Online Doctorate in (Clinical) Psychology – PhD Programs
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“When students do their research, we talk about things that are going on in the field as far as theory and practices. We always have conversations about assessment, multiculturalism, and all those things that are important to keep up to date.”
Robbin Rasbury, PsyD, Professor and Admission Chair, JFK School of Psychology at National University
Pursuing psychology as an academic discipline creates fertile soil for the seeds of a career to grow in almost any industry. Because psychology is the directed study of the inner workings of the human mind, human behavior, and human motivation, its applications can propel someone into business leadership, human resources management, corrections, gerontology, rehabilitation, vocational and school counseling, educational design, and much more.
As a subfield, clinical psychology is the study and practice of providing comprehensive mental and behavioral healthcare to individuals, families, and groups from all backgrounds. Although those pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology may choose to specialize in a certain disorder (e.g., addiction) or population (e.g., veterans), clinical psychology PhDs are often generalist degrees that provide a breadth of knowledge and a wide range of treatment options for a diverse client base.
According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics (BLS 2024), the job outlook for practicing psychologists between 2023 and 2033 is strong. The BLS predicts that openings in the occupation will grow 7 percent in that decade, adding approximately 14,000 new jobs for a total of 221,600 positions projected for 2033 nationwide. This growth rate is faster than the average national growth rate for all occupations during that time period, which is an estimated 4 percent. Many openings are expected to come from replacing workers transferring to other occupations or retiring, along with a continued demand for psychological services in schools, hospitals, mental health centers, and social service agencies. BLS notes the expected increase in school psychologists due to an increased awareness of the link between mental health and learning, while organizations will continue to employ industrial-organizational psychologists to help select and retain employees, implement trainings, and improve office morale.
Those interested in joining the corps of mental health professionals who heal and foster human thriving through practice or research will find they have plenty of choices when looking for hybrid online/on-campus doctorate programs in clinical psychology that award PhDs, and some options for 100 percent online programs.
Hybrid PhD in clinical psychology programs offer a balanced learning methodology that combines online didactic coursework with on-campus immersions, residences, internships, or orientations. While some of what a doctoral student in clinical psychology learns requires face-to-face instruction or experience, the online component provides increased flexibility over a classic full-time on-campus program. Those living far from a university campus, with demanding schedules, or those who can’t relocate for the duration of the program may be particularly suited to hybrid clinical psychology PhD programs.
This comprehensive guide to online doctorates in clinical psychology that confer a PhD discusses the difference between a PsyD and PhD, and common admissions requirements and courses in clinical psychology PhD programs. This guide also introduces prospective students to accreditation standards, features hybrid and online PhD in clinical psychology programs, distinguished online professors, and possible career pathways for those graduating with a PhD in clinical psychology.
| Featured Doctoral Programs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon University | PhD - Counselor Education and Supervision | Visit Site |
| Walden University | PhD - Clinical Psychology | Visit Site |
| Walden University | PhD - Counselor Education and Supervision | Visit Site |
| Walden University | PhD - Forensic Psychology | Visit Site |
| Walden University | PsyD - Behavioral Health Leadership | Visit Site |
| Arizona State University | Behavioral Health - Clinical (DBH) | Visit Site |
| Arizona State University | Behavioral Health - Management (DBH) | Visit Site |
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Ask The Expert: Robbin L. Rasbury, PsyD
Dr. Robbin Rasbury is a professor and admission chair in the JFK School of Psychology at National University. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, with an emphasis in multicultural community psychology. Her undergraduate degree is in child development from California State University, Los Angeles.
Dr. Rasbury has over 13 years of teaching experience and was the MFT chair of John F. Kennedy University for three years. She serves as co-chair of both the School Advisory Council at National University and NU Research Conference Community, and is a Social Justice and Allyship Committee member.
Currently, Dr. Rasbury serves as a council member on the APA Division 35, Society of Women in Psychology, Racial Justice, and Social Policy committee. In 2020, Dr. Rasbury graduated from the APA Leaders in Women of Psychology program. She also presents at local and national conferences and conducts training at local organizations on diversity issues affecting underserved populations. She enjoys traveling domestically and internationally in her spare time, playing pickleball, hiking, and cooking.
CounselingSchools.com: How does the doctorate of psychology program at National University keep up with current research and best practices in counseling?
