Psychology PhD and PsyD programs in Louisiana offer advanced doctoral education for students who want careers in clinical practice, research, and higher education. These programs give strong attention to key psychological theory, research abilities, assessment methods, and ethical professional standards.
Universities in Louisiana provide both PhD pathways centered on research and PsyD options centered on professional practice, so you can choose the path that fits your career plans. Graduates are prepared for licensure and for positions in healthcare systems, academic institutions, and community mental health settings.
Below you will find information about some of the well-known psychology doctoral programs in Louisiana. Review each program, compare their features, and decide which one best matches your future plans.
Best Psychology PhD and PsyD Programs in Louisiana
Louisiana State University
Clinical Psychology PhD Program
The Clinical Psychology PhD Program at Louisiana State University has held continuous accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1956. The program follows the clinical-scientist model, which gives strong attention to joining the scientific and applied parts of clinical psychology.
As an APA-accredited clinical training program, it prepares students for careers in health service psychology. The program aims to prepare students to become excellent scientists and excellent clinicians. Most graduates go on to obtain professional licensure as clinical psychologists.
The program gives strong attention to carrying out psychological research and providing clinical services in a scientific way. Students learn to review clinical literature from a scientist’s viewpoint, use relevant research findings and principles when creating or using clinical procedures, and combine basic and applied clinical psychology within a proper professional frame of reference.
Because of this, the goal of the program is to graduate clinical scientists who have the knowledge and skills to work as both basic and applied researchers, and also as independent providers and supervisors of clinical services.
In line with the definition of Health Service Psychology (HSP), the program seeks to prepare students for careers in HSP by giving broad and general training when appropriate. The program places special attention on the following points:
- Combining empirical evidence with practice, so that practice is evidence-based and evidence is informed by practice.
- Training that follows a step-by-step order, builds over time, increases in difficulty, and prepares students for careers in academic, research, and applied settings.
- Respect for and understanding of cultural and individual differences and diversity.
Students in the Clinical Psychology PhD program may receive a master’s degree while enrolled in the PhD program. However, this master’s degree is not meant to be a final degree and is not planned to meet licensure requirements for clinical practice at the master’s level.
Training follows a sequence, builds over time, and increases in difficulty. In the first year, students are prepared for the program’s goals mainly through course work. After they gain basic skills and knowledge, they begin practical experience through mentoring in practica and research projects, such as the master’s thesis. Expectations increase as students move through the program. More support and direction are given at the start, and more freedom and independence are expected later in training.
All students complete training that matches the clinical psychology specialization. There is also added course work and practical research training that allow interested students to complete elective study areas, including clinical child and neuropsychology tracks. Students may also choose a minor in an area of interest, including but not limited to a minor in Applied Behavior Analysis.
The program is planned for completion in five to seven years, including the internship. Students complete a core group of broad, general, and clinical courses. Students are expected to give full-time attention to graduate study and finish the requirements for the PhD within five to seven years.
Research
Research training starts in the first year through two main parts: first, didactic training in statistics; and second, direct training through participation in ongoing research in the major professor’s laboratory. This training continues across the program through course work, such as research methods and advanced statistics, and through work with the major professor.
Two research projects are required: a master’s thesis and a doctoral dissertation. The master’s thesis must be finished by the fifth semester, and the dissertation must be successfully proposed before applying for internship.
Clinical Practicum
Students in this program must complete at least 24 credit hours of practicum before leaving for internship. Most students complete many more hours than this minimum. Students begin seeing clients in practicum during their second year in the program. Practicum experiences are very important because they help students gain knowledge and skill in psychological assessment, measurement, and intervention.
Internship
All students must complete a formal, one-year, full-time pre-doctoral internship at an APA-accredited internship program. The internship is usually completed in the fifth year. A choice to delay the internship beyond the fifth year is made in consultation with the student’s major professor. This timeline gives students time to finish all course work, defend their general examination, and propose their dissertation project before internship.
