School/Clinical Child Psychology
Department of Educational Psychology
Designed For
This program is designed for individuals who aspire to become doctoral‑level psychologists specializing in the development, assessment and treatment of children, adolescents and their families. It is an ideal fit for applicants who want to integrate rigorous scientific research with applied clinical practice within school, healthcare and community settings.
Career Objective
Graduates of the program pursue careers across a wide range of professional settings. Some serve as teachers, scientists and clinicians in colleges, universities, medical centers, research institutes or government agencies. Others work as practitioners in schools, hospitals, mental health clinics, integrated behavioral health settings, the military, juvenile justice or criminal legal systems or private practice. Across their careers, many advance into leadership roles, becoming administrators or program directors within school districts, universities, government agencies, private foundations or nonprofit organizations.
At a Glance
Program Starts: Fall
Deadline to Apply:
December 1
Length of Program: 60-72 months
Program Location: On campus
GRE Required? No
Cultivating Expertise Through Mentored Scholarship
Grounded in the scientist–practitioner model, the program prepares psychologists to design and conduct cutting-edge rigorous research and to deliver evidence‑based services that support the development of children and adolescents across relational, academic, cultural and societal contexts. Strong and sustained faculty–student collaboration is the cornerstone of the program.
Why Choose This Program?
- American Psychological Association and National Association of School Psychologists accredited doctoral training program within a top ranked College of Education.
- Integrated training emphasizing ethical practice in assessment, intervention, consultation and research.
- Faculty mentor model with close, individualized guidance regarding research, practice and professional development.
- Hands‑on, intensive research experience within a faculty mentor’s lab.
Research Training
- Mentored training and applied, on‑the‑job experience provided by faculty.
- Demonstration of specialized competency through either a peer‑reviewed poster or presentation accepted at a conference or first authorship on a manuscript submitted to a peer‑reviewed journal.
- Completion of the qualifying process through the development of a research paper suitable for submission to a well‑regarded journal.
- Completion of a dissertation documenting the conduct of original, in‑depth research, and successfully defended in an oral examination.
Clinical Training
- School‑based practicum in the second year.
- Advanced practica in clinics, hospitals and community settings in the third year and beyond.
- Required, full‑time, pre‑doctoral internship, obtained independently through the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers national matching process; placements are typically outside of Austin.
Commitment to High Quality Service
The program emphasizes cultural awareness and responsiveness with particular attention to individual and contextual differences across coursework, research and clinical training, and prepares graduates to work effectively with children, families and communities with a broad range of experiences, perspectives and needs.

Area Chair
J. Mark Eddy
Program Overview
Application Requirements
Admissions Process Rooted in Faculty Mentorship
Admission to the School/Clinical Child Psychology doctoral program is highly competitive. Reviewers consider letters of recommendation, academic preparation, clarity and alignment of the personal statement, and overall fit with a faculty member’s current research program. Applicants with lower GPAs are encouraged to address academic performance in their personal statement and may still receive full consideration if they demonstrate strengths in other areas.
Because training is grounded within a faculty mentor model, from within the pool of top applicants, admission decisions are driven by the availability of a faculty mentor whose research interests closely align with the interests and prior training experiences of the applicant.
Each year, the program receives more than 150 applications, interviews 5-15 applicants, and admits 1–3 students. Interview invitations are usually sent in early January, with interviews held on a single day on the UT campus in January or February. While in‑person attendance for interviews is strongly encouraged, virtual interviews are available for applicants who are unable to travel.
Final admissions decisions are made by consensus among the school/clinical child psychology faculty, with significant input from the prospective faculty mentor, and are influenced by available funding in a given year. Admission decisions are communicated within a few weeks of the interview.
How to Apply
All graduate students are required to apply through the Graduate School website. We strongly encourage you to start this process well in advance of the deadline to allow us time to process your information.
Learn more on our How to Apply page.
Program Requirements
School/Clinical Child Psychology doctoral students are required to complete:
- EDP Foundation Courses.
- School/Clinical Child Psychology program courses.
- Out-of-Specialization courses.
- Qualifying Process & Dissertation.
- Specialty Emphasis courses.
