Clinical Psychology Program Handbook

Introduction and Program Philosophy

The Ohio State University Clinical Psychology program is designed to educate clinical psychology scientists for the future. The program is American Psychological Association (APA) accredited and has been so since 1948. Additionally, the program gained Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) accreditation in 2015. With this clinical science orientation, the Clinical Psychology Program at The Ohio State University aims to help students develop excellent research and clinical skills. The program focuses on development of students’ abilities to formulate, conduct, and publish empirical research relevant to clinical psychological phenomena. Students are trained to conceptualize, assess, treat, and prevent psychological dysfunction. The training program has three tracks: adult clinical, health psychology, and neuropsychology. 

We are committed to prioritizing diversity and inclusion as core values of our program. We strive to create a learning and working environment enriched by individual and cultural diversity. We aim to cultivate an inclusive climate of respect for individual differences of all kinds, including race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration/documentation status, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, physical/mental abilities, religion, veteran status, and socioeconomic status. We seek to make diversity a focus in our graduate and undergraduate curricula, and to encourage use of empirically supported techniques for inclusive recruitment, assessment, and treatment in our research. In teaching, research, and clinical training, we seek to increase awareness of our cultural biases, and strive for cultural humility and empathy. We think it important to continuously increase cultural consciousness through ongoing dialogue. We believe attention to inclusion and diversity enhances wellbeing of students, faculty, clients, and the broader community. Many resources are available from the College and the University, including but not limited to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Women’s Place. 

The core of our program includes didactic course work, with a focus on achieving the highest levels of research competence. Training includes courses and seminars on research methods and statistics, psychometrics, psychopathology, psychological assessment, empirically supported intervention, multicultural perspectives, and ethics of research and clinical services. As the content of clinical psychology continues to evolve, our guiding principle is to train critical thinkers. Upon leaving the program, our graduates are recruited for positions at universities, colleges, and medical schools, where they embark on careers as scholars and educators. Recent graduates, for example, hold faculty positions at UCLA, The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Duke University Medical School, Indiana University, University of Texas Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, University of Michigan, and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

A mentor model is used for research training. Interview and admissions decisions are made by Clinical faculty as a group, but the program follows a mentorship model. Individual faculty interview and select only students whose stated interests are congruent with those of the faculty member. In addition to research training, a faculty mentor is a student’s academic advisor and primary consultant for issues relevant to student training and career planning. Students may also choose to also consult with other faculty and are encouraged to do so.

Because effective clinical research requires first-hand experience with the phenomenology and treatment of psychological dysfunction, the program has a strong experiential (clinical) component. As a clinical scientist program, extensive clinical practica experiences are included. Students' initial clinical work is supervised by Leslie Rudy, Director of the Psychological Services Center, our in-house clinic. Later, students continue their clinical training with more advanced in-house practica and approved externships.

The Ohio State Clinical Psychology program is not “one size fits all.” Students with primary interests in clinical practice are not likely to find program aims or objectives to be consistent with their professional goals. In fact, a recent survey of graduates from the last 10 years indicates that over 60% hold positions in university or academic medical settings. Our explicit mission is to provide training for students who aim for careers as clinical scientists. We hope you find the Ohio State Clinical Psychology program to be both challenging and rewarding in meeting your goals.

Program Administration

Clinical Area Coordinator

Scott M. Hayes, Ph.D., (hayes.1074@osu.edu) is the current Area Coordinator and chairs meetings of Clinical Area faculty. He is also responsible for Clinical Area communications with the Department Chair. This position includes coordinating clinical course offerings, faculty teaching schedules, and immediate and long-term planning. 

Director of Clinical Training

 Jen Cheavens, Ph.D., (cheavens.1@osu.edu) is the current Director of Clinical Training (DCT). DCT responsibilities include monitoring quality and providing all outside communications regarding the Clinical Psychology program, such as representation to the American Psychological Association (APA), the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS), the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), and the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP). Additional DCT duties include acting as a Clinical Program advisor to all students, chairing evaluation meetings for students’ progress on research and practica, and communications between the Program regarding Department, University, and national needs and requests. Student communication duties include provision of correspondence regarding academic progress and related needs (e.g., letters for internship applicants and licensure). The DCT also coordinates externship placements and evaluations, including regular communication with externship supervisors, and responding to students’ questions/concerns regarding specific placements. 

Director of the Psychological Services Center

Leslie Rudy, Ph.D., (rudy.4@osu.edu) is Director of the Psychological Service Center (PSC). Her office is room 105A in the PSC. Leslie is an Ohio State Clinical Program graduate and supervises students’ early clinical work.  

Program Associate

The Program Associate (position not currently filled) provides support to Clinical Area faculty and students. This person assists the DCT in maintaining records for APA and PCSAS accreditation and provides administrative support for the Psychological Services Center. The program associate can be reached by telephone at (614) 292-5303.

Clinical Faculty Meetings and Student Representation

Clinical area faculty meet regularly during Autumn and Spring semesters to discuss matters related to curricula, personnel, student needs, and planning. Students elect one representative each of the following groups: first-year, second-year, and post-second year. Student representatives are responsible for attending area meetings as needed, providing agenda items, and/or providing student input for current issues, and communicating with fellow students regarding area meeting content.

Student Meetings

Student consultation and opportunities for student comments, advice, and concerns regarding the Program occur each semester, and on an as-needed basis.

Faculty Advisors / Mentors

The Clinical Area uses a mentor/advisor model (see above). Students’ faculty advisors monitor and assist students in their research and completion of milestones, including the Thesis, Candidacy Exam, and Dissertation. See Appendix A for descriptions of each faculty member’s research interests.

There are nine core Clinical Area faculty members (Barb Andersen, Jen Cheavens, Jeremy Grant, Jasmeet Hayes, Scott Hayes, Ruchika Prakash, Joshua Smyth, Matt Southward, Dan Strunk) and Clinic Director Leslie Rudy. There are also joint faculty (i.e., individuals with primary appointments in another academic units and secondary appointments in Psychology). See Appendix B for a list of joint faculty with research interests. With approval of core Program faculty, a joint faculty member may serve as a student’s research mentor. When doing so, students are co-advised by a core Clinical Area faculty member. In addition to providing general advising, co-advisors also serve as co-chairs of students’ committees for program requirements (Master’s Theses, Candidacy Exams, and Dissertations). Thus, both the research mentor and the co-advisor are members of all of the student’s committees. 

In addition to providing research mentorship, faculty advisors monitor students’ progress through the Clinical Program, including their performances in courses, the candidacy exam, practicum experiences, and ethical and professional development. Students and advisors maintain clear lines of communication throughout students’ tenure in the program. Accordingly, students meet with their advisors regularly (typically once per week to every other week). Meeting schedules vary as a function of advisor/student preference, advisors’ schedules, project requirements, and progress in the program. If meetings are occurring at a less-than-optimal frequency, students are encouraged to express directly to their advisors the need for additional meeting time.

By program design, students remain with one advisor for the duration of training. However, in rare circumstances changes in research interests, career plans, etc., of a student may necessitate a change in advisors. This is most easily accomplished after completing a training milestone, such as the Master’s Thesis or Candidacy Exam. If a student wishes to change advisors, s/he should have a preliminary conversation with her/his prospective advisor to discuss this possibility. Before any change is confirmed, a student should also discuss the potential change with his/her current advisor. After clarifying the change with the current advisor and receiving approval from the proposed advisor, the student must provide the DCT with written documentation of the change, with copies to both the departing and new advisors.

The Clinical Training Program 

In brief, the Clinical Training Program is most readily described by outlining the curriculum in Years 1 through 4 and describing markers of achievement (program “hurdles”) during each period. The Department cannot pay, per Graduate School policy, tuition for students with over 174 credit hours. The Clinical Program is designed to be completed in five years with the final, sixth year spent at an APA-accredited internship. The sequence is outlined in the following table.
 

In the first two years in-residence, didactic core courses are intense and clinical training begins. The first year includes much of the core Clinical Program curriculum. In April, first-year students deliver a presentation highlighting research they have completed or are undertaking. In the second year, core courses continue, and discipline specific knowledge (DSK) requirements are met through courses in biological, social, cognitive, developmental, and affective bases of behavior. Clinical experiences in the Psychological Services Center also begin, and Master’s theses are completed.  

Students are admitted to the Clinical Program with the hope and expectation that they will complete the full doctoral program. However, in some cases, a terminal master’s degree may be awarded. When concerns about a student’s performance arise sufficiently early, Clinical Faculty discuss the student’s case and decide whether the student will be permitted to continue in the Ph.D. program following the student’s master’s defense. In the event that sufficient concerns only become clear at the defense meeting, Clinical Faculty discuss the case following the defense meeting and determine whether the student will be permitted to continue in the program. The decision between a terminal Master’s degree and proceeding through the remainder of the Ph.D. program is separate from the deliberations of one’s master’s thesis committee. It is made by the core Clinical Faculty. Such situations are rare.   