Dr. Rasbury: We have kept 10 years of accreditation, so we keep up with standards very well. When students do their research, we talk about things that are going on in the field as far as theory and practices. We always have conversations about assessment, multiculturalism, and all those things that are important to keep up to date. We have staff who are clinicians and people who have been clinicians. Some of our staff, including myself, give presentations at national conferences.
CounselingSchools.com: How are students evaluated and assessed throughout the doctorate of psychology program at National University?
Dr. Rasbury: Our students are assessed through their classes and through exams. Students take a CRE in their first year, which is a clinical readiness exam. We have a CPE, which is a clinical proficiency exam, which students take in their second year, where we assess your ability to write clinically and answer questions about cases in your practicum. Students are assigned to a faculty advisor who will be with each student for the entire time of your program: five years. You meet with your faculty advisor that’s assigned to you at orientation and that adviser will follow you through your program. You meet with them on a regular basis, at least quarterly if not more.
PsyD vs PhD in Clinical Psychology: What’s the Difference?
The main difference between a doctorate of psychology (PsyD) program and a doctorate of philosophy (PhD) program is the training emphasis.
PsyD programs are focused on training graduates to become clinicians and focus heavily on clinical work. A PhD program in clinical psychology, by contrast, prepares graduates to become scientist-practitioners and places more emphasis on research.
While PsyD programs were developed in response to the concern that PhD in psychology graduates weren’t prepared for clinical practice, technically, both PhD programs and PsyD programs can prepare someone for work as a practicing psychologist. A student with an earned PhD in clinical psychology who wishes to earn licensure as a psychologist may have to complete licensure requirements independently of the program. The research emphasis in a PhD program opens students to career opportunities outside of clinical practice, if desired.
Typical Admissions Requirements for Online PhD Programs in (Clinical) Psychology
Students interested in entering a doctoral psychology program that points them toward a clinical career can find a wide array of admissions requirements, depending on the program. It is imperative that degree seekers take the time to understand if they fulfill all admissions requirements by carefully reading through admissions pages and/or by speaking with admissions officers. Applicants may need to provide any or all of the following to be considered for admission into an online PhD program in clinical psychology:
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited institution
- Official transcripts demonstrating a minimum GPA at all previously attended post-secondary institutions
- Curriculum vitae (CV) or resume
- Statement of purpose
- Writing samples
- Three recommendation letters
- Application fee
- Work experience
- Mental health license or proof of pre-license
- GRE or MAT scores
Courses in Online PhD Programs in (Clinical) Psychology
Coursework in clinical psychology PhD programs offered online vary widely from program to program, and may also vary based on a student’s chosen specialization, concentration, or focus. The following list is a sample of coursework that a student could expect when choosing to pursue an online PhD in psychology:
- Biological bases of behavior
- Clinical interviewing
- Cognitive and affective bases of behavior
- Developmental bases of behavior
- Ethics and laws in psychotherapy and behavioral science research
- Fundamentals of psychophysiology supplement
- History and systems of psychology
- Introduction to psychotherapy: technique
- Introduction to psychotherapy: theory
- Legal, ethical and professional practice
- Multicultural psychology
- Optimal functioning: psychophysiological applications in the community, school, sports, and workplace
- Personality theory and research
- Principles and theories of stress management
- Psychopathology
- Psychophysiological recording, assessment, and interventions
- Psychotherapy proseminar: humanistic psychology
- Research in psychotherapy
- Social bases of behavior
- Stimulation technologies
Supervised Clinical Hour Requirements & Internships – Online Doctorate in (Clinical) Psychology
Gaining licensure to practice independently as a mental health clinician or psychologist requires professionals to complete a certain threshold of supervised work hours under a licensed clinician.
For example, in California, applicants for licensure as a psychologist must have completed at least 3,000 supervised professional experience hours, 1,500 of which must be completed post-doctorally. Whether or not an online PhD in clinical psychology program requires supervised hours and internships depends on whether the program is a licensure preparation program or not.
Some clinically-focused PhD programs are designed for already-licensed or pre-licensed mental health professionals looking for expanded leadership opportunities, deeper disciplinary skills and knowledge, entry into professorship, or the desire to add to the lexicon of research in the clinical psychology arena. These programs will often clearly state that the program is not designed to help with licensure. If an internship is offered, it will often be optional. Any desired supervised clinical hours must be pursued individually and outside of the course sequence.
Online PhD programs in psychology that do prepare students as much as possible for licensure will weave supervised clinical hours and internship experiences into the course sequence. Some online PhDs in psychology offer students the ability to find supervisors for internships and practicum experiences nearby, while others require online students to choose from a curated list, or relocate for the duration of the internship.