All students in the School/Clinical Child Psychology program complete a standard scientist-practitioner-oriented school psychology curriculum during Years 1-2. Doctoral students complete one or more specialty emphases in Years 3-5.
Student coursework may vary depending on prior graduate coursework and waivers. Required courses are designed to meet relevant APA and licensure requirements. All required courses must be completed with a grade of at least B-.
Current students should always defer to their Program of Work for course requirements and consult with their faculty advisor / Graduate Advisor for any clarification.
EDP Foundation Courses (26 credit hours)
The Educational Psychology Foundation courses represent core knowledge in educational psychology, and reflect APA guidelines requiring doctoral-level psychologists to have basic knowledge in the breadth of scientific psychology, its history of thought and development, research methods and applications. Foundation courses must be completed prior to the Qualifying Process.
Methods Foundation (17 credit hours)
- Prerequisite Course: EDP 380C.2 Fundamental Statistics: prerequisite for all Methods courses.
- EDP 480C.6 Statistical Analysis for Experimental Data
- EDP 380D.4 Psychometric Theory and Methods
- EDP 480C.4 Correlation & Regression Methods
- EDP 381C.2 Research Design & Methods for Psychology and Education
Development & Learning Foundation (9 credit hours)
- EDP 382D.4 Psychology of Learning OR EDP 382D.6 Motivation and Emotion
- EDP 382C.2 Social Psychology
- EDP 382F.3 Life Span Development
School/Clinical Child Psychology Program Coursework (40 credit hours)
The following Program Courses reflect three areas of training: assessment, intervention, and research, with both didactic courses and those with an emphasis on practice. Students may be able to waive some program courses if they have already completed relevant graduate work in these areas.
Professional Development (6 credit hours)
- EDP 385C.8 Law, Ethics, & History of School Psychology
- EDP 382D.2 History & Systems of Psychology
Psychoeducational Assessment and Intervention (7 credit hours)
- EDP 483C.4 Individual Testing
- EDP 383C.6 Academic Assessment & Intervention
Social/Emotional Assessment and Interpersonal Intervention (6 credit hours)
- EDP 383C.8 Social/Emotional Assessment with Children & Adolescents
- EDP 383C.30 Developmental Psychopathology
Behavioral Assessment and Intervention (3 credit hours)
- EDP 384C.21 Fundamentals of Cognitive/Behavioral Interventions in Youth & Adolescents
Consultation Theory and Process (6 credit hours)
- EDP 385C.14 School Consultation Theory & Practice
- EDP 385C Advanced Consultation, Collaboration, and Supervision
Neuropsychological Assessment (3 credit hours)
- EDP 382E.2 Biological Bases of Behavior
Multicultural Competency (3 credit hours)
- EDP 384C.18 Multicultural Counseling
Behavioral Assessment and Intervention (6 credit hours)
- EDP 384C.21 Fundamentals of Cognitive/Behavioral Interventions in Youth & Adolescents
- One of the following:
- EDP 383C.7 Evidence-Based Interventions in Schools
- EDP 384C.14 Addiction Counseling
- EDP 384C.28 Motivational Interviewing
- EDP 384C.32 Integrated Behavioral Health
- EDP 384D Group Counseling / Interventions
- EDP 382E.11 Pediatric Psychology / Health Disparities
Specialty-aligned Elective (3 credit hours)
One specialty-aligned EDP elective, approved by Area Chair
Practica and Internship (21+ credit hours)
Practicum in School Psychology (9 credit hours)
- EDP 383D Practicum in School Psychology: Level 1
- EDP 383E Practicum in School Psychology: Level 2
- EDP 383F Practicum in School Psychology: Level 3
EDP 384V Advanced Practicum (9+ credit hours)
- Advanced Practicum is required Year 3 through Year 4. Most students continue in Advanced Practicum in Year 5. Advanced practicum are typically completed in community settings (clinics, hospitals, integrated behavioral health, juvenile justice, schools) that align with the student’s interests.
Internship (3+ credit hours)
- EDP 193N or EDP 393N Internship in School/Clinical Child Psychology (3 semesters)
Out-of-Specialization Courses (6 credit hours)
In addition to foundation and program area requirements, students must complete additional coursework outside of their program area.
