New PhD Concentration Prepares Clinicians to Advance Mental Health Care

The School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at UT Dallas will launch a new doctoral program concentration in clinical psychological science — the first at the University to offer graduate-level mastery in understanding, diagnosing, and treating mental health issues and behavioral disorders.

The Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) has recently accredited the UT Dallas Department of Psychology to offer a new concentration in the Psychology PhD program, starting in Fall 2026.

PCSAS grants accreditation to institutions that conform to the standards necessary to provide students with high-quality, science-centered education and clinical training. Through this concentration, Psychology PhD students will train to advance mental health outcomes through applied psychology while contributing original research that broadens the field of clinical psychological science.

“The clinical psychological science concentration gives students the opportunity to earn a Psychology PhD with direct, supervised experience working with patients in real-world clinical settings,” said Dr. Shayla Holub, psychology department head. “This is the first time UT Dallas has offered this in the field of psychology. I look forward to seeing this initiative shape future clinical scientists who will advance mental health care in UT Dallas, D-FW, and beyond.”

The School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS) currently offers a PhD in Psychology that provides advanced study and research training across multiple areas of the field. Students in the program can focus their work through concentrations in developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, social/personality psychology and now clinical psychological science.

This is the first time UT Dallas has offered this in the field of psychology.

Dr. Shayla Holub

Clinical training will begin in the Psychological Services and Education Center (PSEC), which will open in summer 2026, where students will receive closely supervised training in assessment and intervention. The program emphasizes delivering the best scientific-based treatments while continuously measuring and refining its effectiveness.

“Clinical psychology is about using what we know from research to deliver evidence-based care.” Dr. Jennifer Callahan, psychology professor at BBS. “It is our goal to prepare graduates who not only understand mental health, but know how to improve it in real lives, and who can push the field forward.”

Each student in the clinical psychological science concentration will work closely with a BBS faculty mentor to pursue shared scientific and clinical goals. The program draws on a network of more than 30 full-time faculty whose expertise spans cognitive neuroscience, developmental science, social and affective processes, psychometrics and clinical research. This sustained mentorship is designed to help students carry out research that is both conceptually grounded and methodologically sound. In addition to their faculty mentor, students work with a personalized training committee to shape a clear and cohesive plan of study.

While this marks the first time UT Dallas will offer a psychology program in which students provide direct patient care, BBS has a long tradition of integrating clinical training with graduate education. The school is also home to the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing, which offers graduate degrees such as the Master of Science (MS) in Communication Disorders and the Doctor of Audiology (AuD). Through the UT Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders, students in these programs gain hands-on experience and fulfill the clinical requirements needed for professional practice. The new clinical psychological science concentration builds on that foundation, extending BBS’s commitment to advancing both science and care.

Visit https://bbs.utdallas.edu/ to discover BBS and all of its programs.