Getting into phd programs in psychology

Once you enter the graduate level of psychology, you will need to choose an area of specialization, such as clinical psychology , counseling psychology, health psychology, or cognitive psychology.

The American Psychological Association APA accredits graduate programs in three areas: clinical, counseling, and school psychology.

For many students, the choice may come down to a clinical psychology program versus a counseling psychology program. There are many similarities between these two Ph. Clinical programs may have more of a research focus while counseling programs tend to focus more on professional practice. The path you choose will depend largely on what you plan to do after you complete your degree.

Of course, the Ph. The Psy. While there are many similarities between these two degrees, traditional Ph. The Ph. Norcross and Michael A. Sayette suggest that one of the key differences between the two-degree options is that the Ph. Research suggests that there are few discernible differences in terms of professional recognition, employment opportunities, or clinical skills between students trained in the Ph.

Social work, counseling, education, and the health sciences are other graduate options that you may want to consider if you decide that a doctorate degree is not the best fit for your interests and career goals.

If you are considering a Ph. A doctoral degree is a major commitment of time, resources, and effort, so it pays to consider which option is right for your goals. It's also great training if you're interested in working at a university where you would teach classes and conduct research on psychological topics.

Earning a Ph. According to statistics from the U. Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. University of Pennsylvania; School of Arts and Sciences. Information for applicants. American Psychological Association. Doctoral degrees in psychology: How are they different, or not so different?

Published January Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Their classes include clinical interviewing skills, multicultural awareness in professional psychology, and cognitive-behavioral theory and applications to diverse organizations.

When it comes to the best schools that offer the best psychology PhD programs, the University of Florida in Gainesville is the place to be. The College of Public Health and Health Professions at the University of Florida offers the best clinical psychology PhD program with courses like clinical assessment across the lifespan, neuropsychology of aging. They also teach the best methods for the analysis of psychological change. Applicants are also required to submit official transcripts, GRE scores, a resume, a statement of purpose, and three letters of recommendation.

Stanford University is a prestigious private university that was founded in by Mr. Leland Stanford, a California senator. According to the U. Stanford University is among the prestigious universities that offer the best clinical psychology PhD programs.

The psychology PhD program from Stanford University prepares students for careers in research and teaching and takes roughly five years to complete. Applicants are also required to complete an interview with the admissions committee and submit unofficial transcripts from all postsecondary institutions. Their psychology program is accredited by the American Psychological Association and also accredited regionally by the Higher Learning Commission.

The amazing thing about this prestigious university is that the psychology department funds all psychology PhD students for at least their first year of study. There are certain admission requirements for the organizational psychology PhD program from the University of Illinois. The University offers one of the best clinical psychology PhD programs which focuses on training for academic and applied research careers. Northwestern University is an elite private university located in Evanston, Illinois Chicago.

It is ranked number eight best psychology school in the United States. During their study, students are expected to complete at least 21 credit hours of coursework, including their exams and dissertation. Some of the courses taken at Northwestern University include scientific and professional ethics in psychology, diversity in psychological science and practice, life-span developmental psychology, behavioral neuroscience, cognitive and affective psychology, advanced social psychology, psychopathology introduction to psychotherapy, cognitive behavior therapy, and advanced research methodology.

Electives include acceptance and commitment therapy, child and adolescent psychotherapy, cognitive and behavioral treatments for depression, forensic psychology and neuropsychology, health psychology, marital and sex therapy, mental health policy, and psychodynamic traditions. All admitted students will receive a research scholarship it will become a free program , and also receive a monthly stipend, and health insurance.

It is one of those elite institutes that offers the best clinical psychology Ph. The psychology program at ETSU can be completed within 4 to 5 years.

At ETSU, students are required to do some vital courses which include; Introduction to psychological measurement, Psychopathology, Clinical interviewing techniques, Methods of psychological research, Legal and ethical issues in psychology, Personality and psychotherapy models, Advanced history and systems of psychology.

