The practice of clinical psychology focuses on mental and behavioral healthcare for patients of all ages and backgrounds addressing a broad scope of mental health issues, including severe pathopsychology. Clinical psychologists might provide treatment, consulting, training, supervision, or conduct research.
Earning a Ph.D. in clinical psychology prepares graduates for clinical careers, private practice, and research and educational roles. Clinical psychology programs provide rigorous training in specific practice areas, such as neuropsychology or developmental psychology, or in a specific population focus, such as children or the elderly. Depending on program requirements, completing a doctorate in clinical psychology may take up to seven years, including coursework, clinical practicums, and dissertation research.
The time and effort required to earn a doctorate generally leads to a rewarding career with meaningful work and lucrative pay. A professional with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology can anticipate a promising job outlook from 2019-29. The
电竞小游戏在线全球网址 of Labor Statistics
reports a median annual salary of $80,370 for all psychologists, including those with a doctorate. The top 10% in the profession make well over six figures.
UT Austin offers a
Ph.D. in clinical psychology
for students looking to pursue careers in research and teaching. This particular degree follows a clinical science training model to prepare graduates for professional practice.
Most learners enter the program with bachelor's degrees, and they can earn master's degrees during the Ph.D. program. The degree requires at least four years of study, clinical practicum requirements, a doctoral dissertation, and a one-year internship.
Some degree-seekers complete their pre-clinical research requirements at the university's Magnetic Imaging Research Center, although students can choose from various clinical sites. The program integrates a mentorship system into its admissions process and curriculum. Faculty select applicants with similar research interests for mentorships and may choose one or more students for admittance each year.
The university offers doctoral candidates fellowships, along with research and teaching assistantships, which provide funding for students' degrees. Doctoral financial awards include tuition waivers and a $24,000 annual stipend.
Courses Include
Functional neuroanatomy
Clinical psychopharmacology
Multivariate pattern analysis of neuroimaging data
Evolutionary psychology
Social neuroscience
Unique Features
Cost: $4,464/credit for in-state students; $8,847 for out-of-state students; the university waives tuition costs for students who make satisfactory progress in the program
Credits Required: Varies, depending on a student's independent research and dissertation
Accreditation: American Psychological Association and the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System
UC San Diego offers a
Ph.D. in clinical psychology
in conjunction with San Diego State University. This five-year program requires each student to complete a full-time internship in their final year, with many doctoral candidates dedicating six years to this degree.
The program offers two concentrations: child and adolescent psychology and quantitative methods. Although the required courses change depending on the area of emphasis, degree-seekers must all complete the same clinical and research requirements.
According to the university's suggested timeline, each enrollee establishes a guidance committee during their first year. Next, they complete a second-year project, with the option to apply for a master of science degree. Degree-seekers take two comprehensive exams in clinical skills and their emphasis area in their third year before defending their dissertations during their fifth year.
UC San Diego offers each doctoral student a minimum $23,000 annual stipend, and the program covers all doctoral students' tuition and fees.
Courses Include
Clinical intervention
Mind, brain, and behavior
Multivariate statistics
Cultural psychology
Personality and social
Unique Features
Cost: Tuition is covered by the university
Credits Required: Varies, depending on a student's independent research and dissertation
UVA describes its
psychology Ph.D. program
as following the clinical scientist model of training and emphasizes the title "scientist." As such, the curriculum focuses on research and evidence-based clinical skills that students incorporate into professional practice.
The university created a five-year curriculum, but the majority of students graduate in 6-6.5 years. They must complete pre-dissertation research during their first year, clinical practicum experiences in years 2-4, a comprehensive exam in their third year, and a clinical psychology internship during their last year.
Degree-seekers can also opt for a quantitative psychology concentration if they complete at least 18 credits of quantitative research methods courses. All students admitted to the program receive a financial aid support package, which includes a minimum $24,000 yearly stipend, full tuition coverage, and healthcare coverage. Financial aid renews for at least five years.