Following completion of the Master’s Thesis, students are also asked to present at the department’s research forum. Following completion of the Candidacy (general competency) Exam in the third year, students are “advanced” to Ph.D. candidacy. From this time forward, program activities are individualized to achieve students’ career goals. In Years 3 and 4 (and to a lesser extent 5), students continue to meet any remaining DSK requirements, complete statistics requirements, and engage in PSC specialty clinics or off-site practica. All of these are described in more detail below. Additional research and dissertation work are also completed. Year 5 or 6 consists of completing an off-campus, APA-accredited internship. From 2008 -2017, 62% of students graduated within 6 years (including internship). Over 90% of our graduates in the last 10 years have obtained licensure.  

Diversity, Culture, and Individual Differences 

Diversity and inclusion-relevant materials are assigned and presented in all Clinical Area courses. We continue our efforts to increase coverage of topics such as disparities in mental health outcomes among stigmatized groups, racial bias in diagnosis and treatment, theoretical models of mental health disparities, and psychological assessment with diverse populations. Additional training is available in the Department and across the College and University. Particular attention to culture and diversity-related issues is covered in Clinical Assessment (Psych 7864), Psychopathology (Psych 6853), Empirically Supported Treatments (Psych 6866), and Research Design and Methods in Clinical Psychology (Psych 6854). Coverage is also included in Seminar in Clinical Psychology: Current Research in Clinical Science (Psychology 7695.01). All faculty actively integrate diversity and inclusion into their courses.  

Required Core Curriculum 

The curriculum integrates broad substantive training in psychology with advanced research and professional training in clinical science, including psychopathology and health psychology. The curriculum is designed to meet guidelines of APA and PCSAS accreditation.  

Psychology 6861: Research Design and Methods in Clinical Psychology
This course covers essentials of experimental and quasi-experimental design, single-case designs, field studies, and research ethics.

• Psychology 6863: Psychometrics
  This course covers classic and contemporary approaches to reliability, validity, statistical and theoretical issues vis-à-vis assessment and test construction.
• Psychology 6810: Quantitative Methods in Psychology I
  This is the first required statistics sequence course offered in fall semester, Year 1. It covers descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing, ANOVA, and introduction to correlation and regression.
• Psychology 6811: Quantitative Methods in Psychology II
  Professors in the Quantitative Area): This is the second statistics sequence course and is offered in the spring semester. It covers regression and random effects models.
• Third Statistics class
  Clinical students are required to take an additional quantitative class of their choosing, preferably in Year 2. This course ordinarily complements the student’s research focus. Several current offerings are well-suited to the type of complex data sets common in clinical and health psychology. The following courses are currently offered: Mediation, Moderation and Conditional Process Analysis (Psych 6822), Causal Inference (Psych 7695.06), Covariance Structural Models (Psych7821), Fundamentals of Item Response Theory (Psych 7822), Analysis of Repeated Measures and Longitudinal Data (Psych 7823), Non-Parametric Statistics (Psych 7824) and Simulation Modeling (Psych 7825). In addition, Biostatistics courses (e.g., logistic regression, survival analyses) are offered by the College of Public Health.
• Psychology 6853: Psychopathology 
  This provides an overview of current knowledge and major issues in psychopathology. This includes models of diagnosis and classification, as well as experimental and clinical approaches to psychopathology, including the DSM-5, the Research Domain Criteria, and empirically-based taxonomies.
• Psychology 6866: Empirically Supported Treatments
  This course covers evidence-based psychosocial interventions for various forms of adult psychopathology.
• Psychology 7188: Clinical Services: Ethics, Assessment, Supervision, and Treatment
  This course provides (1) a practical overview of assessment and intervention services; (2) ethics, with special attention to clinical practice; (3) approaches to supervision; and (4) consultation with other professionals. Following the course, students are prepared to provide supervised clinical services at the Psychological Services Center.
• Psychology 7864: Psychological Appraisal
  This course provides an introduction to theories, strategies, and techniques in psychological assessment, including adult intellectual assessment (e.g., WAIS) and personality assessment (e.g., MMPI). 

Requirements in Other Areas 

As an APA-Accredited program, students must receive training in affective, biological, cognitive, developmental, and social aspects of behavior. Students are encouraged to begin this coursework in Year 1 when possible. All core courses include ethics and diversity, with supervision/consultation and professional development issues in selected core courses. In addition, students must complete a course in history and systems of psychology (an undergraduate- or graduate-level course can satisfy this requirement). Please note that the history and systems (or history of psychology) requirement is the only course requirement that can be satisfied with a previous undergraduate course. To do so, students must supply a copy of the syllabus from the course they took (to demonstrate the appropriate course content) and evidence that they earned a B or higher in the course.  

Students entering the program in Autumn 2021 or later may satisfy the domain-specific knowledge requirements with the following two courses: 

• Psych 6210: Biological and Social Bases of Behavior
  This course covers biological and social aspects of behavior.
• Psych 6220: Cognitive and Developmental Bases of Behavior
  This course covers cognitive and developmental aspects of behavior.  

These courses are expected to be offered in Fall and Spring every other year. They will be offered for the first time in Autumn 2022 and Spring 2023. Students taking these courses should plan to take them in their first or second year.  

Students who entered the program prior to Autumn 2021 may still satisfy their domain-specific knowledge requirement by taking courses in the following areas:  

• Biological aspects of behavior
  Courses currently offered include Biological Psychiatry (Psych 5613), Seminar in Behavioral Neuroscience (Psych 5891), and Survey of Behavioral Neuroscience I (Psych 6806).
• Cognitive-affective aspects of behavior
  Courses currently offered include Cognitive Aging, Neurodegeneration, and Neuroplasticity (Psychology 5089), Techniques and Topics in Cognitive Neuroscience (Psych 6880), and Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making (Psych 7708).
• Social aspects of behavior
  Courses currently offered include Basic Principles of Social Psychology (Psych 6870), Social Cognition (Psych 7871), and Social Motivation (Psych 7872).

• Ethics 
  In the summer between Years 1 and 2, students participate in an Introduction to Clinical Services course, where applied ethics are covered (research ethics is covered in the Research Methods course). All students are expected to complete Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training (a national research training requirement), and to keep this certification up-to-date. Students also address professional issues and ethics in their respective research and clinical practica.
• History and Systems
  Psych 6809: Historical Developments of Psychology is currently required (an undergraduate or graduate level course can satisfy this requirement).

Concentrations and Specialty Training

Quantitative Psychology 

Students may opt to have a “concentration” in quantitative psychology by taking two additional statistic courses (total = 5). Consider this option and discuss it with your advisor.  

Adult Psychopathology 

Students are not required to take additional courses beyond the core. However, students may find additional electives offered, such as Mood Disorders or Personality Disorders. Students should consult with their advisors about any additional coursework.  

Health Psychology  

This specialty is defined by passing at least three courses (the required Psych 7695.01 Behavioral Medicine + two other health psychology courses). Students must also complete all programs requirements and have a research specialty in health psychology.  

Required Course

• Psych 6867.01: Behavioral Medicine
  This required course for health track students provides both historical and contemporary perspective on health psychology. Traditional conceptualizations of stress serve as introductory material. Major topics include the biopsychosocial model, health behavior, promotion and prevention, health disparities, psychological responses and adjustment to medical diagnosis and treatment, and delivery and dissemination of psychological interventions with health populations. 

Additional Courses (at least 2 must be completed) 

• Psych 7695.02: Behavioral Medicine: Cancer 
  This elective overviews biobehavioral aspects of cancer prevention and control and dissemination/implementation of psychological interventions.
• Psych 5089: Cognitive Aging, Neurodegeneration, and Neuroplasticity 
  This elective covers changes in adult cognition (emphasis on memory) and the brain (emphasis on structural and functional MRI studies) as a result of normal aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases. The course also covers modifiable health factors that contribute to neuroplasticity and may attenuate age- and disease-related neural and cognitive decline, such as nutrition, fitness, physical activity, exercise, and videogaming. Course content will thus cover the spectrum of cognitive and brain health among older adults: from the super-agers to those with dementia. 

Note: Additional course offerings in the College of Public Health and other departments are available. Please consult with one’s advisor regarding the appropriateness of these courses in fulfilling the requirement of two electives and to seek approval for such substitutions. 

Health Psychology Practica

Students must complete a health psychology practicum. External health psychology practica are available, although each practicum site might not be offered each year and any individual student may not match at a given external site during their training. Students should discuss practica options with their advisor prior to ranking sites. Below are a list of health psychology practica.  

• Health track at Columbus VA
• Pre-Surgical Evaluation at OSUMC
• Family & Community Medicine OSUMC
• Behavioral Sleep Medicine OSUMC
• Post-Surgical Transplant OSUMC
• Cardio OSUMC 

Students may also petition the health psychology faculty within the clinical area (Drs. Andersen, S. Hayes, Prakash, Smyth) for consideration of a practicum experience falling within the domain of health psychology that is not listed above. To request consideration of a non-listed site, students should send an email to their primary advisor describing the practicum site, clinical experiences (how they fall within the domain of health psychology) and include the name and expertise of the primary practicum supervisor. Your advisor will then discuss the potential training experience and seek approval from the health psychology faculty. 

