Oregon offers several paths for you to pursue a Doctor of Psychology, or PsyD, degree if you want advanced training for clinical practice, assessment, and applied mental health work.
PsyD programs in Oregon focus on helping you build strong skills in psychotherapy, psychological testing, diagnosis, research use, and professional ethics. These programs may also include supervised practicum and internship experiences that prepare you for licensure and real-world practice.
Below you will find information about some of the well-known PsyD programs in Oregon. Review each program, compare their features, and decide which one best matches your future plans.
Best PsyD Programs in Oregon
Some of the popular schools offering PsyD program in Oregon include Pacific University Oregon, George Fox University, University of Arizona Global Campus, and The Chicago School.
Pacific University Oregon
PsyD in Clinical Psychology
Pacific University offers a PsyD program that introduces you to a wide and adaptable practice model, including newer service delivery approaches that match changing needs and opportunities in clinical psychology. Students must earn a minimum of 164 credits for the PsyD degree (depending upon Emphasis Area requirements).
When you finish the program successfully, you will earn a flexible degree that can support work in practice, teaching, or research. The program’s on-site clinical psychology training facilities give you the chance to build your skills through patient care.
The PsyD program at Pacific University usually follows a five-year plan that includes both a Master of Arts degree and a Doctor of Psychology degree. This path includes four years in residence in Hillsboro for coursework, research, and practicum placements, followed by one year away from campus for a doctoral internship.
If you enter the program with a master’s degree, some of your earlier coursework may transfer. Even with transfer credit, the program still usually requires five years of full-time study.
You do not complete the master’s portion of the program as a separate final degree. The MA is not planned as an ending degree on its own. Instead, it forms part of the route toward the PsyD degree.
The PsyD coursework reflects current empirical findings in clinical psychology and includes courses, practicum placements, and a dissertation with professional support. Because faculty members hold many different interests, you will be introduced to many theoretical viewpoints and to skills in assessment, intervention, research and evaluation, consultation and education, and management and supervision.
Four emphasis areas within the PsyD program allow you to direct your training toward a chosen field with its own curriculum, research activity, and clinical practicum placements. Because the classes, student body, and professional interests are varied, you can find classmates and colleagues who share your interests in clinical psychology. Student-led groups also offer mentoring for new students, helping you feel welcome from the beginning.
After earning a PsyD in clinical psychology from Pacific, you will have the knowledge and skills needed to provide psychological services, including traditional work in psychological assessment, psychotherapy, and applied research. You will be prepared to begin the licensure process as a doctoral-level psychologist.
Graduates work in many clinical and institutional settings, as well as in independent and consultative practice. The PsyD program also gives you business and organizational skills so you may seek leadership positions, start a private practice, or serve in a supervisory role at a mental health facility.
Pacific University’s PsyD program follows a generalist model, which means you are introduced to a broad set of viewpoints and methods for assessment, intervention, and research. The wide range of faculty interests and knowledge also lets you choose from four emphasis areas that focus on selected fields, and each area has its own curriculum, research activity, and practicum experiences. You may choose from adult, child, health psychology, and neuropsychology tracks.
Emphasis Areas
Because faculty members hold varied interests, you will receive exposure to many theoretical viewpoints and to skills in assessment, intervention, research and evaluation, consultation and education, and management and supervision. Within the generalist program, four emphasis areas let you direct your training toward a selected field with its own curriculum, research activity, and clinical practica.
- Adult Emphasis
- Child Emphasis
- Health Psychology Emphasis
- Neuropsychology Emphasis
You apply for the primary emphasis areas during the admissions process. Some emphasis areas also accept applications from advanced students, if space and resources are available.
Clinical Training
You must complete three year-long practicum placements: Practicum I for three semesters, Practicum II for three semesters, and Advanced Practicum for three semesters. Each practicum includes at least 500 training hours per year.
At least 50% of those hours, and ideally 75%, are in direct service to clients. About 25% of the hours are in supervision, training activities, and administrative duties connected to service and training.
