UCSB's Combined Ph.D.Program in Counseling, Clinical, & School Psychology (CCSP)

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UCSB CCSP

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Hi all,

I just wanted to tell everyone about an excellent applied psychology Ph.D. program at UC Santa Barbara. Because it's a combined program that encompasses counseling, clinical, and school psychology, doctoral students get exposed to a broad depth of training. There are a large number of practicums embedded into the program, including the department counseling clinic (the Hosford Clinic) that serves the residents of Santa Barbara County; a Psychology Assessment Center that trains students in cognitive, neuropsych, and personality testing; an autism center run by some leading researchers in the field; school consultation opportunities; as well as externship opportunities in local medical hospitals, psychitriatric hospitals, county mental health, and child abuse agencies.

Students apply for an emphasis area (counseling, clinical or school), so they do not end up sacrificing depth of training due to the enormous possibilities for breadth. Some students have a primary interest in assessment, others in school settings. Some have a strong interest in autism, while others work primarily in counseling centers. There is a strong emphasis on the scientist-practitioner model, and efforts are made to create strong researchers that also have great clinical skills.

UCSB's CCSP program usually does not appear on psychology graduate school rankings because it is classified as a combined program, whereas grad school rankings usually stick to individual fields (e.g. Clinical Psychology Programs). Despite this, the training is still excellent, and all of the students (11) that applied for internship this year matched to APA-approved sites. Students were accepted to placements at some great sites, including Stanford, Yale, Boston U, Colorado State University, and U of Pennsylvania. Here is a link to the press release:

http://education.ucsb.edu/About/News/News-archives/Stories/Mar09/ccsp-place09.htm

If you are looking to apply to an excellent program that is located in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, I would definitely recommend considering UCSB's CCSP program. Here is the link to their website:

http://education.ucsb.edu/Graduate-Studies/CCSP/CCSP-home.html
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I should add that the program encourages students to discover their own theoretical orientation. Some students are psychodynamic, some are CBT focused, and others take on feminist/multicultural approaches. The faculty and fellow students appreciate diverse approaches to therapy and client case conceptualization.

Another perk is that it's a public university (so tuition is relatively low), plus there are several grants, fellowships, and TAships available that will pay your tuition.

Let me know if you have any questions about the program.
 
I did have a question about UCSBs program. If you apply for the clinical emphasis and after a year of study decide that the counseling emphasis suited you more, is it a problem to switch over? How common is this?
 
smilie2131 said:
I did have a question about UCSBs program. If you apply for the clinical emphasis and after a year of study decide that the counseling emphasis suited you more, is it a problem to switch over? How common is this?
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While it's not too common, students have been able to switch advisors and/or emphasis areas with departmental approval. You usually don't have to make this switch, however, because you can stay in one emphasis area and still get experience in the other areas. For example, a school psych student might also work in the department counseling clinic, psychology assessment center, and in the autism center. You can also get involved in research projects outside of your emphasis area.

People are admitted under a particular advisor that they will usually stick with for their graduate career. When applying, I would identify who has the same clinical/research interests as you and tailor your application to that individual. People who submit a general interest application usually are not selected for interviews.
 
Thanks! I love UCSB's program, and am particularly interested in Dr. Kia-Keatings' work. One question I did have was if many of the students (women) have children while in graduate school, and if so how difficult is it for them to handle the work load and family life? By the time I will be ready to apply my 2 children will be in elementary school, so I wouldn't be planning on having a baby in the middle of a PhD program. However, I'm trying to figure out if I can balance the workload of a Phd Program and be a hands on mom at the same time. Thanks for starting this thread!
 
smilie2131 said:
Thanks! I love UCSB's program, and am particularly interested in Dr. Kia-Keatings' work. One question I did have was if many of the students (women) have children while in graduate school, and if so how difficult is it for them to handle the work load and family life?
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A couple of students have kids, and definitely have to work out a good balance between school and home. I think this is the same regardless of the program you end up at.

Grad school is essentially a 50-60+ hour a week job (that doesn't pay you very well). Factors like income, amount of quality time with the kids, and whether or not you have a partner to split up the child-rearing duties come into play. That said, some students take an extra year to reduce the pressure of meeting grad program requirements while raising children.

For the average CCSP student, it takes about 4-5 years at UCSB, plus a 1 year pre-doctoral internship.
 
I interviewed at UCSB and was suprised by how little funding students have access to - most of the grad students I met were in significant debt! I didn't see that at the other phd programs I interviewed at- and it's something I wish was clearer when I was applying
 
What made you decide to post this? Are you a prof. there?

