Oklahoma’s psychology graduate programs offer various options for students aiming to advance in research, clinical practice, or applied psychology.
Oklahoma State University offers Ph.D. programs in clinical child psychology, health psychology/behavioral medicine, pediatric psychology, and adult clinical psychology, emphasizing research and practical training.
The University of Oklahoma offers doctoral degrees in cognitive, social, industrial-organizational, and quantitative psychology, focusing on experimental research. The University of Tulsa offers master’s and doctoral programs in clinical and industrial-organizational psychology, grounded in the scientist-practitioner model.
Additionally, Northwestern Oklahoma State University offers a program in general psychology. With options ranging from research-intensive Ph.D. programs to applied master’s degrees, Oklahoma’s graduate programs equip students with the skills and credentials needed to advance in the field of psychology.
In this guide, we will discuss these and other popular psychology graduate programs available in Oklahoma, covering various specializations, course formats, and admission requirements.
Best Psychology Graduate Programs in Oklahoma
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering psychology graduate programs in Oklahoma:
- University of Tulsa
- Northwestern Oklahoma State University
- Southeastern Oklahoma State University
- University of Oklahoma
- Oklahoma State University
- Pepperdine University
- The Chicago School
- Walden University
- Grand Canyon University
To find out how we select colleges and universities, please click here.
University of Tulsa
Master of Arts (M.A.) in Clinical Psychology
The Master of Arts (M.A.) program in clinical psychology at the University of Tulsa requires you to complete 37 credit hours. This program helps you develop essential skills in intervention, evaluation, and consultation.
After finishing the program, you will be ready for entry-level clinical roles in agencies, health-care facilities, and organizational settings. Licensing requirements differ among states, so you should check with the licensing authority in the state where you plan to work to understand the rules for licensure at the master’s level.
The goal of this graduate clinical psychology program is to offer high-quality education using the scientist-practitioner model in a small private university. Science and practice are seen as connected parts. You will learn to apply psychological theories, methods, and findings to solve clinical problems.
The science side of psychology is broad, so you are expected to become familiar with many psychological theories, methods, and results. You will be encouraged to recognize the limits of human perception, reasoning, and intuition, and to value scientific methods as ways to reduce errors and biases in natural judgment.
Your coursework will cover core psychology subjects such as research methods, personality and psychopathology, principles of psychological assessment and intervention, and professional issues in clinical psychology. You must also complete seven credit hours of practicum training.
Clinical psychology core courses include:
- Psychopathology
- Clinical Assessment: Intellectual
- Clinical Assessment: Personality
- Theory and Practice of Clinical Psychology
- Diversity, Ethics, Law, & Clinical Practice
- Introduction to Scientist-Practitioner-Based Psychotherapy
General psychology core courses include:
- Cognitive and Affective Psychology
- Neuroscience and Psychopharmacology
- History of Psychology
- Theories of Personality
- Advanced Social Psychology
- Human Development
There is no thesis requirement. While most courses are set, you will have some freedom to select electives and practicum sites. This program not only gives you a strong foundation for a career in clinical psychology but also meets the entry requirements for many doctoral programs in this field.
Practical experience is a key part of your training. You can participate in practicum at both university’s psychology clinics and in community settings to gain a wide range of experience. You must conduct yourself ethically, legally, professionally, and with skill during all practicum work. Your practicum assignments and coursework will be organized by the Coordinator of Practicum Training. Your progress in practicum and fieldwork will be closely monitored, and you are expected to attend regularly, except when you have a valid excuse.
Grades below a B in practicum or fieldwork will not count toward your graduation. If you receive two grades below B in these courses, you will not be allowed to retake them. This could affect your ability to graduate unless the course was taken only for elective credit.
Upon completing the master’s program, you will:
- Gain knowledge in foundational psychology areas such as biological behavior bases, development across life stages, social psychology theories and principles, cognitive psychology, emotions, or psychology history as a science;
- Become familiar with treatment methods and assessment tools supported by research;
- Understand academic, ethical, and professional standards for psychologists as set by regulatory bodies;
- Learn about individual and cultural diversity and be ready to adapt supervised clinical work;
- Develop skills that prepare you for doctoral study in clinical psychology or related fields such as counseling or social work.
Admission to this M.A. program is competitive, and due to strong interest, not all qualified applicants are accepted.
To apply, you must meet the Graduate School admission requirements, including language skills, as detailed in the Admission section of this Bulletin. Additionally, you need to have:
- An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale;
- Acceptable scores on the verbal and quantitative parts of the Graduate Record Examination.