Courses Include
Diversity issues in clinical psychology
Cognitive assessment
Behavioral, emotional, and social assessment of children
Family therapy: theories and techniques
Multivariate statistics
Unique Features
Cost: School offers full tuition coverage
Credits Required: 72
Accreditation: American Psychological Association and the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System
BYU has offered an accredited
clinical psychology doctoral program
since 1971. Students can enroll in the five-year program, which includes four years of coursework and research, followed by a one-year, full-time internship.
Enrollees take didactic courses for three weekday afternoons, allowing them to dedicate two full weekdays to research and clinical work. Learners begin their skills training during the first year at BYU's Comprehensive Clinic. After that, students participate in clerkships and internships in the Provo area.
Doctoral candidates must pass three comprehensive exams during their first three years. Each enrollee completes a master's thesis and doctoral dissertation throughout the program. Students may also choose between three optional areas of study: child, adolescent, and family psychology; neuropsychology; and clinical health.
Degree-seekers can apply for partial tuition assistance for the first four years of the program. All first-year and second-year students participate in teaching and research assistantships, which provide $12,000 stipends for the academic year. Students may apply for other opportunities, like teaching opportunities and externships, to help fund their studies.
About 80% of graduates work in clinical settings. Other graduates work in academic settings.
Courses Include
Social-cultural bases behavior
Cultural diversity and gender issues
Data analysis in psychological research
Mindfulness and psychotherapy
Psychopathy
Unique Features
Cost: $442/credit for Latter-day Saint students; $844/credit for non-Latter-day Saint students
Northwestern offers a
clinical Ph.D. program
with five emphasis areas: behavioral medicine or health psychology, clinical adult psychology, clinical child psychology, clinical neuropsychology, or forensic psychology.
This clinical psychology program includes clinical and research requirements. Students begin their clinical practicum experiences the summer after their first year by working at a children's hospital. In subsequent years, they can complete their training at sites across the Chicago area, including a VA center and clinics for depression and anxiety. During their final year, each doctoral student completes a 12-month clinical internship.
To fulfill the degree's research components, each enrollee works alongside faculty, completes an empirical study during their second and third years, and defends their dissertation in the fourth year.
The university provides each doctoral student with a research assistant scholarship that includes a 100% tuition remission and a 12-month stipend. Exact stipend awards vary, but the minimum stipend for the 2021-2022 academic year is $34,176.
Northwestern also facilitates a joint JD/Ph.D. program for students to simultaneously pursue law degrees while earning their doctorates. Doctoral candidates may also supplement their degrees with a certified behavioral sleep medicine program.
Courses Include
Behavioral neuroscience
Cognitive and affective psychology
Life-span developmental psychology
Acceptance and commitment therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy
Unique Features
Cost: None; tuition is covered by a tuition waiver
Credits Required: Varies, depending on a student's independent research and dissertation
Accreditation: American Psychological Association and Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System
At the University of Rochester, students can enroll in a
clinical psychology doctoral program
that offers research opportunities in developmental psychopathology, adolescence, relationships, and quantitative methods. Graduates find employment in academia, research, and professional practice.
The curriculum for this doctorate in clinical psychology includes MA-to-Ph.D. training, allowing graduates to earn master's and doctoral degrees. The 90-credit curriculum includes 14 core courses, and learners dedicate one-third of their credits to research. Students carry out a two-year research project at the beginning of the program and must pass a comprehensive exam in their third year.
Doctoral candidates complete pre-internship supervised practicum experiences at the campus family and counseling centers. Before graduating, each enrollee also participates in at least 1,750 clock hours of a practical internship.
All doctoral candidates receive a full-tuition scholarship and research or teaching assistantships, including a $24,000 stipend for nine months, during their first five years of study. Students may also apply for minority fellowships for additional financial aid.
Courses Include
Evidence-based child psychotherapy
Neurobiological foundations
Ethical issues in clinical psychology
Theoretical and empirical foundations of psychotherapy
Affective foundations
Unique Features
Cost: $31,112/year; however students receive a tuition waiver for five years
Auburn's
clinical psychology doctoral degree
trains students in scientific research, clinical practice, and teaching. The curriculum focuses on the cognitive-behavioral perspective of psychology.
