Location:

Denver, United States

Program Type:

Full Degree

Degree Level:

Doctorate

Specialty:

Clinical Psychology

Program Overview

Program Description:

The Department of Psychology at the University of Denver offers a multidisciplinary approach to psychology and close, collaborative student-faculty working relationships.  We are a research-oriented department that values collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches.  Several themes connect our scholarship across traditional areas and training programs.  These themes are developmental, cognitive, & affective neuroscience; stress, coping, & health; psychopathology; and research with diverse and underserved populations.

Degree programs:

• Affect/Social Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Clinical Child Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (a concentration available for students in all programs)

Why study psychology at the University of Denver?

• Offers close collaborative junior colleague relationships between faculty and students
• Graduate student/faculty ratio of 2:1
• Award-winning faculty with grant-supported research
• Students successful in publishing in prestigious journals, in receiving external funding, obtaining first choices for clinical internships and obtaining good jobs
• History of funding all graduate students with both tuition waiver and stipend
• Values diversity along many dimensions, including culture, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, socioeconomic status and language
• Situated at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, Denver combines urban culture with readily accessible skiing, hiking, and biking in a climate that has more than 300 days of sunshine

Community Atmosphere 
Although our program is unquestionably a challenging and demanding one, these high expectations have not led to the development of a competitive attitude among the students. Our department is relatively small compared to other competitive programs and has fostered a unique sense of community among students and faculty.

Labs are encouraged to collaborate with each other on grants, projects, and papers, and this collaborative atmosphere provides the unique opportunity for all students to learn about specializations from some of the leading experts in diverse areas. Also, although students receive primarily guidance from one faculty member, working with multiple mentors is highly encouraged. There is also a close link among the child clinical, cognitive, developmental and social/affective programs, in which students from all areas take a number of classes together.

Research Presentations 
Our program provides ample opportunities for students to present research ideas in formal and informal forums. Small reading groups and frequent lab meetings encourage intellectual development and lively discussion in a variety of research areas. These forums include student-faculty research groups and lunch meetings where students are strongly encouraged to present their research.

Specialization Tools 
Every student is required to complete a sequence of courses called a "tool," which satisfies students' unique interests and career goals that may not be met in regular coursework.

In the past, students have chosen tool topics such as statistical analysis, psychometrics, multiculturalism, developmental psychopathology and assessment tools for children. One other unique option for fulfilling the tool requirement is the developmental cognitive neuroscience (DCN) specialization, in which students take classes that build on a foundation in cognitive neuroscience with a developmental perspective.

Teaching 
Recognizing that teaching skills are important for success in academia, our department offers a course on teaching psychology. After completing the course, students are encouraged and supported to teach an occasional class for a faculty member, or teach an entire course or workshop.

Work-Life Balance 
Our department values a balance between academic and personal lives. Denver is a wonderful place to live, rich with culture and history, where the sun shines approximately 300 days a year! Moreover, Denver is just 45 minutes or so away from the Rocky Mountains, which offers an abundance of recreational activities and breathtaking scenery.

In sum, we believe the University of Denver Department of Psychology provides a unique collaborative environment that fosters academic success for our unique interests. We hope we have provided you with a closer look at our program and answered some questions.

Thank you for your interest in our program.