Typically, candidates have completed at least 18 credit hours of undergraduate psychology courses, including abnormal psychology and either statistics, tests and measurements, or experimental psychology.
Applications for admission are reviewed once a year for the fall semester. The deadline to apply for this M.A. clinical psychology program is December 1st.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Online Master of Science – General Psychology
The Master of Science in General Psychology (MGP) at Northwestern Oklahoma State University offers a 34-hour program that you can finish fully online, using a combination of Zoom and online classes.
With the MGP degree, you prepare yourself for many career options that often prefer or require a master’s degree, including:
- Teaching
- Research and data analysis
- Social services
- Human resources
- Administration
- Program development and management
- Instructional design
The MGP program is not a one-size-fits-all plan; faculty will work with you personally to create a study plan that fits your current and future career goals, as well as your academic interests. One of the program’s main benefits is its flexibility in customizing your course schedule. Another important strength is the guidance you will receive from faculty mentors, who help you improve your knowledge and skills in psychology.
Some of the core courses you will take include:
- Introduction to Research
- Advanced Social Psychology
- Statistics for Assessment
- Human Growth and Development
- Advanced Personality
- Advanced Cognitive Psychology
The MGP program aims to prepare graduates who contribute to the field of behavioral sciences. By the time you finish the program, you will be ready to:
- Use and evaluate advanced psychological knowledge and theories to find and apply best practices in behavioral sciences.
- Summarize and review important theories in psychology literature.
- Show your understanding of both basic and applied research methods to solve psychological questions.
- Take part in detailed, evidence-based practices.
- Communicate clearly, both in speaking and writing, at a professional level.
- Work ethically and effectively with people from different backgrounds.
- Assess new approaches in mental health to provide full care for individuals, families, and communities.
- Show critical thinking and responsibility in behavioral sciences.
To be considered for this program, you must meet these requirements in addition to those of the Graduate Office:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree with at least 12 credit hours in psychology or a related field.
- Have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher in the last 60 credit hours of your undergraduate courses.
- Have completed an undergraduate or graduate course in descriptive or inferential statistics with a grade of “C” or better.
- Have completed an undergraduate or graduate course in research methodology with a grade of “C” or better.
- Submit a finished program application including a personal statement and a resume/CV.
- Provide three letters of recommendation that support your academic skills, professional ability, and personal character.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Online Master of Education in School Counseling
Southeastern Oklahoma State University offers a M.Ed. in School Counseling degree that can help you increase your ability to impact students’ lives positively. This online program builds on your teaching experience and expands it. You will study theories and strategies necessary for roles such as guidance counselor, career advisor, and other related positions.
This program is designed for you to complete while working full time. It focuses on child development and assessment, along with learning about diversity and psychopathology. The courses are fast-paced and flexible, allowing you to fit them around your busy schedule. To enroll, you must hold a teaching certificate.
In this online M.Ed. in School Counseling program, you will take 15 courses totaling 42 credit hours. You must also complete a practicum course with at least 100 hours of counseling-related work, including a minimum of 40 hours of direct client contact. Additionally, you will select a three-hour elective course after consulting with an advisor.
By joining this school counseling program, you will:
- Gain confidence to counsel children and adolescents, as well as parents and teachers.
- Learn how to design a complete school counseling program that includes assessment, guidance, and counseling techniques.
- Understand modern and alternative counseling theories and models to apply in various counseling situations.
- Develop knowledge about human needs across all stages of development and within diverse cultural settings, focusing on supporting growth and wellness throughout life.
- Build strong clinical skills and understand research methods.
Among the courses you will study are:
- Effective Crisis Communication: This course teaches you to plan, develop, and assess risk and crisis communication. You will examine different theories and approaches to sharing information during emergencies with the public.
- Human Growth and Development in Counseling: Here, you will learn about people’s needs at all life stages and in different cultures. This course covers theories of physical, personality, cognitive, moral, and social development, aiming to support healthy growth and wellbeing.
- Career Counseling and Development: In this course, you will explore career development and life factors related to it. You will study career theories, program planning, educational planning, assessment methods, and career counseling procedures.
- Theories of Counseling: You will study current and alternative counseling theories to help you understand client behaviors and choose suitable counseling methods.
- Social and Cultural Diversity Issues in Counseling: This course provides knowledge of cultural aspects of relationships, challenges, and trends in diverse societies. You will learn social and cultural theories, strategies, and roles that support client wellbeing and positive counseling results.
