The Role of Research

In Clinical Psychology

Scientific knowledge and methods form the foundation for effective clinical service. Although their objectives are different, to be productive, both the researcher and the practitioner must articulate current problems and issues, formulate creative solutions to them, and validate hypotheses by gathering empirical evidence. Continuing professional development for both requires the discipline to evaluate critically the scientific merits of new developments in the behavioral sciences. Research training is central to that discipline.

In the Virginia Consortium

The Virginia Consortium is a university-based program with a strong research base. We fund 100% of our students; put another way, we admit only those students we will fund. Except for three teaching positions, all first and second year students are funded with research assistantships. In this way, we support the research activities of both our faculty and students. This is evidence of our strong commitment to research training. Research is a required component, fully integrated throughout training in the Virginia Consortium.

Years 1 & 2: As graduate assistants, students apply the fundamentals of research learned in a required sequence of courses:

Research Methods I: Statistics/Lab
 
Research Methods II: Research Design/Lab
 
Research Methods & Statistics III:  Research in Psychotherapy
 
Research Methods & Statistics IV:  Program Evaluation.

Year 3: Students develop an area of focus in both clinical practice and research. The research component is an empirical dissertation, which is a degree requirement. Students are expected to have an approved dissertation proposal prior to the start of internship training in Year 4.

See also Recent Dissertations.