Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology
About Our Program
UNLV’s PsyD in Clinical Psychology is a dynamic, practice-focused doctoral program built to train psychologists who are ready to make a meaningful impact across Nevada communities. Located on the Shadow Lane Campus in the heart of Las Vegas’ medical district, students engage in hands-on clinical training, work alongside experienced clinicians, and gain real-world experience from the very start of the program.
As the first PsyD program in Nevada, the program addresses a critical behavioral health workforce shortage by training practice-ready psychologists with expertise in prevention, assessment, and intervention—particularly for children, adolescents, and families. Grounded in a practitioner–scholar model, the program emphasizes hands-on clinical training, culturally responsive care, and community engagement to meet the urgent mental health needs across Nevada.
More About Us
Mission
The PsyD in Clinical Psychology program develops and empowers highly-skilled psychologists who can meet the diverse needs of Nevadans, especially children, families, and the systems that support them.
Vision
Our vision is that all Nevadans will have access to the high-quality mental and behavioral health care that they need to thrive at home, in their communities, and in life.
The UNLV Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology program was created in response to Nevada's critical need for more licensed psychologists to serve individuals, families, and communities across the state. The program's development was made possible through a substantial multiyear state grant provided by the Fund for a Resilient Nevada, established under the Nevada Department of Justice's opioid settlement agreement. This investment reflects Nevada's broader commitment to expanding and strengthening the state's behavioral health workforce.
The PsyD in Clinical Psychology program utilizes a scholar-practitioner model to provide evidence-based training that is culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and tailored to meet the individual and neurodevelopmental needs of the populations our students serve. Training is rooted in a strengths-based and systems framework that is grounded in and centers the voices and lived experiences of Nevadans, preparing future psychologists to deliver compassionate, competent, and equity-driven care across settings.
The PsyD program is being developed to meet all American Psychological Association (APA) accreditation standards. Because it is a new program, it cannot be reviewed for accreditation until after it has officially launched, and met key program milestones, and designated as "Accredited, On Contingency" by the APA. The program will file for accreditation as soon as it is eligible per APA guidelines.
Questions related to the program’s accreditation status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
Phone: 202-336-5979
Email: apaaccred@apa.org
The PsyD program is housed on UNLV’s Shadow Lane Campus, a dedicated health sciences campus located within the Las Vegas Medical District, one of Southern Nevada’s primary healthcare corridors. Shadow Lane Campus brings together students, faculty, and healthcare professionals from diverse professional programs, such as dental medicine and occupational therapy, to support interdisciplinary collaboration. The program’s location facilitates partnerships with nearby community organizations addressing critical behavioral health needs—including trauma, substance use, neurodevelopmental assessment, and pediatric mental health—while providing students with direct access to diverse clinical training opportunities essential for developing professional competencies.
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Our Curriculum
This program is a full-time, in-residence doctoral program. The curriculum is designed to provide comprehensive training in clinical psychology by building foundational knowledge and clinical competence through a combination of didactic coursework and applied experiences. The curriculum includes approximately 42 courses (111 credits) across five years.
Highlights
- Foundational coursework in clinical psychology and psychological science
- Early, developmentally sequenced pre-practica and practica training experiences across diverse community settings
- Extensive supervised clinical training beginning early in the program
- A multi-year doctoral research project focused on applied clinical questions
- A culminating full-time predoctoral internship in the fifth and final year
Core Training Areas
- Psychological assessment and diagnosis
- Evidence-based intervention
- Developmental psychology (with an emphasis on children and adolescents)
- Ethics and professional practice
- Cultural diversity and social justice
- Research methods and applied statistics
- Psychopathology and behavioral health
- Specialty electives, including the opportunity to pursue a Spanish-Language Psychological Practice Certificate
Clinical Training
Students complete supervised practica in a variety of clinical settings that reflect the diverse roles of professional psychologists. Potential training sites may include:
- Community mental health agencies
- Outpatient treatment centers
- Integrated primary care clinics and other medical settings
- Schools
- Substance use treatment programs
- Private practice settings throughout Southern Nevada
These experiences provide exposure to diverse populations, presenting concerns, and models of care while preparing students to deliver evidence-based psychological services across the lifespan. Consistent with the program's mission, many practicum experiences emphasize the behavioral health needs of children, adolescents, and families, while also providing opportunities to work with adults and broader community populations.
