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Clinical Psychology Graduate Program

Frequently Asked Questions Information for Prospective Students (PDF)
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Mission

The mission of the Clinical Psychology Program at the University of Regina it to train our students in the scientist-practitioner tradition so that they will be prepared to work as either a researcher, teacher or practitioner or all of these within a variety of settings (academic, clinical, or research setting).

Philosophy/Principles

In keeping with the motto of the University of Regina as “One Who Serves” the philosophy of the clinical program in the Department of Psychology is characterized by a commitment to our responsibility to society and to our responsibility to the profession. In fulfilling these responsibilities, we endeavour to ensure that our students are not only knowledgeable and competent in both delivery of services and in the conduct of creative research, but that they also endorse an ethic of care. Underlying these skills and attitude acquisitions is the principle of integrity in relationships, which, in turn, is characterized, by respect for the dignity, and welfare of others.

The Clinical Psychology program at the University of Regina aims to prepares future psychologists to work effectively with all individuals. We expect students and faculty to treat all persons with respect and fairness, and we strive to foster appreciation, awareness, and knowledge of demographic and cultural diversity. As a program, we affirm students' rights to maintain their personal beliefs, faiths and customs. For students to cultivate the competencies necessary for practice as a professional practice psychologist, we also require students to develop both the knowledge and skills to work with individuals across the full spectrum of demographic and cultural variability.

The University of Regina Clinical Program is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and we encourage applications from diverse candidates.

Accreditation

The Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology has been fully accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) since the 2003-2004 academic year. During our October 2021 CPA site-visit, our program was re-accredited for seven years; until 2027-2028. Information regarding CPA accreditation can be obtained by contacting the CPA Accreditation Office at:

Accreditation Office
Canadian Psychological Association
141 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 702
Ottawa, ON  K1P 5J3

CPA website: www.cpa.ca

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Graduate Calendar
How to Apply
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January 15 Applications Due
How to Apply

Clinical Degree Programs

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 The degree programs in Clinical Psychology offered in the Department are based on a scientist-practitioner model of training and emphasise clinical, research, and professional skill development.

The M.Sc. program in Clinical Psychology is intended to provide students with a solid grasp of basic academic and practical skills. The Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology builds upon the M.Sc. program and provides an opportunity for advanced research, study, and clinical skills acquisition. In line with the current emphasis of many programs and jurisdictions in North America with respect to academic training and credentialing in Psychology, students pursuing graduate education and training in Clinical Psychology are strongly encouraged to do so at the doctoral level. As such, all students completing the M.Sc. are expected to apply to the Ph.D. program. Students who are enrolled in our clinical program are expected to maintain full-time student status.

The Department's doctoral program in Clinical Psychology is fully accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association. The next accreditation site visit is planned for the 2027-2028 academic year.

Clinical Program Resources

Clinical Psychology Program Manual (PDF) Clinical Program Newsletter (PDF) Clinical Program Review Statistics (PDF)

Clinical Training

Students in the graduate program in Clinical Psychology complete a minimum of 900 hours of supervised practical experience consisting of a 600 hour four month internship in Clinical Psychology (Psyc 876) and a minimum of two additional 150 hour Practica in Clinical Psychology (Psyc 870-875) prior to the full-year Pre-doctoral Residency in Clinical Psychology (Psyc 880AB). No more than 600 hours of the required supervised clinical experience can be undertaken for academic credit by students enrolled in the M.Sc. program in Clinical Psychology. For the full-year pre-doctoral residency, students are expected to apply to CPA accredited sites or equivalent and to go through the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) matching process (www.appic.org).Students will receive at least 300 hours of direct contact with clients prior to the pre-doctoral residency and at least 150 hours of supervision.

Our Graduates

Graduates from our program have been highly successful in obtaining employment in clinical settings (e.g., hospitals, mental health clinics) and research settings (e.g., universities). All of our doctoral clinical program graduates have been successful in becoming registered, licensed or certified (or, in the case of very recent graduates, are in the process of becoming registered, licensed or certified) as psychologists in the jurisdiction of their choice.