Clinical Neuropsychology 

The Clinical Neuropsychology specialty follows the Houston Conference guidelines for doctoral training requirements. Students interested in pursuing clinical neuropsychology as a major area of study will complete all required general clinical area requirements, and in addition will:  

• Complete at least three courses covering the foundations of brain-behavior relationships. These courses are in addition to the core clinical classes.
• Complete two years of clinical neuropsychology practica
• Attend neuropsychology/neurology seminars and grand rounds
• Conduct research within the broad field of neuropsychology using behavioral or neuroimaging-based methods

Students seeking specialization in clinical neuropsychology are additionally encouraged to present at conferences organized by the International Neuropsychological Society and the American Psychological Association (Division 40). Core clinical neuropsychology faculty include Drs. Jeremy Grant, Jasmeet Hayes, Scott Hayes, and Ruchika Prakash. Faculty from the OSU Wexner College of Medicine may also contribute. Students who wish to pursue this specialty must discuss their plans with Dr. Jasmeet Hayes who is serving as the Clinical Neuropsychology specialty coordinator. 

Coursework 

Students will be required to take all core clinical classes. In addition, students will complete one required course (Principles of Clinical Neuropsychology) and at least two additional brain-behavior relationships courses listed below. Students should plan their coursework in advance, as some classes are only offered every other year. 

Required Course

• Principles of Clinical Neuropsychology (forthcoming)
  This course will provide clinical psychology graduate students with the foundation for neuropsychological assessment of adults. Functional neuroanatomy will be discussed in the context of neurocognitive processes and classical syndromes in neuropsychology and behavioral neurology. Conceptual models of neuropsychological assessment and differential diagnosis of neurological and psychiatric disorders will be discussed. Major diagnostic problems will be illustrated through the introduction of case materials. The class will emphasize case conceptualization based on neurocognitive profiles, along with ways of creatively tailoring the methods of assessment and intervention recommendations to the special needs and problems presented by individual cases. Finally, professional and ethical issues that arise for the clinical neuropsychologist will be discussed. 

Additional Courses 

At least 2 of the following courses must be completed, and only one fMRI course (either 5425 or 6650) can count toward the requirement.

• Psych 5089: Cognitive Aging, Neurodegeneration, and Neuroplasticity
  This course covers changes in adult cognition (emphasis on memory) and the brain (emphasis on structural and functional MRI studies) as a result of normal aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases. The course also covers modifiable health factors that contribute to neuroplasticity and may attenuate age- and disease-related neural and cognitive decline, such as nutrition, fitness, physical activity, exercise, and videogaming. Course content will thus cover the spectrum of cognitive and brain health among older adults: from the super-agers to those with dementia.
• Psych 5425: Introduction to Neuroimaging Analysis
  This course provides students an introduction to the field of neuroimaging with an emphasis on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Students will learn how magnetic resonance imaging works, including MRI safety, image formation, scanning sequence, and image acquisition. Additionally, the course will familiarize students with the basic principle of fMRI experiment design: block design vs event-related design. And, finally, students will acquire basic knowledge of fMRI data analysis, for both task and resting state, including preprocessing, normalization, statistical analysis, and interpretation of results.
• Psych 5613H: Biological Psychiatry
  The goal of the course is to provide a contemporary survey of the biological basis of neuropsychiatric dysfunction and resulting behavioral syndromes. The course will highlight mood and anxiety disorders, stress-based disorders, and schizophrenia. For each disorder, students will learn the diagnostic classifications, presenting symptomatology, underlying neurobiological dysfunctions, theories regarding etiology, and therapeutic strategies. We will directly compare the heuristic leverage provided by the long-time DSM approach with that of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) perspective. A key thematic thread throughout the course will be the parallel evolution of our understanding of the organization and function of the brain, theories of the pathophysiological basis of neural dysfunction, and research methodologies used in the investigation of neural mechanisms involved in the control of complex behaviors.
• Psych 6650: Seminar in Advanced fMRI Analysis Techniques 
  For students who have already completed the intro-level fMRI course. We will discuss techniques such as fMR-adaptation, retinotopic mapping, multi-voxel pattern analysis, functional connectivity, representational similarity analysis, real-time fMRI, etc. We will discuss journal articles and experiment ideas applying these techniques. This course is intended for students with prior fMRI experience. Prereq: 5425, or permission of instructor.
• Anatomy 6800: Graduate Human Neuroanatomy
  Human Neuroanatomy for Graduate Students (Anatomy 6800) is an introductory course that covers the foundations of functional neuroanatomy (including blood supply) and systemic organization of the human nervous system with an emphasis on the brain and spinal cord. The teaching and learning methods used include lectures and laboratories. Summative assessments will be used to evaluate mastery of information in the form of written and “practical” (laboratory) examinations. A term paper and presentation will be used as a means to develop expertise in a particular aspect of neuroanatomy and further hone scientific writing and presentation skills. 

Neuropsychology Practica

Internal and external neuropsychology practica are available, although each practicum site might not be offered in a given year and any individual student may not match at a given external site during their training. Students must complete the equivalent of two years of neuropsychology practicum. When not on a neuropsychology practicum, students are expected to do an intervention-based practicum. Students should discuss practica options with their advisor prior to ranking sites.  

Internal practicum options 

• Buckeye Brain Aging Clinic (Scott Hayes)
• Concussion and Trauma Assessment Clinic (Jasmeet Hayes)
• Neuropsychological Assessment and Rehabilitation of Cognitive Decline (Ruchika Prakash) 

External practicum options 

• OSU Psychiatry
• Columbus VA Neuropsychology
• OSU Neurology (TBD)
• Child neuropsychology at Nationwide (TBD) 

Neuropsychology/Neurology/TBI Lectures/Journal Club/Case Conference 

Students are expected to attend internal and external didactic lectures related to neuropsychology to broaden their training. Students should plan to attend lectures and presentations by internal and external speakers throughout the year that are relevant to brain-behavior relationships:  

• CCBBI Lecture Series
• Early Career BIPOC Scholars Neuropsychology Lecture Series
• Cognitive Neuroscience Lectures (content dependent; discuss with your supervisor)
• Neuropsychology Didactics (OSU Psychiatry)
• Brain Cuttings 

Research in Neuropsychology 

Students will conduct research related to neuropsychology/clinical neuroscience. Current research focuses on topics including the cognitive neuroscience of aging, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Informal didactics will occur within these labs (e.g., reading journal articles on dementia, differential diagnosis, neuroimaging, healthy aging & cognition). The primary labs conducting research relevant to neuropsychology are: 

• Buckeye Brain Aging Lab (Scott Hayes)
• Clinical Neuroscience Lab (Ruchika Prakash)
• MINDSET Lab (Jasmeet Hayes) 

Research Training

Program Milestones and Scholarship

• First-year presentation
  At the end of spring semester, students deliver an oral presentation highlighting research they have completed or are undertaking. Students should consult with their advisors in preparing the presentation. Clinical faculty and graduate students attend presentations. Advanced students may also be asked to present findings from their dissertation.
• Presentations at regional or national meeting(s)
  All students are expected to present empirical research projects at research conferences. Submissions are typically those in which students played a significant role as investigator. Meeting attendance and conference presentations introduce students to and facilitate their involvement in national research communities of psychologists. Completion of multiple conference presentations prior to Ph.D. conferral is normative so students will be competitive for future employment opportunities. Travel funds are available from the Department for students whose papers and posters are accepted. Information regarding application for such funds can be obtained from the Department’s Graduate Program Coordinator, Mary Jones (jones.3308@osu.edu) or the office of the Chair.
• Student-initiated grant proposals
  Students are encouraged, in consultation with their advisors, to apply for their own grant funding. Obtaining such funding has many advantages, including reduced student teaching and more time to conduct research. These awards are also impressive to internship sites and search committees when students apply for jobs. Predoctoral National Research Service Awards from the National Institutes of Health and Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation are especially appealing and prestigious options. Many associations (e.g., American Psychological Association Dissertation Research Award) and foundations (American Psychological Foundation scholarships) also provide competitive dissertation awards that students should consider with their advisors. Additional resources can be found in Appendix D
• Scholarly contributions/publications
  All students are to engage in scholarly writing and publishing throughout their graduate training. Publication of articles in high-impact peer-reviewed journals is strongly encouraged, and essential for those who plan for a research-focused postdoctoral fellowship and the academic job market.
• Master’s Thesis, Candidacy Exam, and Dissertation
  The Master’s Thesis, Candidacy Exam, and Dissertation are all integral components of students’ research training. They are described in detail in later sections.
• Writing
  Students who wish to improve their writing have a number of university offerings from which to choose. Usually, students take such courses in Years 1 or 2, prior to the Master’s Thesis defense. Additionally, the OSU Writing Center has resources available to graduate students, including thesis and dissertation writing groups.

Clinical Training

The Clinical Program requires clinical practicum experiences in Years 2 (Psychology 7188) and 3 (specialty clinics, external practica). Most students pursue additional clinical experiences in the years thereafter. Students begin seeing clients at the Psychological Services Center, housed in the Psychology Building. The clinic offers services to clients experiencing a wide range of concerns including anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, OCD, and trauma-related disorders, among others. Given generous support from the College and Department, we offer our services at no cost to clients, which allows us to serve traditionally under-served groups in central Ohio. We are proud to provide evidence-based psychotherapy to clients regardless of their ability to pay. We welcome clients from all social identity groups.  

