Clinical psychology
About the program
The clinical psychology graduate program is CPA-accredited and based on the scientist-practitioner model.
You’ll gain the skills to conduct and communicate research findings and learn practical job skills, such as how to work in a cooperative research environment with other experts. You’ll get practical experience and specialize in either clinical lifespan psychology or clinical neuropsychology.
The program is designed to be completed in 7 years. This includes a 6-year curriculum, spanning 2 years at the MSc level and 4 years at the PhD level. A year-long, full-time residency at a CPA- or APA-accredited site is also required.
View the public disclosure information to review statistics of the past 7 years of program applications, offers, enrollments, internship applications and graduates.
Supervision
Clinical students work closely with a faculty supervisor who best matches their research interests, clinical goals and/or methodological approaches.
Students with a non-clinical research supervisor are assigned a clinical training advisor (CTA). This faculty member will guide you through the program requirements.
Over 40 registered psychologists supervise the clinical training of our students at practicum sites in Victoria and beyond.
Practicum
The clinical psychology program is based on coursework, research and hands-on clinical experience in practicum settings.
You’ll receive training and support to provide professional psychological services to the community. Some recent practicum sites:
- UVic Student Counselling Services, Victoria, BC
- BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC
- Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto, ON
- Saanich Child and Youth Mental Health, Victoria, BC
- Maples Adolescent Treatment Centre, Vancouver, BC
Specialization tracks
Clinical lifespan
This track focuses on the social, cognitive and emotional development of people. It covers childhood through late adulthood.
You’ll receive specialized training in the conceptualization of multiple and intersecting influences on mental health. These include normative and pathological developmental pathways and age-specific risk and protective factors. You’ll become an expert in using this knowledge to inform developmentally sensitive and culturally responsive assessment and intervention techniques and recommendations.
Current lifespan research topics include:
- Indigenous mental health and well-being
- health behaviours and health promotion
- healthy relationship functioning
- suicide and self-harm behaviours
- immigration and acculturation
Clinical neuropsychology
Clinical neuropsychology students learn to assess and treat issues with memory, thinking, movement, attention, emotions and social skills.
They focus on helping people with brain-related or psychiatric disorders. Our program follows the Houston Conference Guidelines. We prepare students for accredited internships and postdocs and help them get certified as they advance in their careers.
Current neuropsychology research topics include:
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using neuroimaging to understand healthy aging and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and MS)
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traumatic brain injury
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examination of the effects of physical activity on cognition
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neurocognition, psychosocial functioning and health outcomes with aging and chronic illness
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cognitive rehabilitation in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (e.g., ASD, FASD and ADHD)
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mindfulness-based neuropsychological interventions and the link between trauma and illness
Faculty members
Our clinical faculty members study areas including mindfulness meditation, family dynamics, executive functioning and aging. Each brings a developmental lifespan perspective to their work.
Many theoretical perspectives are represented in the clinical work of our faculty members, including:
- cognitive behavioural therapy
- interpersonal therapy
- family systems
- attachment theory
- narrative therapy
- Indigenous ways of healing
- mindfulness
- humanistic/existential approaches
These complementary faculty members teach courses, supervise and serve on supervisory committees.
Psychology clinic
The psychology clinic at the University of Victoria is an outpatient mental health training facility for clinical psychology graduate students.
The clinic provides professional psychological services to the community. These include assessments and therapeutic interventions for children, adults, couples and families.
Services are provided by students in the MSc and PhD clinical psychology programs under the supervision of registered clinical psychologists. Our team is dedicated to excellence in evidence-based treatment and assessment as well as clinical research and training.
Courses
Our graduate program emphasizes collaborative research activities more than coursework. We believe courses are important to help you succeed as a scholar.
We offer courses that we believe will be of direct relevance and value for our students' research. Our program is designed to give a good deal of flexibility regarding how and when requirements are met.
In our MSc and PhD programs, you’ll complete the program’s course requirements and additional courses for the lifespan or neuropsychology specialty tracks.
Admissions
Learn everything you need to know about becoming a UVic grad student, from finding a supervisor to submitting your application.
Applications for a September 2025 start are due November 30, 2024 through My UVic application.
International students
Clinical psychology graduates qualify for licensed practice across Canada and the USA. Licensure is granted on a province-by-province or state-by-state basis.
Outside of Canada and the US, UVic’s clinical psychology degree is respected due to the high standards of Canadian programs. Our students are well-equipped to adapt to many cultural contexts.
If you plan to work outside Canada and the US, contact your country of interest about equivalency requirements. International equivalencies are offered in most countries. The process may take several months.
International students are not eligible for some funding options. Please see the International Student Services website to learn about studying at UVic as an international student.
Funding
Every year, UVic awards $12 million to help fund graduate students through a combination of:
- UVic fellowships and awards
- teaching assistantships
- research assistantships
Our department offers a limited number of graduate awards and fellowships each year to incoming students. These range from $1,000 to $17,500. Some funding offers may include a combination of teaching assistantships, graduate awards and/or fellowships.