Doctoral students in clinical psychology must take two to three years of courses to attain their degree. These courses cover areas such as professional ethics, history of psychology and the theory, research and treatment of psychological disorders. Students will have a number of required courses covering a broad spectrum of topics and electives that they can tailor to their specialty. For example, a course about psychological testing would be required for all students, but students interested in neurology could take additional courses in that topic.
A doctoral thesis is a long-term project, usually undertaken after the student has finished his courses. The student comes up with an original research idea and pursues that idea, writing a long and detailed study of the experimental process and results. The student must then defend his thesis to a group of professors who will examine the topic, methodology and results.
A doctoral student in clinical psychology must also demonstrate his competency in the field by doing a clinical internship. In this internship, the student will evaluate and treat people suffering from psychological disorders under the supervision of a professor. Some schools require the internship after the thesis and classes are completed, while others expect the student to do his internship while taking classes.