Graduate Certificate in Clinical Psychology

Graduate Certificate in Clinical Psychology

Strengthen Preparation for Clinical Psychology PhD Training or Add Clinically Oriented Training to an Existing Psychology PhD Program

Program Overview

The UTEP Graduate Certificate in Clinical Psychology provides clinically oriented graduate coursework, faculty mentorship, and professional development that complement students’ primary degree programs. It serves two distinct but complementary groups: students pursuing a master’s degree in experimental psychology who want to strengthen their preparation for Clinical Psychology PhD programs, and students already pursuing a psychology PhD who want to add clinically relevant training to support applied research and related career goals.

For students already enrolled in a psychology PhD program, the certificate provides a coherent set of clinically oriented courses and mentoring experiences beyond their required doctoral curriculum. This pathway is particularly relevant for students whose research has an applied, behavioral health, assessment, intervention, prevention, or clinical-population focus and who want their training to better support clinically relevant postdoctoral, academic, research, or other professional opportunities.

These pathways represent different entry points rather than different levels of standing within the certificate. Bringing master’s and doctoral students together can enrich coursework, mentoring, and scholarly exchange by combining varied research experiences and professional goals. The program is especially attentive to first-generation students and others who may benefit from greater access to mentorship, academic socialization, and the often-unspoken expectations of doctoral and clinically relevant professional training.

Across both pathways, the certificate emphasizes individualized advising, professional development, academic socialization, and close collaboration with faculty. Mentoring is tailored to each student’s stage of training—either strengthening preparation for clinically oriented doctoral study or integrating clinical perspectives with an existing doctoral research program.

Pathway 1: Preparation for Clinical Psychology PhD Programs

Many clinical psychology PhD programs expect applicants to demonstrate:

• strong academic preparation in psychology
• readiness for rigorous graduate-level coursework
• meaningful faculty mentorship
• strong letters of recommendation
• clear research and professional interests
• understanding of the expectations associated with doctoral training

The certificate program complements these areas through:

• advanced graduate coursework in clinical psychology
• closer interaction with faculty in clinical and related areas of psychology
• individualized mentorship and advising
• exposure to doctoral application expectations and professional development processes
• integration with broader graduate psychology training and scholarly opportunities at UTEP

Experimental Psychology MA students can use the certificate in conjunction with broader graduate psychology training at UTEP to build a coherent record of clinical coursework, research engagement, mentorship, and scholarly development for future doctoral applications.

Pathway 2: Clinically Oriented Training for Current Psychology PhD Students

Current psychology PhD students can use the certificate to complement their required coursework with structured training in psychopathology, psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and an approved applied field experience. The certificate does not provide clinical licensure or independent-practice preparation; rather, it adds clinically informed knowledge and experience that can strengthen applied research involving behavioral health questions, clinical populations, intervention development, assessment, prevention, or implementation.

Working alongside students preparing for clinically oriented doctoral programs also creates opportunities for reciprocal learning. Doctoral students contribute advanced research experience, while master’s students contribute emerging clinical interests and perspectives; both groups benefit from shared coursework, faculty mentorship, and interdisciplinary scholarly engagement.

“Through individualized mentorship and broader graduate training experiences, I developed the confidence, professional skills, and preparation needed to pursue doctoral training in Clinical Psychology.”

Faculty Mentorship

John Begeny

Licensed psychologist and school psychologist whose research primarily focuses on improving educational equity through academic intervention, effective community-university partnerships, enhancing school-based systems, and internationalization.

Ted Cooper

Licensed clinical psychologist whose research focuses on disease prevention and health promotion, including tobacco/vaping cessation, addictive behaviors, problematic social media use, and health behavior change among Hispanic populations.

Jennifer Eno Louden

Applied psychologist whose research focuses on correctional psychology, criminal justice and mental health, stigma, and interventions designed to support justice-involved populations.

Craig Field

Licensed clinical psychologist and board-certified specialist in addiction psychology whose research focuses on motivational interviewing, brief interventions, alcohol-related health disparities, and health behavior change among Latino and underserved populations.

Certificate Requirements

The Graduate Certificate in Clinical Psychology requires completion of 12 graduate credit hours:

• Seminar in Psychopathology
• Theories and Methods of Psychotherapy
• Seminar in Psychological Assessment
• Clinical internship, practicum, or approved related professional field experience