Program of Study

Required courses

In addition to general course requirements listed in the Graduate Bulletin and the Departmental General Requirements Document, the clinical program requires the following courses:

• Adult Psychopathology (PSY 60310)
• Psychological Assessment I (PSY 60320)
• Psychological Assessment II or Child Assessment (PSY 60323 or 60321)
• Clinical Skills and Interventions (PSY 60331)
• Intervention Science (PSY 60334)
• Professional Standards & Ethics (PSY 60351)
• Supervision, Consultation, & Evaluation (PSY 60352)
• Practicum Labs I and II: Foundational and Advanced (PSY 62381 and 62382)

You will also complete the 2-semester Quantitative Methods (PSY 60100 and PSY 60101) sequence during your first year of study. We encourage you to also take either Psychological Measurement (PSY 60121) or additional Quantitative coursework. The course Concepts and Methods in Development meets the department requirement for a psychological measurement or advanced methods course.

Your 6th year will be primarily focused on completing your one-year full-time clinical internship. This clinical training emphasizes practicing accurate diagnosis, reliable and valid assessment, and empirically supported interventions.

You may petition the clinical-area faculty or the department’s Graduate Studies Committee for a waiver of a required clinical-area or departmental course, respectively, if you believe you have met the requirement otherwise (e.g., completed as part of a prior master’s degree). Petitions for transfer of course credit must be submitted to the Graduate School. Contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Director of Clinical Training, or the Graduate School, respectively, for further information.

Sample program of study Curriculum overview

Individualized coursework

Beyond the required core courses, you may tailor your coursework to meet your individual research needs. You are expected to sign up for research credits (regular, thesis, and dissertation) each semester.

We encourage you to take additional quantitative courses during your time at Notre Dame.  A minor in Quantitative Psychology is available for students who want to pursue advanced training in the application of advanced psychometric, methodological, and state-of-the-art statistical procedures. The minor capitalizes on the expertise of Notre Dame’s outstanding quantitative faculty, and provides graduate students with a thorough basis of quantitative methods that will improve the quality of research in their substantive areas. 

You should also take elective seminars that complement or enhance your specializations. You are also encouraged to take the teaching seminar to prepare yourself for future roles as a teaching faculty member.