You may also take part in added elective clinical training experiences, either part-time or full-time. All training is planned to help you join theoretical knowledge with clinical use, and you gain supervised practice experience with many client groups, age ranges, and clinical concerns.
For example, you may seek clinical training in child psychopathology assessment and treatment, neuropsychology, behavioral health, or adult psychopathology assessment and treatment, with close mentoring throughout the process.
Internship
The clinical psychology internship is the final major experience in the professional psychology program. It is one of the last major requirements you complete before graduation, and it calls for a major investment of time and effort. The internship gives you the chance to use and improve your clinical skills and knowledge while also strengthening your professional identity.
The internship requires either full-time supervised clinical experience for one calendar year or a similar half-time supervised clinical experience across two back-to-back years. Internship training must take place at a site accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) or at a site that meets Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Center (APPIC) criteria.
Doctoral Research Project
The doctoral research project shows your scholarly ability and must represent an original contribution to psychology. In line with the practitioner-scholar model of the School of Graduate Psychology, doctoral research projects are not limited to traditional experimental studies. Instead, several formats may be used, including:
- Single case experimental designs.
- Case studies of individuals, groups, or systems.
- Program development or evaluation.
- Experimental or correlational research.
- A synthesis and extension of scholarly literature.
Admissions Requirements
You must complete a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. The recommended minimum GPA is 3.4 during the last two years of study.
You do not need an undergraduate major in psychology, but you should have a strong background in undergraduate psychology. Before PsyD coursework begins, you must complete the following courses with a grade of B- or better. These courses do not have to be finished when you apply.
- Abnormal Psychology
- Statistics math-based
- Research Methods or Experimental Psychology
- One of the following:
- Developmental Psychology
- Perception or Sensation
- Physiological or Biological Psychology
A personal interview is required for all finalists who apply to the program.
You should also know that Pacific University requires criminal background checks. This check takes place after admission and deposit, and it is used to decide whether students are qualified to provide services. A criminal record may disqualify a student who was previously admitted. In addition, drug screenings and extra training are required before clinical practicum placements begin.
George Fox University
PsyD Program
The 125-credit Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program at George Fox University offers elective courses and clinical training experiences across the broad field of psychology. Its purpose is to prepare you to do well in practicum, internship, and professional practice. The program includes five years of in-person study, leading to both a non-terminal master’s degree and a doctorate.
All students receive foundational training. You also have the option to combine this base training with specialized study in one of three tracks.
Primary Care Psychology Track
The Primary Care Psychology Track is an innovative and growing area of practice for psychologists. It allows psychologists to work together with other healthcare professionals in medical settings to provide integrated healthcare for patients. This care model allows psychologists to help people who may not seek traditional outpatient care because of stigma, cost, or limited time.
Child and Adolescent Psychology Track
This track prepares you to work in many practice settings, including medical settings, community outpatient settings, and schools. You receive advanced training in both assessment and treatment for children and adolescents.
The Child and Adolescent Psychology Track prepares you in evidence-based behavioral and cognitive-behavioral services for children, including parenting concerns and parent-involved services.
The coursework gives attention to positive behavioral intervention, skill-training, and parent-training, based on the view that parents and caregivers are often the strongest agents of change in the daily lives of children. Play is often included because it is viewed as a form of communication and as important for comfort and rapport. You are also trained to work and collaborate with the family, school, and medical settings connected to children and families.
Assessment Track
Psychological assessment is used to answer questions related to decisions faced by courts, employers, agencies, parents, medical teams, and others. Students in this track receive advanced training in assessment beyond the level required in generalist training. You develop assessment skills in different practice areas and prepare to offer this service to clients, which is a special part of health service psychology.
Students who choose a specialization receive added knowledge and experience in that area to prepare for internships with major rotations in their chosen field of training.
