Director of Clinical Training: Dr. Sarah Erickson

Program Description:

In 2004, the clinical faculty decided to adopt a clinical-science training model. In short, we see clinical psychology in all of its forms as a scientific enterprise, and it is our aim to train students in the philosophy, fundamental principles, and methods of behavioral science so that they may contribute to the scientific literature and/or effectively apply scientific values and methods in any professional domain. This does not mean that we seek to restrict the research and clinical activities of our students to a narrow range of clients and empirically supported practices with little room for creativity or innovation. Rather, it means that we want our students to bring a critical skepticism to new and existing knowledge claims, to have a firm grasp of the fundamental principles in the foundational areas of psychology, to generate and espouse only testable and falsifiable theories, and to be able to apply appropriate empirical methods and analyses in their attempts to understand, predict, and influence behavior in all professional settings.

In line with these objectives, we have designed a curriculum that is intended to provide students with: 1) the research skills appropriate for making independent contributions to the empirical and theoretical foundations of clinical psychology; 2) effective training in evidence-based psychological interventions; 3) the ability to think critically about human psychological functioning; 4) an understanding of the core content domains underlying psychological science; 5) the background skills allowing them to teach psychology courses in their area of expertise. The clinical curriculum was designed with these objectives in mind.

Program Requirements:

In addition to the courses required of all students, clinical students are required to take the following courses: Introduction to Clinical Science, Psychopathology, Clinical Interviewing, Pre-Clinical Practicum, Cognitive and Neuropsychological Evaluation, Personality Assessment, Practicum in Evaluation Practicum, Diversity/Multicultural Issues, Clinical Ethics, Empirically Supported Treatments, Case Formulation, three clinical electives, and the courses necessary to satisfy the APA foundation requirements. Clinical students are not required to complete a minor or secondary concentration.

Clinical Electives
Clinical electives should be courses that meet the Clinical Science approach of our program, as well as the student's career goals. Although most clinical graduate level courses will qualify as clinical electives, students should seek consultation with their mentors prior to taking these courses to make sure. Furthermore, some Psychology graduate courses that are not clinical courses can satisfy this requirement if they meet the student's training and career goals. In some instances graduate level courses outside of the Psychology Department may satisfy this requirement as well. For a non-clinical course (including those within and outside the department) to qualify as a clinical elective, students should seek approval from the Clinical Committee prior to taking the course.

Courses that are being used to satisfy the Health Psychology Emphasis can also be used to satisfy the Clinical Elective requirement. But students cannot use a course from the Health Psychology Emphasis that is already being used to satisfy an APA foundation requirement (e.g., Biological Bases of Behavior).

APA Foundation Courses
In accord with the training requirements of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the certification/licensure requirements of most states, every clinical student must demonstrate competence in several specific areas. Although competence is normally demonstrated by completing three or more hours of graduate level coursework with a grade of B or better, students may petition (see below) the clinical committee (faculty) for approval of alternative ways to demonstrate competence. The full list of APA foundation requirements along with courses that may be used to satisfy them are presented below. Note that many of these requirements are satisfied by the core clinical courses.

A. The breadth of scientific psychology, its history, its research methods, and its applications. This involves exposure to the current body of knowledge in:

1. Biological Aspects of Behavior:
Required course: Biological Basis of Behavior (Psych. 540)

2. Cognitive and *Affective Aspects of Behavior:
Required course: Cognitive Processes (Psych. 561)
*The affective component will be covered in the following required courses: Psychopathology, Biological Basis of Behavior, Advanced Developmental, Social Interactions, and Cognitive Processes.

