Neuropsychology Track Requirements

 Track Head: Matt Calamia, PhD

Goals

The Houston Conference guidelines for training in clinical neuropsychology specify that doctoral education should include 1) general training in the clinical psychology and 2) the “foundations for the study of brain-behavior relations and the practice of clinical neuropsychology”.

The Neuropsychology Track at LSU is organized to meet these goals and prepare students for a clinical internship involving significant training in clinical neuropsychology. In addition to completing the general requirements for a degree in clinical psychology, students interested in completing the Neuropsychology Track must complete the following requirements:

Research

A major emphasis is placed on conducting research in neuropsychology to prepare students for careers in academic or research settings. Students must submit for publication at least one first authored publication on a topic related to neuropsychology. It is expected, but not required, that students well exceed this threshold.

Coursework

Psychological Assessment II, a course which provides an introduction to neuropsychological assessment, is a requirement for all clinical students in the program. Students on the neuropsychology track are encouraged to take additional coursework in topics such as neuroanatomy or neuroimaging.

Didactics

Participation in didactics related to neuropsychology is required for multiple semesters while a student is on campus. A rotating series of topics will be covered over the course of graduate training including readings and discussion of topics that provide a foundation for the study of brain-behavior relationships and for the practice of clinical neuropsychology as listed in the Houston Guidelines. Specific practicum sites that emphasize training in neuropsychological assessment may also offer their own didactics (e.g., neuropsychology journal club, fact-finding cases modeled after the oral examination for board certification) and these didactics are also required while receiving training at those sites.

Practicum

A minimum of one year of practicum experience in neuropsychological assessment in a hospital or outpatient clinic setting is required. This experience must include exposure to a breadth of different clinical conditions frequently encountered in neuropsychological assessment (e.g., stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and TBI).

Dissertation

The dissertation topic must be related to neuropsychology.

Internship

An APA-accredited internship with significant neuropsychological training is required.

Upon completion of all the requirements above, a letter detailing the student’s neuropsychology training and completion of these requirements will be written by the faculty head of the Neuropsychology Track for the student’s academic file.

Of note, this track is primarily organized around clinical and research training and didactics rather than multiple required independent courses related to brain-behavior relationships. Although this training is designed to provide a foundation in brain-behavior relationships and the practice of clinical neuropsychology, students who decide to pursue board certification in clinical neuropsychology may need to complete additional coursework (e.g., a neuroanatomy course) at the postdoctoral level in addition to the already required postdoctoral clinical training experiences and didactics.