They are also exposed to deep learning on Psychological assessment-adult, Evidence-based interventions, Advanced behavioral neuroscience, Clinical psychology practicum and seminar, Primary care, Psychopharmacology, Cultural anthropological applications to rural practice, and Diversity in psychological sciences. The clinical psychology PhD program at University of Missouri is currently involved in research aimed at improving clinical interventions and can be completed within 5 to 6 years.

The school is one of the best in this field. At the University of Alabama, students learn to provide integrated care in areas like; Behavioral medicine, Health psychology, and Pediatric psychology and the faculty has some interesting areas like Biological factors related to emotion, Cognitive decline and dementia risk factors, Autism spectrum disorders, Behavioral medicine, Parenting and child abuse risk, and human psychological strengths, etc.

The University of California is a public research university in Berkeley, California. It was founded in The university has been listed by numerous major education publications as one of the top 10 universities in the world.

Students in this school will complete four to six years of residency in addition to one year of an internship. Students offering this program will take courses like Introduction to Clinical Methods, Professional Development in Clinical Science, and others.

Students are able to acquire training in areas like Clinical psychology, Developmental psychology, Behavioral and integrative neuroscience, Cognitive psychology, Social psychology and Quantitative psychology. Students studying at the University of North Carolina are expected to conduct research during each year of enrollment, write and pass exams, and also complete their dissertation.

There are certain admission requirements for the clinical psychology PhD program from the university. Prospective students are also expected to present their academic records, letters of recommendation, relevant experience, test scores, and statement of purpose. It was originally founded in The Center for Measuring University Performance ranks them among the top 28 private research universities in the country for the number of doctorates they award.

Interestingly, the psychology program was ranked No. The program offers specializations in areas like; Adult and Gerontology, Child and Family, and Pediatrics of which the students are expected to choose from these three major areas. This university offers one of the best clinical psychology PhD programs, which takes five years to complete. The program has four major areas of specialization which include; Organizational consultation, Pediatric school psychology, School-based mental health services, and Intervention.

Basically, acquiring a Phd in clinical psyhology should take about 4 to 6 years to complete. Pursuing a Phd degree in clinical psychology is indeed worth it. Financially, psychologists make a good living. The schools listed here in this article are the top clinical psychology schools that you can find in the country.

Good readers would be professors or psychology graduate students. Apply to a lot of schools , even if you think you are a strong candidate.

Take a look at your application and evaluate what parts need improving. Are there areas that you could improve to really stand out? Preparing and applying to a Ph. Thank you for sharing , printing out. So I want to do it all. Thank you writing this. I am trying to apply to a school now and I feel this was so helpful.

Printing this out and will look at interviewing tips also. I think some of the suggestions apply more broadly, but other types of programs may have different […]. This is so informative and comprehensive. I am researching this for my daughter who is currently a high school junior and who is interested in a career in psychology.

All the information you provided will at this stage certainly give her a head start. Thank you. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Probably the best choice to prepare you to teach at the university level.

Gives you the flexibility to become a licensed psychologist and see clients. Usually the best in terms of financial support. Many schools will pay your tuition and give you a stipend for being a teaching or research assistant.

Most difficult to get into. Usually some limits in regard to the places you can teach at the university level. Prepares you to become a licensed psychologist same license as a Ph. Usually easier to get into than a Ph. D program directly out of your undergraduate program. Can get licensed to counsel.

Program is shorter usually 2 years. Can get a job more quickly. Not as much debt. Easier to get into than Ph. Long-term drawback is that when counseling, your reimbursement from insurance companies is lower than if you had your Ph.

This is a significant difference and over the long run, a Ph. Also usually not as much training in assessment. Guideline 2: Clinical or Counseling? Guideline 6: Get Research Experience Research experience is important. Guideline 8: Get Good Letters of Recommendation You are required to get letters of recommendation as part of your application usually 3. Guideline 9: Write a Good Personal Statement Most programs require you to write a personal statement.

A good personal statement generally has the following sections: Introduction, perhaps something about yourself and how you became interested in pursuing a Ph. Description of your research experiences approx.