3. Social Aspects of Behavior:
Required course: Social Interactions (Psych. 578)

4. History and Systems of Psychology:
Required course: History and Systems of Psychology (Psych 511)

5. Psychological Measurement.
Required courses:
Psychological Evaluation: Cognitive and Neuropsychological Functions (Psych 533)
Psychological Evaluation: Personality Functions (Psych 534)
Practicum in Psychological Evaluation (Psych 534L)

6. Research Methodology.
Required courses:
Design and Analysis of Experiments (Psych 502)
Design and Analysis of Experiments Lab (Psych 504L)
Research Seminar (Psych 505)

7. Techniques of Data Analysis.
Required courses:
Advanced Statistics (Psych 501 )
Advanced Statistics Lab (Psych 503L)

B. The scientific, methodological, and theoretical foundations of practice in professional psychology. This involves exposure to the current body of knowledge in:

1. Individual Differences in Behavior.
Required courses:
Psychological Evaluation: Personality Functions (Psych 534)
Practicum in Psychological Evaluation (Psych 534L)

2. Human Development.
Required course:
Advanced Developmental Psychology (Psych 521)

3. Psychopathology. This is fulfilled by the required course:
Seminar in Psychopathology (Psych 532 )

4. Professional Standards and Ethics.
Required courses:
Clinical Interviewing (Psych 600L)
Pre-Clinical Practicum (Psych 600L)
Clinical Ethics (Psych 650)

C. Diagnosing or defining problems through psychological assessment, and both formulating and implementing intervention strategies. This involves exposure to the current body of knowledge in:

1. Theories and Methods of Assessment and Diagnosis.
Required courses:
Seminar in Psychopathology (Psych 532)
Psychological Evaluation: Cognitive and Neuropsychological Functions (Psych 533)
Psychological Evaluation: Personality Functions (Psych 534)
Clinical Interviewing (Psych 600L)
Case Formulation (Psych 600L)

2. Effective Intervention; Consultation and Supervision; Evaluating the Efficacy of Interventions.
Required course:
Empirically Supported Treatments (Psych 650.013)
At least 3 Clinical Electives (Psych 650)
Supervision: Theories and Methods (Workshop)
Psychological Consultation: Theory, Methods, and Practice (Workshop)

D. Issues of cultural and individual diversity.
Required course:
Diversity/Multicultural Issues in Clinical Psychology (Psych 650)

E. Attitudes essential for life-long learning, scholarship inquiry, and professional problem solving.
Required courses:
Graduate Problems (Psych 551)
Master’s Thesis (Psych 599) (if applicable)
Dissertation (Psych 699)

Again, because most of these APA foundation requirements are satisfied by the core clinical courses, most students will need to take additional courses only in the following areas: Biological Aspects of Behavior, Cognitive and Affective Aspects of Behavior, Social Aspects of Behavior, and Human Development.

Clinical Admission Data:

Program Costs:

Students admitted to the PhD program in psychology at UNM are funded in the form of an Assistantship (graduate, teaching, research…), this funding is guaranteed for up to 5-years as long the student remains in good standing in the department. Graduate and Teaching Assistantships included a tuition waiver (up to 12 credits depending on their FTE) and health insurance. Research Assistantships may include tuition waiver and health insurance.
Assistantship information: http://www.unm.edu/~grad/employment/assistadmin.html
Tuition Rates: http://www.unm.edu/~bursar/tuitionrates.html

Funding Resources:

There are various forms of support funds for Graduate students at UNM: fellowships, grants, and assistantships: http://www.unm.edu/~grad/indices/index_funding.html.
Support based solely on need, in the form of work-study and loans, may be applied for through the University Financial Aid Office: http://www.unm.edu/~finaid/.

Students who have been admitted to graduate study at UNM may also search the MIDAS database: http://research.unm.edu/databases/

Other Information:

Clinical Program Requirements
Clinical Program - Objectives, Means, Evaluation Methods
Guidelines for Graduate Students
Recent Student Clinical Experiences

Clinical Faculty:

Kristina Ciesielski
Michael Dougher
Sarah Erickson
Kent Hutchison
Barbara McCrady
Theresa Moyers
Bruce Smith
Jane Ellen Smith
Kamilla Venner
Steven Verney
Elizabeth Yeater
Ronald Yeo

The Clinical Psychology Program at the University of New Mexico is accredited by the American Psychological Association Committee on Accreditation. For further information on the program's status you may contact:

Committee on Accreditation,
C/o Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
Education Directorate
American Psychological Association
750 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
(202) 336-5979