Clinical supervision focuses on improving competence in treating clients of diverse backgrounds. Relevant topics in supervision may include therapy with LGBTQ clients, intersectionality, incorporating clients’ religious beliefs and traditional values in treatment, barriers to treatment for individuals of low socioeconomic status, unique concerns faced by people of color, communication with clients for whom English is their second language, and more. Advanced practica offer additional training to work with diverse populations. 

Psych 7188: Second Year Practicum: This required practicum is conducted at the PSC. This is one year training experience. Practicum supervision is provided by Dr. Rudy, Director of the PSC. Practicum begins in the summer following completion of the first year. It provides training in psychological assessment and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The PSC provides clinical services for individuals from the greater Columbus community. 

Specialty Clinics 

Specialty clinics are offered by core faculty in their respective areas of expertise. Offerings are provided below; not all are available every year. 

• Psych 7189: Adult Assessment Clinic
  The practicum trains students to conduct psychodiagnostic assessments. Students receive an introduction to neuropsychological assessment, and learn to administer structured clinical interviews.
• Psych 7189: Advanced Practicum in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression
  Students learn to provide individual CBT (with special focus on patients with depression or related mood disorders). Experiences also include conducting structured psychological evaluations.  
• Psych 7189: Advanced Practicum in Dialectical Behavior Therapy
  Students learn to provide individual and group dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) with focus on treating patients with borderline personality disorder. However, patients with other disorders characterized by emotion dysregulation and impulsivity are also treated in this practicum. Both assessment and treatment within the DBT framework are included.
• Psych 7189: Buckeye Brain Aging Clinic
  Students will learn to administer, score, and interpret a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery and consider these data within the context of some combination of mental health, physical activity (Actigraphy), fitness (aerobic, strength assessments), body composition (results of DEXA scan), and sleep assessments (Actigraphy).
• Psych 7189: Mindfulness Clinic 
  This practicum teaches students how to address worries, stress, and tension in the general population. Group treatment is used and includes didactics, mindfulness training, and yoga. 

External Practica 

Sites available for student training for Year 3 and after are listed below. Most require a 9- to 12-month commitment. Students typically spend 10-15 hours of clinical experiences per week, although this number varies across practicum sites depending on the training requirements.  

• Eating and Behavioral Associates
• Grant Hospital
• OSU Nisonger Center
• OSU Department of Family Medicine
• OSU Department of Psychiatry (several opportunities)
• OSU Counseling and Consultation Center
• Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare
• VA Ambulatory Care Center
• Selected private practitioners in the Columbus area 

In late spring, students receive information about potential practicum placements. Following this, students are asked to rank their preferences for practicum placements. Using this information and information from the sites, the DCT assigns students to placements/sites, taking into consideration student preferences, supervisor preferences, and their research mentor’s agreement. 

Example Sequence of Graduate Coursework

Year 1: Autumn Semester 

• Psych 6861: Research Design and Methods in Clinical Psychology
• Psych 6853: Psychopathology
• Psych 6810: Statistical Methods I
• Psych 6809*: Historical Developments of Psychology 

Year 1: Spring Semester 

• Psych 6811: Statistical Methods II
• Psych 6863*: Psychometrics
• Psych 6866*: Empirically Supported Treatments
• Psych 8889 under advisor: First Year Project

Year 2: Autumn Semester 

• Psych 7188: Clinical Practicum in the PSC
• Psych 7864*: Psychological Appraisal
• Third required statistics class
• Psych 6210: Biological and Social Bases of Behavior
• Health Psychology*
• Master’s proposal 

Year 2: Spring Semester 

• Psych 7188: Clinical Practicum
• A statistics class for Clinical students concentrating in quantitative analyses
• Psych 7695.01: Seminar in Health Psychology*
• Psych 6220: Cognitive and Developmental Bases of Behavior
• Master’s defense 

Year 3: Autumn and Spring Semesters 

• Either PSC clinics (Psych 7188) under core faculty or outside the PSC practicum (Psych 7189)
• Any remaining Health Psychology course
• Psychopathology electives
• Statistic classes for clinical students concentrating in quantitative psychology
• Completion of Candidacy Exam 

Year 4: Autumn and Spring Semesters 

• Either PSC clinics (Psych 7188) under core faculty or outside the PSC practicum (Psych 7189)
• Any remaining Health Psychology course
• Statistic classes for clinical students concentrating in quantitative psychology
• Dissertation proposal 

Student Conduct, Performance, Progress, and Opportunities 

There are many components to evaluating student performance and progress in the Clinical Program. The clearest markers are maintenance of satisfactory grades and timely completion of academic milestones, as outlined above and specified in further detail below. Other important factors include but are not limited to expertise in clinical work as demonstrated through practicum performance, engagement in research, teaching performance (if relevant), professional contributions, and professional and ethical conduct.  

Grades

To be in academic good standing, as defined by the OSU Graduate School, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale, where A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, and D=1.0. Students who do not maintain a 3.0 GPA are placed on academic probation by the Graduate School.  

In addition to the requirement of a 3.0 GPA, the Clinical Program uses the following interpretation of letter grades for performance in Clinical and Department coursework: A=outstanding, B=expected, and C=unacceptable. If a student receives a “C” in any core clinical course or required statistics course, she or he should discuss this with his or her advisor and the professor who taught the course. The student is required to retake all or portions of the course and/or complete remedial work. A plan for remediation will be specified by the Clinical Area and communicated to the student by the DCT. 

Academic Standing and Program Markers 

In addition to Graduate School standards, student progress is discussed at least annually by Clinical Area faculty. Timely and successful completion of program requirements are considered. When requirements are completed successfully and on time, students are in good standing.  

Note: Markers are to be completed during the nine-month academic calendar year. Most Psychology Department faculty, including core clinical area faculty, are on nine-month appointments. They therefore are not paid for the summer. Accordingly, requests for meetings to be held during the summer months are not advised. Faculty summer months are spent on research, writing, visits with collaborators, etc. Therefore, students should schedule committee meetings during the none-month academic year. Program requirements and associated timelines for timely and successful completion are as follows: 

• First year research experience
  Students become engaged in research upon matriculation. Near the end of their first year, each student presents her or his research at an annual event attended by Clinical Area faculty and students. This is typically late spring semester.  
   
• Master’s Thesis
  The Master’s Thesis is a high quality research project planned and performed in close consultation with students’ academic advisor(s). In some cases, a proposal meeting is convened in which students obtain feedback from their Committee on their literature review, methods, and proposed analyses. The proposal meeting is optional. Please consult with your advisor. In contrast, an oral defense meeting for the Master’s Thesis is mandatory and must occur (at the latest) before the last day of class in spring semester of your second year for a student to remain in good standing.  
   
• Advancement to Candidacy for the Dissertation 
  Separate from successful completion of the Master’s Thesis is deliberation of the Clinical Faculty regarding a student’s suitability to advance to the dissertation. Recommendation for such (Yes vs. No) is made by the advisor in consultation with the Master’s Committee. Their recommendation is advisory to the Clinical Faculty which is the final arbiter for the decision. 
   
• Candidacy Exam
  The Candidacy Exam (sometimes referred to as the General Exam and/or the Qualifying Exam) is intended to assess breadth and depth of students’ knowledge. The format is either the standard written/oral exam or an alternative (see below). Regardless of the format, the exam includes written and oral portions, both of which must be passed before a student is advanced to candidacy. Students should consult with their advisors about options; alternative formats have eligibility requirements (described below) and must have advisor approval.  
  
  The written portion of the standard exam is only offered during spring semester. Students who choose it take it do so during spring break and defend within 2-4 weeks. Alternative exams are defended when they are finished, which is expected in Year 3. Regardless of the option, to remain in good standing, the oral defense must be completed successfully, following satisfactory completion of the written portion, on or before the last day of the spring semester of Year 3.  
   
• Doctoral Dissertation 
  As in any Ph.D. program, the Dissertation is a capstone achievement in graduate school. It is a major, original piece of research that makes a substantive contribution to knowledge in a student’s area of interest/expertise. Upon completion of the dissertation, students should have (1) demonstrated high level expert knowledge of a specific content area, and (2) written a document that demonstrates strong scholarship and is of publication quality (dissertation documents tend to be of greater length and therefore tend to require editing prior to being submitted for publication). The following procedures must be followed:  
   
  • Proposal Meeting 
    Prior to embarking on the dissertation work, students author a dissertation proposal (described in more detail below), and convene their Dissertation Committee for a proposal meeting, during which the proposal is evaluated. The proposal document should be sent to the committee at least 2 weeks prior to your scheduled proposal meeting. The student and his/her Committee discuss objectives of the research, the scholarly literature review, and proposed methods. Oftentimes, the Committee will recommend changes to the proposed research. The proposal meeting must be completed successfully, with no additional meetings needed, prior to applying to internship programs. The deadline is October 1.  
     
