OVERVIEW

The program's broad mission is to advance clinical science. We view "clinical science" as composed of research efforts and practice directed toward: (a) the promotion of adaptive functioning, (b) assessment, understanding, amelioration, and prevention of human problems in behaviour, affect, cognition or health, and (c) the application of knowledge in ways consistent with scientific evidence. The program's emphasis on the term science underscores its commitment to empirical approaches to evaluating the validity and utility of testable hypotheses and to advancing knowledge and practice by this method.

The clinical programme is accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association and the American Psychological Association (which will stop accrediting programs in Canada as of January 1, 2015). What follows on this webpage is an overview of important information about the clinical programme that may be relevant to prospective graduate students. To fully understand the doctoral programme in clinical psychology at UBC, please also consult more detailed documents on our website, especially the Graduate Student Handbook and the Handbook for Graduate Students in the Clinical Psychology Programme.

PROGRAM GOALS

The program is designed to assist students in acquiring a specific set of knowledge and skills, as outlined below.

Goal 1: Identify as a psychologist in the clinical science tradition.

Goal 2: Contribute to the knowledge base in domains that enhance clinical psychological science, including potential interdisciplinary collaboration.

Goal 3: Develop competence in knowledge and skills required for functioning in academic and/or clinical settings including a lifelong commitment to clinical science.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The clinical program encourages applicants from qualified students from a diverse range of backgrounds and refrains from systematically excluding students on the basis of race, ethnic origin, sex, age, religion, or physical handicap. The program receives approximately 130 applications each year and typically makes offers of admission to 6 to 8 students each year. Please see the table "Data on the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology" below for more information on admission.

Admission to the Clinical program is highly competitive; preference is given to applicants who have demonstrated interest in the scientific basis of clinical psychology as well as practice. All students must complete an empirically-based master's thesis prior to being accepted into the Ph.D. program. Students who plan to terminate their studies at the master's level are not accepted into the clinical training program, and the master's program is not designed to prepare the student for independent practice. Applicants with master's degrees in non-clinical specialty areas and/or from other universities are not automatically admitted to the clinical Ph.D. program. Equivalence of degrees is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Being the recipient of a fellowship substantially increases an applicant's chances to be admitted. Application deadlines for fellowships are between September and December of the preceding year. Agencies that should be considered by clinical applicants are NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR, as well as various provincial and specialty agencies (like the Cancer Society or Heart Foundation). Foreign students are eligible for University Graduate Fellowships, and in some cases Commonwealth Fellowships or Government of Canada Awards; applications for the latter two have to be made through the applicant's native country.

Data on the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology

On average during 2008-09, clinical graduate students received $30,231 (sd=$14,542) in support from a combination of competitive fellowships (internal or external), teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and internship stipends. One advanced student received no financial support from these sources.

STUDENT DIVERSITY IN THE PROGRAM

Of the students currently enrolled in the program, 93% are female. Current students range in age from 23 to 41 years, with an average of 29 years. Students in the program have a range of backgrounds. Although most were accepted shortly following undergraduate degrees in psychology, other students have entered the program with backgrounds and professional degrees in areas such as electrical engineering or economics. Most students in the program describe themselves as Canadians of European descent, but a significant number report other ethnic backgrounds, including Turkish and Chinese. Finally, 60% of the students in the program speak a language in addition to English, including French, German, Mandarin and Turkish.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

We evaluate the program's success in reaching its goals based on students' performance in courses, practica and internships, comprehensive exams, thesis and dissertation proposals and defenses, involvement in research presentations and publications, as well as regular student surveys.

Reflecting our emphasis on clinical science, graduate students in the clinical program are successful in research. On average, our current graduate students in clinical psychology have 3.4 publications, and they have authored or co-authored 7.5 papers presented at professional conferences. Most (54%) currently hold competitive external research fellowships, and 29% of students are current recipients of competitive university fellowships. The number of publications for graduates in the last seven years ranges from 0-13, with a mean of 3.5 (± 1.5). Of 44 graduates in the years 1998-2007, 39 (89%) are currently registered (licensed) as psychologists and two (5%) are in the process of becoming registered. Three of these graduates, all of whom are engaged in fulltime academic positions, have not sought registration.

Among graduates from our clinical science program in the past 10 years, approximately 30% are employed in settings that primarily involve scholarly activities such as research or teaching. Our recent graduates hold faculty positions at Concordia University, Dalhousie University, Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia, York University, and University of Toronto. In addition, another 20% of recent graduates hold positions outside of universities that nevertheless involve a significant amount of scholarly activity. These positions include hospital-based jobs on mental health units that have a dual mission of research and clinical service. Some of these settings in which recent graduates from our program are employed include BC Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre, and London Health Sciences Centre. On average, our recent graduates have authored or co-authored 5.09 (sd = 7.63, median = 2) publications since graduating.