Enrollees begin with core courses before building on foundational knowledge with statistics, research, and elective courses. Each student works on a master's thesis during their first and second years and must pass a general doctoral exam during their third or fourth year. Learners participate in research throughout the program, but years 4-6 focus specifically on their doctoral dissertations.
Degree-seekers also participate in clinical training. The university facilitates several practicum opportunities, including supervised experiences at Student Counseling Services, a veteran's clinic, and the regional hospital.
Auburn offers all students assistantships, which include a tuition waiver and compensate students with a stipend. Doctoral candidates may keep this stipend until their final internship year.
Courses Include
Biological psychology
Structural equation modeling for applied researchers
Stony Brook established its
doctoral program in clinical psychology
in 1966 as one of the first in the U.S. to embrace "the behavioral tradition in clinical psychology." The degree trains students as clinical scientists and clinicians who focus their practice on evidence-based research.
Degree-seekers must complete an empirical study and oral presentation during their second year; a meta-analysis, empirical paper, or grant proposal in the third year; and a doctoral dissertation. Each student must defend their dissertation to a committee of four faculty members to graduate.
All doctoral candidates participate in year-long internships during their fifth or sixth years. They prepare for this clinical experience with at least 160 hours of supervised clinical practice and externships.
Stony Brook offers many research and clinical facilities within the psychology department. Students can carry out supervised work at the Krasner Psychological Center, the Anxiety Disorders Clinic, and the University Marital Therapy Clinic.
Courses Include
Analysis of variance and experimental design
Assessment: personality testing, intellectual/cognitive testing, and child-parent assessment
Psychopathology: externalizing and psychotic disorders
Human diversity issues in psychology
Methods of intervention: treatment of internalizing disorders
Unique Features
Cost: $11,310/year for in-state students; $23,100/year for out-of-state students
Students enrolled in Columbia's
clinical psychology Ph.D. program
engage with a scientist-practitioner curriculum that prioritizes both research and clinical work.
The doctorate in clinical psychology program requires an original piece of empirical research during the second year of study and a passing grade on a research methods certification exam in the third year. Each enrollee also completes a clinical case presentation and research presentation during the third year, a full-time internship during their last year of study, and a doctoral dissertation.
The clinical training at Columbia involves cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, and family therapy. During their first year, doctoral candidates work with clients as staff members at an in-house clinic. Degree-seekers can take advantage of a few optional opportunities, including group therapy and additional training in neuropsychology.
The university offers four years of funding, including a tuition waiver and a $25,000 yearly stipend. Doctoral students often work as graduate teaching or research assistants during their time at Columbia.
Courses Include
Cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal therapies
Clinical work with diverse populations
Psychotherapy with children
Brain and behavior I: communication in the nervous system
Cognition, emotion, and culture
Unique Features
Cost: $1,700/credit; however, the university funds students studies through four years
SDSU joined forces with the University of California San Diego to offer a joint
clinical psychology doctoral program
. Doctoral candidates can choose between two emphasis areas: child and adolescent psychology and quantitative methods. The program integrates research and practice in training for both pathways.
Students can complete the program in 5-6 years, which includes a one-year internship. The curriculum includes a second-year internship, doctoral dissertation, independent research, and two comprehensive exams. Degree-seekers take the first comprehensive exam covering clinical skills after their third year, along with a second comprehensive exam in behavioral medicine, experimental psychopathology, or neuropsychology before their internship.
The university covers tuition and fees for all students enrolled in this program. In addition, all doctoral candidates receive a minimum stipend of $23,000 per year. Students who need an extra semester to defend their thesis must cover this time with their own funds.
