Psychology PhD and PsyD programs in Virginia offer rigorous training designed to prepare you for a range of careers in clinical practice, research, academia, and applied psychology.
These programs are available at institutions like the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, James Madison University, and Old Dominion University. You can also purse online PhD and PsyD options at Walden University and Grand Canyon University.
You will take graduate-level coursework, engage in research, complete clinical practica, and finish with a pre-doctoral internship or dissertation. These programs facilitate your development into ethical, skilled professionals capable of serving diverse populations in clinical, educational, and community contexts.
Psychology PhD and PsyD Programs in Virginia
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering psychology PhD and PsyD programs in Virginia:
- University of Virginia
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- James Madison University
- Old Dominion University
- George Mason University
- Grand Canyon University
- Walden University
To find out how we select colleges and universities, please click here.
University of Virginia
Ph.D. in Clinical and School Psychology
The 72-credit clinical and school psychology program at the University of Virginia follows the scientist-practitioner model to prepare you as a Ph.D. psychologist with the ability to understand and promote the development and well-being of children, adolescents, and young adults within their specific contexts, with an emphasis on school settings. Your training and education will provide you with a strong foundation in:
- The core principles of clinical and school psychology.
- Research skills that are essential for understanding, applying, and creating new evidence-based knowledge.
- Clinical skills required to deliver competent, ethical assessment, consultation, and intervention services.
You will be trained with an interdisciplinary perspective, and you are expected to become a culturally competent scholar and practitioner who works effectively with diverse individuals.
This Ph.D. program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) as a combined clinical and school psychology program, and is fully approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). The curriculum prepares you for licensure or certification in both clinical and school psychology, or clinical psychology alone.
The mission of this program is to help you become a leader in research and applied practice related to psychological services for children, adolescents, and their families, addressing areas of promotion, prevention, and intervention.
The program integrates clinical and school psychology in ways that make your doctoral training unique.
Youth in context: You will learn to approach well-being by recognizing the importance of integrating mental health and developmental science across multiple systems, such as families, communities, and schools.
Since children as young as three years old spend five days a week in classrooms, public school students spend most of their waking time in school, and seventy percent of young adults eventually attend college or university, you will gain knowledge of how education directly influences development.
Youth strengths: Your training also emphasizes a strength-based approach to youth. You will study psychopathology and risk, but you will also focus on resilience and positive youth development.
You will gain expertise in prevention and early identification strategies that incorporate contextual, cultural, and individual strengths. This training framework aligns with the Institute of Medicine’s intervention spectrum, which includes promotion, prevention, treatment, and maintenance.
You will balance research and clinical training equally, since both are essential for your success. From your first semester, you will join an active research lab and participate in hands-on work in the outpatient clinic.
Research expectations include:
- Hands-on training in faculty labs with projects involving secondary data or active data collection
- Starting a manuscript in your first year and submitting it to a peer-reviewed journal by the end of your second year
- Opportunities to contribute to applied projects such as school climate surveys, autism outcome assessments, statewide school readiness assessments, mentoring models, and wellness programs.
Clinical training includes:
- Supervised casework with children, adolescents, and young adults
- Practicum experiences in schools, outpatient clinics, juvenile detention centers, inpatient psychiatric units, behavioral health clinics, and family medicine.
- One-on-one supervision across multiple therapeutic orientations, including behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, and family systems.
- A yearlong clinical internship to conclude your training, preparing you for roles in academic, clinical, or community settings.
Some of the core courses that you will take include:
- Diversity Issues in Clinical Psychology
- Seminar: Issues in Professional Psychology
- Cognitive Assessment
- Psychotherapy I: History, Systems, and Introductory Theory
- Personality Assessment
- School/Clinical Psychology Practicum
- Clinical Psychology Practicum
- Psychological Consultation and Supervision
- Family Therapy: Theory and Techniques
- Psychotherapy II: Advanced Topics in Psychotherapy
- Internship in College Teaching or Supervision
- Child Therapy
- Independent Research
- Doctoral Dissertation
- Life Span Development
Specific program requirements includes:
- Pre-dissertation (1st year)
- Clinical Practicum (2nd-4th years)
- Comprehensive Exam (3rd year)
- Clinical Psychology Internship (5th year)
Students must complete the doctoral dissertation in accordance with the School of Education and Human Development’s doctoral dissertation guidelines.
You must submit all of the following documents when applying:
- A statement of purpose in which you explain your reasoning for applying to this program.
