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Location: Administration, Room 255
Program number: 403.220.5659
Fax: 403.282.8249
Email address: psycgrad@ucalgary.ca
Web page URL:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Master of Science (MSc), thesis-based

The purpose of the graduate program in Clinical Psychology is to prepare students for careers as doctoral-level clinical psychologists in research, academic, and applied settings. In the course of doctoral training students also are required to complete the Master of Science (MSc) degree. However, consistent with its goal of doctoral training, the program only admits students who wish to pursue the doctoral degree.

Students registered in Master’s thesis-based and doctoral programs will be considered full-time. The program does not offer a part-time option.

In addition to the Faculties of Graduate Studies and Arts requirements, the program requires:

a) An honour’s degree in psychology (or equivalent) with a minimum grade point average of 3.60 on a four-point scale in the last 10 full courses to be considered for entry, although competition for the program is such that higher grade point averages are typical of students who are admitted.

b) Scores on the Aptitude (Verbal/Quantitative) dimensions of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Please note that students with scores less than the 50th percentile on the Verbal and Quantitative subtests will not normally be admitted.

c) A statement of research and professional interests, including the specification of prospective research supervisors from among current Program faculty.

d) For applicants required to provide proof of proficiency in English, a TOEFL score of 600 (written test), or 100 (Internet-based) test, or an IELTS score of 7.5, or a MELAB score of 84, or a PTE score of 70.

e) Two reference letters.

The deadline for complete applications is December 5 for September admission.

Advanced credit may be given for up to two full-course equivalents of graduate work, if this work is consistent with the program’s requirements.

In addition to Faculties of Graduate Studies and Arts requirements, the Department requires:

The Program outline is as follows:

Year 1
Psychology 650, 651, 659, 660, 671, 673, 615, thesis work

Year 2
Psychology 601, 650, 681, 683, plus a graduate-level Psychology Statistics course or Methodology course (Psychology 617 or equivalent), completion of the thesis

Year 3
Psychology 750, 760, a graduate-level breadth course, the Candidacy Examination, thesis work

Year 4
Psychology 750, 762, thesis work

Year 5
Pre-Doctoral Clinical Internship Psychology 798, and completion of thesis oral and written requirements

Breadth course requirements may be satisfied through Psychology 750, courses offered by the Department of Psychology, or by obtaining advanced credit for undergraduate courses. Please see program handbook for details.

The prerequisite for all Clinical Program courses (unless otherwise noted) is consent of the Program.

Successful completion of years one and two, plus the Master of Science thesis, constitute the requirements of the Master of Science degree. Program students must formally apply and be approved by the program and the Faculty of Graduate Studies for admission to the doctoral program upon completion of Master of Science requirements.

Clinical suitability and professional conduct.

Credit for breadth courses may be given if the applicant has two senior undergraduate courses in that area. Credit for Psychology 601 may be given if the applicant has a senior undergraduate course in History and Systems of Psychology.

It is expected that students will complete the MSc thesis within two years. Students in the MSc program must complete all requirements within four registration years. Students who have taken three years to complete all requirements for the master’s degree will normally not be admitted into the doctoral program. It is expected that students will complete the doctoral program within 5 years. Maximum time to completion for the MSc is 4 years and for the doctoral program is 6 years.

Program students must have a research supervisor at all times. Supervisors are arranged by mutual consent of student and faculty member, and are consistent with the focus of the student’s research work. Master’s level students must have a supervisory committee consisting of at least three members, with at least one who is a member of the core clinical faculty. Doctoral candidates must have a supervisory committee of at least three members.

In addition to course-specific written requirements, students must sit a written and oral doctoral candidacy examination in the third year of their program (i.e., the first year of doctoral studies).

The oral candidacy exam will focus on questions on general clinical psychology and research knowledge. Questions on the research proposal will not be included in the oral candidacy examination.

Final thesis oral examinations are open.

A thesis final defence is also required.

Students in the program must complete both a Master’s thesis and doctoral thesis, according to the criteria set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. These research projects typically involve the design of a research question and research project, the collection, analysis and interpretation of original data, and the preparation of a written document consistent with good scholarship. Students whose research involves human subjects must receive approval from the appropriate departmental or University Ethics Review Committee before beginning data collection.

Admission to this Program is normally only available in September of each year.

Financial assistance may be available to qualified students. Applicants and program students are strongly encouraged to apply for internal and external awards. For information on Awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this Calendar.

Students applying for scholarships must submit their applications to the Department by January 15.

The program subscribes to the scientist-practitioner model of clinical training as described in the Canadian Psychological Association’s requirements for program accreditation, and emphasizes the integration of course work, research, and clinical training. The program has been fully accredited by CPA for six years (2011-2017).

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