Program Overview
The mission of the PhD Program in Clinical Psychology at Montclair State University is to prepare students to become competent and highly skilled in the research and practice of clinical psychology, including the championing of equity, diversity, and inclusion. In emphasizing the integration of science and practice, the program adheres to a training approach consistent with the scientist-practitioner model, and strives for an accessible, equitable, and inclusive synthesis that is promotive of human rights, fairness, and dignity for all people. Students can seek advanced training in clinical child psychology or forensic psychology. Please see the Training Philosophy page for additional information about the program’s model of training.
To learn more about the program, please visit pages providing information about Admissions Requirements, Degree Requirements, Program Faculty, Current Students, Alumni, Student Leaders, Student Successes, and Field Placements.
APA Accreditation
The PhD Program in Clinical Psychology is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA)’s Commission on Accreditation (CoA). The program’s full accreditation was effective as of the final day of the site visit (October 20, 2023) that preceded the CoA’s decision at its April 3–6, 2024, meeting, during which the CoA voted to approve us for full accreditation. Our next site visit will be scheduled for 2033 (10 years from the date of the April 2024 CoA meeting).
By way of history, our program launched in the fall of 2017, and was first accredited, on contingency, with an initial date of accreditation of April 5, 2020, and originally effective through April 5, 2025. Accordingly, all our students who have graduated to date completed an APA accredited program.
Questions related to the program’s accreditation status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-336-5979 / E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation
Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data
Download here.
Detailed information about the PhD Program in Clinical Psychology can be found in the Program Handbook.
If you have any questions about the program, please email the Director of Clinical Training (DCT), Dr. Christopher King, or the Psychology Department’s Coordinator for Graduate Student Advancement, Ms. Jen Wilenta, at gradclinical@montclair.edu.
Many of the program’s activities take place in two buildings. The first is Dickson Hall, the home of the Psychology Department and research labs for many of the faculty who train students in the program. The second is the Montclair State University Center for Clinical Services (CCS), which opened in January 2016 and serves as a clinical training facility and resource for our students, being the home of the department’s clinic. CCS features classrooms, research labs, and 24 assessment/treatment rooms with state-of-the-art technology that allow faculty and students to directly observe real and simulated sessions in real time and record them for feedback and supervision.
The PhD Program in Clinical Psychology makes every effort to fund students through their first four years of study, unless otherwise agreed to at the time of admission. Support is provided through mechanisms such as doctoral (or similar graduate) assistantships, student instructor contracts, and clinical or research contracts. Please see the Financial Support section for additional information about funding opportunities for students.