- A personal statement in which you describe your life experiences, accomplishments, and background.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Unofficial transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
All admitted students enter the Ph.D. program whether or not they already hold a master’s degree.
- Invitations for interviews are sent in late December or early January. Each year between 150–200 applications are reviewed, and about 30 applicants are selected for interviews.
- Virtual interviews are held in January.
- You may be awarded departmental fellowships or assistantships that cover tuition, fees, stipends, and health insurance. Additional competitive fellowships are also available.
This program seeks applicants who want to integrate research and applied work. If you are interested only in private practice, you are not encouraged to apply.
Applicants are eligible for competitive financial support packages that include tuition for both in-state and out-of-state students, medical insurance, and a nine-month stipend of $20,000. With satisfactory progress, you will receive this support for four years while studying in Charlottesville. During your fifth year internship, the host agency provides financial support.
Virginia Commonwealth University
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
The Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that you can pursue at Virginia Commonwealth University is fully accredited by APA.
This program follows the scientist-practitioner model and is structured within a biopsychosocial framework. Your training is designed to equip you with knowledge of scientific principles and evidence-based theoretical models that will guide your study and treatment of psychopathology for diverse populations.
Program requirements include coursework in clinical psychology, basic psychology, statistics, and research methods. You will complete both an empirical master’s thesis and a dissertation, engage in at least three years of clinical practicum, and participate in an APA-approved pre-doctoral internship. Typically, you will spend at least five years on campus before completing your internship in your sixth year.
Once admitted, you will be paired with a faculty mentor based on your interests and the faculty member’s expertise. You will also select one of two concentrations:
- Behavioral Medicine: This concentration emphasizes training in clinical health psychology, prevention, consultation, health promotion, and program development.
- Clinical Child: This concentration focuses on developmental psychopathology and treatment for underserved youth in community and school environments.
As a behavioral medicine student, your training follows a systematic structure. You will begin with adult individual therapy, progress to rotations on on-campus specialty teams such as Primary Care Psychology, and eventually complete off-campus practicum experiences in community agencies and medical centers. You will gain experience with varied patient populations while being supervised by faculty experts.
During this concentration, you will receive training in:
- Evidence-based treatments for mood, anxiety, adjustment, and eating disorders.
- Brief interventions within primary care environments.
- Comprehensive assessment and evaluation of psychopathology.
For clinical child students, training also follows a progressive pathway. You will begin with exposure to child and family therapy, move into rotations in outpatient and integrated care clinics, and conclude with advanced externships in community-based pediatric and hospital settings.
You will develop expertise in:
- Cognitive-behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders.
- Comprehensive ADHD assessments with attention to comorbid conditions such as learning disorders, anxiety, and depression.
- Behavioral parent training and school functioning interventions.
- Pediatric rotations focused on chronic health conditions.
If you are bilingual in Spanish, you will have the opportunity to provide clinical services to Spanish-speaking clients under supervision of bilingual licensed psychologists.
All students complete at least three years of clinical practicum with supervision in the in-house psychology clinic. From the fourth year onward, you will spend 12–20 hours each week at community practicum sites in Richmond.
While one year of off-campus practicum is required, you may complete an additional year if you choose. Your final year consists of a full-time internship that prepares you to function independently as a psychologist.
Currently, the clinical psychology program has about 50–55 students, which represents more than one-third of all graduate students in the department. Since 1975, more than 285 Ph.D. graduates have entered careers in academic departments, medical schools, mental health centers, hospitals, clinics, correctional facilities, private practice, and state agencies.
While a master’s degree is granted along the way, it is not a terminal degree. Admission is strictly for students pursuing the Ph.D. The program typically admits between five and nine new students each year. Due to the large number of qualified applicants, admission is highly competitive.
When reviewing applications, the admissions committee considers academic history, research productivity, relevant experiences, and evidence of academic excellence. The program is dedicated to increasing representation of students and faculty from underrepresented groups, including ethnic and sexual minorities.
Your application is first reviewed by a faculty committee and then sent to faculty whose research aligns with your interests. Admission decisions are largely based on the fit between your research and clinical goals and the work of faculty mentors. If selected, you will attend in-person interviews with faculty and current graduate students.
In addition to the general admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School, the following requirements represent the minimum acceptable standards for admission.
- You must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- You need at least 18 semester hours of undergraduate psychology coursework, including general psychology, statistics, and experimental psychology. Exceptional candidates with fewer credits may be asked to complete additional courses.
- You must demonstrate strong academic potential.
