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Concentrations: Clinical Psychology Major:
Frequently Asked Questions
Clinical Major
Q. What is the major difference between clinical psychology major and
a general psychology major?
A. The main differences are:
- The precise combinations of courses that are required for the Clinical Psych
Major (see the Psychology Handbook for the full list). The clinical psych major
requires many courses that address clinical issues.
- The General Psych and other majors require Psy 31 and Psy 32 (statistics
methods courses and labs) whereas the Clinical Psych Major requires Psy 31 and
Psy 38. Psy 38 is similar to Psy 32, but it is more applied towards addressing
clinical issues.
- The Clinical Psych Major provides the opportunity to get course credit and
in-house supervision for a year-long clinical internship (Psy 181/182 Supervised
Seminar Fieldwork course) in your final year that is not available for the other
majors (refer to the "Internship" tab above).
Q. When is a good time to start getting involved in research for a
Senior Honors Thesis?
A. The sooner the better. Some students start as early as their
sophomore year to get involved in a research lab, and we encourage everyone to
start as soon as possible. The process of conducting experiments and writing an
empirical thesis requires a lot of training; therefore, being involved in a
research lab at an early stage will help you to master these skills before you
go on to do your experiments for your thesis. The latest you should start a
senior thesis would be your fall semester of your senior year. However, most
professors do not recommend this as it will be extremely overwhelming for you
and you will require a great amount of assistance from other members in the lab.
Q. Should the requirements for the major be taken in order?
A. Not necessarily. But, again, it is advised that you get as
many of the required courses out of the way before the Senior Year. In
particular, you MUST have Psy 71 AND Psy 106 or Psy 38 completed before the
senior year. Therefore, get Psy 71 out of the way earlier rather than later.
Also, note that for each class, there may be
prerequisites.
Q. How should I plan to factor in study abroad?
A. Typically there are no opportunities to fulfill requirements
for the clinical psychology major abroad. If you can't fulfill the
requirements for the clinical psychology major, then consider the general
psychology major that may give more flexibility.
Q. I am a rising Junior and I just decided to be a clinical psych
major. What courses should I have completed by now?
A. The most important courses to have done by the end of your
junior year (preferably by the end of the first semester of your junior year)
are
a.) PSY 12, b.) PSY 71, and c.) PSY 32 or 38 or 106 (note that some of these
courses have prerequisites as well).
If not, then you will not be allowed to take the PSY 181/182 Supervised Seminar
Fieldwork course which lasts the whole of your senior year, and you would have
to switch to a General Psychology major.
Q. If I think that I want a career in clinical psychology, would you
recommend that I do the Clinical Psych Major?
A. It's important to know that many of our students who have
completed other Psychology Majors go on to careers in Clinical Psychology. In
other words, it is not necessary to do the Clinical Psychology Major to have a
career in Clinical Psychology. Indeed, most undergraduate Psychology programs
don't offer a clinical Psychology major at all. Refer to "Career" tab above for
more information.
Q. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a clinical psychology
major?
A.
- Main advantage: You receive course credit
and supervision within Tufts for getting clinical volunteer experience in the
form of the Supervised Seminar Fieldwork/Clinical Internship. This is a unique
opportunity. Getting direct clinical experience is an advantage for getting into
graduate programs in clinical psychology (both PhD and PsyD, see "Career" tab),
social work, occupational therapy, counseling and other health-related
professions.
However, many students who do not do the Clinical Psych Major arrange their own
clinical experiences (Refer to the "Internship"
section below).
- Main disadvantage: Because the Supervised Seminar
Fieldwork/Clinical Internship in the final year is so time consuming, this
limits your time to do other things. For example, it limits the time to do
research including a Senior Honors Thesis. This can have implications for those
who want to do a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program, as discussed in the "Career"
tab. This is certainly not to say that a Clinical Psychology Major can't do
research or a Senior Honors Thesis. It's just that he/she must be aware that
almost all their time in their Senior Year would be taken up with both of these
and he/she would need to plan well ahead of time for taking on both commitments
(click the "Internship" tab to see expectations of Psy 181/182 Supervised
Seminar Fieldwork course).
Internship (PSY
181/182): Supervised Seminar Fieldwork/Clinical Internship
Q. What is the Supervised Seminar Fieldwork/Clinical Internship (Psy
181/182) opportunity?
A.The Psy 181/182 is a year-long volunteer internship opportunity that
is available to Clinical Psych majors in their Senior Year. It requires a big
time commitment of at least 12-16 hours a week plus the travel to get to and
from your internship site. The 12-16 hours per week are spent volunteering at a
clinical internship site. In addition, students attend a weekly seminar class
that provides supervision, opportunities to present your experiences and some
other course requirements.
