Clinical Psychology

Are you interested in clinical psychology?

The clinically-focused aspects of the curriculum for the Psychology Major includes courses that concentrate on promoting mental health and resilience, along with identifying, preventing, and treating mental illness. Common areas of study include the factors that contribute to the development, maintenance, and recovery from various forms of psychopathology, disorders of behavior and personality, and problems in living. Clinical psychology spans the lifespan, including developmental psychopathology and identification of risk factors and childhood disorders through to mental disorders that are especially common in older age, such as dementias.

Undergraduate research experience is a fundamental component of training in clinical psychology. Students interested in pursuing a clinically-related position after graduation, especially those interested in attending graduate school in clinical psychology, are advised to seek out research assistant opportunities (e.g., Psych 3950, completing a Distinguished Majors Project).

In addition, obtaining experience working with populations who have mental or behavioral health needs or who are in distress (e.g., volunteering at a crisis line, shelter, hospital, or school or camp that serves children with behavioral challenges, or completing a University Internship Program) can provide helpful applied experience. Further, getting involved with one of the many groups on campus that promote mental health awareness and advocacy (e.g., student chapters of Active Minds, National Alliance on Mental Illnesses, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team, etc.) can also be good exposure to current issues in clinical psychology.

It is often helpful to continue pursuing research and applied/clinical experiences following graduation before applying to graduate school (e.g., to work and/or volunteer for 1-3 years in a lab). This can make the person a more competitive applicant and also help to focus their interests. Along these lines, there are many professions associated with the mental health field (e.g., clinical and counseling psychology, psychiatry, social work, etc.) so we encourage students to carefully consider the different paths to determine the right match for their interests.

To learn more about applying to graduate school in clinical psychology and decide if that’s the right path for you, please read http://mitch.web.unc.edu/files/2017/02/MitchGradSchoolAdvice.pdf and visit http://clinicalpsychgradschool.org/. This second web site has helpful advice on applying to clinical graduate programs and also lists post-baccalaureate research assistant/project coordinator positions to get some clinical psychology experience.

To learn more about what makes an applicant competitive, read CUDCP's Preferred Predoctoral Competencies for Clinical Psychology.

There are a number of courses that can provide particularly useful background in clinical psychology while fulfilling the degree requirements for a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

The following courses should not be viewed as requirements for pursuing a focus on clinical psychology but can provide valuable exposure to some of the exciting topics in the field.