Training Progression
- First Year: Students will begin building foundational clinical skills coursework, clinical skills laboratories, and supervised community-based pre-practicum experiences that emphasize professional identity, ethical practice, and service to the community.
- Years Two through Four: Formal practicum training begins with the Assessment Practicum and Seminar in the second year, followed by the Therapy Practicum and Seminar in the third year and the Advanced Practicum and Seminar in the fourth year. Across these experiences, students develop increasingly advanced competencies in psychological and neurodevelopmental assessment, diagnosis, evidence-based intervention, consultation, supervision, and other core competencies of health service psychology.
- Fifth Year: The developmental sequence culminates in a full-time, APA-accredited or APA-equivalent doctoral internship during the fifth year, preparing graduates for supervised postdoctoral training where required for licensure and entry into professional practice.
Program Faculty
Our program is led by a diverse group of faculty who are licensed or license-eligible psychologists and recognized experts in their respective areas of specialization. Faculty are actively engaged in clinical practice, supervision, and training, ensuring that instruction is grounded in real-world application and current best practices. They are deeply committed to culturally responsive, community-informed care and to mentoring students in their development as thoughtful, skilled, and ethical clinicians.
Collectively, faculty bring expertise across a range of areas central to the program’s mission, including:
- Child and adolescent psychology
- Psychological assessment and neurodevelopmental disorders
- Evidence-based intervention for diverse clinical presentations including trauma and substance use disorders
- Family systems and community-based intervention
- Bilingual, culturally responsive service delivery
Career Preparation
Doctoral training in clinical psychology prepares graduates for a wide range of rewarding careers serving individuals, families, and communities across healthcare, education, government, and nonprofit sectors. The PsyD degree is designed to prepare graduates for entry-level practice as licensed psychologists, with a strong emphasis on applied clinical skills. Graduates will be prepared to work across diverse settings, including hospitals and healthcare agencies, integrated primary care, residential settings, substance use treatment programs, schools, community mental health clinics, and private practice.
Psychologists pursue roles in assessment and diagnosis, consultation, supervision, program leadership, teaching, research, policy, and administration. Career paths may be highly specialized, such as neuropsychology or pediatric psychology, or broad and interdisciplinary, allowing graduates to align their work with their interests and professional goals. As they advance in their careers, they will be well positioned to supervise and mentor future generations of psychologists and other mental health providers, helping to expand access to high-quality psychological care.
See “Psychology doctoral training can open doors to so many careers” to learn more.
Licensing
Graduates of the PsyD program will be prepared to pursue licensure as psychologists. Licensure requirements generally include:
- Completion of a supervised predoctoral internship
- Completion of a doctoral degree in health-service psychology (clinical, school, and/or counseling psychology)
- Passing the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) national licensing exam
- Completion of any required supervised postdoctoral training or fellowship, and/or other state-specific licensure requirements
The program is designed to meet educational requirements for licensure in Nevada and to prepare graduates for professional practice across a range of clinical settings.
Financing Your Studies
The program is designed with a commitment to accessibility and affordability relative to national PsyD programs. UNLV is among the lowest-cost PsyD options in the country, with projected tuition costs well within federal borrowing options available to professional doctoral students. We hope this reduces financial barriers for students—particularly those from Nevada.
The program is actively developing funding initiatives, including scholarship support for early cohorts, to reduce financial barriers and support student success. Our Founding Scholars Campaign will continue throughout fall and winter 2026. We expect to have a clearer understanding of available scholarship support so that we can share additional information during the spring interview season, when applicants are evaluating admission offers and making enrollment decisions. Updates regarding scholarship opportunities and anticipated funding levels will be shared in our announcements and with applicants.
For additional information about financing your graduate education, visit the UNLV Financial Aid website and the UNLV Graduate College Funding and Awards page to explore loans, scholarships, fellowships, and other funding opportunities.
Hope Starts Here. Ready to Become a Rebel?
The Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology program currently admits only students seeking a doctoral degree. Applicants to the UNLV PsyD in Clinical Psychology must meet both Graduate College and program-specific requirements. Admission is competitive and based on a holistic review of academic preparation, clinical experience, and alignment with the program’s mission.
The program admits students once per year for fall entry, with final admissions decisions communicated by mid-April. We anticipate entering cohorts of 20-25 students each year.
Contact
PsyD@unlv.edu
702-774-7793 (PSYD)