What's always confused me about this particular program is that it is often talked about on this board as being clnically-oriented and produces strong practitioners - yet it's a 6 in the Insider's Guide.....

Jon
 
Jon4PsyD said:
What made you decide to post this? Are you a prof. there?

What's always confused me about this particular program is that it is often talked about on this board as being clnically-oriented and produces strong practitioners - yet it's a 6 in the Insider's Guide.....

Jon
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Hi Jon,

I'm actually a CCSP doctoral student that has really enjoyed being in the program so far. I wanted to share this info with people looking to apply to grad school. The program is definitely geared to create excellent researchers first and foremost. That being said, the level of clinical training you receive makes you well equipped as a practitioner as well. I'm not sure how the Insider's Guide rating is determined... Do you know?
 
poppins said:
I interviewed at UCSB and was suprised by how little funding students have access to - most of the grad students I met were in significant debt! I didn't see that at the other phd programs I interviewed at- and it's something I wish was clearer when I was applying
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Hmm... I'm not sure who you met. There are a lot of fellowships, block grants, TAships, RAships, and other funding opportunities. A lot of incoming students receive a 1-2 year fellowship that pays their tuition and gives them a stipend. TAships pay your tuition and give you a stipend as well. Lastly, I think people that opt to work for the autism center get paid and their tuition is covered. Of course, students that don't use these funding sources would probably need to take out loans.
 
Any advice for someone who is very interested in applying to UCSB's combined program next year?
 
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hopefulpsych said:
Any advice for someone who is very interested in applying to UCSB's combined program next year?
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I think much of this advice rings true for any grad program, but I would recommend the following...

  1. Identify an research/clinical area that interests you.
  2. Gain lots of experience in that area (research assistantship, etc)
  3. Identify a faculty member with similar interests to your own in your program of interest.
  4. Read everything that that faculty member has ever published.
  5. If you have low GRE scores, work to get them up (take a course, study up, etc.) These scores are frequently used by graduate programs as a screening tool. Saying that you aren't a good test-taker or that it doesn't reflect your true talents as an researcher/clinician probably won't matter because often these applications are screened out before anyone looks at your essays. Even if they aren't screened out, there are plenty of other applicants out there with similiar experience and better GRE scores. I would say the same goes for low GPA.
  6. When writing your application, tailor it so it describes your strong interest in working with that particular individual. You also want to balance this with interest in related areas (especially in the case of CCSP because it's a combined program).
  7. Re-read your application several times before sending it off. Have others read it. Have your current professors/research directors read it. Incorporate their suggestions.
  8. Have something that separates you from the pack of applicants. Having a publication (or several), having lots of experience in an area, working with a famous researcher (or researchers) in the field, or going to a prestigious university never hurts your application. A letter of rec from a famous researcher can do wonders (It's sad, but true. But this only works if the person really knows you and can write you a good letter).
  9. Remember, interviews are designed to evaluate your social skills. In your interview, you want to strike a nice balance between "I know about this area of psychology" and "I am excited to learn from you about this area of psychology." Well qualified people that are too talkative, cocky, or arrogant (to faculty and/or students) are not usually accepted. Quiet (shy) people also have a hard time getting offers, because applied psychology requires that you can quickly establish a relationship with others in a short amount of time. Faculty are looking for this in your interview. Connect with them. Remember to be a real person (not some robot researcher) with a genuine personality and other interests besides psychology. In some cases, current students have tremendous influence in the admission process. Be nice to everyone you meet, especially the program administrative assistants.
 
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My husband is an alumnus and has strong ties to UCSB and his dept faculty and we would love to go back there as grad students, but whenever I check out this program it seems heavily weighted towards school psychology, which doesn't interest me. Do you feel like this is an accurate impression? Would someone who doesn't want to work in school psychology have any reason to apply?

By the way, this is a really cool insight into a program. Thanks!
 
I have been beating myself up over which program to apply for in the fall and was seriously considering a PsyD program, but the tuition is ridiculous. I can do research, but it's just not my favorite thing in the world.. Then I was debating just getting a MA or MS but didn't want to settle. I know that I am interested in being a clinician first and foremost, so it has been difficult to find a reputable PhD program that does not center itself so heavily on research. Would this program be a good alternative? Or could someone recommend some other PhD programs that might also incorporate good clinical training?

thanks!!!!
 
amphigory said:
My husband is an alumnus and has strong ties to UCSB and his dept faculty and we would love to go back there as grad students, but whenever I check out this program it seems heavily weighted towards school psychology, which doesn't interest me. Do you feel like this is an accurate impression? Would someone who doesn't want to work in school psychology have any reason to apply?

