The Sunshine State is a fantastic place to earn a doctoral degree in psychology. Why? There are plenty of reasons!
First, Florida offers nice weather, colleges with beautiful campuses, and ample opportunities for field-based learning in psychology. Second, Florida’s colleges and universities offer many different specializations in psychology at the doctoral level, including school psychology, clinical psychology, and Industrial/Organizational psychology.
A third reason why you might consider a Florida doctoral program in psychology is that the state ranks very highly for affordable higher education. So, you can get a great education with less of an impact on your pocketbook. Any of the Ph.D. or PsyD programs discussed below is a great option for your studies.
Psychology PhD and PsyD Programs in Florida
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering psychology PhD and PsyD programs in Florida:
- University of Florida
- University of Central Florida
- Florida Tech University
- Nova Southeastern University
- Keiser University
- National University
- The Chicago School
- Grand Canyon University
To find out how we select colleges and universities, please click here.
University of Florida
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
The doctoral program in clinical psychology at the University of Florida is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). In fact, the program has been accredited since 1953 and has a long-standing reputation as one of the top programs of its kind in the U.S.
The training provided to you adheres to the scientist-practitioner model. On the one hand, you’ll learn about the science of psychology and methods of research. On the other hand, you’ll acquire the necessary clinical competencies to provide mental health services to clients of all ages and needs.
You can choose from numerous areas of concentration, including:
- Clinical Child/Pediatric Psychology
- Clinical Health Psychology
- Neuropsychology
- Cognitive and Emotion Neuroscience
No matter which concentration you pursue, you must complete a six-part curriculum that provides you with comprehensive clinical training. The first component of the curriculum is core required coursework. These classes, which might include topics like developmental psychology, psychopathology, and cognitive psychology, provide you with a broad foundation of understanding of critical psychological principles.
Other coursework focuses on clinically based topics. For example, you’ll take courses on psychological assessments and interventions, which are two crucial subject areas for you to master as a preservice clinician. Your choice of elective courses adds to the breadth of your training. You can, for example, choose from courses such as Neuropsychological Assessment, Behavioral Medicine, or Child and Family Therapy, to name a few.
During your first year in the program, you must also complete a first-year research project. This project begins by developing a research question with a faculty mentor. You’ll begin conducting your research and work toward substantially completing the project by the end of the fourth semester. This work will form the basis of your master’s thesis, which you must defend during the second year of the program.
You’ll also participate in practicum experiences that give you a taste of what clinical psychology is like in the field. You’ll participate in practica activities while being supervised by program faculty. Their supervision, which includes case consultations, assessments, and intervention training, is key to your development as a competent clinical psychologist.
During your time in the practicum, you’ll work with children and adults who have a range of mental health concerns. You’ll also work with clients who have medical needs, family problems, and marital difficulties. You’ll continue to receive intervention training even after you conclude the fieldwork component of the practicum.
At this point in the program, you’ll begin your doctoral candidacy, the fourth component of your training. To be admitted to the doctoral program, you must first gain approval from your supervisory committee. The department chair and the Dean of the Graduate School also have a say in whether you move on in the program or not. Additionally, you must have an approved dissertation topic and complete a written and oral examination.
The next step in the process is to develop your doctoral committee and dissertation. The dissertation requires independent research, though you must obtain approval from the committee to make major changes. Likewise, you’ll participate in ongoing consultation activities with the committee. The dissertation must also:
- Make an original contribution to the body of knowledge in this field.
- Include a well-formulated question and a method for studying that question.
- Include a formal proposal for a study, which will then be carried out once approved by the committee.
- Be defended before the committee and approved in order to graduate.
The program’s training doesn’t end there, though. You must also complete a year-long APA-accredited internship. The internship includes hundreds of hours of offsite training in facilities like mental health clinics, hospitals, and residential treatment centers. Your training may occur at facilities in the area near the University of Florida campus, or you might have an assignment further afield, depending on your preferences.
