The Clinical and School Psychology Program at the University of Virginia uses the scientist-practitioner model to prepare Ph.D. psychologists to understand and promote the development and well-being of children, adolescents, and young adults in context, with a particular emphasis on schools. Education and training includes strong grounding in: the foundational elements of clinical and school psychology, research skills essential to consuming and producing new evidence-based knowledge, and clinical skills necessary to provide competent, ethical assessment, intervention, and consultation services. The program embraces an interdisciplinary perspective and is committed to training culturally competent scholars and practitioners who work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Ultimately, our mission is to develop leaders in the research and practice of psychological services for children, youth, and their families that span promotion, prevention, and intervention.
The Program offers training to all students in the recognized specialty areas of clinical psychology and school psychology, and is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association and approved by the National Association of School Psychologists. Research and clinical skills are considered to be equally vital to the success of psychologists in the profession today. This is reflected in our commitment to having students participate in active research labs and engage in our state-of-the-art outpatient clinic from the first semester they arrive in the program. The program of instruction for each student includes a foundation of basic science in psychology and significant involvement in research. Research training includes critical on-the-ground work within a faculty member's research lab, either focused on secondary data analysis of existing data or active data collection and management within current projects. All students begin working on a manuscript in their first year that is submitted to a peer review journal by their second year, and many students graduate having authored one or more publications.
Clinically, our students receive extensive training in psychological assessment and are exposed to evidence-based approaches to therapy and intervention through course work and intensive one-on-one supervision of clinical casework within the Sheila C. Johnson Center for Human Services, local schools, and other community psychological service facilities. It is important to note that we adhere to a broad conceptualization of clinical and school psychology practice, aligned with the Institute of Medicine's intervention spectrum that includes promotion, prevention, treatment, and maintenance approaches. And, although our graduates receive a solid foundation in understanding and treating psychopathology, program faculty place a strong emphasis on positive youth development and helping students to thrive across a variety of contexts. After a yearlong clinical internship at the end of the program, our graduates seek careers in both clinical and academic settings, including schools, medical centers, mental health agencies, and universities.