By the way, this is a really cool insight into a program. Thanks!
Click to expand...

The clinical and counseling emphasis students have no obligation to work in school psychology at all. You take some coursework that has relevance for all three emphases (cognitive assessment, supervision/consultation theory, etc), but the program is definitely not heavily weighed towards school psych. Some opt for experience in schools, but this is by no means a requirement. Others decide to just focus on working in hospitals, counseling centers, and our department clinic for their practicums. You tend to have a lot of flexibility in designing your own practicum experience.
 
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ninajamh said:
Would this program be a good alternative? Or could someone recommend some other PhD programs that might also incorporate good clinical training?

thanks!!!!
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This program's mission is to create psychologists that will go into academia as researchers. It is also heavily focused on creating scientist-practitioners, so you get a lot of clinical training as well.

Here is the general description of training for the counseling/clinical emphasis student:

In your first year, you will work with pseudo-clients (undergrads that have signed up for course credit) to hone your basic psychotherapy skills under the supervision of advanced doctoral students and the clinic director. You also start taking cognitive, neuropsych, and personality assessment courses and can collaboratively assess individuals in the Psychology Assessment Center (PAC). PAC is run by a professor that came from Harvard Mass General, who really knows his stuff when it comes to assessment. Your next year, you will start seeing "real" clients from the community at the department clinic. During this year, you can continue working in PAC. In your third year, you start your externship. Students have done their externships (external practicums) at local hospitals, behavioral health agencies, child abuse remediation centers, and other agencies. During this year you also have the option of continuing in the department clinic. During your fourth year, you can continue to work in your externships if you want additional hours/experience, and some students take on supervisor roles in the department clinic.

Some students take on multiple externship experiences. I think if you are a clinical student focusing on autism, you also work in the autism center from year one. Other students also have the option of working for the autism center for the hours/experience.
 
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UCSB CCSP said:
Hmm... I'm not sure who you met. There are a lot of fellowships, block grants, TAships, RAships, and other funding opportunities. A lot of incoming students receive a 1-2 year fellowship that pays their tuition and gives them a stipend. TAships pay your tuition and give you a stipend as well. Lastly, I think people that opt to work for the autism center get paid and their tuition is covered. Of course, students that don't use these funding sources would probably need to take out loans.
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I have to disagree with this post. I was told that fellowships are reserved for high need students. It is questionable how the financial crisis in CA will affect the availability of the funding opportunities listed here.
 
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Thank you for the info! This sounds like a program I will definitely check out =)
 
aspiretobephd said:
I have to disagree with this post. I also interviewed at UCSB and was offered admission but with no financial support. I was told that fellowships are reserved for high need students. It is questionable how the financial crisis in CA will affect the availability of the funding opportunities listed here. I also got the sense, while on the interview, that many of the students had taken on quite a heavy amount of loans to enroll in the program. I have been unimpressed with the amount of transparency with their admissions process. Most schools have a disclosure section of their website showing the admissions statistics as well as the % of students receiving funding; CCSP does not. I am really not sure what to think about this omission.
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I feel I should also mention that I went to the CCSP interview this year (Counseling specialization) and was very surprised to hear about the lack of funding opportunities. I was also discouraged by the interview process - only 30 minutes for the entire interview. Nothing else. I was in the room with 2 profs for 30 minutes and they made the decision? It was very rushed (someone knocked on the door at exactly 30 min, interrupting my sentence and the profs said time was up). I felt like it wasn't a very worthwhile trip. At all of my other interviews, I was given at least an hour to speak with people from the program, especially the POI.

Disclaimer--I was waitlisted and then notified that I wouldn't be offered admission.
 
In my experience... there are a lot more opportunities for clinical emphasis folk to receive funding than the other emphases, largely because the clinical faculty have more grants. This is not to say that all clinical students receive funding. Some have to take on TAs (which provide fun teaching experience), or clinical positions that give you experience and hours.

I remember that I was not promised funding at admission. Based on your GRE/GPA, you can automatically qualify for a fellowship that pays for your first 1-2 years and gives you a stipend the first year. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that several students (including myself) received these without having to apply for them.

With the current economic climate, I can see how funding might be tighter. Given my experience, I would definitely have still enrolled in the program even without financial assistance. The financial aspects definitely seem like the downside of this excellent program.
 
