Program of Study

• Academics, Research Centers, & Initiatives
• Doctoral Programs
• Psychology
• Training Areas
• Health Psychology and Clinical Science
• Program of Study

Curriculum

Based on the training philosophy and competency requirements of the Division of Health Psychology of the American Psychological Association, and the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science, our curriculum stresses the scientific foundations of the discipline (e.g., understanding the biobehavioral, social-environmental, and psychological factors associated with mental and physical health behaviors, disorders, illness, and disease; dynamic interactions between populations and contextual variations [age, gender, ethnicity, culture, religion, etc.] on health behavior and health outcomes); applications of theory to research and research findings to practice and policy (e.g., develop empirically supported psychopathological and behavioral medicine interventions; use data analytic strategies that are best suited to the research question); and development of professional skills (e.g., writing grant proposals, writing articles for peer-reviewed publications). These competencies will be achieved through faculty mentorship and modeling, completion of the core and elective courses, as well as through completion of the dissertation and doctoral examinations.

Core Curriculum

The PhD program in Health Psychology and Clinical Science requires 60 credits of coursework, first and second doctoral examinations, and a dissertation.  It is expected that students matriculating with a BA or BS will typically complete coursework in the first three years, and devote their 4th and 5th years to completing the dissertation proposal and dissertation.  Students entering with a MA or MS in psychology are more likely to complete their coursework in the first two years. They will be able to transfer a maximum of 12 credits, provided that there is demonstration (e.g., through course syllabi) that those previous courses meet the objectives of corresponding Health Psychology and Clinical Science courses.

Consistent with the requirements of other Graduate Center doctoral programs, students will be required to complete first and second doctoral examinations, as well as an oral dissertation proposal defense. Satisfactory progress and timely completion of program milestones will be closely monitored by mentors, in collaboration with the Health Psychology and Clinical Science advisory committee, with annual written student evaluations.

Required Courses for students matriculating in Health Psychology and Clinical Science

Foundations of Health Psychology*
Psychopathology*
Psychosocial Determinants of Health Disparities*
Research Methods
Statistics I
Statistics II
Ethics for Research Psychologists
Directed Research (2 semesters)
*These courses must be successfully completed by the end of the second year of doctoral study, even if the student has matriculated with an MA or MS degree.

Students will be required to attend the Proseminar in Health Psychology and Clinical Science during their entire graduate training. They will receive credit for it for one semester of their choosing.

The remainder of the student’s coursework will consist of electives. Electives are advanced seminars directly relating to core concepts and/or theoretical perspectives within the area and to provide breadth in Psychology and other disciplines. Elective courses may, in principle, be taken from any training area in Psychology and from other doctoral programs at CUNY.  Electives must include at least four content courses (i.e., not methods or research courses).  Elective courses are chosen through consultation between the student and the student's advisory committee. 

Sample Training Sequence for Years 1-3

Examples of training sequences for students emphasizing clinical science (A) or health psychology (B) are displayed below.

Elective courses  (offered in the past few years)  

Health Psychology and Clinical Science Electives
Stress, Coping, Trauma & Resilience
Interpersonal Relationships and Health
Psychology of Women’s Health
Health of Ethnic and Racial Minorities
Identity and Major Life Events
Gender and Health
Emotion and Psychopathology
Clinical Neuroscience
Assessment
Interventions in Clinical Science

Breadth of Psychology Electives
History of Psychology
Behavioral Neuroscience
Cognitive and Affective Aspects of Behavior
Cognitive Psychology
Social Psychology
Personality and Individual Differences
Seminar and Practicum in Teaching of Psychology
Professional Development

Methods and Statistics Electives
Psychological Measurement: Theory & Applications
Structural Equation Modeling
Multivariate Statistics
Program Evaluation
Hierarchical Linear Modeling
Mixed Methods
Meta-Analysis