- 1 course taken outside of the EDP department (3 credit hours)
- 2 courses taken either in another program area within EDP or outside of the department (6 credit hours)
Note: the required course EDP 382E.2 Biological Bases of Behavior may be counted as one of these courses.
Specialized Competency Requirement
The Specialized Competency is required of School/Clinical Child Psychology doctoral students to advance to candidacy. To fulfill the requirement, students must submit research in which they have played a substantial role (i.e., their own research or a collaboration in which they have been particularly active) at a professional conference and/or submit their research for publication. This must be submitted before the student submits paperwork for advancement to candidacy.
The objective of this requirement is to provide students with the experience and skills necessary for professional scholarship (e.g., research, writing, presenting a conference paper) and to further students’ identities as scholars/scientists. It is completed under the supervision of the student’s adviser, typically during the first two years of the program.
Often students will not be the primary or sole author on a resulting publication, but should be involved to a significant degree. In the rare situation where a project/paper was submitted but not accepted for presentation or publication, this part of the requirement (acceptance) may be waived with approval by the faculty adviser, area chair and department chair.
En-Route Masters
EDP doctoral students admitted without a master’s in the field often complete an en-route master’s degree before receiving the doctoral degree. See the En-Route Master’s page for requirements.
Doctoral Portfolio Programs (Optional)
Portfolio programs are optional opportunities for doctoral graduate students to obtain credentials in a cross-disciplinary academic area of inquiry while they are completing the requirements for a degree in a particular discipline. A portfolio program usually consists of four thematically related graduate courses and a research presentation.
Funding
There are a few funding options in our doctoral program that are offered by individual faculty via grant appointments (GRA), within the department or college via teaching assistants (TA), and offered by the department, college and university via fellowships. Each student’s funding package may look different depending on their skills and prior experience, current faculty projects, and the qualifications for different fellowships. Funding generally consists of a monthly stipend, tuition waivers for up to nine hours and student health insurance. Students are still responsible for paying other student fees required by the University.
To receive and keep GRA and TA funding, graduate students are required to
- Be continuously enrolled as an active student.
- Remain in good academic standing.
- Have adequate performance in that role.
Funding offers are made after offers of acceptance, usually in March.
Faculty
Examines ways that school psychologists can improve the academic, social-emotional, and behavioral outcomes for young children (i.e., preschool) from minoritized and marginalized backgrounds in early childhood settings.
Accepting new students
J. Mark Eddy's primary area of expertise is the development, refinement and rigorous testing of culturally informed multimodal preventive and clinical psychosocial interventions to improve physical and mental health outcomes for children and families...
Supports the clinical training of doctoral students, teaches clinically-focused courses and prepares students for psychology internship training. Jane Gray does not serve as a research mentor for students in the School Psychology nor Counseling ...
Dr. Erin Rodríguez studies family, sociocultural, and contextual influences on childrens development and health outcomes, with a focus on understanding and reducing health disparities affecting low-SES Latinx youth.
Accepting new students
Investigates culturally and linguistically responsive interventions and assessments for Latiné students.
Accepting new students
Training in School Psychology Positive School Climate Home, School, and Community Partnerships
Affiliated Faculty
Studies predictors of risk for mental health problems in early childhood.
Affiliated Labs
Pediatric Coping and Language Lab
Studies family, linguistic, and sociocultural influences on children’s adaptation to stress and their mental and physical health outcomes.
Families, Schools and Communities Translational Research Lab
Focuses on developing and rigorously testing evidence-informed health promotion, prevention and intervention programs intended to benefit children and families, particularly those living in stressful circumstances and those often marginalized in our society.
The EMPOWER Lab develops culturally and linguistically responsive interventions for Latine/x multilingual youths and families.
Accreditation
The doctoral program at the University of Texas is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) as a combined Clinical/School Psychology program; the program’s next re-accreditation site visit will be in Fall 2032. Accreditation status may be confirmed by APA via:
Education Directorate
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
750 First Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979
Fax: (202) 336-5978
Email: apaaccred@apa.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a master’s to apply to the doctoral program?
The doctoral program is a terminal doctoral program, which means students are admitted with the goal of completing their Ph.D. Although some students come with a master’s (e.g., in school psychology or related disciplines), that is neither an expectation nor a requirement and many students apply and are admitted with a bachelor’s degree. Some students will get a master’s degree en route to the Ph.D. as part of the qualifying process, which includes a thesis, but others complete the qualifying process without completing the paperwork involved with getting a master’s degree.