Adding a track does not increase the length or cost of the program, and you may leave the track at any time. Because each specialization includes a set number of required electives, you may choose only one track.
Students who choose a specialization have the chance to spend focused time in the area of psychology they plan to enter professionally, with guidance from faculty members who are experts in that same field. The faculty’s knowledge and mentoring can strongly improve the academic experience and professional results for students who want that same specialization.
Clinical Training
Clinical training is a basic part of the George Fox PsyD program. As you complete the master’s and doctoral degrees, you take part in hands-on practicum field training experiences at many locations. Possible sites include medical centers and clinics, K-12 public schools, college counseling centers, community mental health centers, and forensic placements.
First Year – Clinical Foundations
During the first year of the program, all students take the Clinical Foundations course. This course gives you the chance to build basic skills through lectures, skill-building, small-group meetings, and individual feedback. All students may take part in simulated psychotherapy by providing services for 10 sessions to volunteer university undergraduates. Every session is recorded and reviewed by the student, the teaching assistant, and the professor.
Second Year – Practicum I
During the second year, students may choose from different practicum sites and are encouraged to seek placements where they can work with a wide range of clients. Along with on-site practicum supervision, students continue taking part in on-campus training activities, including weekly small-group meetings led by a clinical mentor.
Third Year – Practicum II
During the third year, students gain experience in their chosen area of interest, whether that is a certain population such as child, adolescent, or adult, or a certain setting such as medical or university. Students are encouraged to apply for practicum training experiences based on their short-term and long-term professional goals. Students also continue to take part in on-campus training oversight activities.
Fourth Year – Pre-Internship
During the fourth year, students take part in training opportunities that increase either the breadth or the depth of their clinical skills. Pre-interns continue to join on-campus training activities and begin giving oversight supervision to second-year students. During this year, students also receive help with internship applications and placement preparation.
Fifth Year – Internship
A student’s internship is the final result of the earlier four years of training. For most students, it is a full-time, one-year clinical placement that includes a stipend from the internship site. Internship training takes place at APA-accredited and APPIC-approved sites, including veteran hospitals, university counseling centers, medical centers, forensic hospitals, and community mental health centers.
Admission Requirements
You must complete a bachelor’s degree at an accredited institution with at least a 3.0 grade point average. You must also complete at least 18 semester hours in psychology. Recommended coursework may include the following:
- Introductory Psychology
- Psychological Statistics or Research Methods
- Personality Theory
- Human Development
- Abnormal Psychology
- Psychological Tests and Measurements
- Social Psychology
University of Arizona Global Campus
Online Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)
By earning a PsyD from the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC), you can make a positive difference in the emotional and mental health of the people around you. This online degree program gives you a strong understanding of the history and systems of psychology, while also allowing you to choose a specialization that matches your career and research interests.
Earning a doctorate in psychology is an important step for people who want to create real change in society by improving mental health and well-being.
The PsyD program at UAGC is not a licensure program. Instead, it is made for people who plan to become practitioners in fields such as criminal justice, mediation and conflict resolution, sport and performance psychology, industrial organizational psychology, and other related areas that focus on improving emotional and mental health while serving the community. The program ends with an Applied Doctoral Project, which gives you the chance to make your own contribution to the field through practice and scholarship.
This program prepares you for many career paths that require a strong understanding of the human mind. You build your knowledge by studying the history and systems of psychology, while shaping your PsyD degree around your own career and research interests through the choice of a specialization.
This program is intended for people who want to focus on areas such as Criminal Justice, Mediation and Conflict Resolution, Sport and Performance Psychology, Industrial Organizational Psychology, and other fields that share a commitment to serving the community through improvement.
After you complete the program, you will be able to:
- Apply strong practices in psychology, including professional values, ethics, attitudes, and behaviors.
- Show understanding of cultural diversity and include it in professional work with individuals, groups, and communities from different backgrounds.
- Use strong knowledge of psychology based on theoretical models, evidence-based methods, and research.
