Welcome to the Clinical Psychology Program

The Clinical specialization at Cleveland State is what is referred to as a terminal Master's degree program because the department does not currently offer a doctoral degree program. Upon receipt of the Master's degree in Clinical Psychology, graduates may apply to doctoral programs at other institutions. Graduates may also elect to work in Ohio as a psychology assistant under the supervision of a doctoral-level, licensed psychologist. Psychology assistants may work in hospital, forensic or clinical settings and engage in assessment, treatment, or research activities.  Some states allow licensure of persons with the MA in clinical psychology.

The Clinical specialization offers two tracks of study to accommodate the interests of students: (a) Doctoral preparation track and (b) Practitioner track. Each track requires the student to complete a 52 credit hour program of coursework and clinical field experiences.  The coursework in the first year is the same for students in both tracks. In the second year, students in the doctoral preparation track complete a research or data-based thesis, and students in the practitioner track take elective courses that are suitable for their post-MA goals.

The program requires full-time study for two academic years; no courses are offered during the summer, though students in the doctoral preparation track frequently work on their theses during the summer between the first and second years.