Program Accreditation for Online PhD Programs in (Clinical) Psychology
At its most basic level, accreditation is a sign that universities are providing educational interventions that adhere to certain standards for quality and practical relevance. To earn accreditation, universities submit to being evaluated by a third-party accrediting organization whose central purpose is to determine whether or not the university is adhering to these standards.
Prospective students interested in applying to PhD programs in psychology should ensure that the institutions they’re applying to are accredited at either the regional or national level by accrediting organizations recognized by the Department of Education (DOE) or Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
At a programmatic level, the American Psychology Association (APA) has long been considered the gold standard for programmatic accreditation for doctoral-level programs in psychology. In addition to being a benchmark for quality instruction, some states require that psychology professionals graduate from an APA-accredited program in order to pursue licensure to practice.
At the time of this writing, however, the APA does not accredit online-only PhD doctoral programs, stating, “Some accredited programs may offer online courses or other content via distance education in an adjunctive role. These courses cannot represent a substantial nature of program content and certain classes (e.g., practicum) are not considered appropriate for this instructional method. Any online courses in accredited programs should be noted as such in public materials.”
As a result, APA accreditation generally only occurs for hybrid or blended programs that include a minimum threshold of on-campus or in-person requirements.
A prospective clinical psychology PhD applicant must understand how the APA figures into their state’s licensure requirements and whether or not the universities without APA recognition help students to gain the skills necessary for licensure.
Featured Online & Hybrid (Clinical) Psychology PhD Programs
Walden University (Hybrid)
Walden University offers a hybrid online/in-person PhD in clinical psychology that prepares students to become practitioners, faculty members, consultants, administrators, or researchers. Walden’s blended learning approach prepares students to qualify to sit for psychology licensing exams by meeting the academic requirements stipulated by some state psychology boards.
Students enrolled in this program will be expected to complete at least two of the four required four-day residencies in a face-to-face format, and will also need to complete one academic year in residence in the sixth through ninth quarters of the program. The year in residence program combines online coursework with face-to-face experiences in Minneapolis.
Students enrolled in the 163-credit program can choose to pursue a general program, or can choose to specialize in forensic psychology, health, industrial and organizational psychology, or teaching. Coursework in the program includes psychopathology from a clinical perspective, interpersonal psychotherapy, psychology and social change, and cognitive and affective bases of behavior. After completing a two-course practicum, students are also expected to complete four internship courses that help them to gain 2,000 supervised clinical clock hours, 900 of which must be direct client contact hours. GRE/MAT scores are not required to apply to Walden.
- Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Duration: Five to eight years
Fielding Graduate University (Hybrid)
Fielding Graduate University offers a hybrid online and in-person clinical psychology PhD program that aims to create a more humane, just, and sustainable world by creating programming accessible to students from underrepresented populations and by graduating students who bring values of social and ecological justice to their work.
Fielding offers the only distributed learning program accredited by the APA. Students enrolled in the 179-credit program earn a pathway master’s after the first two years of study and can choose a concentration in forensic psychology, health psychology, neuropsychology, or social justice and diversity.
On-campus requirements in this program include a weeklong orientation and two weeklong residencies in the first two years of the program. Some concentrations and seminars require additional on-campus presence as well. Students are also required to complete 600 residency hours, 150 hours of clinical experience or one internship rotation/150 hours of community service focused on serving an underserved population, and a 1,520-hour/19-credit minimum clinical practicum.
Coursework in the program includes cognitive assessment, history and systems of psychology, biological bases of behavior, and multicultural psychology. No GRE scores are required to apply, and students without a master’s degree can also apply to Fielding.
- Location: Santa Barbara, California
- Accreditation: American Psychological Association (APA)
- Duration: Five to six years
Saybrook University (Hybrid)
Saybrook University offers a hybrid online/in-person PhD in clinical psychology program that provides the coursework requirements to become a licensed clinical psychologist in 13 states.
Students enrolled in the program (103-109 credits entering with a bachelor’s degree or 100-106 credits entering with a master’s degree in psychology or a related field) can enroll in a specialization, though it is not required. These include advanced psychological assessment, applied psychophysiology, complex trauma and the healing process, consciousness spirituality integrative health, creativity studies; existential and humanistic psychology, or jungian studies. There are other specializations from other degree programs also open to clinical psychology students.
