Many students elect to submit this project as a master's thesis, although obtaining the Master's degree is not a requirement. Within each of these areas, specialization is achieved through course selection, advanced practica, and research focus. Within the adult area, there are also opportunities for specialized research training and clinical experience in the area of neuropsychology . It should be noted, however, that all students complete course work and clinical practica relevant to both child and adult populations. Research experience is provided concurrently with course work and clinical practica throughout the student's graduate career.
Students also serve research apprenticeships with clinical faculty members.
Students who wish to pursue an academic career or other positions which require research and scholarly productivity are strongly encouraged to emphasize this aspect of their training. The clinical area of the psychology building has a number of rooms suitable for experimentation or interviewing, many of which have one-way mirrors and video and audio recording equipment. Training in college teaching is available for all clinical graduate students and is especially encouraged for those interested in academic careers. Most clinical students choose to teach a small section of personality or abnormal psychology for two semesters during the third year. Advanced students may elect to expand their repertoire by teaching other courses, such as introductory psychology, in subsequent years.