Essential information for the Clinical Psychology program

Specific information about the program.

Overview and program goals

The University of Ottawa was one of the first Canadian universities to establish training in clinical psychology, having begun in 1941. The doctoral program in clinical psychology at the University of Ottawa is the only bilingual program accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association (Accreditation Office, Canadian Psychological Association, 141 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 702, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5J3, [email protected], 613-237-2144 x 328 or 1-888-472-0657 x 328). Our current period of accreditation is for six years, and our next site visit is due in 2024-25.

The mission of the clinical psychology program is to prepare competent doctoral level clinical psychologists to work effectively with children and/or adults in a variety of professional roles and settings (including academic positions, clinical and research positions in hospitals, health centres, community agencies, other health facilities and public or private agencies, as well as positions in independent psychological practice) through an integrated program of studies that stresses both research and clinical training.

The clinical psychology program espouses a scientist-practitioner model of training. An essential characteristic of this model is the application of knowledge and methods from the science of psychology in addressing psychological problems and challenges. In turn, in this model, scientific research is enriched and informed by hypotheses generated from clinical practice.

The scientist-practitioner model of psychological service places a special emphasis on training in evidence-based assessments and interventions. An integral part of the clinical program is the School of Psychology’s Centre for Psychological Services and Research, whose mission is to deliver psychological services to the general population of the region, to provide training to doctoral students in clinical psychology, and to facilitate research. Students are supervised by full-time professors who are licensed by the College of Psychologists of Ontario.

Applications for the MA/PhD program in Clinical Psychology are accepted each year for both English and French training streams. Students take the majority of their courses and receive their clinical training (including psychological service delivery and report writing) in the language associated with the stream into which they are admitted. This means that applicants should be fluent in the language of the stream to which they apply.

In Ontario, practice as a psychologist is governed by statute law; graduation from the doctoral program in clinical psychology does not by itself qualify a person to practice as a psychologist. For further information, the College of Psychologists of Ontario should be contacted, at the following address:

The Registrar, The College of Psychologists of Ontario,
110 Eglinton Avenue West, Suite 500,
Toronto, Ontario M4R 1A3, Canada,
1-800-489-8388.

Program details

Resources for current students