Wanted to let everyone know that the Combined Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology Department at UCSB just finished moving into their new, multimillion dollar building. It's awesome, and will feature state of the art video capture technology to assist with research projects. Check it out if you are applying to clinical PhD sites this year. Another bonus: beaches, an awesome town, and great weather.
 
Just finished my application to work with Dr. Kia Keating. Excited to hear. Does a MA degree usually help or hurt an application for the clinical emphasis program?
 
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UCSB CCSP said:
Wanted to let everyone know that the Combined Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology Department at UCSB just finished moving into their new, multimillion dollar building. It's awesome, and will feature state of the art video capture technology to assist with research projects. Check it out if you are applying to clinical PhD sites this year. Another bonus: beaches, an awesome town, and great weather.
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and the girls man, dont forget the girls :luck:
 
This program does look great, I've got my fingers crossed for an interview. I was hoping they might invite for interviews earlier, since their application deadline was quite a bit earlier than my other schools. Does anyone have any idea? Even if I didn't get in (which is pretty likely!), just an interview in Santa Barbara would be a nice mini-vacation coming from cold and grey NYC🙂 I applied to Kia-Keating as well, good luck!!!
 
It was a hella-early deadline, but it looks like a really good program, so I applied! Luckily, all the supplemental materials only needed to be postmarked by the 15th, not in by that date.
 
Hi everyone, I also applied to to UCSB's program (by Nov 15, 2010). Does anyone know if they've already given out all interview offers? I assume so because interviews are being conducted starting next week... any confirmation though?
 
Interview invitations were sent out via phone back on 12/22 & 12/23.

phdforum said:
Hi everyone, I also applied to to UCSB's program (by Nov 15, 2010). Does anyone know if they've already given out all interview offers? I assume so because interviews are being conducted starting next week... any confirmation though?
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I am very interested in this program and definitely thinking of applying. However, I do have a couple of questions:

How many graduate students does a professor typically mentor? More specifically, how many graduate students is Dr. Robert Koegel currently mentoring?

After completing the program with an emphasis in clinical psychology, would it be possible for me to be licensed as a clinical psychologist? Would there be any more steps involved compared to a student from a clinical PhD program?

Thank you for the help!
 
Does anyone know when acceptances/rejections were sent out for Fall 2011? Were decisions made for school, counseling, and clinical all at the same time or does it differ per department?
 
Hello there,

Has anyone heard from UCSB's CCSP program for Fall 2013 admission post-interview? I was expecting to hear back sooner as the interview was in early January.
 
Another SDN member and myself were both "waitlisted", which we found out by emailing the program. I'm fairly certain they have extended all their initial offers, sorry. I would recommend emailing them yourself. Its certainly acceptable after seven weeks! 🙂
 
Has anyone heard anything (wait-listed, accepted, or rejected) form UCSB post-interviews for Fall 2014?
 
So , how does the licesnsing work after graduating . Are all the eligibility crietias met to apply for license ? .like can one practice ?.
 
Hey
I would like to know what the chances of a student without any research background getting into this program are?:/
Nill?
 
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modestmousktr said:
Good luck! I haven't started yet, but if you have more questions about the interview process, admissions statistics, etc, please feel free to PM me. That goes for anyone reading this 🙂 it's always nice to be helpful
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That's very kind of you.Thanks for the info.I guess this would totally be out of my league then.I am from India and have a non-thesis Masters in psychological counselling.I've learned that I wouldn't really meet the admission criteria into any PhD program for that matterSo,started looking at PsyD programs instead.Any idea if there are any similar PsyD (combination) programs accredited by APA?I've come across only Yeshiva and Pace in NY.I was mainly looking at a combined counselling and clinical PsyD.If anybody knows please let me know.
Would be of great help!🙂
 
Hi there! I have been doing a lot of research into UCSB's combined program and was wondering if anyone could give me some more insight on a few questions:
1) When completing the program, do you receive a combined degree or is the degree specific to your concentration?
2) Considering you have to pick a concentration, how much flexibility is there considering electives, research, and fieldwork?
3) Following up on the previous question, I would also like some advice. I believe my fieldwork and internship interests would align more with the school psych track, but my research interests would align more with the clinical track. Which would be more beneficial for me to apply to? Are faculty members open to accepting students from a different track into their research groups?
Thanks for reading!
 
modestmousktr said:
Hi there! I dont know if there's any active UCSB students or alum on the boards, or if they are comfortable revealing themselves as such if they are. I haven't posted anything I'd worry about being associated with me, so I don't mind letting people know that I'm a current student here. I'm happy to answer any questions 🙂