You must complete the following steps to be considered for admission:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Have a satisfactory undergraduate GPA. The program’s applicants have, on average, a 3.63 undergraduate GPA.
- Submit unofficial transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide at least three letters of recommendation.
- Complete and submit the clinical and health psychology supplemental application.
- Provide a current curriculum vitae or resume.
University of Central Florida
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
At the University of Central Florida, you can earn a terminal Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that offers the dual preparation of the scientist-practitioner model. As noted earlier, this model espouses the importance of learning about psychology as a scientific study and as an applied science in clinical settings.
This program is APA-accredited and prepares you for licensure as a clinical psychologist in Florida. A total of 90 credits are needed if you enter the program with a bachelor’s degree. However, with a master’s degree already under your belt, you need just 58 credits to earn your Ph.D.
Your coursework is divided into several components:
- Psychology Foundation Courses
- Integrative Course
- Research Courses
- Clinical Courses
- Electives
- Dissertation
As you’d expect, the psychology foundation courses explore the basic tenets of this field of study. You’ll take classes like Human Cognition and Learning, Advanced Social Psychology, and Developmental Psychology. The fourth foundation course is the Neuroanatomical Basis of Psychological Functioning.
Next up is one integrative course – Affective Neuroscience. The focus of this class is on the relationship between the brain and emotions. More specifically, you’ll examine how the brain processes emotions. This class also examines issues related to personality and mood.
The sequence of research courses includes 18 credits of Advanced Research Methodology, Thesis work, and Directed Research. The purpose of these classes is to help you develop strong psychological research skills. This might include topics such as quantitative and qualitative research design, psychological statistics, and research ethics. The directed research portion is key to your thesis; this class gives you the time and resources to dig deep into your research question and produce information that is relevant and helpful to the field of psychology.
The next portion of the curriculum is a 36-credit sequence of clinical coursework. This training is extremely varied and includes classes such as:
- Clinical Psychological Assessment
- Lifespan Psychopathology
- Ethical and Professional Issues in Clinical Psychology
- Empirically Supported Psychotherapies
- Multicultural Psychotherapy
Furthermore, you’ll take Introduction to Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, which is a foundational course for helping you develop as a clinical. You’ll learn about essential clinical psychology strategies, assessment procedures, interventions, and treatments, too.
This portion of the curriculum likewise includes two field experiences – a predoctoral internship and a clinical practicum. These activities are intended to bridge the gap from coursework to full-time internship practice. Both activities are closely supervised, yet you’ll have ample opportunities to work independently as a preservice clinician.
The final coursework element is two elective classes. These classes are of your choice and can be any graduate course that’s approved by the psychology program director.
Your training continues with the 15-credit dissertation. The bulk of the dissertation is research activities that address the central question of your work. You’ll spend time over numerous semesters designing your project, carrying out research, analyzing data, and writing the dissertation. You must also defend the dissertation to your committee before your degree will be conferred.
This program also uses examinations as formative and summative assessments of your progress. The qualifying exam will take place roughly midway through the program and assess your understanding of essential psychological concepts, topics, and practices. The comprehensive exam occurs toward the end of the degree and mostly explores the themes you discuss in your dissertation.
The requirements for admission are as follows:
- Have a bachelor’s degree or higher in psychology from a regionally accredited college or university. Alternatively, you can have an undergraduate degree in any field with at least 18 credits of psychology coursework.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide three letters of recommendation from references who can discuss your professional interests, work ethic, and the kind of professional you are.
- Submit a personal essay in which you outline your clinical and research interests. You must also identify faculty members with whom you wish to work.
- Submit a curriculum vitae that outlines your career and research experiences.
You must also have prior hands-on research experience outside of normal class-related research activities.
Florida Tech University
Clinical Psychology Psy.D.
If a PsyD program is of more interest to you than a Ph.D., Florida Tech’s Doctor of Psychology program might be of interest to you. This APA-accredited program began in 1983 and has been accredited since 1984. It is also the first PsyD program in the southeastern U.S.
