Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology

The Department of Psychology offers a doctorate (PhD) in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in working with deaf and hard of hearing populations. Accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation (CoA) since 1995, the program is based on a “scholar-practitioner” training model following a lifespan development philosophy.

The Clinical Psychology PhD Program prepares students and alumni to contribute to the field through innovative research and scholarly work; clinical assessment, and therapeutic services and intervention for youth, adults, families, and communities across the spectrum of identity and lived experience.

Program Mission Statement

The mission of the Clinical Psychology PhD Program is to increase the number of health service psychologists with appropriate training in research and professional practice with deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people, as well as their families, communities, and other allied professionals. This includes DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, late deaf, and late hard of hearing individuals.

In a unique multicultural and bilingual (American Sign Language and English) learning environment, our aim is to train health service psychologists who:

1. understand psychological science and related research and analytic methods
2. are skilled in the theory, methods, and research of practice in health service psychology with a focus on clinical psychology; and
3. are knowledgeable about deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people, and integrate the diversity of individuals and communities into professional and scholarly practice.

Program of Study

The program requires completing 97 hours of academic credit that include the following domains

• Affective, biological, cognitive, developmental, and social bases of behavior
• Individual and cultural diversity
• Research and analytic methods
• Ethics and professional issues
• Psychological measurement and assessment
• Psychological interventions
• Supervision and consultation
• Psychology of Deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, and DeafDisabled people

The program of study includes mentored pre-dissertation and dissertation projects and encourages professional presentations and publications. Clinical training includes a minimum of four semesters of supervised practicum and externship experiences that take place on campus and across a varied number of approved training sites in the Metro Washington, D.C. area, followed by a yearlong APA-accredited doctoral internship in health service psychology.

Practicum, Externship, and Doctoral Internship Training

All students are expected to participate in practicum activities with the Gallaudet University Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) or the Gallaudet University Psychology Clinic (GUPC) during their second or third years in the program.

Note: Students who were undergraduates at Gallaudet University and received services at CAPS may be required to participate in alternative practicum opportunities on or off campus for a variety of ethical and professional practice issues. In such situations, the program will work with the student to identify equivalent clinical training.

Advanced practicum and externship experiences take place on campus and across a varied number of training sites in the Metro Washington, D.C. area. Training sites may include state and local hospitals; psychiatric inpatient and outpatient settings; community mental health centers; university counseling centers; the National Institutes of Health; the United States Department of Veterans Affairs; and the D.C. and Virginia Courts, among others.

Regarding APA-accredited doctoral internship, recent graduates have placed at the Boston VA, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, John L. Gildner Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents, Mid Atlantic Internship Consortium, Northwell Health, Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and University of Rochester Medical Center (see Student Outcome Data for match rates), Occasionally, students will request that they be supported in completing a program approved non-accredited internship when their professional goals focus on specialized training in working with deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind individuals.

Length of Program

The program is structured for the average student to graduate within 5 to 6 years. This timeline is contingent on the completion of coursework, as well as the research, clinical, language and communication, and cultural requirements of the program. For example, an additional year of study may be required for students who are developing their knowledge of ASL, cultural awareness, and/or application of these skills to clinical and research competencies. As ASL and English are the primary languages used at Gallaudet University and throughout the course of the Clinical Psychology PhD Program, students are expected to demonstrate ASL and English fluency. This is achieved through fulfillment of the program’s Clinical Language and Communication competencies that include an American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI Score) of at least a 2+ to register for the Practicum I course sequence, and an ASLPI score of at least 3 to graduate from the program. As needed, students also may choose to take an additional year to complete their dissertation project, especially if they are intending to pursue academic and or research careers.

For an overview of the program of study and requirements, as well as the complete list of PhD courses, please visit the Academic Catalog.

Admissions Procedures

Applicants for the Clinical Psychology PhD Program must complete the application procedures and meet the requirements for graduate study at Gallaudet University. The last date to submit completed applications is December 1. Virtual Interview by invitation will be scheduled in January-February. Applicants may contact the Director of Clinical Training to schedule a visit to campus at any point during this process.

Program Specific Requirements for Applicants

• Undergraduate Psychology Major or Minor, or Related Field (e.g., Social Work)
• 18 hours of undergraduate psychology coursework includes the following or equivalent coursework:
  • Adult Development, Child Development, or Lifespan Development; Abnormal Psychology or Psychopathology; Experimental Psychology or Research Methods; and Statistics
• Undergraduate GPA > 3.0
• All official undergraduate and graduate transcripts
• Prior research and related professional/volunteer experiences preferred
• Three letters of reference from academic, clinical and/or research professors or supervisors who can write to the applicant’s readiness for doctoral study. Please inform letter writers that the program requires an in-depth letter of recommendation that is uploaded in the admissions portal. They should not use the brief template found in the Graduate Admissions portal.
• An additional fourth letter of recommendation may be submitted from a professional who can attest to the applicant’s knowledge or experiences of working with deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, Deaf Disabled, late deafened, or late hard of hearing individuals; ASL or other communication modalities; and/or cultural experiences. However, this fourth letter is optional.
• Curriculum vitae or resume
• Three Narrative Statements (Access the Graduate Admissions portal for the specific prompts for each essay)
• Scholarly Writing Sample (Examples include prints or pre-prints of authored or co-authored articles, Honor’s/Capstone research projects, Master’s thesis projects, papers written for junior and senior level psychology coursework, etc.)
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae

NOTE: Prior research and/or related professional experiences preferred

Optional Components for Applicants

• Summary of the written English narrative statements and/or scholarly writing sample in ASL, SEE, Cued Speech, etc.

Culture and Language Experiences and Related Requirements

Lived experiences with deaf and/or hard of hearing populations, related culture(s), sign language, and/or other communication modalities prior to entering the Clinical Psychology PhD Program is highly recommended to experience success given the bilingual and multicultural mission of the University and program. Individuals with more limited experiences may still apply and be accepted to the program. Often these students are asked to complete sign language and/or Deaf culture courses prior to entering the program to enhance their foundational knowledge and skills in these areas.

Upon entering the program, all students continue to develop their language knowledge and skills in the academic setting. For those further developing their knolwedge of ASL, additional time and effort is required during the initial first and second years of the program. This occurs through a variety of opportunities that may include enhanced interactions in the community, advanced ASL coursework, etc. For deaf, hard of hearing, or hearing individuals entering the program with native or fluent language(s) and lived cultural experience(s), the time in the program is used to further develop these competencies as they apply to doctoral-level study, as well as research and clinical settings.

Point of Contact

For more information regarding the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program and/or the application process, please contact Lawrence Pick, PhD, ABPP, Director of Clinical Training at lawrence.pick@gallaudet.edu.