NOTE - the Senior internship / Psy 181/182 is time consuming and you need to get
as many courses out of the way as possible to make time for it in your Senior
Year. It is a good experience for most but it is a real commitment, so think
carefully before you decide to major in Clinical Psych.
Q. Who can take the clinical internship seminar and what is expected
of me in the clinical internship seminar (Psy 181/182)?
A. Only clinical psych majors who have completed a.) PSY 12 b.)
71 and c.) PSY 32 or 38 or 106 by the end of their Junior year are permitted to
take the clinical internship seminar.
Expectations are as follows:
- You are required to spend apron. 2 days per week (12-16 hours) on your
internship. It is a great opportunity and should be taken seriously with real
responsibility.
- Professor Kuperberg's seminar class focuses on placements that are more
'clinical', in hospitals and clinical research settings with populations such as
obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder/manic-depression, schizophrenia
(MGH and McLean hospitals), neuropsychological testing, in-patient (in hospital)
child or adolescent units at Tufts NEMC, substance-abuse/mental disorder
settings. Professor Harder's seminar class focuses on more community settings
(e.g. Adolescent group homes) and educational settings (children with behavioral
and educational problems). The professors can not guarantee any particular
placement but students are asked to fill out a form so that the professors can
have some idea of how to match you to your placements and your seminar class.
- You can organize your own placement so long as you let your professor know
about it so that they can approve it. You should have a supervisor who will be
prepared to let your professor know how you are doing throughout the year.
- Your professor will contact you in the summer to let you know about your
placement and you will need to go there to be interviewed to see if it is a good
match.
Q. I am a clinical psych major. When will I hear about internship
opportunities?
A. Towards the end of the Spring semester of your Junior year,
you will be contacted by e-mail. We will have a group meeting with all the
clinical
major rising seniors to orientate you to the types of internships we have
available. At that meeting, you will be given a form to complete with your
preferences, availabilities and contact details. After that, you will be
individually contacted and we will try to match you up to an internship. You
will then interview at this internship. This usually takes place at the end of
the semester and over the summer. Please note that we cannot guarantee any
internship to any individual student.
Q. If I have completed all my course credits required for the
Clinical Psych Major, can I just enroll for Psy 181/182 (the internship) during
my senior year?
A. No. In order to remain a fulltime student at Tufts, you need
3 credits. You would therefore need to be enrolled in two other courses per
semester, in addition to Psy 181/182 (worth one credit per semester). Note that
you also need at least 34 credits total and 8 full-time semesters to graduate.
Q. I am a clinical psych major and am going to be abroad in the
Spring semester before my senior year. Therefore, I can't attend the meeting in
the Spring semester. When should I contact Dr. Kuperberg or Harder about my Psy
181/182 clinical internship?
A. Assuming you will still be in e-mail contact, we will e-mail
you towards the end of your junior year. If you don't hear from us, then e-mail
Dr.
Kuperberg or Dr. Harder towards the end of the spring semester. You will
complete a form online and this will be considered in matching you to an
appropriate internship. If you have a clear preference for a research clinical
internship, please let Dr. Kuperberg know in the Fall semester of your junior
year.
Q. I am a clinical psych major and am in the Spring semester of my
junior year. How should I register on SIS for Psy 181/182 (the internship and
accompanying class)?
A. Please note that one group is taught by Dr. Harder (usually
Friday mornings) and one group is taught by Dr. Kuperberg (Thursday evenings
6.30-8.30pm). For the purposes of registering on SIS, it doesn't matter which
group you sign up for. HOWEVER, this will get changed when we have finalized the
internships over the summer. If you have an adult or clinical research
internship, arranged by Dr. Kuperberg, you should make sure that you're free to
attend her seminars on Thursday evenings. If you have a child/adolescent
internship that will be arranged by Dr. Harder, you should make sure that you're
free to attend his seminars on Friday mornings. Please don't schedule other
classes during these seminar times.
Q. Is the Senior Clinical Internship (Psy 181/182) available for
other psychology majors?
A. Generally not. In very few cases, General Psych Majors who
are integrating clinical work with research work as part of a Senior Honors
Thesis, may be allowed to take Psy 181/182, but this is unusual and arranged
well ahead of time on an individual basis.
Q: If I don’t do the Clinical Psych Major, can I still get clinical
experience?
A: Yes. Although you can’t take Psy 181/182 and specific
clinical internships are not directly recommended by the Tufts faculty, many
undergraduates go out and seek clinical internships and opportunities
independently, without direct mediation by a Tufts faculty member. Opportunities
can be found through the web, the folder in the Psychology lobby, by looking at
advertisements in the Psychology Lobby, Tufts Career Services. Many students do
such internships (paid or on a volunteer basis) during the summer.