Courses Include
Clinical intervention
Mind, brain, and behavior
Multivariate statistics
Cultural psychology
Personality and social
Unique Features
Cost: Tuition is covered by the university
Credits Required: Varies, depending on a student's independent research and dissertation
Binghamton, a public university in Vestal, New York, focuses its
Ph.D. in psychology
on clinical science. Graduates of the program work in research at universities, teaching hospitals, and medical and VA centers. They may also find jobs in teaching, supervision, consultation, and administrative roles.
Each enrollee completes a master's thesis and a Ph.D. dissertation. They develop a comprehensive examination portfolio during the summer between their second and third years to mark the transition from master's to doctoral work.
The curriculum includes several independent research and community and psychotherapy practicum courses. Doctoral candidates carry out much of their training at the school's Psychology Clinic to practice psychotherapy and behavior therapy.
During their final year, each degree-seeker participates in a full-time internship. Enrollees can graduate in five years, but most take a total of 5.5-7 years.
Courses Include
Techniques of behavioral change
Human neuropsychology
Cognitive and affective bases of behavior
Multicultural psychology
Psychotherapy practicum
Unique Features
Cost: $11,310/year for in-state students; $23,100/year for out-of-state students
Credits Required: Varies, depending on a student's independent research and dissertation
UofSC offers a
psychology Ph.D.
with a unique focus on clinical and community-engaged research. The curriculum teaches students to consider psychology and mental health at the individual, family, and community levels.
The program requires 69 credits of taught courses and practicum hours, along with 12 dissertation credits. The Ph.D. also requires each enrollee to complete a master's thesis with an oral defense and a comprehensive paper.
Degree-seekers must also pass a specialty-comprehensive exam in a clinical or community concentration. Finally, each doctoral student must pass a comprehensive oral exam and participate in a predoctoral research internship. After completing those requirements, enrollees can begin their Ph.D. dissertation and participate in their one-year internship. Learners may also pursue a concentration in quantitative methods in psychology.
The program, designed as a six-year degree, often takes some students longer to graduate. This includes an internship that degree-seekers may complete either on a full-time one-year track or part-time two-year timeline. The program accepts applicants without master's degrees.
Courses Include
Foundations of community psychology
Clinical neuropsychology
Issues and ethics in clinical-community psychology
Dallas-based SMU facilitates a research-focused
Ph.D. in clinical psychology
to prepare students for careers as psychological clinical scientists. Most degree-seekers complete the program within 6.5 years, although some students graduate in 5.5 years.
Courses focus on research methods, statistical analysis, and clinical work. Research requirements include a master's thesis, review paper, and dissertation. Students must also publish two manuscripts in peer-reviewed publications to graduate. Clinical experiences occur at the university's Psychology Clinic and locations throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Doctoral candidates may also opt to complete a minor in quantitative methods.
Most individuals who enroll in the program apply with just a bachelor's degree. Students enrolled in the program receive a stipend of $18,500 per year for their first five years, which includes a tuition waiver and SMU benefits. Ph.D. candidates may apply for funding for external workshops and national conferences.
Courses Include
Quantitative methods
Psychometrics, test construction, and assessment
Contemporary issues in scientific psychology: longitudinal data analysis using multilevel models
At UB, students can pursue a
clinical psychology doctoral degree
that incorporates a "clinical-science" training model. The program lasts 6-8 years for most students. This degree prepares doctoral candidates for careers in academic and research settings, along with roles in medical school psychiatry departments.
During their first and second years, degree-seekers enroll in core courses focusing on child and adult psychopathology, assessment, intervention, and research methods. They begin their clinical practice during their third year, and they may take clinical electives. Students participate in clinical training at the on-campus Psychological Services Center, which provides practical experience and optional lab-based clinical work.
Doctoral candidates receive stipends of $20,000 for the academic year, which compensate students for working as teaching, research, or graduate assistants. Underrepresented minority students can also apply to the Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship Program for additional funding.
Courses Include
Clinical treatments: child and family
Advanced statistical methods
Advanced developmental psychology
Clinical I: psychopathology
Distribution in biological bases of behavior
Unique Features
Cost: $472/credit for in-state students; $963/credit for out-of-state students
Credits Required: 72
Accreditation: American Psychological Association and the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System
Bronx-based Fordham University offers a
Ph.D. in clinical psychology
with four concentrations: child and adolescent psychology, neuropsychology, forensic psychology, and health.