- Group Counseling: You will gain both theoretical and practical knowledge about group counseling purposes, growth, dynamics, theories, methods, skills, and other group approaches in a diverse society. This course also covers leadership, stages, skills, methods, and ethics involved in group counseling.
- Developmental School Counseling: This foundational course is for those aiming to become school counselors. It highlights the basics and setting-related aspects of school counseling, as well as how to organize, plan, implement, manage, and evaluate full school counseling programs.
University of Oklahoma
Ph.D. in Psychology
At the University of Oklahoma, you can pursue a Ph.D. in Psychology with specializations in cognitive psychology, applied social and developmental psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, and quantitative psychology.
The programs is designed to prepare you as an experimental psychologist capable of working in universities, industry, or government. You will train in a demanding yet supportive environment that aims to develop skilled researchers able to add to scientific psychology knowledge and share and apply this knowledge effectively.
- Cognitive Psychology: In the Cognitive Psychology specialization, you will receive instruction in several topics using modern experimental approaches like precise behavioral methods and tools from cognitive neuroscience. You may study cognitive engineering and human factors psychology (following the scientist/practitioner model), developmental cognitive neuroscience, cognitive and decision psychology, and cognitive neuroscience. After graduation, you will be qualified to pursue many careers in both academia and industry.
- Applied Social and Developmental Psychology: The Applied Social and Developmental Psychology specialization trains you in research focusing on the basic emotional, thinking, cultural, and biological processes behind complex social behaviors and how these develop over a lifetime. This training prepares you for careers in academic research and teaching, as well as applied roles in government and business.
- Industrial-Organizational Psychology: In the Industrial-Organizational Psychology specialization, you will engage in rigorous training covering applied and translational research. You will gain experience in laboratory and field settings, using quantitative, qualitative, and modeling techniques. The program follows a scientist-practitioner approach to prepare you for research and practice in industrial psychology and organizational behavior.
- Quantitative Psychology: The Quantitative Psychology specialization provides essential quantitative training to all psychology doctoral students and specifically to those specializing in quantitative methods. You will benefit from a strong emphasis on psychology as a quantitative science. Many students from other departments, such as Business, Mathematics, Nursing, Public Health, Education, Engineering, Communication, Sociology, Political Science, and Computer Science, take courses in this program.
Generally, the university seeks applicants aiming for doctoral-level training. Many students apply directly after earning their bachelor’s degrees from universities across the country. As you progress through the graduate program, you will earn a master’s degree after completing required coursework and a master’s thesis on your way to the Ph.D.
If you already have a master’s degree from another school, you may also be admitted. Your previous coursework will be reviewed, and credit may transfer if the courses match ours in content and quality. Transfer credit is decided one course at a time.
To earn the Ph.D. in Psychology, you must complete 90 credit hours beyond your bachelor’s degree. You will work with a faculty committee to design a program that matches your interests and career goals. You need to finish all courses, pass your general exams, and complete your dissertation to earn the Ph.D.. Usually, you will also complete a Master of Science degree along the way, which requires 30 credit hours and a master’s thesis.
If you enter the Quantitative Psychology program, you will also take two courses from the Mathematics Department: calculus-based mathematical statistics and linear algebra. If you do not have the necessary calculus background, you can take prerequisite courses at Oklahoma State.
The Master of Science degree is awarded after completing thirty credit hours of coursework—including courses numbered 5003, 5013, 5901, 5911, and 6073—a master’s thesis (5980), and a successful oral defense. If you choose a non-thesis master’s, you must complete at least thirty-two credit hours.
To complete your Ph.D., you will typically:
- Finish the university’s first-year requirements, including a research project.
- Select a major professor to guide your studies.
- Complete a three-semester statistics sequence.
- Complete the experimental psychology core and minor coursework.
- Participate in an Advisory Conference to plan further coursework.
- Complete a master’s thesis and defend it orally.
- Pass the General Examination.
- Complete at least ninety credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree.
- Complete your doctoral dissertation and defend it in a final oral exam.
Internships are not required for the program. Generally, you will not pursue internships before completing your thesis and passing the general exam.
When you apply, besides meeting Graduate College requirements, your application must include:
- Three letters of recommendation.
- A personal statement.
- Any publications you may have.
You do not need to submit GRE scores, as they are not used for admission decisions. The application deadline is December 1st.
You may receive financial aid for your graduate studies in various ways. The department offers teaching or research assistantships to all graduate students, which include full tuition waivers.
