OverviewThe clinical psychology graduate program at EastCarolina University is a two-year, 45 semester-hourrogram that prepares students for work as psychologistsin a variety of settings or for further study at the doctorallevel. A full-time six-month working internship at amental health facility is required. Five staff memberscurrently teach the required clinical graduate courses.Employment OpportunitiesClinical psychology graduates have a good history ofemployment in the field. At present, more job openingsexist for masterTs-level psychologists than individuals tofill these jobs. While a majority of graduates accept mentalhealth center positions throughout North Carolina, otherswork in such varied settings as developmental evaluationclinics, prisons, community colleges, hospitals, andrivate practice in and out of state. Approximately 30ercent of clinical graduates elect to pursue a PhD aftercompleting the program.Licensure in North CarolinaIn North Carolina, licensure is required to practice as aclinical psychologist. Students who have completed theMA program in clinical psychology may apply to theNorth Carolina Board of Examiners in psychology forconsideration for licensure as a psychological associate.rogram DescriptionDuring the first academic year, nine required courses aretaken, including two courses in assessment; two coursesin treatment; ethics and professional practice; interview-ing; psychopathology; learning; and statistics. Thesecourses involve theoretical, professional, and practicum-oriented classroom work.Extensive individualized instruction, including rolelaying, check-off performance requirements, and otherfeedback techniques enhance the quality of the practicumcourses. This practicum work also involves weeklylacements in several on- and off-campus agencies.Additionally, at least two electives (6 semester hours) arerequired as part of the 45-hour program. In coordinationwith the program director, students select electives tomeet their individual training goals and interests. Elec-tives may be chosen from graduate courses taught in theDepartment of Psychology or from other graduate areas.InternshipApproximately $20,000 in training grants is brought intothe department each year to support students in the six-month internships. These grants, which provide forstipends of approximately $500 per month, have beenstable for some years.Internship placements are available in centers wheredoctoral-level psychologists provide supervision.Internship guidelines, developed in May 1980, enablecoordination between the program and the agency for themaintenance of adequately supervised"though indi-vidually unique"internship placements. Communica-tion between the program and supervisors, along withend-of-internship evaluations, permits adequate qualitycontrol.ThesisThe masterTs thesis in psychology is a professionalresearch paper and an example of students' research andwriting skills. Students will present the completed thesisat an oral examination conducted by the thesis committeeas the last step in the process. Six semester-hour creditsare allowed for the thesis.Other RequirementsA comprehensive examination, which tests studentsTknowledge in the areas of core and specialty course work,is required and is normally taken in the second year.Additionally, a research skill requirement of not less than3 semester hours from certain areas determined by thedepartment, or from a foreign language, must be met.ApplicationsIt is strongly recommended that all applicants take acommon core of undergraduate psychology coursesbefore applying to the clinical program. These includeintroductory psychology, psychological statistics,experimental psychology, learning, personality, physi-ological psychology, tests and measurements, andabnormal psychology.Over the past several years, an average of forty-fivestudents has applied to the clinical program from whicheight are selected as the first-year class. Average scores onthe objective measures for students admitted into therogram generally fall in the following ranges:GRE Aptitude (Verbal, Quantitative) 1000-1100Advanced Psychology GRE 540-600Undergraduate GPA 3.15-3.35sychology GPA 3.40-3.60Senior Year GPA 3.45-3.70Admission to the clinical program is contingent uponmeeting all requirements of the ECU Graduate School andbeing recommended by the graduate admission commit-