  • Defense Meeting 
    The completed dissertation document must be sent to the Committee for review at least four weeks prior to the meeting (see below). During this time, each Committee member evaluates the document and makes determination of the research and the document readiness for an oral defense. If not deemed ready, the document is returned to the student for modifications. If appropriate to proceed, the oral defense meeting can be scheduled with notification to the Graduate School of the proposed date/time. In view of the required period of evaluation and subsequent determination of defense date, students should anticipate one month (minimum) from initial delivery to faculty for evaluation and setting of the defense date. 
     
  • The two-hour dissertation defense begins with an oral presentation (typically 20-30 min) during which the student presents her/his research. Committee members then query him/her regarding any aspect of content, methods, analyses, and interpretation of findings. Following discussion, the candidate is excused for committee deliberation. When this discussion is complete, the student is requested to return to learn the pass vs. fail recommendation.
    
    According to policies set by the Graduate School, the dissertation defense must occur within five years of advancement to candidacy. Note: The Clinical Area requires that the dissertation defense occur no later than one year after completion of internship.

For students to remain in good standing with the Graduate School, timely completion of milestones is required. This sequence, which is described in previous sections, can be summarized as follows:  

• Students are regarded as “in difficulty" when a “marker” is missed (e.g., the last day of spring term in your second year without successful Master’s Thesis defense; the last day of spring term in your third year without successful completion of candidacy). In difficulty status may extend for a maximum of one year (12 months).
• If the marker remains unmet during the 12 month in difficulty period, the student is next placed "on probation”. This status also may extend for a maximum of one year (12 months).
• Failure to complete the Master’s Thesis by the last day of the spring term in your fourth year results in termination from the Clinical Program. 

The temporal sequence for completing the Master’s Thesis, Candidacy Exam, and Dissertation indicates one’s standing in the Clinical Program. However, Clinical faculty have prerogative to evaluate and inform students of difficulty at any time—including concerns and difficulties that could lead to termination from the program. Reasons for termination include Clinical Program violations (e.g., participating in clinical practica or “moonlighting” without approval, research irregularities and/or plagiarism, unethical behavior, etc.). Additionally, students must have an advisor of record at all times.  

All graduate students are expected to conform to reasonable standards of academic and professional conduct in all activities related to teaching, research, and service within the Clinical Area, the Department, and the University. Relevant standards include, for example, Section 7 of the Graduate School Handbook and APA Ethical Standards. Students are responsible for understanding and abiding by these and related standards for clinical psychologists. 

The multiple requirements and range of experiences (research, coursework, teaching, clinical work) of the program necessitate development proficient time management. Consequences of delayed program markers are significant and bring added stress. Students having difficulty managing required tasks should seek assistance from their mentors. Senior peers can also be very helpful. Self-help books on time management might also be useful (e.g., Julie Morgenstern’s Time Management from the Inside Out, John D. Cone & Sharon L. Foster’s Dissertation and Theses from Start to Finish, Silvia’s How to Write A Lot), as well as occasional short-course offerings on campus for time management.  

Review of Progress

Students receive formal and informal verbal and written feedback and guidance throughout their training. Students who wish to clarify or seek additional feedback should make requests directly to the relevant faculty member. Consultation with the DCT, Area Coordinator, or other faculty members is always available; we are happy to help, please just ask.  

Written evaluations of progress are completed annually, following Clinical Area faculty meetings in which the respective advisor summarizes the student’s activity report (SARs) to the Clinical Area. The SAR is a department-managed, web-based interface for entry of research activity, publications, clinical placements, course progress, and personal goals. Students who fail to complete the SAR have incomplete evaluations and are considered to be “in difficulty” until the form is completed and faculty can conduct an evaluation. During evaluation meetings, a student’s advisor(s) discusses progress in research, clinical work, and teaching, considering individual student’s goals. For students with a joint faculty member as research mentor, the joint faculty member joins the meeting. In addition to the advisor’s/mentor’s report, faculty discussion includes review of student’s performance in courses, completion of research projects, presentations, and publications, and obtained feedback (if relevant) from externship supervisors regarding student's clinical skills and professional development. Faculty evaluations and recommendations for continued training are communicated to students via correspondence written jointly by the advisor and the DCT. Letters are sent to all students, typically in the early summer months. Additional correspondence with students occurs on an as-needed basis. 

Student Grievances/Complaints

Graduate students who have academic and/or training related grievances are encouraged to (1) discuss the problem with their advisor and/or the DCT and, if the grievance is not resolved satisfactorily (2) present the grievance formally to the Department Graduate Studies Chair (Stephen Petrill, petrill.2@osu.edu, 614-292-9547) or the Psychology Department Chair (Duane Wegener, wegener.1@osu.edu, 614-292-1866). If the grievance is not resolved satisfactorily by the Department, it should then be addressed to the Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Ryan King, [executive assistant Matt Thompson, thompson.1325@osu.edu, 614-688-3739]). If a student considers resolution of his/her grievance to be unsatisfactory, s/he may present the grievance to the Dean of the Graduate School for a hearing, following Graduate School guidelines. Such grievances should be directed to the Dean of the Graduate School (Mary Stromberger’s executive assistant Susan Reeser, reeser.1@osu.edu, 614-247-7413).

Termination from the Program

On very rare occasions, students are terminated from the program. Before such action is taken, students are notified in writing by the DCT and Clinical Area faculty about the specific, serious concerns with their progress or unethical behavior. This provides students the opportunity to correct/remediate deficiencies in a timely manner. If remediation is not viewed as a reasonable possibility by faculty, or if the student is not able or willing to undertake steps for remediation, a student may be advised to leave the program voluntarily. Alternatively, the faculty may vote to terminate a student from the program, with or without his/her consent.   

Termination may also be considered if a student engages in unauthorized teaching or education, research, and/or clinical activities. All psychology-related paid or unpaid work, such as teaching, research, and/or clinical service provision not under the auspices (supervision) of full time faculty of the Department or University, must be approved by (1) the student’s primary advisor AND (2) the DCT AND (3) the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee before the activities are committed to or begun. This stipulation applies to paid or unpaid work with adjunct faculty (see Appendix C) and individuals or units with no association with the University. This also includes relationships outside the Columbus area. Failure to provide notification prior to engaging in such activities may result in termination from the program. 

Research Awards, Grants and Travel Monies

There are many national and local opportunities for students to obtain grants for their research. Students in the Clinical Program are very competitive for these awards. Each year, many students receive research grants from extramural sources (e.g., NIMH) and intramural sources (e.g., the Graduate School; see below). The more honors and awards one receives, the stronger one’s curriculum vitae becomes, which, in turn, makes his/her internship and job applications maximally competitive. Before pursuing an award or funding possibility, students should check with their advisor(s) for guidance and suggestions. Here are just a few examples of awards received in the past by Clinical students: 

• National Institutes of Health F31 Award
   The NIH F31 grant mechanism, also referred to as the Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (NRSA) is among the most prestigious dissertation awards available to students. This is a mentored award that requires close consultation with your advisor. These grants are reviewed by regular study sections at NIH, and therefore provide students with excellent training and experience in the sort of grant writing conducted by clinical scientists throughout their careers. The awards fund students’ research, so students do not have to teach (or do research for others) and are provided a small budget for supplies, participant payments, etc. Examples of funded proposals can be obtained from faculty. Due dates are April 8, August 8, and December 8. Since most funded applications go through a round of revisions, students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Awards range from 1-2 years.  
   
• National Institutes of Health F31 Award to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research
  This funding mechanism is the same as regular F31s (see immediately above), with the added objective of enhancing diversity of the health-related research workforce by supporting research training of students from populations that have are underrepresented in biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research. As with all F31s, due dates are April 8, August 8, and December 8. Since most funded applications go through a round of revisions, students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Awards range from 1-2 years. 
   
• National Institute of Mental Health Research Supplements to Promote Diversity
  This funding mechanism allows graduate students to obtain supplements to their advisor’s existing grants, with the explicit purpose of promoting diversity in research on mental health. Proposals must be logical extensions of existing grants (usually R01s). If your advisor has such a grant, discuss the possibility of submitting a supplement with her/him. Award periods vary but can span multiple years.  
   
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships
  Each year, the National Science Foundation funds 2000 Graduate Research Fellowships nationwide. These are not awards to conduct clinical outcome studies, but are appropriate for basic research on clinical (psychopathology) phenomena that are relevant to functioning across the general population. Annual deadlines are typically in the last Friday of October.
   
• Private foundations
  Many associations (e.g., American Psychological Association Dissertation Research Award) and foundations (American Psychological Foundation scholarships) also provide competitive dissertation awards that students should consider with their advisors. These can be excellent sources of funding that cover all or part of students’ expenses. 
   
• University and Department awards
  The University and the Psychology Department offer a number of funding opportunities, including the Alumni Grants for Graduate Research and Scholarship program, which is merit-based and provides up to $2,000 for research expenses, and the Herbert Toops Award, a competitive grant that provides up to $500 for dissertation research. Other opportunities for funding exist, so students should keep an eye out for announcements. See Appendix D for a more elaborated list of awards.  
   
