Psychology (PhD) - Clinical Psychology Track

The Psychology Department, within the graduate school, offers admission to Ph.D. programs in the following specialty areas: Clinical Psychology Specialization, Developmental Psychology Specialization, Neuropsychology Specialization, and Personality Psychology Specialization.

The PhD program in Clinical Psychology Specialization is the first and longest standing program at a Historically Black College or University. Accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1987, we are dedicated to bringing well-being and health to diverse groups in globally unserved settings by rigorously grounding psychological science in transcultural contexts. Our mission is to train scientist-practitioners from diverse backgrounds to apply their services to understanding and reducing societal problems.

The graduate program in Developmental Psychology Specialization is designed to train students in all phases of the life cycle from infancy through childhood and adolescence to adulthood and aging, with a special emphasis on development among children and adolescents of color.  Upon completion of his/her degree, the student is expected to demonstrate both breadth and depth in their chosen area of specialization, and to have a strong background in seminal theoretical frameworks, research design, and statistical and behavioral assessment.  They should be knowledgeable of current theories and empirical works that continue to influence the field.

The graduate program in Neuropsychology offers didactic and research training in Neuropsychology Specialization at the doctoral level. This program provides students with a scientific understanding of human behavior as it relates to normal and abnormal functioning of the central nervous system. It also introduces students to a wide range of procedures and techniques used to study the neural bases of cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes. This program focuses on the dynamic interplay between the brain and physical health, especially as this relationship is brought to bear on issues related to racial and ethnic health disparities.  It is strongly research-oriented, so students are required to initiate a research project in collaboration with a faculty member early in the first year of graduate study. The goal of our program is to equip students for research careers as neuropsychologists in academic and research settings. In the past, our students have been involved in research collaborations in the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Pharmacology, Surgery (Bariatric and Transplant), and Human Genetics in the Medical School and Communication Science and Disorders, Biology and Human Performance and Leisure Studies in the Graduate School.  Students have also conducted their research with research mentors at the National Institutes of Health.

The Howard University Personality Psychology Specialization Program combines multiple training and research goals. First, we believe that training students in culturally responsive theoretical development along with research design and analysis fundamentals is the most effective way to influence progress in expanding understanding of human personality within the field of Psychology. Second, in addition, our training focus also encompasses engagement in diverse methodologies and methods such as: (1) narrative autobiographical and life story methods; (2) measurement of electrodermal, electromyographic, and cardiovascular activity; (3) scale, questionnaire, and survey design; (4) translational research and knowledge transfer.   Third, the program attempts to foster awareness among students of the use of personality theories, methodologies, and approaches within applied contexts to promote health and wellness, emotional intelligence, professional success, intellectual activism, and both racial and gender inclusion and equity.