On-campus requirements for the program include a two-day residential orientation and two five-day residential conferences per year. Students enrolled in the program are expected to complete a 600-hour minimum practicum over two semesters and a 12- to 24-month internship with a minimum of 1,500 clinical training hours.
Coursework in the program includes ethics and laws in psychotherapy and behavioral science research, the psychology of multiculturalism in North America, social psychology, and integrative health psychology: the application of psychological concepts and tools to health.
Students who enroll in the Saybrook program with an earned bachelor’s degree can earn a master’s degree on the way to the PhD. Although Saybrook is not an APA-accredited program, the program can be adjusted to meet APA equivalency in the student’s intended state of practice. GRE/MAT scores are not required to apply, but can be submitted to strengthen an application.
- Location: Pasadena, California
- Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
- Duration: Five years
Lesley University (Hybrid)
Lesley University offers a low-residency PhD in expressive therapies designed for experienced art therapy professionals looking to advance in higher education or transition to leadership in the arts therapy discipline.
Coursework in the 45-credit program includes a series of residency experiences and doctoral seminars covering topics such as philosophical foundations of expressive art therapies, leadership in art therapy, ethics, teaching and research in higher education, and the explorations of contextual framework for research questions. Students are required to attend one two-week summer intensive residency in Cambridge each year for the program’s first three years.
A program for working art therapists, Lesley’s program requires applicants to have a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, certification or registration in at least one expressive therapy modality, GRE or MAT scores, and a minimum of three years of professional experience working as an expressive therapist.
- Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Duration: Four years
National University (Online)
National University offers a 100 percent online 60-credit PhD in psychology that is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals who have an earned clinical master’s degree that included a practicum or internship. Students enrolled in the program can choose between ten available specializations, including addictions, the psychology of gender and sexual fluidity, general psychology, gerontology, health psychology, industrial organizational psychology, mental health policy and practice, trauma and disaster relief, counseling psychology, and counseling psychology (California licensure track).
With the exception of the counseling psychology (California licensure track), none of National’s programs are specifically designed to prepare students for licensure and do not provide any internship, practicum, or residency opportunities. The CA licensure track prepares PhD graduates only for the academic requirements needed for licensure in the state, and students will need to independently organize clinical requirements for licensure.
Coursework across the programs includes research design planning, tests and measurements, scholarly writing and professional communication in psychology, and advanced qualitative and quantitative analysis and design. No GRE scores are required to apply. Those with master’s degrees outside of psychology, mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, or social work may have to complete additional coursework before starting their PhD coursework.
- Location: San Diego, California
- Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
- Duration: Four to seven years
Jobs in (Clinical) Psychology: What Can I Do with a PhD in Psychology?
Become a Practicing Psychologist
Graduates of doctoral programs in clinical psychology can eventually become practicing licensed psychologists. Psychologists who engage in practice use their formalized professional training and thousands of hours of clinical experience to help patients overcome hardships or live more harmoniously with mental health disorders, cope with chronic conditions, navigate life changes or transitions, treat addictions, and more.
To this end, psychologists use evidence-based treatments, a mixture of therapy methodologies, and team-based care coordinated with other health practitioners to serve their clients. Practicing psychologists may work in private practice, schools, hospitals, governmental organizations, or ambulatory healthcare services.
Become a Professor of Clinical Psychology
Those with a PhD of clinical psychology can choose to take their formalized education to train the next generation of psychologists. Clinical psychology professors commit to engaging in research within the discipline, and teaching their subject matter expertise to students at the bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral level.
As a part of a university’s faculty, clinical psychology professors may develop or improve syllabi, adjudicate assignments, lead a team of graduate assistants, work collaboratively within or across departments to improve course offerings, serve on college and university committees, and discern how to make course content effective and engaging for students.
Becca Brewer, MEd
WriterBecca Brewer is building a better future on a thriving earth by healing herself into wholeness, divesting from separation, and walking the path of the loving heart. Previously to her journey as an adventurer for a just, meaningful, and regenerative world, Becca was a formally trained sexuality educator with a master of education.
Vanessa Salvia
WriterVanessa Salvia is an Oregon-based freelance writer and editor with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. As fun as rigorous studies in math and science were, Vanessa took an independent path and developed a prolific career covering lifestyle and healthcare topics for magazines and newspapers, important industries such as concrete construction and building waterproofing, and even hard science. You can get in touch at Sage Media and Marketing.