• Travel funds
  The Department has a travel fund for graduate students who present their research (not just attending) at national meetings and conferences. Please check with the Program Assistant (Mary Jones, jones.3308@osu.edu) at least six weeks in advance of your proposed travel to complete necessary forms/paperwork.  

Considerations When Entering the Program: Prior Coursework and/or MA

Students who enter with prior graduate coursework may request that some curriculum requirements be waived. Courses taken prior to beginning training in the Clinical Program must be judged as equivalent, and the student’s performance must have been superior (i.e., ‘A’ level). Courses commonly requested for waiver include statistics courses and those that fulfill APA requirements (see below). 

To proceed with a request, the following procedure is advised: 

1. Provide, in writing, a formal petition to the DCT to seek approval to begin the process. This petition must identify the course(s) taken and the OSU course(s) for requested waiver.
2. Initiate formal correspondence (template provided in Appendix H) with the instructor who currently offers the course you want waived. Provide the instructor with syllabi from prior courses, documentation of grades received, and any other relevant or requested information.
3. The instructor will provide a brief communication to the DCT noting his/her approval or denial (also in Appendix H).
4. Pending approval, the DCT documents such by including a written statement in the student’s file.

Note: For students who took one or more introductory statistics courses as part of a previous master’s degree program earning a B or higher, the following steps can be taken to pursue a waiver for Psych 6810/6811: (1) The student’s advisor contacts the 6810 course instructor to request the waiver and supplies the syllabus from the course the student completed; (2) If the course instructor does not agree that the course is equivalent, the request may be submitted to the GSC chair. The chair will review the syllabus and make a determination.  

If a student wishes to waive the Master’s Degree requirement (thesis), a similar formal request must be made to the DCT. Only degrees resulting from empirical projects are considered. If approval is granted, a student may still be required to complete an empirical project during the time normally devoted to completing the Master’s Thesis, in order to maintain continuity in research. This is decided on a case-by-case basis.  

To proceed with a Master’s Thesis waiver request, the following procedure is advised: 

1. Provide, in writing, a formal petition to the DCT asking for approval to begin the process. This petition must include information describing the degree program and curriculum, a copy of the thesis, and the grade transcript (a non-official copy is sufficient).
2. The DCT appoints a subcommittee of Clinical faculty to review the student's materials and make a recommendation to the Area regarding waiver of the Master’s Thesis requirement.
3. If the waiver is approved, this is communicated to the Clinical Area and the Psychology Department. 

Information Regarding Departmental Limits on Credit Hours

NOTE: Limits on total number of credit hours!

Due to policy set by the State of Ohio, the Graduate School and many departments, including Psychology, are unable to pay tuition for students who have more than 174 credit hours. Advanced students (beginning at the end of the second year) need to monitor their cumulative hours so as to not exceed the limit. The current Psychology Department policy is as follows: 

• New students should apply for State of Ohio residency as soon as possible to reduce the tuition burden for the Department.
• The Department will not pay tuition for students who have over 174 credit hours.
• Students should only enroll in the minimum required number of credits per semester. Moreover, students need to complete their degree in a timely fashion (i.e., 5-6 years total with 4-5 years in residence). These safeguards will prevent a student from accruing excess credit hours. The current minimum number of hours is listed by appointment type below.
• For the semester of the final oral defense and graduation, the Department will cover tuition costs associated with the required 3 credit hours for students appointed to graduate teaching assistant (GTA), graduate research assistant (GRA), or lecturer positions, if the student is an in-state resident.
• Students should not enroll in courses that are unrelated to their degree program (e.g., courses in physical education).  

Master's Thesis

General Description

The Master’s Thesis is a substantial empirical effort. Formulation and planning for the Master’s Thesis should begin in Year 1. For many if not most students, research engaged in during the first year is related directly to their Thesis. Thesis-related activity typically intensifies during the summer following Year 1. During this time, students may plan a proposal meeting. These meetings are optional, although some advisors prefer them. Please consult with your advisor and plan accordingly. When proposal meetings are held, they should occur no later than fall semester of the second year. In such cases, research proposals are prepared, submitted to, and evaluated by a designated Master’s Thesis Committee. This proposal ordinarily consists of a review of relevant literature, specification of hypotheses, a detailed Method section, planned data analyses (including power calculations) and, in some cases, presentation of pilot data.  

The Thesis document must be prepared in accordance with APA Style (7th edition) and Graduate School requirements. Students must circulate this completed document to their Master’s Thesis Committee at least two weeks prior to scheduling an oral defense. The defense meeting must occur prior to the last day of class in the spring term of the student’s second year for the student to remain in good standing. Scheduling of both the proposal (if held) and Thesis defense meeting is initiated following consent of the advisor. The advisor must approve the final version of the proposal and final documents prior to scheduling the defense. Following approval, students are responsible for scheduling their thesis defense meetings and informing the Graduate School. For the latter, contact the Psychology Department Graduate Program Coordinator (Ms. Mary Jones, Psychology Building room 211; 614-292-4112; jones.3308@osu.edu).  

Master's Committee

The Master’s Exam Committee is comprised of the student’s mentor/advisor, who serves as chair, and two additional faculty members. The Committee is selected by the advisor in consultation with the student. Students are responsible for contacting potential committee members to seek their participation and receive times available for scheduling. Composition of the committee and rules governing faculty inclusion are the following: 

• Committees have at least three members.
• The advisor and at least one other faculty member must hold Graduate Faculty rank in Psychology. The advisor must be at least Category P Graduate Faculty; remaining committee members must be at least Category M (see the Graduate School Student Handbook for information on faculty categories).
• At least 2 of the 3 members must be core Clinical Area faculty. All core faculty hold graduate rank.
• The third committee member can be from other areas/departments in the University, but must hold Graduate Faculty rank. 

Meeting Process and Goals

Proposal meetings are designed to provide guidance and assistance to students to conduct methodologically sound and successful theses. The goal of such meetings is to make helpful suggestions, troubleshoot, and provide related comments. Students should be prepared to present the conceptualization/theory for the study, hypotheses, how the hypotheses will be tested methodologically, and how data will be analyzed. The meeting is typically one hour. Proposal meetings are optional (see above). Consult with your advisor about whether to convene a proposal meeting. For those holding a proposal meeting, the proposal document should be sent to the committee at least 2 weeks prior to the scheduled proposal meeting. 

The Master’s Thesis defense meeting is one hour. At the meeting, the Committee will review the proposed research, evaluate the conducted research, examine the thesis document, and assess the student’s description and understanding of project hypotheses, methods, analyses, and findings. The thesis is accepted or rejected and the oral exam is judged as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. This decision is transmitted to the Graduate School via designated electronic University forms. Please note that there are both Graduate School forms and Department forms to complete. 

The committee is also charged with making a recommendation to the Clinical Area regarding a student’s readiness to continue or discontinue training in the Clinical Program toward the Ph.D. The Committee’s recommendation is transmitted to the Clinical Area, where a decision regarding continuance is made. 

Candidacy Exam: Standard Format

General Description

The Candidacy Exam (sometimes referred to as the General Exam and/or the Qualifying Exam) is intended to assess breadth and depth of students’ knowledge before they are advanced to candidacy for the Dissertation. The Exam can take on any of several formats, including the standard format. Regardless of the format, the exam includes written and oral portions, both of which must be passed before a student is advanced to candidacy. Students should consult with their advisors about which option to take. The oral exam is two hours.  

Standard Exam

The standard format of the Candidacy Exam is intended to demonstrate that a student is capable of conducting and evaluating research and has an adequate knowledge base from which to conduct assessments, render diagnoses, and formulate treatments for psychological disorders in an empirically-informed manner. The test is of broad knowledge in the field. Clinical Area faculty do not provide detailed guidelines of material to study, or a specific reading list. To do well on the exam, students should minimally have mastery of content covered in core Clinical courses. However, the exam also includes content within the broad domain of clinical psychology. Students are expected to demonstrate advanced understanding of all domains covered on the exam (listed below). This understanding should include knowledge of recent advances in particular domains (e.g., familiarity with important recent publications) and integration of knowledge across different domains. 

Exams are given once a year, on three days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) of spring break. About three months prior to administration, the exam coordinator or the Clinical Program Assistant sends an e-mail to determine which students would like to take the Standard Exam. Students who plan to take the Standard Exam should respond promptly to this e-mail. Once students have decided to take the Exam, they should initiate a conversation with their advisors regarding a specialty area (see below for more details).  

The Standard Exam evaluates knowledge of psychopathology, therapy/intervention, research methods and statistics, assessment, personality, ethics, multicultural issues, and the student’s specialty area (i.e., health or a focus within clinical psychology [e.g., depression, anxiety]). For adult psychopathology students, the specialty area is determined in consultation with one’s advisor. 

There are two components to the Standard Exam: written and oral. The written portion is offered during spring break, from 9:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-4:00pm on M-W-F of the designated week. The written portion is completed either on laptops provided by the Clinical Area/Department, or in a computer lab. Students’ answer files are later coded by “blinded” faculty members. Students are provided with their scores as soon as possible, usually within 7 days and no later than 14. 