- You are required to submit two letters of recommendation, with up to three letters accepted. Letters may come from research supervisors, clinical supervisors, or instructors.
- GRE scores are not required for admission.
The deadline for applications is December 1.
In recent years, students have been provided tuition waivers along with assistantships or fellowships for at least the first four years of training. In addition, during fourth or fifth years of study, students may also receive financial support through community clinical placements.
The responsibility for arranging annual job placement lies with the department’s graduate committee. This committee works to promote your career development while also addressing your financial needs.
James Madison University
Psy.D. in Clinical and School Psychology
The Clinical and School Psychology (Psy.D.) doctoral program at James Madison University (JMU) aims to prepare you as a professional psychologist who is broadly trained in both science and practice. You will be guided to become self-reflective, ready to work in diverse settings, and committed to responsibility, social awareness, and global engagement.
This program is fully accredited by APA. This program has held accreditation since October 1996 and was most recently reaccredited for ten years beginning in 2017. You will be completing educational requirements that meet licensure or certification standards in Virginia.
You will be trained through the Combined-Integrated (C-I) model, which combines clinical, counseling, and school psychology. You will benefit from a generalist orientation that allows you to draw from all three practice areas in ways that are complementary and synergistic. This model exists because of the overlap in training, the need to define core competencies, and the growing movement toward unity in psychology.
You will be prepared to graduate as a general practitioner, primary care provider, and health service psychologist. You will learn to:
- Understand and integrate clinical, counseling, and school psychology.
- Develop behavioral conceptualizations using biological, psychological, and social dimensions.
- Bring together theoretical perspectives into a coherent whole.
- Work effectively in interprofessional contexts.
You will be admitted as a full-time student and will receive a graduate assistantship that covers tuition.
You will find that the program is deeply committed to inclusive excellence. You will be required to take a multicultural course, address multicultural and gender issues in coursework, and gain practical experiences with clients from diverse backgrounds. Faculty will also share expertise in international issues.
You will earn the Psy.D. degree through an individualized plan of study that includes Psychological Foundations courses and required core courses. Previous graduate coursework may be accepted toward these foundations, but if you lack required courses, you will need to complete them as part of your doctoral plan.
You will be expected to demonstrate competence in research, ethics, diversity, professional values, communication, assessment, intervention, supervision, consultation, and interprofessional practice. You will complete at least 62 credit hours at JMU plus three CE credits linked to internships.
You will complete a pre-doctoral internship of twelve months full-time work, approved by APA. You will also complete a dissertation and pay an additional fee for its electronic presentation.
The curriculum integrates coursework with practicum experiences that lead toward licensure as a clinical or school psychologist. You will practice evidence-based interventions and build strong professional relationships.
In addition to the Psychological Foundations course work, the following are required courses that must be taken at JMU; any exceptions to this curriculum must be approved by the core faculty:
- Couple and Family Systems
- Advanced Seminar in Developmental Psychopathology
- Advanced Consultation and Supervision
- Processes of Psychotherapy
- Integrative Psychotherapy Across the Lifespan
- Doctoral Practicum
- Issues and Techniques in Research and Evaluation
- Doctoral Practicum in College Teaching
- Doctoral Dissertation
- Professional Internship
For admission, you will be required to hold an advanced degree in clinical, school, or counseling psychology (or a related field), submit a personal statement, three recommendation letters, transcripts, and a current CV. The program typically admits four to six students each year.
You will need to apply by December 1 for fall admission. You will complete group and individual interviews in February, with decisions made by March 15.
If admitted, you will be required to submit official transcripts directly to JMU.
Old Dominion University
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
You can pursue the Ph.D. in Psychology degree with a Concentration in Clinical Psychology at Old Dominion University. You will be part of a program that has trained doctoral students in clinical psychology for more than 43 years through the APA accredited Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, which ODU has administered.
You should be aware that the Virginia Consortium Program is being discontinued and is no longer accepting applications. Because of this, the ODU Clinical Ph.D. Program has applied for independent APA accreditation in Summer 2025, with a site visit expected in Fall 2026.
Although the outcome is not guaranteed, the program intends to obtain Accreditation on Contingency in Spring 2027. If you complete the program during that status, you will still be recognized as graduating from an APA accredited program.
Throughout the program, you will be trained to become a clinical psychologist prepared for research, academic, and clinical careers. You will receive balanced training in science and practice, allowing you to integrate theory, research, and application. You will be expected to provide culturally competent care, conduct research, and prepare for multiple professional roles as a health service provider or academic.