When contacting possible internship sites, it is important that you sound
professional, put together your resume, write lots of e-mails and not be afraid
of rejection. You also need to be willing to offer enough time (at least 2 full
days a week) that people will think it worth their while to consider you. And
you need to be very flexible about what you'll do and what you won't do.
Q. If I arrange my own clinical opportunity experience, can I get
course credit for this?
A. During the semester, it is possible to get Pass/Fail
credit (Psy 99) for this under the following circumstances:
- You need to notify a Tufts faculty member ahead of time.
- You need to identify an onsite supervisor at your off-site placement who
should write a letter to the Psychology faculty member stating what is planned
and how much time you will devote to the project per week (you need to devote
from 12-16 hours per week on this project).
- You need to volunteer 12-16 hours per week.
- In addition, you need to produce a written report describing your activities
at the end of your placement. This should be approved by both your offsite
supervisor as well as by the onsite faculty member.
This is what is stated about Psy 99 in the Psychology Handbook: PSYCHOLOGY 99
(Internship in Psychology) Students may obtain psychology department credit for
internships at various off campus settings such as laboratories, hospitals,
clinics and schools. Of course, to receive credit in this course the work at the
internship must be primarily psychological. (Credit may be obtained through All
College 99 if the internship is not primarily psychological but is otherwise
academically sound). Course work relevant to the internship should precede it.
Each participant in Psychology 99 must be sponsored by a faculty member who will
judge the appropriateness of the internship for psychology credit. A minimum of
twelve hours per week for the internship, as well as some written work, is
required. This course is taken Pass/Fail but nevertheless may be used as an
elective in fulfilling the psychology major.
Career
Q. How do I find jobs after graduation?
A. Here are
some useful links. Also, it is always helpful to go to the
Tufts Career
Services. You can also directly visit websites of
organizations/institutions of your interest to see if they have any
job postings.
Q. Do you recommend any books regarding job search?
A.
- What Can You Do with a Major in Psychology: Real people. Real jobs.
Real rewards. (What Can You Do with a Major in...)
by Shelley O'Hara
- Your Career in Psychology: Clinical and Counseling Psychology
by Tara L. Kuther
- A Career in Clinical Psychology: From Training to Employment
by Robert Henley Woody, Malcolm Higgins Robertson
- Career Paths in Psychology: Where Your Degree Can Take You
by Robert J. Sternberg (Editor)
Q. What further training is required if I want to work
with clients with clinical problems in my career after I graduate.
A. There are a huge number of career opportunities open.
These range from becoming a psychologist, a psychiatrist, social
worker, occupational therapist, nurse, nurse practitioner and many
others. You are advised to check out web sites, talk with Tufts
Careers Services and talk to as many people as you can to find out
more about these options. If you are interested in becoming a
Clinical Psychologist, there are generally two tracks for further
training: a PsyD and a PhD.
Q. What is the difference between Psy.D. and Ph.D?
A. A Psy.D. and a Ph.D. are two different higher
education paths by which one can become a clinical psychologist.
Here are some helpful web sites that describe some of the
differences in training:
Psy
Chi
Psychology
Today
The main difference is that a Ph.D. places more emphasis on
research, both in order to get admission to such programs, as well
as throughout the training.
If you enjoy research (including statistics and all its quantitative
aspects!) as well as clinical work, and if you have volunteered
throughout your undergrad career in Tufts labs, then consider a PhD.
If you don’t enjoy research but do enjoy clinical work and client
contact, then, if you want to become a clinical psychologist,
consider a Psy.D.
Remember that there are many other options besides Clinical
Psychology for working directly with populations with mental health
problems, both in the community and in hospitals. Both Psy.D. and
Ph.D. programs are competitive to get into. A Ph.D. is harder to get
into than a Psy.D., mainly because of its more stringent research
requirements (as well as requirements for clinical volunteer
experience).
Q. Are there any differences in career options of the
Psy.D. and Ph.D. besides the amount of research?
A. You can do the same clinical things as a Psy.D.
and a Ph.D. in terms of opening up a clinical private practice as a
therapist. A Ph.D. may open up more doors in terms of hospital or
clinical-based appointments as well as clinical research-based
appointments. The training itself for a Ph.D. involves more research
and these programs are harder to get into.
Q. Is there any benefit having majored in clinical psych
when it comes to getting into a Psy.D. or Ph.D. program?
A. The main advantage is that it exposes you to the
clinical field in your final year (Psy 181/182) which can lead to a
good recommendation and excellent clinical experience. This is
advantageous for both Psy.D. and Ph.D. programs that both require
some clinical volunteer experience.
Note, however, that for a Ph.D., you need to make sure that, in
addition, or as part of your clinical experience, you get research
experience. Many students take a position after they leave college
for one or two years before applying to Psy.D. or Ph.D. programs to
get more relevant experience.
Back to Clinical Psychology
Major Requirements page.
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