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On the Couch, In The Lab

Harvard Offers a Ph.D. In Clinical Psychology with a Research Focus

Long a pioneer in the study of psychology, Harvard University has decided to begin offering a Ph.D. in perhaps the field's most well established sub-discipline: clinical psychology--the study and treatment of abnormal behavior.

They won't be turning out therapists, though. Administrators say the program will focus on researching the causes, symptoms and treatments for abnormal behavior--known in the field jargon as psychopathology.

"We took in our first class this fall" says Jill M. Hooley, professor of psychology and the program's coordinator.

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The study of clinical psychology will be similar to the department's current offerings in experimental psychopathology, with the important distinction that it will eventually seek accreditation by the American Psychological Association (APA).

"It became clear to us that a lot of jobs in academic clinical psychology require that students have APA approved clinical training, and we wanted to make sure that we could offer that to our students" Hooley says.

. "The clinical program is really an extension of that designed to fulfill the requirements of the APA and also the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," she says.

These additional requirements--which will include practical instruction in the techniques of therapy--will make the clinical program less elective-based than other concentrations.

"Students have fewer options for electives because a lot of the coursework is already proscribed" Hooley said.

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