Northern Illinois University
Department of Psychology
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Clinical Training

Students in the clinical psychology program receive extensive training in both assessment and therapy. This training is sequential and developmental, where students take relevant coursework in psychopathology, assessment, and therapy. They then apply these skills first in our in-house training clinic and later in clinical placements throughout the broader community.

The Psychological Services Center, or PSC as we call it, will be the first place where you’ll gain experience providing assessment and therapy to clients. It serves both the student population and the broader community.

Danielle Baran, the director of the PSC, talks with our graduate student clinic assistants about clinical training in this environment. Learn more about the PSC. We also share brochures with the community on our Child and Family Services and Trauma Services clinics.

Clinical training continues through clinical externships at agencies in the community. Most are set up as paid graduate assistantships. View details on our current externships.

The final year in any APA-accredited clinical psychology doctoral program is a full-time, 12-month internship. See the listing of where our students have been matched for internships in recent years.

Research Training

NIU’s clinical psychology program values its scientist-practitioner identity. Accordingly, students receive coursework in statistics and research methodology to design, implement, and disseminate findings from a variety of research projects.

In addition to thesis and dissertation projects, which are required in our program, students remain active in additional research with their faculty advisor or other department faculty. All students present research at national conferences.  View a list of recent presentations. Also, most students have at least one research publication before applying for an internship. See a listing of student publications.

Graduate students in our program benefit from collaborations with the Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault (CSFVSA), a campus hub with extensive resources to support research (e.g., psychophysiology lab, behavioral observation lab). Students may request the use of these facilities for research projects. Furthermore, students in clinical psychology often hold research assistantships on ongoing CSFVSA projects.

Diversity Training and Resources

The clinical psychology program values diversity and inclusion. Our graduate students and faculty collaboratively developed a statement related to how we address these issues, both broadly and in our training.

Laura Pittman, co-director of Clinical Training, shares specifics of the program’s conceptualization in this recorded presentation, detailing how we strive to support students of color in the program.

NIU is proud of its work to create a welcoming, inclusive campus for all. Hear from Dr. Carol A. Sumner, NIU Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, in this video as she shares a message of belonging and community.

To learn more about NIU’s efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, watch this recorded presentation by J Pappas, former assistant director of Social Justice Education. Although filmed in 2022, the material is still accurate and relevant to steps being taken on campus today.

NIU has numerous resources and groups devoted to supporting students of color and helping the wider campus community learn about diversity issues. See our Division of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the many Diversity and Cultural Resource Centers on campus.

In 2019, our department started a Diversity and Social Justice Committee to provide oversight and ensure continued efforts toward improving diversity, equity, and inclusion. Review this webpage for our mission statement and goals.

Additional Training

Our program is designed to be broad, ensuring every student gains knowledge and clinical experiences that prepare them to work with clients with a wide range of psychopathology. Students may also pursue more in-depth training in one or both of our two focus areas: Developmental Psychopathology and Trauma Psychology.

The Developmental Psychopathology Focus supports students interested in research and clinical experiences with children, adolescents, and families, preparing them for specialized careers in these populations.

The Trauma Psychology Focus supports students who have strong research and clinical interests in trauma. Hear from students sharing their favorite aspects of this focus in this video.