You will complete coursework, research activities, and clinical training throughout the program, which follows the scientist-practitioner model. You will gain focused training in research, ethics, competence in working with diverse groups, and clinical assessment and intervention.
You will complete the program across five years: four years in residence plus one year of full-time predoctoral internship. During your first two years, you will complete didactic coursework while engaging in research and beginning clinical practicum training.
You will follow a structured sequence of supervised practica that allow you to apply classroom knowledge in clinical settings. Two pathways toward degree completion are possible:
- For students entering the program with a master’s degree, students are required to complete a minimum of 116 credit hours.
- For students entering the program without a master’s degree from a graduate program, students are required to complete a minimum of 116 credit hours
Otherwise, students entering the program without a master’s degree earned from a graduate program may first attain a master’s degree (36 credits) followed by completing the requirements for the doctoral degree (80 credits).
During the program, you will work under the mentorship of a faculty advisor beginning in your first semester. You will continuously participate in research including empirical design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation. You will also be supported to present at national and international conferences with an annual allowance of $1250, and you will publish findings with faculty.
You will develop strong clinical skills in sequential steps: first through coursework and practicum team meetings, then through assessment cases, and later through intervention cases. You will receive consistent supervision and feedback and will work with individuals from diverse backgrounds across the lifespan.
You will complete a one-year full-time APA-approved predoctoral internship during your final year. This will allow you to reinforce your clinical skills, specialize in areas of interest, and prepare for independent work.
You will be expected to engage in classroom study, continuous research, supervised practice, and program evaluation. This training will prepare you to work with clients from diverse populations, understand the biological, cognitive, developmental, social, affective, and cultural influences on behavior, and build evidence-based solutions.
You will complete at least five years of training after your bachelor’s degree, including four years of residency and one year of internship. You must also pass oral and written comprehensive exams, complete a dissertation, finish multiple years of practicum, and complete the internship.
To apply, you must submit transcripts from all institutions, a personal statement covering career goals, clinical and research interests, and fit with faculty, a statement of community commitment, a CV, at least three recommendation letters, and ranked preferences for faculty mentors.
You will need to hold a bachelor’s degree with significant psychology coursework including statistics and research methods. An interview is required, and you will be notified in January if selected.
Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University offers a number of online psychology doctoral programs. These include:
Online PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision (Quantitative Research)
You will be able to enroll in the Online PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision (Quantitative Research). In this program, you will receive training in theory and practical methods to become a capable educator and supervisor for counseling students and clinical counselors.
You will focus on conducting psychological research that develops and tests new theories. Through this research, you will gain expertise to support and guide counseling learners and practitioners.
Online PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision (Quantitative Research)
You may also enter the PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision with emphasis on Quantitative Research. In this program, you will prepare for roles as educator, supervisor, researcher, or practitioner in clinical or academic environments.
You will build leadership and counseling skills while learning to design, collect, and analyze data. Your work will culminate in a dissertation that demonstrates your scholarly ability.
Cognition and Instruction (Qualitative Research)
You can pursue the PhD in General Psychology with an Emphasis in Cognition and Instruction (Qualitative Research). This curriculum will strengthen your knowledge of human behavior and mental processes. You will apply this expertise to teaching and research roles in higher education, government, or business.
Industrial and Organizational Psychology
You will also have the option of the PhD in General Psychology with an Emphasis in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (Quantitative Research). Through this program, you will learn to apply psychological principles and methods to business settings.
You will take four emphasis courses focusing on psychology, learning, technology, cognitive science, and performance psychology. You should note that this program is not designed to meet clinical licensure requirements. You must confirm with your state if it meets specific standards.
Integrating Technology, Learning, and Psychology
You may choose the PhD in General Psychology with an Emphasis in Integrating Technology, Learning, and Psychology. This option will prepare you to understand the interactions among technology, psychology, and instruction to improve learning outcomes. This program is suited for professionals working in education, business, government, technology, or social media.
Performance Psychology
You can also specialize in the PhD in General Psychology with an Emphasis in Performance Psychology (Qualitative Research). In this program, you will focus on the application of research in cognition, motivation, and emotion to enhance human performance.
You will study the theoretical foundations of cognition, behavior, and emotion in performance contexts. You will explore theories of psychomotor skills and motor control to strengthen learning and performance.
You will apply behavior modification principles to improve outcomes, learn psychological theories for leadership, and integrate psychology into multiple professional fields to enhance performance.
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