Doctoral training in clinical psychology across 23 years: Continuity and change

Doctoral training in clinical psychology has undergone substantial changes in recent decades, especially with the increasing heterogeneity of training models and graduate students. To document these changes, we analyzed program, student, and faculty characteristics of American Psychological Association (APA)-accredited clinical psychology programs over a 23-year span.

We surveyed directors of clinical training about their doctoral programs every 2 years from 1991 to 2013, securing 90%-98% response rates. With minimal exceptions, the survey questions remained constant.

Percentages of female and racial/ethnic minority students continued to grow, such that women now comprise about three quarters of trainees and ethnic minorities about one quarter. There has been a decisive shift in faculty theoretical orientation toward cognitive/cognitive-behavioral and away from psychodynamic/psychoanalytic. Internship match rates were relatively high and stable until the early 2010s but have recently rebounded.

We discuss the limitations of these survey results and their implications for the future of doctoral training in clinical psychology.