The curriculum follows the Boulder Scientist-Practitioner training model, which requires enrollees to carry out research and engage in clinical work. Students take 60 credits of coursework and an additional 25 credits for externships, internships, research, and dissertation work.
Clinical placements occur at locations around the New York City area, including inpatient and outpatient hospital settings, private and community clinics, correctional centers, and school counseling centers. Rather than taking a comprehensive exam, students complete an integrative literature review to publish their own research. This process also involves gathering a faculty committee and an oral defense.
Enrollees generally take 6.5-7.5 years to complete their degrees. About 92% of graduates earned licensure.
Courses Include
Cognition and affect
Regression with lab
Psychology research methodology
Global mental health
Depression and suicide
Unique Features
Cost: $1,546/credit; all students receive tuition remission during their first four years of study
AU enrollees can pursue a
Ph.D. in clinical psychology
to prepare for careers in academia, research, or clinical practice.
Each enrollee must complete 48 credits of required courses, one three-credit course on the biological basis of behavior, six statistics credits, and seven elective credits. The degree requires three practicums: a first-year experience in humanistic and psychodynamic techniques, a project focused on cognitive-behavioral techniques, and a six-credit sequence in either an advanced cognitive-behavioral therapy with youth or behavioral therapies.
Doctoral candidates must pass two comprehensive exams, including one written exam on supervision and consultation and an oral exam within their specialty. Each degree-seeker also writes and defends an original dissertation, participates in a one-year externship, and completes a one-year internship.
An individual without a master's degree in psychology may apply, as they complete master's-level coursework before they can officially begin their doctoral studies. The university typically offers tuition remission and a renewable stipend for four years.
Courses Include
Advanced memory and cognition
Stress, coping, and emotion
Principles of neuropsychological assessment
Advanced cognitive-behavioral therapy with youth
Neuropharmacology: the biochemistry of behavior
Unique Features
Cost: $32,616/year; the school often offers tuition remission for four years
This private university in the nation's capital offers a
Ph.D. in clinical psychology
that follows a scientist-practitioner model. The program trains students as researchers and scientists while emphasizing coursework that examines the wellbeing of individuals within communities.
This program, specifically designed for students who possess master's degrees in psychology, makes some exceptions for individuals who previously took some statistics and psychology courses. Students dive into an advanced research and psychology curriculum when beginning the program.
Doctoral candidates also take six elective courses outside of the clinical program. They also complete two dissertation research courses to wrap up their degrees. To develop practical experience, each student participates in two externships in community settings and a one-year psychology internship training program.
Richmond-based VCU offers a
doctoral degree in psychology
for full-time students. The degree emphasizes both clinical learning and research, with two primary tracks: behavioral health/adult and child/adolescent.
After doctoral candidates complete their coursework, they participate in clinical training. Behavioral health rotations occur at primary care psychology and anxiety clinics on campus before culminating in off-campus community-based practicums. Students in the child/adolescent track carry out rotations at ADHD and anxiety specialty clinics in pediatric practices. They complete their practicum experiences off campus.
Each degree-seeker participates in a research practicum and a 12-hour doctoral dissertation. Students who begin the program with a bachelor's degree must also carry out a six-credit master's thesis.
All students receive a tuition waiver and an assistantship or fellowship opportunity for at least the first four years of their training, and often more. On average, the program takes just over six years to complete.
Courses Include
Statistics in psychological research
Individual tests of intelligence
Clinical applications of health psychology
Minority issues in mental health
Developmental processes
Unique Features
Cost: All students receive a tuition waiver for the first four years; beyond that, $5,202/semester in state; $11,106/semester out of state
The
Ph.D. in clinical psychology
at Syracuse comprises 90 credits of coursework, including an 18-credit dissertation. Students who start the program with a bachelor's degree must also participate in master's coursework and complete a six-credit master's thesis during their second or third year.