If you want financial support, you will automatically be considered when you are accepted. However, applying early increases your chances for funding.
The Department also applies for extra fellowships through university resources like the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences. These fellowships add about $5000 per year, for up to five years, on top of your regular assistantship pay and tuition waiver.
Oklahoma State University
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Oklahoma State University is designed to prepare you to become a scientific clinical psychologist. This program follows a clinical science model and is affiliated with the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science. You will develop knowledge and skills in fundamental psychology, clinical theory, assessment and treatment techniques, and research methods. The program offers four specialized tracks for you to choose from: clinical child psychology, health psychology/behavioral medicine, pediatric psychology, and adult clinical psychology.
This doctoral program requires full-time study. You are expected to be on campus throughout the week to attend classes, engage in research, participate in clinical work, and attend meetings. To complete the Ph.D. degree, you must meet the following requirements:
- Complete a minimum of 90 credit hours beyond your bachelor’s degree, or 60 credit hours beyond your master’s degree. Some areas may require more than these minimums.
- Complete at least 15 credit hours of dissertation work (PSYC 6000).
- Take one graduate course outside the psychology department, either at Oklahoma State University or another recognized institution.
- Pass the comprehensive examination.
- Pass the qualifying examination.
- Maintain continuous enrollment and active involvement in research.
The curriculum meets the educational standards required for licensure or certification to practice psychology in all 50 states.
You will receive training in instruction, research, and clinical supervision to build skills necessary for practicing clinical psychology using scientific evidence. The program prepares you to work independently as a research scientist and to apply scientific methods throughout all stages of clinical service development and delivery.
You will conduct original research during your studies, with many graduates continuing to contribute to scientific literature throughout their careers. The program expects you to develop the following:
- The ability to carry out and evaluate empirical research relevant to clinical psychology.
- Broad knowledge of psychological theories and research connected to clinical psychology.
- Understanding of theoretical foundations and scientific support for current clinical practices, along with skills to implement evidence-based interventions.
- The ability to act ethically and professionally in all areas of your work.
- The capacity to work in a culturally competent manner in research and clinical practice.
Throughout your training, you will engage in various research experiences to develop the skills needed to design and assess clinical studies. The faculty members publish in respected research journals and hold leadership roles in professional organizations.
Your studies will include seminars, core courses, and clinical practicum focused on the scientific and evidence-based practice of clinical psychology. You will receive clinical training at the university’s training clinic and through practicum placements at external sites. Before completing your degree, you must finish a one-year, APA-approved internship.
If you enter the program with a master’s degree, you will follow a similar curriculum. Note that the Ph.D. program requires at least four years of full-time campus study, plus a one-year internship. At least two of those years must be completed at Oklahoma State University, with one year spent in full-time residence.
Your doctoral dissertation is the most important project during your graduate studies. Once you graduate, you will often be asked about your dissertation by colleagues. It is essential to approach your dissertation with seriousness, as it will be a key part of your professional credentials throughout your career.
The comprehensive examination evaluates your knowledge of experimental design, statistics, and your understanding of research literature in your specialty. This exam assesses your oral and critical thinking skills, your ability to synthesize and integrate scientific findings, and your understanding of measurement, statistical analysis, experimentation, and research design. You should aim to complete this exam by the end of your third year or during the first semester of your fourth year.
When reviewing your application, the Admissions Committee considers your research experience, the fit between your interests and faculty research, letters of recommendation, GRE scores and GPA, and the quality of your previous academic training.
The deadline for the Clinical Psychology program application is December 1 each year. If invited, you will be expected to attend an Interview Weekend in February. Admission decisions are usually communicated by late December.
To apply, you must meet the following requirements:
- Hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree (a psychology degree is not required).
- Have adequate preparation for graduate psychology study, including courses like introductory psychology, experimental psychology or research methods, and statistics or quantitative methods in psychology.
- If you lack the recommended psychology courses, you may still apply if you have demonstrated excellent performance in related areas; you might be required to complete these courses after admission.
- Maintain a preferred minimum GPA of 3.3.
- Provide three letters of recommendation.
- Submit a statement of purpose.
- Provide a writing sample that demonstrates your abilities, such as work from a psychology course, conference, or presentation.
Can You Become a Psychologist With a Master’s in Oklahoma?
No, in Oklahoma, you cannot become a licensed psychologist with only a master’s degree. To practice as a licensed psychologist in Oklahoma, you must have a doctoral degree and meet specific professional requirements set by the Oklahoma State Board of Examiners of Psychologists.
Contact Us
Privacy Policy