Admissions Requirements
Admission to the program is based on academic performance, earlier research experience, other relevant experience, and research interests. Earlier research experience and fit with a faculty member are especially important.
Applicants to this program should have an undergraduate degree with a major in psychology or a related field from an accredited college or university.
The personal statement should show the applicant’s research interests and match with possible mentors. Letters of recommendation should show the applicant’s promise as a scholar, academic success, and personal qualities that can help with success in graduate study.
Required documents include:
- Supplemental Questions on the Application.
- Official Transcript(s).
- Personal Statement.
- Curriculum Vitae or Resume.
- Three Letters of Recommendation.
Louisiana Tech University
PhD in Counseling Psychology
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Counseling Psychology at Louisiana Tech University prepares you for work as a Health Service Psychologist through strong training in research and clinical work. The program follows the scientist-practitioner model, so you build skill in psychological ideas, research methods, clinical evaluation, and treatment methods.
You will receive hands-on training through supervised practicum work in different clinical settings. The program gives strong attention to multicultural skill, ethical conduct, and the link between research and service so you can respond to the mental health needs of people and communities.
The main aim of the program is to prepare professional psychologists who are capable in both research and applied work. The PhD in Counseling Psychology holds accreditation from APA.
Degree Requirements
After admission, your advisor will provide your current degree requirements. You must complete all required courses, a qualifying research project, at least 1000 hours of practicum training, a supervision training experience, a dissertation based on original research, and a one-year full-time counseling psychology internship. This is a full-time, in-residence program, including summers, and it usually takes 5 to 6 calendar years to finish.
Coursework
Your approved doctoral plan must include 108 semester hours, along with internship and dissertation. Because counseling psychology continues to change as a field, the curriculum may be revised.
Your study plan will be shaped in part by your earlier training, experience, completed coursework, needs, interests, and available resources.
Qualifying Research Project
You must finish the qualifying research project by the end of the Spring quarter in your second year. Through this project, you must show skill in research design and analysis. Its purpose is to confirm that doctoral students meet the basic standard in research design, methodology, and data analysis. If you enter the program with a master’s degree and have already completed a master’s-level thesis, you may submit that thesis for approval as your qualifying research project.
Doctoral Comprehensive Examination
After you complete a suitable amount of coursework, which means at least 2 years or the equal, and after you finish the qualifying research project, and after your advisor approves, you may register for and take the Doctoral Comprehensive Examination in Counseling Psychology PSYC 685. You must pass this examination before you apply for internship or register for dissertation hours.
Practicum Training
Practicum training is used to make sure you become capable in both the research side and the applied side of counseling psychology. During practicum work, you are expected to use useful research findings in your clinical work. You are expected to begin practicum in the Summer Quarter after your first year in the program.
The first practicum period lasts 12 months. It includes a supervised placement at the Psychological Services Clinic PSC and practicum classes on campus. After that, you complete another 12-month practicum period at a higher level, either on campus or off campus. After these two practicum periods, beginning and advanced, you may choose to keep receiving supervised clinical training in independent field placements.
Dissertation
A dissertation is one of the main parts of the doctoral program in counseling psychology. You must complete it successfully. The dissertation is a central part of doctoral study, and finishing it shows that you have learned and mastered the basic parts of carrying out independent empirical research. The dissertation must present original empirical research completed under the guidance of a Dissertation Chair and Dissertation Committee.
Internship
Doctoral students in counseling psychology must complete a predoctoral internship PSYC 624. This internship must equal one full calendar year of full-time supervised counseling psychology experience and carries 4 to 12 semester hours. In the best case, internship sites will be accredited by APA. At the least, the site must be approved by the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC).
Admission Requirements
To apply for admission, you must submit a completed Graduate School Application form, Graduate Record Examination GRE General or GRE revised General scores, official transcripts from all college or university study, three letters of reference, a professional vita, and a statement of purpose.