The full curriculum covers clinical research methods and didactic coursework in psychotherapy, clinical assessment, and psychopathology for children and adults. Upon completing their required courses, degree-seekers may choose nine elective credits. They can also opt for a neuroscience concentration, which includes a four-course sequence exploring biological and psychological processes.
At the end of the program, usually in their sixth year, each doctoral candidate must complete a one-year, full-time internship accredited by the American Psychological Association.
All doctoral students enrolled in this degree receive tuition waivers, but enrollees can also apply for assistantships that provide a competitive stipend. These assistantships could involve teaching, research, or clinical work. Fellowships also allow students to pursue independent research.
Courses Include
Clinical assessment
Psychology of gender
Psychological measurement
Social cognition
Neuropsychology
Unique Features
Cost: All doctoral students receive a full tuition scholarship
The
clinical psychology Ph.D.
program at SLU trains students in general doctoral education and health service psychology.
Incoming students can pursue this Ph.D. through bachelor's degree or master's degree entry. An enrollee who enters with an undergraduate degree must complete 30 credits at the master's degree level. They engage in core coursework and complete six thesis research credits.
Once students make it to the Ph.D. level, they take additional courses and 12 credits of dissertation research. To graduate, they must deliver a public presentation and orally defend their dissertation. They should also complete an internship in clinical psychology.
The degree offers emphasis areas in clinical child psychology, clinical neuropsychology, health psychology, trauma psychology, and sports psychology.
Students who participate in fellowships or assistantships receive a stipend, tuition scholarship, and health insurance. An enrollee may also pursue their Ph.D. as a dual degree with a master of science in public health.
Courses Include
Clinical assessment
History of psychology
Memory and cognition
Clinical interventions
Psychometric theory
Unique Features
Cost: $1,190/credit; tuition costs are waived for students with fellowships or assistantships
Credits Required: 90
Accreditation: American Psychological Association
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Applying to a Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology
Some students apply to psychology Ph.D. programs after completing their master's degree, although most applicants enter immediately after receiving a BA or BS in psychology, earning their master's degree while progressing through their doctorate. Students with an undergraduate degree in a field other than psychology may apply but may need to complete prerequisite coursework in statistics, research methods, and core psychology areas.
The top clinical psychology programs adhere to competitive admissions criteria, but specific requirements vary by school. Some schools do not require GRE scores, but all programs look for applicants with high GPAs, 3.0 or above, and strong extracurricular records.
Applicants must forward official transcripts from previous degree programs and submit letters of recommendation. Most applications require a personal statement describing career goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do clinical psychologists work?
Clinical psychologists most often work directly with patients in clinical settings, in hospitals, private practices, mental health clinics, and rehabilitation facilities. They also pursue research and teaching roles in higher education or consulting roles in government agencies. Depending on their specialties, clinical psychologists might find employment in criminal justice, the military, and other industries.
What is accreditation and why is it important?
The APA Commission on Accreditation serves as the only accrediting authority for clinical doctoral programs. Accreditation ensures that clinical psychology programs meet established academic standards and that students qualify for federal financial aid. Graduating from an APA accredited program bolsters postsecondary internship and employment opportunities.
What's the difference between a Psy.D. and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology?
The doctor of psychology, or Psy.D., focuses on direct clinical practice, while the
doctor of philosophy in psychology
, or Ph.D., features a heavier emphasis on research. Ph.D. programs typically require more time to complete than Psy.D. programs. While both degrees require several hours of clinical experience, students in Ph.D. programs also complete both a master's thesis and a dissertation.
What can I do with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology?
Clinical psychologists find fulfilling careers working directly with patients or conducting research. Those working with patients in healthcare facilities diagnose and treat emotional, behavioral, and mental health conditions. Research-focused clinical psychologists pursue careers in a variety of settings, conducting studies on mental health disorders, developing new treatments, serving as consultants, and holding faculty positions in postsecondary institutions.
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