As specified by the Graduate School, oral exams must occur within 30 days of the written exam. However, it is also the case that the Graduate College will not schedule an oral exam earlier than two weeks prior to the requested date. Thus, it is important that prior to the written portion, students confirm the date of the oral portion of the Exam with the Committee and present the required form to the Graduate School a minimum of two weeks prior to the date selected. To remain in good standing, the Candidacy Exam must be completed successfully no later than the last day of class in the spring term of Year 3. Successful completion of the Candidacy Exam is required by the Graduate School for advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D.  

On occasion, students who commit to taking the Standard Exam at the next administration may later decide to delay until the next year. There is no penalty for doing so. However, notification of withdrawal from the written or oral testing must be made by the student in writing to the DCT, the advisor, and the current faculty coordinator of the exam (e.g., 2019-2020 coordinator was Professor Andersen), and the Clinical Area assistant. Withdrawal requests can be made up to 24 hours in advance of either portion. Requests are routinely granted, but notification is essential.  

The Standing Candidacy Exam Committee (2023-2024: Mike Vasey, chair; Jasmeet Hayes, and Jen Cheavens) and the student’s advisor form the committee for the oral defense. Standing members serve for three years with one member rotating off and a new one added each year. If a student’s advisor is a member of the standing committee, an additional faculty member is appointed to join. If a student has a co advisor, he or she is also in attendance. The meeting is chaired by the Chair of the Standing Committee, not the student’s advisor. 

Written portion 

Exam questions are written by all core Clinical faculty. One faculty member is designated each academic year as Exam Coordinator. The coordinator solicits questions from faculty, schedules and monitors the Exam, distributes students’ answers to area faculty for grading, compiles scores, and provides outcome feedback to students. The Exam Coordinator also explains the format, scoring procedure, and addresses any other questions students may have about the Exam. The Exam Coordinator works with the Area Assistant to schedule individual oral meetings by soliciting schedules for student and faculty availability in the five weeks post generals. Scheduling is extremely difficult and it is incumbent on students to: (1) give schedules with maximum flexibility; and, (2) not request changes once scheduling decisions are made. Any requests for change are to be made ONLY to the Exam Coordinator. 

To reiterate, areas sampled in the Exam include psychopathology, therapy/intervention, research methods and statistics, assessment, personality, ethics, multicultural issues, and the student’s specialty area. All students are expected to know these domains as they relate to the extant clinical literature. Exam questions are integrative. Thus, each question may include content from two, if not three domains (e.g., psychopathology and personality, therapy and research design, ethics and assessment). A recent question was as follows: 

"Describe similarities and differences of social phobia and avoidant personality disorder. What statistical methods could you use in a research design to determine if these diagnoses are dimensional constructs or separate categorical constructs?” 

For each session (e.g., Mon 9am-12pm), 3-4 questions are offered with the student choosing 2 to answer. Questions are written so that content, across testing days, is sampled evenly. Thus, at least two questions include psychopathology, therapy, assessment, etc., though they need not occur in the same time block or day. 

The areas of examination for Adult, Health, and Neuropsychology focus students as follows: 

The grading scale is provided below. The same scale is used to calculate scores for all items. Each question is scored independently by two faculty. The two ratings for an item must be in agreement (rating differences must be < 1.0). Should the difference be > 1.0 for an item, a third rating is obtained. The final score for the item is then the mean of the three ratings. 

•  4.0 = superior
• 3.0 = average pass at the Ph.D. level
• 2.0 = borderline
• 1.0 = fail 

The Exam score is calculated using grand mean of all scores. The resulting Exam score, ranging from 0.0 to 4.0, is interpreted according to the standards below. These standards reflect the Area’s recommendation for proceeding to the oral exam. 

• Recommendation to proceed: 2.5 or higher Exam score and all area scores >/= 2.0.
• Recommendation to proceed, with additional demonstration of proficiency at the oral exam required: 2.5 or greater Exam score, but one or more areas are scored < 2.0, or an Exam score within the 2.0 < x < 2.5 range.
• Recommendation to not proceed: Exam score < 2.0. The student chooses whether or not to proceed in the context of the faculty recommendation.  

Oral portion

 The oral exam is two hours. Students are advised to prepare to discuss any topics/items from the written portion of the Exam, and to respond to questions assessing any aspect of clinical psychology, research methods and statistics, and other substantive areas within psychology. Numerical results and recommendations from the written portion are advisory materials for the Committee. In making a determination of “pass” or “fail”, both the written and oral performance are considered.  

If a student fails the oral exam, the Committee determines whether the exam may be repeated. If the Committee does not allow a student to retake the exam, the student may not proceed in the program. If the committee allows the student to take the Exam again, the Committee also decides on what aspects of the exam to include in the second exam (i.e., whether the all or part of the written portion will be included, etc.).  

Candidacy Exams: Alternative Format

Alternative formats are available to students only with the approval of their research advisor. Note that some advisors may prefer that all students they advise take the standard format.  

Procedures for Alternative Candidacy Exam Proposals and Defense Meetings 

After consulting with and obtaining approval from one’s advisor, students form an Exam Committee. Composition of the committee is as follows: 

• The student’s advisor (and co-advisor, if applicable).
• A minimum of three additional members must hold an M status Graduate Faculty rank in the Department of Psychology.
• For the additional members, 2 of the 3 must be core Clinical Area faculty, with no more than 1 of the 3 being a Joint Faculty member (i.e., someone who hold his/her primary appointment in another department; see above).
• One member can be from any area within the Department (including non-Clinical). 

Following approval by their advisor, students submit specific proposals for the Alternative Exam to their Committee. The Committee meets with the student to review the proposal. Proposals should be submitted two weeks prior to the Committee meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Committee may approve the proposal, require modifications, or reject the proposal. If the proposal is rejected, students can submit a new proposal or choose to complete the Standard Candidacy Exam. If a proposal is accepted but changes are recommended or required, a student may opt to send a summary of such changes to the Committee following the meeting. Some students may want to use such a summary in addition to the Committee discussion to ensure that s/he and his/her committee have a shared understanding of the recommended or required changes.  

If the proposal is accepted, students complete the Alternative Exam as approved by their Committee. The Committee meets at a time arranged by the student for an oral exam. A “pass” or “fail” decision is made at the conclusion of the oral exam meeting. 

Students have six months from their proposal meeting to defend their Alternative Candidacy Exam. If this time frame will cannot be met, students may petition their Committee and requesting one six-month extension. The Director of Clinical Training should be copied on this request.  

Guidelines for Alternative Exam Proposal 

Proposal documents may be brief (e.g., five pages) with additional pages for key references. For any of these options, the focus of the exam must be a clearly independent intellectual contribution from the student’s dissertation. There are three choices for this format.

Detailed content exam

For this option, students define a specialty area and provide a potential reading list. Following Committee approval (with or without modifications) the student prepares, and at a later point submits, a list of possible exam questions for Committee consideration (typically via e-mail). If the initial questions are not judged satisfactory, or require modification, the Committee requests new and/or amended questions. Following Committee approval, advisors provide students with exam questions to be answered. A week is selected for the student to answer the questions as a take-home exam, to be completed within seven days. This is an open book exam, with the only proviso being the student does not consult with any others (students, faculty, etc.) in preparing answers. After completing the exam, students provide copies of their answered questions to all Committee members. The Committee then meets with the student for an oral exam.  

Review paper

Students may write a substantive review paper that is similar in scope to Psychological Bulletin or Psychological Review articles. Prior to their proposal meeting, students must present their Committee with the area of interest (approved in advance by their advisor), and potential section headings of the paper, with relevant key citations. The Committee may alter the scope of the proposal. Once approved, students may begin writing. As with all Alternative Exams, the full document must be provided to Committee members two weeks prior to the oral defense. Note that documents that are written in response to book chapter invitations will rarely be comprehensive enough to meet requirements of this format.  

Meta-analysis or other quantitative topic

Students may propose a meta-analysis and write a paper suitable for publication based on that analysis. The topic must be approved in advance by their advisor. The Committee may alter the scope of the project in the proposal meeting. Students may also propose an advanced quantitative topic not covered in any course offered by the Department. For this, data analyses may be used to illustrate mastery of a method, though this is not mandatory. Data analyses cannot be the substantive focus of the project, but rather are used only to illustrate the material mastered. Upon completion of the written exam, students provide copies of the document to the Committee, two weeks before their oral defense. 

The maximum time allowed for the Alternative Candidacy Exam is one year. This includes time from the proposal meeting to the defense. As outlined above, students may request a single six-month extension. At the end of the allotted time, if the Alternative Exam is not defended, students must switch to the Standard Candidacy Exam, offered during spring break (see above).  

NIH F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (NRSA)
As outlined above, NRSA awards are among the most prestigious grants available to students. For students to select this option for the Candidacy Exam, they must be eligible to submit their application. Feedback from advisors is permitted only on the Specific Aims page. Students must then complete, on their own, the Research Strategy (a literature review and descriptions of the research design, analytic strategy, and human subjects protections), and all other sections (e.g., training plan, biosketches, etc.).  

