Clinical Psychology Program Faculty and Interest Areas

The goal of the Clinical Psychology Graduate Program is to provide broad clinical training.  Students thus receive training in a wide range of areas during their years on campus prior to the 12-month internship.  The program does, however, have several interest areas in which students can receive in-depth research and clinical training. These interest areas center on the research and clinical interests of the faculty.  Use the links under Interest Areas (located on the left) for descriptions of each of these areas

The Clinical Psychology Graduate Program utilizes a mentorship model in which students have an identified research mentor.  The degree of fit between the applicant’s research interests and the research interests of their potential faculty mentor(s) is an important consideration in admissions.  Therefore it is to your advantage to articulate clearly how your research interests coincide with the research interests of your potential mentor(s).  It is important to contact the individual or individuals on the clinical faculty that most match your research interests to find out more about their research program as well as if the faculty member plans to sponsor any new students. The Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data Section provides more specific information on the characteristics of students admitted to the program and their progress through the program.

Regional Campuses

It is important for applicants to understand that the curriculum for the Clinical Psychology Program is located on the Pullman campus.  While the Clinical Psychology Program is located on the Pullman campus, faculty on the regional campus (WSU-Spokane, a 1 ½ hour drive; WSU-Tri-Cities, a 3 hour drive; WSU-Vancouver, a 5-6 hour drive) may also serve as research mentors for clinical psychology graduate students at times (i.e., approximately one student of six in each entering class may have a research mentor at one of the regional campuses).  A student’s research mentor serves as the chair of the student’s thesis and dissertation research.

Clinical students are required to spend a minimum of three years on the Pullman campus in order to complete the clinical curriculum.  If the student has a mentor on the WSU-Tri-Cities campus, the student may then move to the WSU-Tri-Cities campus in his or her fourth year to work more directly with the mentor on research.  Prior to the move in the fourth year, the Psychology Department’s videoconference facilities allow students to have weekly meetings with their mentor on the regional campus.

Students with research mentors on the WSU-Spokane campus—because this is only a 90-minute drive—are able to work with their mentors face-to-face starting in the first year.  Under special circumstances, Vancouver faculty may co-mentor clinical student research, and requests will be taken on a case-by-case basis.  Students working with a mentor in Vancouver may spend their fourth or fifth year in Vancouver.