I have a master’s degree. Can I get credit for the classes I have already taken?
Decisions about course waivers are made case-by-case by the instructor for the class where a waiver is requested. Typically, the instructor will review the syllabus for the class to decide if the course can be waived. This is done after students are admitted. To expedite this process, make sure you hang on to the syllabi from any courses you’d like to have evaluated. Sometimes courses have the same names but are quite different in content.
What does the admissions committee look for in applicants?
First, make sure you are applying to the School/Clinical Child Psychology Ph.D. program at The University of Texas at Austin —there are other related doctoral programs within our university, including in the department of Educational Psychology (e.g., Counseling Psychology; Human Development, Culture, and Learning Sciences; Quantitative Methods), in the Department of Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts (e.g., clinical psychology doctoral program), and in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, to name a few.
Selection of students is based on multiple factors including letters of recommendation, the personal statement and course grades. A critical factor in our review is evidence of a good fit between the interests and experiences of the applicant and the faculty member who will serve as the faculty mentor. Since this is a “mentor model” program, a portion of the personal statement should address the specific reasons why the faculty mentor’s program of research and expertise will allow the applicant to meet their goals. This is a very important part of the statement.
Students with a low GPA should explain their performance in their personal statement and document outstanding performance in other areas in order to be given serious consideration.
Can I continue to work and be in the Ph.D. program?
The doctoral program in School/Clinical Child Psychology at UT is a full-time, in-person graduate program.
How successful are your students in attaining internships?
Very successful. Our students have interned at the following locations.
Practicum Sites
Community Mental Health Centers
- Austin Child Guidance Center
- Austin Travis County Integral Care
Hospital/Medical Center
- CommUnity Care
- Dell Children’s Neuropsychology
- Texas Child Study Center
Independent Practice
- Capitol OCD and Anxiety Practice
- Neurobehavioral Institute of Austin
- Kaleidoscope Counseling
Psychiatric Facility
- Austin State Hospital
- Texas Neurorehab
School District or System
- Austin Independent School District
- Del Valle Independent School District
- Georgetown Independent School District
- KIPP
- UT Charter School
- Wayside School
Other
- Eating Recovery Center
- Travis County Juvenile Probation
- Vida Clinic
Internship Sites
Medical Centers/Integrated Healthcare
- A.I. DuPont Hospital
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital
- Children’s Hospital Colorado
- Children’s Hospital of Michigan
- Columbia University Medical Center
- Kennedy Krieger Center/Johns Hopkins University
- Albert Einstein College/Montefiore Medical Center
- UC Davis Medical Center – CAARE Center
- UCLA Semel Institute
- University of Louisville School of Medicine
- University of New Mexico Health Science Center
- University of Texas Health Sciences Center – San Antonio
- Texas Children’s Hospital
- California Pacific Medical Center
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
- Aurora Mental Health
- Dell Children’s Medical Center/Texas Child Study Center
Schools
- Illinois School Psych Internship Consortium
- Dallas ISD
- Fort Worth ISD
- Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (Houston)
Community Mental Health/Juvenile Justice
- Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center
- Morrison Child and Family Services
- Momentous Institute
- Travis County Juvenile Probation
- Bexar County Juvenile Probation
Also see our match statistics and other student admission outcomes.
Do you accept graduate students for terminal master’s degrees/specialist programs?
Our program offers a terminal specialist-level (LSSP) School Psychology master’s program that has a separate application process. Applicants may apply for both. The coursework is similar for the first two years of the doctoral program, and master’s and doctoral students take many classes together. A small percentage (across time, about 10%) of master’s students who apply to the doctoral program in their second year are accepted. Enrolling in the master’s program does not guarantee acceptance to the doctoral program as these students still must apply, compete with the pool of applicants in a given year, be recommended for admittance by all faculty in the program, and be matched with a faculty mentor.
Most doctoral programs in the U.S. take only a small number of students each year. Given each of these issues, master’s students in our program who are interested in continuing with doctoral work here are strongly encouraged to apply to a variety of other programs as well to increase their chance of acceptance for doctoral studies.

