On This Page: Overview | Research Training | Faculty | Track Clinical Hours
Overview
The focus of our doctoral program in clinical psychological science is training students to be clinical scientists. A clinical scientist engages in significant ongoing generation of new knowledge, and/or significant dissemination of clinical science. Possible career paths include faculty positions in universities, clinician-scientist positions in hospitals, clinical administration positions focused on training, program development, evaluation, and dissemination, and industry positions such as developing computer-based interventions for mental health. Our program emphasizes the integration of science and practice. Students do not need to choose whether they will be scientists or practitioners; rather, they should see these activities as being inherently connected, and they must be able to function in both roles. Although many of our students go on to careers in more applied settings, students who are primarily interested in a career in private practice would be better served by a different training program.
Since 1994 our program has been a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science, a group of 63 university-based clinical training programs and 12 internship sites that are committed to the training of clinical scientists.
Research Training
Our program emphasizes research training and we expect students to be committed to advancing psychological science. Correspondingly, an important factor in our admissions decisions is the match between the applicant and a faculty mentor. Students are admitted to the program to work with a specific faculty mentor, and that person will be responsible for guiding them as they complete their doctoral research.
Faculty
Core faculty members in the clinical area who are available to serve as research mentors are Melanie Dirks, Richard Koestner, Gillian O’Driscoll, Sarah Racine, Mathieu Roy, Mick Sullivan, David Vachon, and Anna Weinberg. Students can also be supervised by other faculty members in the Department of Psychology, as well as by Associate Members of our Department.
Our faculty run active and visible research programs, supported by granting agencies including NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC, FRQS, FRQ-NT, and FRQSC. A number of our clinical faculty hold Canada Research Chairs. Faculty members are actively involved in the broader scientific community, serving as editors of major journals and on grant review panels. Clinical faculty have also been active in organizations advancing clinical psychological science, including the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science and PCSAS.