1) You receive a combined doctoral degree with a specific emphasis. So on your transcript or diploma, it would say something like:
Ph.D. in Counseling, Clinical, & School Psychology
____ Psychology Emphasis (whatever your emphasis area is)

So I guess the answer to your either/or question is... yes! You received a combined degree as it is a combined program and all students take basic core curriculum classes, but the emphasis is also apparent on your degree, as you take several courses and seminars in your emphasis area, in addition to completing different clinical competencies (e.g. practica at a community mental health center vs. an elementary school). I imagine Utah State University's APA-accredited combined Ph.D. program in Counseling, Clinical, & School Psychology is similar, but I am not sure.

2) That really depends on your advisor and how much you can take on. There's really no such thing as electives in the program- any class you are taking that is not in the graduate handbook is just extra work for yourself because you'd like to learn it. So, I have to take the classes I have to take, and it's not like undergrad, or even in my master's, where I had maybe a few spare units and could choose from a set of classes. The counseling folks have a specific map they follow, as well as school, as well as clinical to ensure that students are familiar with information required for their specific emphasis. For example, school psychology folks take classes like "Counseling Children and Families" while Counseling Psychology folks take classes geared toward counseling sexual and ethnic minorities. That being said, should you find you're passionate about something and really want to take a class, in ANY department, you would not be dissuaded. The nice thing about taking classes across the emphases is that people from your cohort, or familiar to you, will be in them, and you can gain extra knowledge that way. But you can also take extra classes in the Department of Education, and likewise, students doing Ed Ph.D.s take classes in our CCSP department which is very cool and lends itself to a diversity of thought and opinion that I appreciate. And when I say any department, I mean any. Tuition is not by the unit, it's by semester, so if your advisor is cool with you taking 24 units and you feel you could manage it, you could take classes in the Sociology, Black Studies, Chicana/o Studies, Feminist Studies, Global Studies, History, like... literally any department. I'm taking a writing course and Black Studies course next quarter to help with my research.

In terms of flexibility of research, that is tricky. Many advisors will usually want and need commitment to their research team and projects, so engaging in research outside of this can be troublesome, but a fair amount of students do it. I have more than enough to keep me occupied on my research team, but I do have friends that are being "dual advised". That being said, usually both advisors are in school psych, or both in counseling. A lot of the school psych folks get large evaluation or assessment grants, so they have GSR positions that not all faculty can offer, so sometimes you will see counseling or clinical students also working with school psych faculty. I'd say because it is a combined program, and also focused on student wellness and growth, collaboration is more welcome than at other universities, but it's still touchy.

Fieldwork is the most flexible. There are certain basic requirements you have to meet to start practicing, but once you meet those, you can pretty much do anything. For example, school psych has to do one quarter of Basic Practicum, then one quarter of a bunch of school psych courses related to therapy and assessment, and then they begin practica at a local school. They are always welcome to come back to the Hosford Clinic, our training clinic for clinical and counseling students, after they complete the practicum requirements for their emphasis. In terms of externship, that is very broad as well. Clinical students have been accepted and are welcome to apply to university counseling centers, and counseling students have been accepted and are welcome to apply to local inpatient hospitals, outpatient treatment centers, community mental health centers, and juvenile justice centers.


3) That's really tough. It depends on if you're interested more in practice or academia after earning your doctorate. If you're interested in practice- I'd say school psych. They have A LOT of very different requirements than the clinical/counseling folks and you just would not be able to be a school psychologist if you were in the clinical or counseling track. Whereas if you're in the school psych emphasis, there are a lot of school psych faculty that are open to conducting clinical-ish research. Also, obtaining admittance to a Ph.D. program is already an uphill battle, so unless your stats are above those of admitted students, I wouldn't recommend applying to one track for courses and clinical experience, and suggesting a faculty mentor from another track. One reason for this is that the program is very holistic- you meet so often and receive SO much advice from your faculty advisor, that it would present a lot of logistical and practical difficulties with them trying to advise you outside of their niche area. If you're more interested in an academic position after your doctorate, then research would be the most important to you, and I'd say go for the clinical track if you want to be conducting clinical research.

I hope this was helpful! PM me for my e-mail if you have more questions. I'm bad at responding to PMs on here, but once you have my e-mail, if you need more advice, I'm always on there. Good luck!
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Wow thank you so so much for the full and detailed response! I wasn't expecting that but it was extremely helpful. I'll PM you because I'm sure I'll have more questions down the line 🙂
 
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