Clinical Psychology Program
Area head Jamie Ostrov, PhD, with students in his History and Systems class
The Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program follows a "clinical-science" training model. Clinical science is a psychological science focused on using scientific methods and evidence to inform the assessment, understanding, treatment and prevention of human problems in behavior, affect, cognition or health. Consistent with this model, students are involved in clinical research continuously from their first semester, and the program is best suited for students who desire academic or research-oriented careers in clinical psychology.
Area Head & Director of Clinical Training: Jamie Ostrov, PhD
Associate Director of Clinical Training: John Roberts, PhD
The Learning Environment
The clinical faculty represent a strong productive, and collegial group of researchers who conduct cutting-edge research in fundamental areas of clinical psychology, with particular expertise in alcohol and substance misuse, anxiety and mood disorders, developmental psychopathology, temperament, personality pathology, psychophysiology, assessment and advanced quantitative methods.
Our doctoral program has emphases in both adult and child psychopathology and interventions. Through lab-based mentorship and carefully designed sequential and cumulative course work, students develop the skills necessary to become a clinical researcher, and they are well prepared for careers in academic settings, such as psychology departments at colleges and universities, or psychiatry departments at medical schools. We expect our students to contribute to the science of clinical psychology, and to learn to infuse their clinical work with empirical findings and theoretical concepts. Our students have done very well in competing for the best internships and professional placements, and many of our graduates have risen to positions of prominence and leadership in the field. Our aim is to provide each student with the quality of training that would afford that same opportunity.
Inclusivity Mission
UB is located on territory of Native Americans. Accordingly, the Department of Psychology acknowledges the land on which the University at Buffalo operates, which is the territory of the Seneca Nation, a member of the Haudenosaunee/Six Nations Confederacy. This territory is covered by The Dish with One Spoon Treaty of Peace and Friendship, a pledge to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. It is also covered by the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua, between the United States Government and the Six Nations Confederacy, which further affirmed Haudenosaunee land rights and sovereignty in the State of New York. Today, this region is still the home to the Haudenosaunee people, and we are grateful for the opportunity to live, work, and share ideas in this territory.
The Clinical Psychology Program in the Department of Psychology at the University at Buffalo utilizes science to understand and attend to issues including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, immigration status, age, ability, religion, sexual and relationship orientation, privilege, culture, gender identity, disability, and family structure in research, clinical practice, coursework, and the recruitment of students and faculty. We also seek to promote awareness, tolerance, and acceptance of similarities and differences that exist among individuals as well as diversity in thought and ideology.
Licensure and Accreditation
The Clinical Psychology PhD program (referred to as the “Program”) is licensure-qualifying for New York State. The program makes every effort to provide training that is consistent with national standards and to prepare students for the practice of clinical psychology. The practice of psychology is regulated at the state level. State licensing authorities, commonly referred to as “State Boards,” determine the specific educational and training requirements for licensure in their State. Of note, many States (including New York State) require post-doctoral training as well as examinations beyond predoctoral requirements. As such, a PhD from our Program in Clinical Psychology is not sufficient, in and of itself, to meet licensure requirements in most states.
The program has been accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1949. The program was last reviewed in 2016 and received a full reaccreditation through 2023. For questions regarding our APA accreditation status, please contact:
Committee on Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC
20002-4242,
Phone: 202-336-5979
In addition to APA accreditation, the program was admitted to the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science in 2008. The program is also accredited by PCSAS (Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System) through 2027.
For questions regarding our PCSAS accreditation status, please contact:
Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS)
Joseph E. Steinmetz
PCSAS Executive Director
1101 E 10th Street
Bloomington, IN 47401
jsteinmetz@pcsas.org
Phone: 479-301-8008
PCSAS is an independent, non-profit organization that provides rigorous, objective, and empirically based accreditation of Ph.D. programs. PCSAS programs adhere to a clinical science training model—one that supports and expands the scientific foundation for mental and behavioral health care and increases the quality and quantity of clinical scientists contributing to all aspects of public health for all people.
Our program is currently accredited by APA through 2023, and PCSAS through 2027. We are proud to have been accredited by APA since 1949. APA serves the needs of many clinical psychology programs around the country. The Graduate Program in Clinical Psychology at the University at Buffalo is committed to training psychologists who strive to produce and apply scientific knowledge to the assessment, understanding, and amelioration of human problems. Our program provides training that is explicitly science-focused, and as such, we benefit from an accreditation process that is consistent with this science-based philosophy. This is why we sought out accreditation with PCSAS, in addition to our APA accreditation.
Future Plans
We plan to maintain APA accreditation at least until programs accredited by PCSAS are given the same access to internship and licensure opportunities as are programs accredited by APA. However, in the coming years, we will continue to monitor changes in the field, and in accreditation systems. In the event that parity (i.e., are on equal standing) is achieved between PCSAS and APA, we will then evaluate whether APA accreditation is consistent with our training philosophy and goals, and whether such accreditation benefits our program and students. Consideration of these issues would include students in our program. We will not make any changes that would limit our students’ training opportunities or threaten the ability of our graduates to have the kinds of careers that they seek.
The Admissions Process
As our program is mentorship-based, students are admitted to work with an individual faculty member. Faculty members accepting students vary from year to year. Before applying, prospective students should view the list of faculty members accepting students and/or contact potential mentors.