Admission to Louisiana Tech University’s Counseling Psychology PhD program is competitive. Meeting the lowest admission standard of the University or College does not promise admission. The admission committee reviews all applicants with care and chooses those considered the strongest match for training in the profession of counseling psychology. Along with proof of academic ability, selected applicants are expected to show personal maturity, confidence in working with others, and an excellent ability to accept feedback and work well with faculty and peers.
Transfer Credits
With approval from your advisor or mentor, the Core Training Committee, and the College Director of Graduate Studies, up to 27 graduate-level semester credit hours from another accredited university may transfer into the PhD program in Counseling Psychology. Courses commonly accepted for transfer include foundation courses, basic counseling theory and skills courses, assessment courses, and elective courses.
The Chicago School
Psy.D. Clinical Psychology Program
At The Chicago School’s Psy.D. Clinical Psychology program at Xavier University of Louisiana, you will gain the skills and training needed to take the licensure exam and address broad mental health needs in the community through your work as a clinical psychologist.
Faculty members who teach from a practitioner-scholar approach guide your study. You may customize your coursework in two ways. First, while you complete core study in clinical psychology, you may choose one of two main Intervention Orientations for advanced study: Cognitive-Behavioral or Systems Intervention Orientation. This gives you a chance to build added skill in a selected area.
You may also plan your elective courses in a way that lets you create a Focus Area. At The Chicago School’s New Orleans location, these Focus Areas are Behavioral Medicine or Health Psychology, and Psychology in a Diverse and Multicultural Context.
At present, the Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, New Orleans location, is Accredited, on Contingency, by APA.
Practicum Experience
Practicum training is a key part of clinical education. It offers closely supervised clinical work where you apply what you learned in class to understand clients and build skill in assessment, psychotherapy, and other related areas. In this way, practicum connects the academic and applied parts of professional psychologist training. It also helps you learn how professional teamwork and consultation work in a clinical setting.
Every student must complete six semester hours of Basic Practicum and six semester hours of Intermediate Practicum. The first practicum sequence, which lasts three semesters, focuses mainly on training in psychological assessment. The second three-semester sequence focuses mainly on psychotherapy.
Students must also complete four semester hours of Advanced Practicum coursework. Advanced Practicum allows you to give more attention to an area or group that especially interests you, such as neuropsychology, children, or incarcerated persons.
In addition, students take part in three years of planned, ordered, and closely supervised practicum training that gives them increasing contact with the many duties and roles of a clinical psychologist.
The practicum requirements are as follows:
- Year 2: 600-hour basic practicum
- Year 3: 600-hour intermediate practicum
- Year 4: 600-hour advanced practicum
Internship
Every student must complete an internship. This training period must include at least 2,000 hours across 12 to 24 months, and it begins after all coursework, practica, and dissertation requirements are finished. During internship, you combine academic learning with clinical skills and show that you can use these skills well and in an ethical way in practice. Through close supervised training, you gain direct experience using what you know with a clinical population. The internship is a major part of the educational process and cannot be waived or transferred.
Comprehensive Examinations
Clinical Psy.D. students at the New Orleans location must pass two comprehensive examinations. These exams measure your knowledge of the theory, research, and practice connected to your chosen intervention theory. They also measure your ability to use that theory in an ethical and culturally aware way.
Dissertation
The dissertation is a very important part of your academic training. It gives you the chance to spend two years studying a professional topic on your own. As part of the dissertation, you complete a full review of published work, develop hypotheses or questions to answer, and design and carry out a method for investigation.
Career Pathways
The Chicago School’s Psy.D. Clinical Psychology at Xavier University of Louisiana prepares graduates with the abilities needed to work in many professional settings, including:
- Clinics
- Private practice
- Hospitals
- Government agencies
- Nonprofit agencies
- Educational institutions
Admission Requirements
Application to The Chicago School’s Clinical Psychology program at Xavier University of Louisiana is open to any person who has earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and who meets the other entry requirements. Successful applicants usually show an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or above.
