Directors' Message

The Division of Psychology within the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences offers a doctoral degree (PhD) in clinical psychology that has been continuously accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1972 (APA, Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, 750 1st St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242; 202.336.5979).

The Clinical Psychology PhD Program is one of only a handful of programs that is embedded within an academic healthcare system. The program is supported by both Feinberg School of Medicine and The Graduate School at Northwestern University. The program takes advantage of its interdepartmental and interdisciplinary placement within Northwestern University by offering a true balance of research and clinical training. This unique setting also provides opportunities for translational research and practice that span molecular to social models of disease and epidemiologic to clinical and neuroimaging methodologies.

The PhD program in clinical psychology is a full-time program, typically taking five to six years to complete, including a yearlong clinical internship. The intensive course of study is designed to develop clinical psychologists who will be competitive for careers in academic healthcare systems and similar settings. Nearly all of our students obtain postdoctoral fellowships or positions in academic health systems, children's hospitals or VA medical centers.

Our program provides opportunities for specialty preparation at the level of a Major Area of Study (MAS) in the following areas:

• Behavioral Medicine or Health Psychology
• Clinical Adult Psychology
• Clinical Child Psychology
• Clinical Neuropsychology
• Forensic Psychology

We also offer Focus areas in Policy and Dissemination and Implementation (Coming Soon!).

All students take the core curriculum. Elective courses are also offered and are organized within MAS. For example, the elective courses offered by the Clinical Neuropsychology MAS are designed in accordance with APA Division 40 Houston Conference guidelines. Students can elect a specific MAS, working closely with primary research and clinical mentors within those MAS. Search available recruiting faculty on our Faculty Mentors page.

Thank you again for your interest in the Clinical Psychology PhD Program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Please feel free to explore our website and contact us with any questions or concerns.