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Degree Requirements (81 Hours)

A minimum of 69 credit hours of course and practica work and 12 hours of dissertation work (PSYC 899) are required beyond the baccalaureate degree.  Course work is distributed across five categories with a minimum number of credits in each category.

Core Psychology Courses (19hours)

• Quantitative methods and research design: 6 hours
• Psychometrics and psychological testing: 3 hours
• Biological bases of behavior: 2 hours
• Learning or cognitive bases of behavior: 2 hours
• Social bases of behavior: 3 hours
• Foundations in Developmental Psychology: 3 hours

Research Courses (23 hours)

• Research methods course: 3 hours
• Individual research apprenticeship first year: 2 hours
• Thesis preparation second year: 6 hours
• Doctoral Research and Dissertation Preparation: 12 hours

Specialty Content Courses (18 hours)

• Psychological interventions: 3 hours
• Lifespan psychopathology and resilience: 3 hours Foundations of community psychology: 3 hours
• Foundations of community psychology: 3 hours
• Seminar in community psychology: 3 hours
• Ethics and issues in clinical-community psychology: 4 hours
• Social inequality and psychology: 3 hours

Practicum courses (12 hours)

• Intervention practica: 12 hours

Electives (19 hours)

• Psychology courses numbered 700+ (500+ for other departments)

The Ph.D. degree in clinical-community psychology also requires successful completion of qualifying requirements (masters thesis and masters oral), a general comprehensive examination (comprehensive paper), a specialty comprehensive examination (either in clinical or community), an oral comprehensive examination, and a predoctoral research internship.

Also required are an approved Ph.D. dissertation, and a one- year, predoctoral, full-time internship. Most students obtain an APA-approved (or approval-seeking) internship. Students have the option of declaring a concentration in Quantitative Methods in Psychology.

Quantitative Methods in Psychology Concentration Requirements:

• Must be accepted to a University of South Carolina Psychology Department Doctoral Program (Clinical-Community, School, or Experimental)
• Make a B or better in four courses (12 hours) that have 710 as a pre-requisite (i.e., advanced quantitative courses.) 709/710 do not count, nor do assessment or methods classes. Courses must be at the 700 level or higher.
• Two of the four courses (6 hours) are required to be taught in the department d. The third and fourth courses can optionally be taught in another department contingent upon approval from the Concentration Program Director.

The sequence of events and more details concerning specific aspects (including the required concurrent master’s degree) are in the current Clinical-Community Psychology Doctoral Program Graduate Student Handbook, provided to all incoming students.