- Build leadership skills related to the field of psychology.
- Assess methods, trends, and ideas in applied psychology research with careful judgment.
PsyD graduates are prepared to work in many settings, including mental health, education, business, health care, counseling, and social and human services. In addition, if you have several years of experience in business and industry, you may also seek positions in consulting and marketing research.
This program is offered fully online, which allows you to manage your academic work along with your personal and professional responsibilities.
To apply, you must provide proof of English language proficiency, either through a bachelor’s degree earned in English or by completing an English proficiency test. In addition, you must hold a master’s degree from an approved accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
How Long Does It Take to Complete a PsyD in Oregon?
Completing a PsyD in Oregon generally takes five years for full-time students. This timeline typically includes four years of academic coursework and practicum training, followed by a required fifth-year internship.
What PsyD Specializations are Available in Oregon?
Choosing a PsyD specialization is an important step in matching doctoral training with your professional interests and long-term career direction in psychology. When you focus on a specific area, you can build focused skills that may help you become more competitive in Oregon’s wide behavioral health job market.
Below is an overview of common PsyD specializations available in Oregon, along with their main training focus and the career paths they often support.
Clinical Psychology: This specialization focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders across the lifespan. Students build skill in evidence-based psychotherapy and psychological assessment, which helps prepare graduates for roles in private practice, hospitals, and community mental health centers.
Primary Care Psychology: Offered at George Fox University, this track emphasizes working together with medical professionals to address mental health needs in primary care settings. Training includes brief interventions and health behavior change, leading to careers in integrated health clinics and medical teams.
Child and Adolescent Psychology: This specialization focuses on developmental psychopathology and family systems. Students build skills in areas such as play therapy and pediatric assessment. Graduates often work in schools, pediatric clinics, and community agencies that serve youth.
Health Psychology: Emphasis in this area trains students in behavioral medicine and chronic illness management. This preparation supports careers in hospitals and public health organizations.
Neuropsychology: This track focuses on brain-based disorders, neuropsychological testing, and cognitive rehabilitation. Graduates often find work in hospitals and rehabilitation centers.
What Jobs Can You Get With a PsyD in Oregon?
A PsyD degree prepares graduates for careers in clinical work, counseling, and assessment-focused roles across both traditional and newer practice settings. APA-accredited PsyD programs in Oregon, whether offered online or on campus, provide the clinical skills needed for licensure and for advanced professional roles.
Several important career options are available for PsyD graduates in Oregon. One common path is becoming a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. In this role, you may provide psychotherapy, psychological testing, and treatment planning in settings such as hospitals, private practices, clinics, and telehealth. These professionals are in strong demand across Oregon, especially in both urban and rural communities.
Another path is working as a Forensic Psychologist. These professionals carry out court-ordered evaluations, competency assessments, and may provide expert testimony in legal cases. Forensic psychologists often work with state agencies or serve as independent consultants within Oregon’s court system.
A PsyD may also support work as a School Psychologist, although added credentialing is required. In this role, professionals provide assessments, counseling, and behavioral interventions in K-12 school settings. Oregon requires extra licensure for school psychologists, but a PsyD can help open the way to leadership and specialist roles in education.
Another growing option is becoming a Health Psychologist. In this kind of work, you may work with primary care teams in hospitals or community health centers, with attention to behavioral health, chronic illness, and pain management. This role is growing as behavioral health services become more integrated into medical settings across Oregon.
PsyD graduates may also move into work as a Program Director or Administrator in Community Mental Health. In these roles, they may lead and shape clinical programs for state hospitals, nonprofit organizations, and community agencies. PsyD training helps prepare graduates to lead evidence-based practice efforts and manage program evaluation in an effective way.
What is the Average Salary of a Psychologist in Oregon?
As of April, 2026, the average annual pay for a psychologist in Oregon is $162,882 a year. Top earning psychologists in Oregon earn well over $250,000 per year.
Contact Us
Privacy Policy