Almost half of our graduates are engaged in clinical practice in private solo or group practice or within a regional health authority; many of our recent graduates (23%) do some clinical practice in addition to research or teaching. A few graduates are employed in public service settings such as the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Of the 52 students who received a PhD from our program within the last 10 years, 77% (n = 40) are currently registered or licensed to practice psychology. Seven recent graduates are the process of becoming registered, and another graduate who has moved recently is in the process of acquiring registration in the new jurisdiction. Three graduates in the last 10 years have not sought registration, as they work in settings that do not require it, and we were unable to obtain registration information on one graduate.

In the last seven years, six students (15%) who matriculated into the clinical programme have left without completing their degree. Three of these students left the clinical programme in 2006 when the Department of Psychology opened a new health psychology area; these students had already been studying with health psychology researchers and preferred not to receive clinical training as a part of their degree. Another student revised her research interests and transferred to another graduate programme in our department. One student transferred to a clinical program in another province because of a spousal employment opportunity. One student withdrew from the program for personal reasons.

Attrition

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Even though the Master's degree program is intended to be the first part of a joint M.A./Ph.D. sequence, students nonetheless must successfully complete the M.A. degree requirements (including an empirical thesis) prior to formal acceptance into the Ph.D. program. The general objectives of the M.A./Ph.D. program are (a) to provide intensive coverage of the knowledge base of psychopathology, assessment, and therapy, (b) the acquisition of clinical skills in assessment, therapy, and ethics, and (c) coverage of the broad field of psychology through courses in experimental design and statistics and the nonclinical areas of psychology. To accomplish these objectives, the plan of study includes a series of clinical and nonclinical courses and practica supervised by professional psychologists in university and community agencies. For two years, students carry out clinical work under the direct supervision of department clinical faculty. As they progress through the program, students are given opportunities to specialize in their area(s) of interest.

To satisfy accreditation requirements, graduate students in clinical psychology take a required curriculum that is designed to provide them with a breadth of knowledge in the science and practice of clinical psychology. The clinical program is a carefully integrated combination of training in science-based knowledge, ethics, and clinical skills. The courses are designed to build upon one another and must be taken as a unit; they may not be taken in isolation. All practical courses involve direct contact with clients or confidential client information. Faculty supervisors of these clinical courses are legally and ethically responsible for the work of the students under their supervision. For these reasons, courses involving diagnosis, assessment, treatment, and clinical ethics are restricted to those students who are enrolled in the complete clinical training program.

The UBC Psychology Clinic serves the Clinical Program's training and research needs. The Clinic operates throughout the year, providing assessment and psychotherapy services to members of the community. Several practicum teams function within the Clinic, allowing students to gain experience with diverse treatment issues and modalities of intervention. The Clinic also supports interaction with members of the professional community, hosting a variety of speakers and promoting clinical workshops. The Clinic provides training in cognitive-behavioural, motivational, and interpersonal therapy to treat addictive and impulse control disorders, anxiety disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, behaviour problems of childhood (e.g., bedwetting, school refusal), eating disorders, interpersonal problems, mood disorders, oppositional defiant disorder, perfectionism, psychophysiological disorders (e.g., headache, hypertension), tobacco dependence, and somatoform disorders.

RECOMMENDED CLINICAL PROGRAM (CREDITS NOTED IN PARENTHESIS)

The M.A. degree requires a total of 35 credits. Departmental requirements include thesis (9 credits), statistics (6 credits), and a nonclinical breadth course (3 credits).

In addition, the clinical area requires:

1. during the first year, 3 credits of professional and ethical issues (537), 3 credits of introduction to psychotherapy (541), 3 credits of clinical research design (560), 6 credits of introduction to assessment (530, 531) and 3 credits of descriptive psychopathology (510). A proposal for the M.A. thesis is also expected by the spring of the first year.
2. during the second year, 3 credits of practicum (534), introduction to cognitive behavioural therapy (542), and completion and presentation of the M.A. thesis. The student should also begin to take courses to meet the more advanced clinical program requirements. These are: one advanced course in assessment (e.g., neuropsychological assessment, advanced adult assessment), one advanced course in psychopathology (535 or 536), and one advanced course in therapy (e.g., treatment of childhood disorders, dialectical behaviour therapy, motivational interviewing). Students must take at least one clinical didactic course that focuses on children (e.g., child psychopathology). A summer practicum is required and may be completed at the end of the second or third year.
3. The Ph.D. degree requires an additional 18 credits, which include 6 credits of nonclinical breadth courses and 3 credits of practicum (534). These breadth courses (combined with those completed at the M.A. level) must cover the biological, social and cognitive/affective bases of behaviour. Additionally, students must complete the advanced course requirements outlined above. At the Ph.D. level, students must also complete comprehensive examinations, a dissertation, and an accredited internship.