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M.Sc. Program Details

All course work is taken in the first academic year. The second academic year is used to complete research and usually the four month internship. Students in this program will normally apply for admission to the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology in January of their second year in the program. At this time of application to the PhD, all required course work and the clinical internship should be complete and data collection for the MA well underway. The likelihood of being accepted into the PhD program decreases if students do not meet these timelines.

Course
Credit Hours
PSYC 801 Research Design and Methodology in Psychology 3 credit hours
PSYC 802 Applied Multivariate Statistics 3 credit hours
PSYC 806 Ethics and Standards of Professional Practice 3 credit hours
PSYC 832 Advanced Psychopathology 3 credit hours
PSYC 850 Psychological Assessment I 3 credit hours
PSYC 860 Psychological Interventions I 3 credit hours
PSYC 876 Internship in Clinical Psychology 1 credit hour
PSYC 900 Graduate Seminar 2 credit hours
PSYC 901 Thesis Research 16 credit hours
Total Credit Hours: 37 credit hours

Ph.D. Program Details

Ph.D. courses are typically offered every 2nd year. In addition to the above, students must demonstrate competence in: (a) biological bases of behaviour (e.g., physiological, comparative, neuropsychology, psychopharmacology); (b) cognitive and affective bases of behaviour (e.g., learning, sensation, perception, cognition, motivation, emotion); and (c) social bases of behaviour (e.g., social, cultural, ethnic, and group processes, sex roles, theories relating to organisations and systems). This can be accomplished either by taking a graduate course in each of these areas (one of which could be used to fulfil the Ph.D. elective course requirement), or by completing all-inclusive qualifying examinations (for students who demonstrate significant prior experience in an area, qualified faculty will co-ordinate the relevant reading lists and exam). A combination of graduate courses and examinations may also be used to fulfil the requirements. Moreover, students can demonstrate competence (subject to approval by the clinical committee) in a maximum of one cognate area (i.e., biological, cognitive or social) if they have completed a minimum of two advanced undergraduate courses in any one of the three cognate areas. Courses in these cognate areas may be taken at any point during the student’s graduate training with departmental approval. In addition, students are encouraged to take courses in other areas such as program development/evaluation.

Comprehensive Examination

The Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination (Psyc 865-CL) covers broad aspects of clinical psychology, and consists of four parts:

  1. A case presentation (~2 hours in length for presentation and questions) in which students are required to summarize a case that they have assessed and treated during a previously completed practicum or internship. In the presentation, the student must cover and integrate theory, research, assessment, and intervention in relation to the clinical case.
  2. A written exam testing students on recent literature published in the Annals of Clinical Psychology
  3. An ethics oral examination (~1 hour in length) during which students are asked questions that are designed to assess their understanding of ethical and professional issues and their ability to resolve ethical dilemmas.
  4. A program evaluation proposal. The following students are exempt from this component: a) Students who successfully completed a graduate course in program evaluation; b) students who participated in the Canadian Evaluation Society Annual Case Competition; and c) students who completed substantial supervised work (as determined by the clinical committee) in the area of program evaluation including a written program evaluation report.

The comprehensive examination process is typically completed over a four-month time span and is used as a means of judging whether or not the student has a mature and substantial grasp of the discipline and the ability to integrate theory, research, and practice in the areas of psychopathology, assessment, treatment, and ethics.

This examination is scheduled after the student has completed all degree requirements, with the exception of the doctoral dissertation and pre-doctoral residency. It must be taken prior to applying for the pre-doctoral residency.

All parts must be passed in order to meet the comprehensive examination requirement. Unsuccessful candidates for the comprehensive examination may repeat each component of the examination once. A second failure will result in the student being discontinued from the Clinical Program.