This is a highly competitive program. Only 20 or so students are accepted each year. Those who are accepted participate in a wide-ranging curriculum that includes coursework, seminars, supervised clinical experiences, and research. Furthermore, you can choose to take advanced coursework in one of four areas:
- Clinical Neuropsychology
- Family/Child Psychology
- Forensic Psychology
- Integrated Behavioral Health
Let’s assume you’re interested in the Family and Child Psychology option. This track focuses heavily on childhood disorders and clinical training. As such, you’ll take courses in child psychopathology, developmental psychology, and interventions. You’ll also take numerous classes on types of assessments, including those that measure intelligence, gauge personality, and utilize projective techniques.
Your first year in the program also includes a pre-practicum experience. This field activity involves job shadowing clinicians at Florida Tech. You’ll gain an appreciation for the day-to-day activities of a licensed psychologist while also enjoying opportunities to volunteer at other clinical sites to expand your learning even further.
With a concentration in Family and Child Psychology, you’ll also complete a practicum that enables you to work direction with children, couples, and families. The program offers a number of partnerships with practicum sites, so you can get highly varied training at numerous sites. Alternatively, you can choose to specialize your training and concentrate on completing the practicum requirement at just one location.
Additional training is provided at Florida Tech’s Community Psychological Services at the Scott Center. There, you’ll work on foundational assessment skills, acquire experience conducting therapy sessions, and learn how to provide additional services to clients. Furthermore, some of the available practicum sites offer specific training in working with special populations. For example, you can apply to work as part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Team or at the Scott Center for Autism Treatment. Another popular option is to work at a Couples Practicum site, where you’ll work almost exclusively with couples who are seeking treatment for various issues, including communication problems, sexual problems, and infidelity, to name a few.
After you complete these supervised practicums, you’ll move on to conduct multiple external practicums at facilities near the Florida Tech campus. During these external assignments, you’ll work in inpatient and outpatient settings, offering a variety of services ranging from intake and assessment to interventions and therapy. Potential external training sites include the following:
- Private practices
- University counseling centers
- Jails and courts
- Community mental health centers
- Military bases
Research and internship opportunities abound, too. For example, you can study trauma and stress, child and family conflicts, or even chronic illnesses. Integrated healthcare, assessment, and neuropsychology are additional areas for potential research.
You must also complete an internship during which you get hands-on experience in assessment, testing, diagnosis, case conceptualization, and counseling. You’ll acquire a direct understanding of psychotherapeutic techniques and have opportunities for additional research experience, too.
Be sure you meet the following criteria before you apply:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Your degree needn’t be in psychology. However, you must have at least 18 credits of psychology coursework.
- Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Submit two letters of recommendation from references who can attest to your academic and professional abilities.
- Provide a resume or curriculum vitae.
- Submit a statement of objectives.
- Submit GRE general test scores.
Nova Southeastern University
Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
The PsyD program at Nova Southeastern University is an APA-accredited licensure track that utilizes the practitioner-informed-by-science model. In other words, the bulk of your training will be in clinical activities and psychological research. From the perspective of the faculty, these activities are not separate but conjoined elements of learning how to be an effective psychologist.
One of the most interesting elements of this program is that there are seven PsyD concentrations. You can choose from any of the following:
- Child, Adolescent, and Family Psychology
- Clinical Forensic Psychology
- Clinical Health Psychology
- Long-Term Mental Illness
- Multicultural Psychology
- Clinical Neuropsychology
- Psychodynamic Psychology
One of the most interesting options here is the Clinical Forensic Psychology track. This program offers you training in psychology and the criminal justice system. More specifically, you’ll focus on learning how to apply your clinical skills in situations such as competency hearings, civil trials, and criminal profiling, to name a few.
The coursework for this program highlights this connection between psychology and the law. For example, you’ll take Introduction to Forensic Psychology, which offers a broad overview of this field. You’ll learn about the various applications of psychology in the criminal justice system, such as providing expert testimony in civil and criminal trials.