Students admitted to the program in 2007 or later must also demonstrate knowledge of historical foundations of psychology by reading a book on this topic and submitting a brief report to their research advisor. This requirement must be met before application can be made for internship.

Students admitted to the program can obtain more information regarding requirements from the Graduate Student Handbook and the Clinical Graduate Student Handbook.

PRACTICA AND INTERNSHIPS

A community-based practicum is required during the summer after the second or third year of the program or during the fourth academic year. It consists of a four-month placement in an approved agency where the student is supervised by registered Ph.D. psychologists. The sites of the practica vary from year to year because placement is dependent on funding, the availability of supervisors, and student interest. Some examples of recent practicum sites include:

Some students have chosen to go away for a summer practicum at sites such as Summit Psychology Group in Nelson, BC or the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.

One of the requirements for the Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology is a year-long internship. This is to be completed at a health or mental health agency accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association or the American Psychological Association. Students must have completed all data collection for their dissertation before they will be approved to apply for internship.

Students in our program have recently been placed in the following internships:

• Alberta Hospital and Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Internship Consortium (Edmonton, AB)
• Seattle Veterans Administration Hospital (Seattle, WA)
• Saskatoon Health Region (Saskatoon, SK)
• BC Children’s Hospital (Vancouver, BC)
• Massachusetts General Hospital (MacLean, MA)
• Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic (Pittsburgh, PA)
• UBC Hospital and Health Sciences Centre (Vancouver, BC)
• University of Washington School of Medicine (Seattle, WA)
• Palo Alto Veteran's Administration Hospital (Palo Alto, CA)
• Sick Kids (Toronto, ON)
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Toronto, ON)
• Calgary Internship Consortium (Calgary, AB)
• Brown University Medical Centre (Providence, RI)
• IWK Health Centre (Halifax, NS)

Students can obtain more information regarding practica and internships from the Practica and Internships Policies and Procedures Handbook.

RESEARCH

The Clinical program employs an "apprenticeship" approach to research training. Each student is selected for his/her compatibility of research interests with a faculty member. The student will work closely with that particular faculty member throughout his or her graduate program on faculty and/or student research projects. The system is designed to expose students to clinical research early in their graduate training and to equip them with the necessary research skills for conducting the Master's thesis. The M.A. thesis should be completed by the spring of the second year. Students may be involved with other faculty members' research as well. It is possible that students' research interests may change through the course of their graduate training. Students who would like to switch research advisors, or become involved in additional research with another faculty member, should discuss this with all parties concerned.

In addition to the apprenticeship training, a firm academic background in clinical research design and methodology will be made available in the Clinical Research Design course, which is taken in the first year. Students are also encouraged to explore the possibility of collaboration with faculty in other areas of the Department who may have interests that overlap with the students' areas of interest.

STUDENT ASSISTANCE

Several avenues are available to assist students in resolving disputes or appealing evaluations of their academic status. For example, students may consult the ombudsperson of the Graduate Student Council, the Director of the Graduate Program, or the Department Head. An overview of various appeal procedures can be found in the Graduate Student Handbook, in the UBC Calendar, or in the UBC Faculty of Graduate Studies Handbook of Graduate Supervision.

A variety of forms of academic and personal assistance and support is also available on campus for graduate students, including the Disability Resource Center, Student Health, and the Office of Access and Diversity. A more complete listing of these resources is available in the general Graduate Program brochure.

Click here for links to many relevant websites and here for information on financial assistance.

CORE FACULTY

Lynn Alden (Professor), Ph.D. University of Illinois, Urbana, 1975

Colleen Brenner (Assistant Professor), Ph.D. Indiana University, 2006

Scott Carlson (Assistant Professor), Ph.D. University of Minnesota, 2004

Boris Gorzalka (Professor), Ph.D. University of California, 1974

Paul Hewitt (Professor), Ph.D. University of Saskatchewan, 1988

E. David Klonsky (Assistant Professor), Ph.D. University of Virginia, 2005

Brandy McGee (Director, Psychology Clinic), Ph.D. University of British Columbia, 2007

Charlotte Johnston (Professor), Ph.D. Florida State University, 1987

Wolfgang Linden (Professor), Ph.D. McGill, 1981

Sheila Woody (Associate Professor & Director of Clinical Training), Ph.D. American University, 1992

ASSOCIATE FACULTY

Kenneth Craig (Professor Emeritus), Ph.D. Purdue University, 1964

Stanley (Jack) Rachman (Professor Emeritus), Ph.D. University of London, 1961