Psychology & Neuroscience

Program Description

Graduate training in clinical psychology emphasizes three domains of knowledge: adult psychopathology, developmental psychopathology, and health psychology. The expertise of the faculty, drawn from The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and from the Division of Medical Psychology of the Duke University Medical Center, extends to a large number of interdisciplinary problems involving human behavioral and physical adaptation in its varying social contexts.

Specific interests include intervention and prevention methods across the life course for such phenomena as aggression and antisocial behavior, depression, personality disorders, eating disorders and obesity, substance abuse, chronic pain, behavioral cardiology, behavioral medicine, enhancing minority mental and physical health, and pediatric psychology.

Our training program follows the scientist-practitioner model. We aim to prepare graduates to be outstanding scientists and outstanding clinicians, who will conduct research and practice in an ethical manner, with sensitivity to individual, cultural, racial and ethnic diversity. We are a member program of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science. Our faculty members have exercised leadership roles in the Academy and on the council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology.

Each year the Department admits 4-7 clinical graduate students, which will result in 30-40 students being advised by our faculty at one time. As of September, 2007, our faculty are advising a total of 39 students receiving clinical training, (7 males, 33 females, 8 of whom are minority students). In the past, our Department has been fortunate to have students matriculate with excellent undergraduate training, outstanding academic performance, and GRE scores ranging between 1200-1600. Over the last five years, our attrition rate for students receiving clinical training is less than 10%. For statistical comparison, please see our section on Admissions and Current Student Characteristics (below).

In accordance with American Psychological Association requirements, a more complete description of the clinical program's goals, clinical training resources, and special requirements can be found in the on-line Graduate Handbook, which includes information concerning clinical training. The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience program received Honorable Mention for the 2002 Suinn Minority Achievement Award for the American Psychological Association. This award recognizes excellence in the recruitment, retention and training of minority students in Psychology.

The clinical psychology program has been continuously accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1948. Our most recent site visit was in May, 2006, and we were re-accredited for the maximum duration, seven years. Our next site visit will be in 2013. The APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation is located at the following address:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 First St., NE
Washington , DC 20002-4242

Telephone: (202) 336-5879

Admissions and Current Student Characteristics

Each year we receive approximately 300 completed applications for admission to our clinical psychology program. A variety of bases for admission are utilized, although some common themes emerge. Applicant's GRE scores range from a total of 1100 to 1600 and grades are usually quite high. In our search for qualified graduate students, we look for the potential to conduct original research, to engage in scholarship, to work effectively with others, including future clients, and to have an impact on the broader field of clinical psychology. It is important for applicants to consider and to articulate potential matches with the research interests of one or more potential faculty mentors. While an integrative psychology major is not required; most of our students were psychology majors. Every year about 30 applicants are contacted for interviews with our faculty. Interviews are required for clinical applicants. Interviews take place in early February with invitations extended in mid-January.

All students accepted into the program are guaranteed four years of stipend support, as well as tuition remission. Stipends may be based on fellowships, research or teaching assistant positions, or, for more senior students, their own external research support.

Data on Incoming Classes
Academic Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Number of Applicants	304	250	280	303	306	288	281	283
Number Offered Admission	12	11	7	11	12	8	7	10
Number Accepting Admission	4	7	5	8	7	5	4	7

Applicant Data (averages)
Academic Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
GRE - Verbal	610	628	638	583	641	694	665	644
GRE - Quantitative	707	653	708	660	663	724	711	719
GRE - Analytical	749	673	700	671	615
GRE - Writing				4.9	5.4	5.5	5.3	5.4
GPA	3.725	3.52	3.76	3.73	3.8	3.64	3.73	3.8

Internship Data
Academic Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Number of of Students on Internship	3	4	8	1	2	6	3	5
Success Rate in Internship	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Paid Internship	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
APA Accredited Internship	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%

Graduation Outcomes
Academic Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Number of Students Completing Program	3	5	2	4	7	3	6	3
Average years to Completion	5.7	5.8	7.2	5.8	5.3	7	6.5	6.3
Median years to completion						7	6	6

2007 - 3 Graduates
Percentage of students completing the program in fewer than five years: 0%
Percentage of students completing the program in five years: 0%
Percentage of students completing the program in six years: 66.7%
Percentage of students completing the program in seven years: 33.3%
Percentage of students completing the program in more than seven years: 0%

2006 - 6 Graduates
Percentage of students completing the program in fewer than five years: 0%
Percentage of students completing the program in five years: 16.7%
Percentage of students completing the program in six years: 66.7%
Percentage of students completing the program in seven years: 0%
Percentage of students completing the program in more than seven years: 16.6%

2005 - 3 Graduates
Percentage of students completing the program in fewer than five years: 0%
Percentage of students completing the program in five years: 33.3%
Percentage of students completing the program in six years: 0%
Percentage of students completing the program in seven years: 33.3%
Percentage of students completing the program in more than seven years: 33.4%

Program Costs
All first years students' have the following charges:tuition: $29,340registration fees: $5,660Both of these charges are paid by the department, thus, there is no cost to the student.The financial package that every entering student received for Fall 2007 totaled $18,250. This support comes as stipend, TAship, and/or RAship.

Attrition
There have been two students out of 43 who have matriculated in the last seven years (4.6%) of students who have failed to complete the program.