Dissertation

General Description

As in any Ph.D. program, the Dissertation is a capstone achievement in graduate school. It is a major, original piece of research that makes a substantive contribution to knowledge in a students’ primary area of interest/expertise. Upon completion of the dissertation, students should have (1) demonstrated high level expert knowledge of a specific content area, and (2) written a document that demonstrates strong scholarship of publication quality (dissertation documents tend to be of greater length and therefore tend to require editing prior to being submitted for publication). Formulation and planning often begins in Year 3, and in many cases, earlier. A research proposal must be prepared, submitted to, and evaluated by the Dissertation Committee. The dissertation proposal document includes a review of relevant literature, a statement of rationale for the study and hypotheses, a description of the research design and methods to be used, power analyses, and analytic plan. The length of a dissertation prospectus varies, but is typically between 25 and 50 pages, excluding figures, references, and appendices.  

Many of the same procedures followed for the Master’s Thesis (described above) apply to the Dissertation. Scheduling of both the Dissertation proposal and Dissertation defense meetings occurs following approval by students’ advisors (advisors must approve the final version of both documents prior to schedule any meetings). Following approval, students are responsible for organizing and scheduling both the proposal and oral defense meetings and informing the Department and Graduate School. Students must contact the Psychology Department Graduate Program Coordinator (Mary Jones, Psychology Bld. room 211; 614-292-4112; jones.3308@osu.edu). 

Dissertation Committee

Possible Dissertation Committee members are identified by the advisor in consultation with the student and/or DCT. Students then contact individual faculty to request their involvement and Committee membership. The Dissertation Committee is comprised of at least three faculty members, plus an additional faculty member from outside Psychology who is appointed by the Graduate School for the defense meeting.  

Requirements and rules governing faculty inclusion are as follows: 

• The Clinical Area faculty advisor serves as chair and must have a Category P Graduate Faculty status. When mentors are joint faculty members (i.e., with primary appointments in departments other than Psychology), the student’s advisor serves as co-Chair.
• Two additional Committee members must hold U, M, or P status with the Graduate School (see the Graduate Student Handbook for information on faculty categories).
• At least three members must be Department of Psychology faculty, two of whom must be core Clinical Area faculty.
• In consultation with their advisors, students may wish to include one or more additional members with relevant expertise (e.g., faculty from other academic units, adjunct rosters). 

Proposal Meeting

The purpose of the Dissertation proposal meeting is to provide a mechanism for recommended changes to and/or formal endorsement of the dissertation conceptualization, operationalization of the research design, and methods as articulated in the proposal document. Committee members provide guidance and suggest needed modifications to the document or the study. Students must provide copies of the proposal to all Committee members at least two weeks prior to the proposal meeting. Inadequate time for faculty to examine a proposal document can result in a cancelled meeting. Proposal meetings must occur prior to applying for internship. The specific date is set annually and is typically in early October.  

Defense Meeting

Prior to the oral defense, Committee members must have time to evaluate the document in order to provide written approval for the meeting. All Committee members must receive the document at least two weeks before they are requested to provide their approval for the oral defense to move forward. Students must obtain document approval from all Committee members, as indicated by their electronic signatures, which are forwarded to the Graduate School. Should any Committee member judge the document to be inadequate, this is communicated to the student’s advisor, who cancels the oral defense meeting. Students must coordinate the location and timing of the meeting with the Clinical Area associate at least one week in advance. Notice of the time and location of the meeting is provided to all Clinical Area faculty and students. 

The oral defense meeting has two portions. The first 20-30 minutes consists of a colloquium-like presentation of the Dissertation. Although an effective introduction is important, the presentation should focus on methods, results, and interpretation of results. This portion of the meeting is open to all, including Clinical Area faculty and students. Following the presentation, members of the audience are excused, and the Committee meeting begins. The meeting includes critical questions to the student regarding literature, methods, analyses used, and results. The Dissertation document is also evaluated for organization, writing, clarity of thought, and critical thinking. Discussion of related research areas, methods, and/or analyses which are consistent with the context of the Dissertation may also occur. Finally, discussion includes guidance to the student regarding potential for publication. During the oral defense, Committee members may or may not make suggestions for changes to the document. 

The Dissertation is evaluated by each Committee member, and it is rated as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Committee members may provide provisional satisfactory ratings contingent upon completion of document revisions by the candidate. An unsatisfactory rating requires, at a minimum, significant additional work (e.g., data collection) and/or revisions as specified by the Committee. If and when revisions are completed, the candidate is eligible to proceed to a second oral defense. In other some unsatisfactory cases, students are encouraged to withdraw from the Clinical Program. A summary of the evaluation, regardless of the outcome, is conveyed to the student by the Committee Chair.  

Students are strongly encouraged to complete all aspects of their Dissertation, including data collection, write-up, and oral defense, in Year 5, prior to leaving for their internship year (described below). However, Clinical Area faculty recognize that this is not always possible. Thus, a Dissertation defense is considered successful provided it is passed prior to the start of fall semester of Year 6. The defense must occur, at the very latest, by the calendar date 12 months from the date of internship completion. Additional information regarding Dissertation requirements can be found in the Graduate School Handbook.  

Bundled/Integrated Format Option

Students may consider the option of a “bundled” or “integrated” dissertation. The bundled/ integrated format has the advantage of encouraging students to produce a program of research rather than report on a single project. By allowing sections of the dissertation to be prepared as one would prepare manuscripts for submission to academic journals, the format may enhance students’ research productivity. The specific form and content of the dissertation proposal and the final dissertation filed with the University should be worked out in consultation with your dissertation advisor and your dissertation committee. The advisor and committee make the final decision on whether a proposal for a bundled/integrated dissertation is appropriate.  

The bundled/integrative dissertation format includes the following components:  

• Three manuscripts.
• An introduction section including an integrative review, a brief overview of the three manuscripts, and a description of how they fit together programmatically. A general discussion section that summarizes and integrates findings across all three manuscripts and considers broad implications for future research.

The following guidelines should be considered by the student and committee:  

• The three manuscripts must be related conceptually, demonstrating a programmatic line of research.
• The candidate must be the primary contributor and first author on all manuscripts. No manuscripts in which the first author contributed equally with another are permitted.
• Of the three manuscripts:
  • At least two manuscripts must be empirical.
  • Only one may be a meta-analysis or systematic review, if approved by the dissertation committee. These do not count as being empirical.
  • Book chapters, conference presentations, encyclopedia entries, and book reviews do not qualify.
  • In rare circumstances a qualitative data analysis may be included if approved by the dissertation committee.
  • One manuscript may be a published or a submitted-for-publication version of a student’s master’s thesis.
  • Formatting must be consistent with Graduate School requirements. Accordingly, all sections, including (1) an overall abstract (covering all three papers), (2) a general introduction, (3) each individual paper, and (4) a general discussion, must be presented as separate chapters. Individual chapter abstracts should be included. Although reference lists may be included at the end of each chapter, a full bibliography is also required.
• The three manuscripts must be based on work begun, performed, and completed while in residency in the Clinical Psychology graduate program at Ohio State.
• Manuscripts used to pass alternative generals exams cannot be used.
• At the time of the dissertation proposal meeting:
  • The first manuscript must be published or in press.
  • The second manuscript must be submitted for publication or can be published.
  • The third manuscript must not be finished or submitted.
• Manuscripts can be submitted for peer review before the oral defense but only with prior review and approval of all dissertation committee members.
• Non-significant results that emerge from analyses must still be in ready-to-be-submitted format.  

Pre-Doctoral Internship

Enrollment in a 12-month APA-accredited internship is a Clinical Program requirement and must occur prior to receiving a Ph.D. degree with the designation “Clinical Psychology”. Typically, internship is completed in Year 6, but students are urged to familiarize themselves with the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) web site early in their graduate training. Students should review the application and become familiar with information and record keeping required. Check the site annually to see if forms have changed. Careful records kept during internal and external practica make the application process much easier.

As outlined above, students must have their Dissertation proposal approved before applying for internship. This requirement is intended to allow students to leave for internship with, at a minimum, completed data collection. However, it is to students’ advantage to defend their Dissertations prior to internship. The deadline for Dissertation proposal meetings is communicated to students each year and is usually early in October. However, students are advised to complete any proposal meetings well in advance of this deadline to allow time for possible revisions to their proposals (see above).

The internship application process is lengthy, time consuming, and detailed, and includes writing essays regarding one’s clinical experiences, documenting all clinical work (including contact hours with clients, supervision time, etc.), and seeking 3-4 letters of recommendation from practicum supervisors and faculty. A letter from the DCT is also required. Students begin the process of reviewing internship program descriptions and assembling materials in the summer preceding the fall application. 

Students should provide faculty and practicum supervisors with letter requests well before (e.g., two months) application deadlines. The DCT meets with each student who is applying for internship to cover necessary information and documents. All APPIC applications are completed online by students, DCTs, and letter writers.

Finally, students must obtain, complete, and submit an “Out of State Research Form” to the Graduate School if the dissertation has not been defended prior to departure for internship. This form enables students to register for course credit (which is required) for the semester when the defense occurs. The course number is Psychology 8191. Students going on internship need to confer with Mary Jones, Graduate Program Coordinator, before leaving.