The University of Arizona's Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology follows a clinical science training model. Central to our definition of this model is the idea that research and practice are reciprocally related: The very best clinical work is grounded in empirical knowledge and attitudes, just as clinical practice informs the evolution of clinically relevant research. Accordingly, the program's goals are (1) to produce graduates able to generate and consume knowledge in clinical science, and (2) to produce graduates with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to practice professional psychology competently. The program thus prepares students not only to practice clinical psychology, but also to contribute to advancing knowledge in the field. In other words, we aim for graduates to have productive and satisfying careers in scientific clinical psychology and/or scientifically-based psychological practice. In all of this, the faculty views students as junior colleagues and collaborators, and strives on a daily basis to treat them with dignity, courtesy, and respect.

Consistent with our model, an overarching curricular theme is to integrate science and practice. Thus, practicum courses in assessment, psychosocial intervention, and clinical neuropsychology are embedded in, and integrated with, didactic curricular sequences designed to accentuate the interdependence of theory, practice and research. All of these sequences are directed by core clinical faculty who themselves model the scientist-practitioner role. The integrative theme is also reflected in collaborative "translational" research, through which faculty and students apply basic psychological theories and empirical findings to real-world clinical problems such as addiction, depression, sexual abuse, and neurological impairment.

The program offers a considerable range of clinical training and research opportunities. While all students undergo a broad and general training, there are optional –(and not mutually exclusive) areas of concentration in clinical neuropsychology, health psychology, family psychology, psychotherapy research, sleep research, interpersonal violence, program evaluation, and mental health policy and law. In all of these areas we encourage students to think critically about current research and practice and to contribute to scientific dialogue through publications, conference presentations, and other formats of professional exchange. This is facilitated by faculty mentorship tailored to individual students’ interests, strengths, and stage of professional development. We also encourage students to appreciate the benefits of collaboration and interdisciplinary work, and emphasize the importance of translational research the cuts across basic and applied areas.

In sum, our general training mission is for students to become competent scientist-practitioners. They should have the wherewithal to identify, promote, and provide scientifically-sound psychological services. Furthermore, we expect a substantial proportion of our graduates to (a) contribute to clinical science by carrying out research on processes of psychopathology and change; (b) develop and evaluate new, science-based assessment and intervention procedures in programmatic applied research; (c) disseminate their work through professional publications and presentations; and (d) participate in the psychological community through memberships and leadership roles in professional organizations and contributions to mental health policy decisions. We expect all graduates to keep abreast of the current psychological-scientific literature in a way that informs their practice.

Compatible with our training philosophy and goals, our specific objectives are to train our students to competency in knowledge and skills related to research methods and their ethical application, statistics, breadth of scientific psychology, the history of psychology, and individual and cultural diversity in scholarly inquiry. No less important, we aim to train our students to competency in knowledge and skills related to psychological assessment and diagnosis, psychological intervention, ethical and legal issues, and issues related to individual and cultural diversity in clinical practice. In sum, we aim to train students in clinical science that is stimulated by practice and enriched by clinical experience, and clinical practice that is informed by science and enriched by the scientific way of thinking.