Applicants to the Psy.D. Clinical Psychology program must submit the following:
- Application
- Application Fee: $50
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae
- Interview
- GRE Test Scores
- Official College/University Transcripts
Transcripts must show 18 hours of psychology credit with grades of C or higher, including one course in Child/Human Development or Lifespan, Abnormal Psychology, and Statistics.
University of Arizona Global Campus
Online Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)
By earning your PsyD at the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC), you can prepare yourself to support the emotional and mental health of other people. This online program helps you build a strong knowledge of the history and systems of psychology, while also giving you the chance to choose a specialization that fits your professional and research interests.
Completing this doctoral degree is an important step if you want to make a real difference in society by supporting mental health and overall well-being.
The PsyD program at UAGC does not lead to licensure. Instead, it is designed for people who want to work as practitioners in areas such as criminal justice, mediation and conflict resolution, sport and performance psychology, industrial organizational psychology, and other related fields that aim to improve emotional and mental well-being in community settings. The program ends with an Applied Doctoral Project, where you add to the field through both professional work and academic study.
Through this program, you prepare for careers that call for a strong understanding of the human mind. You build your knowledge by studying the history and systems of psychology, and you shape your PsyD degree by selecting a specialization that matches your career and research goals.
This program allows you to specialize in areas such as Criminal Justice, Mediation and Conflict Resolution, Sport and Performance Psychology, Industrial Organizational Psychology, and other fields centered on service to communities.
When you finish the program, you will be able to:
- Apply strong practices in psychology, including professional values, ethics, and behaviors.
- Show cultural competence and use it in your professional work with individuals, groups, and communities.
- Use knowledge based on theoretical models, evidence-based practices, and research.
- Build your leadership abilities in the psychology profession.
- Review trends, methods, and ideas in applied psychology research with careful judgment.
As a PsyD graduate, you may seek work in settings such as mental health, education, business, health care, counseling, and human services. If you already have experience in business or industry, you may also qualify for positions in consulting and marketing research.
The PsyD program is offered fully online, which gives you the freedom to handle your studies while also managing your personal and professional duties.
To enter the program, you must provide proof of English proficiency, either through a bachelor’s degree in English or through an English proficiency test.
You must also hold a master’s degree from an accredited institution. Your cumulative GPA must be 3.0 or higher.
Should I Get a PsyD or PhD?
Choose a PhD if you prioritize research, teaching, and lower tuition costs, as these programs often offer funding. Choose a PsyD if you want to focus heavily on clinical practice and therapy with a faster route to licensure.
What Takes Longer, a PsyD or PhD?
A PhD in psychology generally takes longer to complete than a PsyD. While both degrees typically require a full-year clinical internship, PhD programs focus more on extensive research, extending the duration, while PsyD programs emphasize clinical practice.
What are the Requirements to Get Into APA-Accredited PsyD and Psychology PhD Programs in Louisiana?
APA-accredited PsyD and Psychology PhD programs in Louisiana apply clear academic and professional standards to make sure students are properly prepared for doctoral-level training in clinical psychology. Meeting these standards is very important for applicants who want admission to both online and campus-based PsyD programs in the state.
Key requirements include:
- Educational Background: You must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, and a major in psychology or a related field is usually preferred, however not mandatory.
- Undergraduate GPA: Most programs expect a minimum GPA of 3.0 or above as proof that you are academically prepared.
- Prerequisite Coursework: You must complete at least 18 credit hours in psychology, including human development, abnormal psychology, and statistics, with a grade of C or better.
- Standardized Tests: Some programs ask for GRE scores, although the exact requirement and the level of importance may differ by program.
- Letters of Recommendation: Two to three recommendation letters from academic or professional sources are generally required to support your fit for doctoral training.
- Personal Statement: You must submit an essay that explains your professional goals and reasons for applying.
- Interview or Assessment: Some programs require final candidates to take part in interviews to assess interpersonal skills and program fit.
How Much Does a Psychologist Make in Louisiana?
The average salary for a psychologist in Louisiana is $133,385 per year. Top earning psychologists in Louisiana earn well over $170,000 per year.
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