Course
Credit Hours
PSYC 800 History, Theory and System in Psychology
(or equivalent, e.g., Psyc 824, 826)		 3 credit hours
PSYC 803 Psychometrics 3 credit hours
PSYC 851 Psychological Assessment II 3 credit hours
PSYC 861 Psychological Interventions II 3 credit hours
One elective Psychology course 3 credit hours
PSYC 865 Comprehensive Exams 1 credit hour
PSYC 870 Practica in Clinical Psychology 1 credit hour
PSYC 871 Practica in Clinical Psychology 1 credit hour
PSYC 880AB Residency in Clinical Psychology 3 credit hours
PSYC 900 Doctoral Seminar 1 credit hour
PSYC 901 Thesis Research 44 credit hours
Total Credit Hours: 66 credit hours

Research Goals and Objectives

Research Goals
The program strives to prepare students to have an understanding and respect for both basic and applied research. The faculty of the clinical program subscribe to the views that: (a) the clinical scientist, who is competently-trained in practice makes the most significant contributions to clinical research; and (b) the practitioner who is familiar with the body of basic and applied research, and who can critically evaluate research findings makes the soundest contributions to society and the profession.
Research Objectives
To meet the above goals, students take courses in research methods and statistics. They also obtain experience in program evaluation (e.g., though participation in the Canadian Evaluation Society Annual Case Competition or completion of a program evaluation proposal as part of comprehensive exams). Research is incorporated into clinical courses and is a component of reading required for clinical training. Furthermore, students complete both an M.A. and Ph.D. thesis and have the opportunity to participate in faculty research projects.
Clinical Practice Goals
Students will be competent in: (a) assessment, (b) diagnosis, (c) evaluation; (d) consultation; and (e) intervention. In each area, students will gain competency in the development and maintenance of interpersonal relationships, including competency in working with diverse groups. It is recognized, however, that the field of clinical psychology is diverse and no single practitioner can master all areas. Students will be taught to recognize their skills and when appropriate refer to colleagues who have the requisite skills.
Clinical Practice Objectives
Students complete course work in ethics, psychopathology, assessment and interventions exposing students to more than one theoretical orientation and skills needed to work with both adults and children and diverse populations. Students carry out at least 2,700 hours of clinical training under supervision (at least 300 direct client hours; at least 150 hours of supervision prior to the predoctoral residency), including a four month internship, two PhD clinical placements and a predoctoral residency. Students also complete an oral case presentation, an oral ethics exam and an exam covering broad topics in clinical psychology.
Knowledge Goals
Students will gain a working understanding of biological, social, cognitive and affective bases of behaviour as well as individual differences, statistics and research methods. A more thorough knowledge of personality, psychopathology, assessment, diagnostics, intervention, ethics and professional behaviours will be obtained. Several theoretical orientations are covered.
Knowledge Objectives
To gain the above knowledge students complete course work at the graduate level in the above areas. Further knowledge is gained through clinical experiences and comprehensive exams
Ethics and Professional Conduct Goals
The program strives to prepare students to be ethical and professional in their research, clinical, and teaching activities. Moreover, the program strives to prepare students to be sensitive to issues of racial and cultural diversity and individual differences.
Ethical Objectives
To meet the above goals of our program, students take a course in professional ethics that not only thoroughly covers the CPA code of ethics and ethical decision making process, but also legislation, standards of practice, and cultural issues. They are also trained in becoming competent and effective in their interpersonal relationships. Students are exposed to diverse clients (over 2700 hours of clinical training), and diverse faculty mentors. Students also complete an oral ethics exam as part of the comprehensive examination process.
Leadership Goals
We encourage our graduates to: (a) disseminate their work through conference presentations and publishing papers; (b) expand their knowledge by attending conferences or workshops and reading journals; (c) train others in psychology and other mental health fields; (d) educate the public; and (e) contribute to psychology as a discipline by holding leadership roles.
Leadership Objectives
To meet the leadership goals, students are encouraged to present and publish their work, to obtain experience as teaching assistants, to be involved in training junior students and to play an active role in the development of the discipline of psychology by being an active member of the Psychology Graduate Students Association and the Canadian Psychological Association. To encourage professional development, students complete a seminar series devoted to professional issues at the PhD level. A major component of this seminar series is focused on development of skills in supervision and inter-professional relationships.