Likewise, you’ll take a course on Forensic Psychology Assessments, which explores common types of evaluations you might conduct. This includes the following:
- Forensic psychiatry evaluations of defendants and plaintiffs.
- Competency evaluations to determine if someone is able to provide testimony in court.
- Criminal and civil evaluations of plaintiffs and defendants
- Fitness for duty evaluations of public safety officers
Apart from your coursework, you’ll get detailed, hands-on training as part of a yearlong internship. One of the advantages of this program is that there are no less than 15 clinics on campus where you can complete your clinical training. By working on campus, you’ll benefit from the close supervision of clinical psychologists and your psychology faculty. Likewise, the diverse clientele at these clinics enables you to get multicultural experience and experience working with clients with a wide range of psychological needs.
All told, you need to complete 119 credits to graduate. This can be done in four years of coursework and training, plus a fifth-year internship.
This program is highly competitive–a very limited number of students are accepted, with fewer still accepted to each of the seven concentration areas. As such, it’s highly recommended that you have a great deal of experience, excellent grades, and top recommendations when applying.
You can apply to Nova Southeastern online if this program seems like a good fit for your needs. The admissions criteria are as follows:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Your degree must include three semester hours of statistics and 18 semester hours in psychology, at a minimum.
- Have a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA or higher. Alternatively, you can have a 3.5 GPA for all graduate work.
- Provide a statement of professional goals in which you describe your clinical and research experience as well as the areas of psychology that interest you the most.
- Submit a curriculum vitae or resume.
- Submit three letters of recommendation from academic or professional references.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University offers a number of psychology doctoral programs. These include:
Online PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision (Quantitative Research)
Grand Canyon University’s PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision program provides you with both theoretical and practical knowledge to become an effective educator and supervisor for counseling students and clinical counselors. This program emphasizes conducting psychological research to develop and test new ideas and theories. Through completing research, you’ll gain expertise to support and guide counseling students and clinical practitioners.
Online PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision (Quantitative Research)
The PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision at Grand Canyon University prepares you to become an educator, supervisor, researcher, or practitioner in academic and clinical environments. This program focuses on enhancing leadership and counseling skills while equipping you to use quantitative research methods. You’ll learn to design, collect, and analyze data, culminating in a scholarly dissertation.
Cognition and Instruction (Qualitative Research)
Grand Canyon University’s PhD in General Psychology with an Emphasis in Cognition and Instruction offers a curriculum designed to increase your understanding of human behavior and mental processes. This program prepares you to apply your knowledge and skills in various settings, including teaching and conducting psychological research in business, government, or higher education institutions.
Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Grand Canyon University’s quantitative PhD in General Psychology with an Emphasis in Industrial and Organizational Psychology provides a curriculum aimed at preparing you to apply psychological principles and methods in business-related settings. The program includes four emphasis courses that focus on psychology, learning, technology, cognitive science, and performance psychology.
It is important to note that this degree is not intended for licensure in clinical practice. You should check with your state to determine if the program meets licensure requirements.
Integrating Technology, Learning, and Psychology
The PhD in General Psychology with an Emphasis in Integrating Technology, Learning, and Psychology at Grand Canyon University is designed to help you understand how psychology, technology, and instruction interact to improve learning outcomes. This program is ideal for individuals working in business, government, technology, social media, or higher education who seek to advance their careers.
Performance Psychology
Grand Canyon University’s qualitative PhD in General Psychology with an Emphasis in Performance Psychology focuses on applying research in emotion, cognition, and motivation to improve human performance. This program is centered on the study of professional and psychomotor performance.
The program covers key topics such as:
- Theoretical foundations of emotion, cognition, and behavior in performance settings.
- Theories of psychomotor skill and motor control to enhance learning and performance.
- Behavior modification principles to improve individual performance.
- Psychological theories for effective leadership.
- Applications of psychology to enhance performance in various fields.
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