment and intensive longitudinal designs
  • Neuroimaging and multi-organ imaging
  • Plasma and neuroendocrine biomarkers
  • Genetic and epigenetic methods, including statistical genetics
  • Psychophysiology
  • Computational modeling and applied machine learning
  • Randomized clinical trials, from efficacy through implementation

Students also receive training in providing empirically-supported mental health services at the Psychology Department Anxiety and Mood Clinic, as well as in a variety of external practicum experiences, including at Austin State Hospital, Center for Survivors of Torture, Dell Children’s Medical Center, Travis County Jail and Correctional Complex, UT Counseling and Mental Health Center, and others.

  • Admissions

    We aim to admit approximately 5–10 students each year from a pool of 350–400 applicants. A strong interest in research, and evidence of aptitude for it, are the primary criteria. We also weigh upper-division coursework, letters of recommendation, and the personal statement. Around a fifth of admitted students hold a prior master's degree. All students are admitted for full-time doctoral training.

    Students are admitted to work with a particular faculty member. Faculty select students with congruent research interests from the applicant pool, so the fit between an applicant's interests and a specific mentor's program matters a great deal. Your personal statement should make your research interests clear and name the faculty you most want to work with.

    This does not mean each faculty member admits a student every year. Some admit more than one; others, already supervising a large group, admit none. We strongly encourage applicants to check whether a prospective mentor is recruiting — this is usually posted on the clinical faculty page or on the faculty member's own site.

    For application procedures, see the Psychology Department's application instructions. We follow CUDCP guidelines on offers and acceptances.

    Program statistics. Full disclosure data on applicants, incoming classes, internship placement, and graduation outcomes are available on our Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data page.

  • Funding

    All students admitted to the program are offered financial support. Support comes through teaching assistantships, research assistantships funded by faculty grants, assistant instructor positions, and fellowships. Students appointed at 20 hours per week receive tuition assistance and are eligible for premium sharing that fully offsets the cost of health insurance. Currently, all pre-internship clinical students who have requested TA or RA support are receiving it.

  • Accreditation and licensure

    The clinical psychology program is accredited by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) until December 31, 2029. More information about PCSAS accreditation can be found at: https://pcsas.org/pcsas-accredited-programs/. The PCSAS office can be contacted at:

    • Laura Namy, Ph.D., Executive Director
      818 18th St NW, Ste 810-1237
      Washington, DC 20006
      Phone: (771) 241-5099 
      Laura.Namy@pcsas.org
       

    The clinical psychology program is also accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) for training in clinical psychology until 2033. The APA accreditation office may be reached at:

    • Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
      750 First St, NE
      Washington, DC 20002-4242
      Phone: (202) 336-5979
      https://accreditation.apa.org/contact
       

    While the clinical psychology program currently maintains dual accreditation by PCSAS and APA, we do not guarantee that we will seek to renew our APA accreditation past the current 10-year term. Students who matriculate to the program beginning in 2027 may graduate from a program that is only PCSAS-accredited.

    The program is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science (APCS), an alliance of doctoral and internship programs with strong commitments to, and established records of, successful clinical science training.

    UT Austin produces graduates who are successfully licensed in many states. No UT graduate has been turned down for licensure due to insufficiencies in the education and training UT provides, but licensure typically requires more training than the educational requirements of UT's degree program. Most states have post-doctoral clinical supervision requirements, and some states have specific training requirements that may not be automatically covered in UT's program.

    Download our consumer disclosure page for a general description of licensing processes in clinical psychology and a state by state listing of our recent understanding of educational requirements for a general idea of how well UT fits with the educational requirements of each state.

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