The diverse range of psychology doctoral programs in Pennsylvania is certainly a benefit to you as a prospective psychology student. Not only are there plentiful choices of Ph.D. and PsyD programs, but you can also select from numerous colleges large and small throughout the Keystone State.
However, with a large number of choices, the process of deciding which program is best for you can become quite difficult. After all, with so many quality options, it may come down to nit-picking to determine the proper choice for your future. Using the guide below, in which we describe some of the popular Ph.D. and PsyD programs, is a great place to start!
Psychology PhD and PsyD Programs in Pennsylvania
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering psychology PhD and PsyD programs in Pennsylvania:
- Penn State University
- University of Pennsylvania
- West Chester University
- Chestnut Hill College
- National University
- The Chicago School
- Walden University
- University of Arizona Global Campus
To find out how we select colleges and universities, please click here.
Penn State University
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
Penn State’s Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program focuses on training you in adult or child clinical psychology research. Primarily, your focus will be on becoming an expert clinical psychologist in Pennsylvania who has the research experience to expand the knowledge base in clinical science. However, this is not the program’s only focus; instead, you’ll receive applied clinical training in clinically-based practice, particularly in assessment and intervention.
In other words, whether you aspire to spend your career in a laboratory or in a mental health clinic, this program, which is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS), prepares you well for the next step in your career.
If you choose the adult clinical track (there is a child clinical track, too), you’ll study topics related to personality assessment, multicultural factors in psychopathology, and psychotherapy process and outcome. You’ll also take courses focusing on the following fields:
- Personality Disorders
- Anxiety Disorders
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Intimate Partner Violence
- Addiction
Furthermore, you’ll complete a comprehensive psychology curriculum that explores topics like neuroscience, research design, and statistics. Likewise, a course on Personality is required to graduate. This class examines the origins of personality and the influences on personality development throughout the lifespan. You’ll also explore the various personality disorders, their potential causes, diagnostic procedures, and potential treatments.
Coursework in Psychotherapy is also required. This class gives you a comprehensive look at the development of psychotherapy as a treatment for various mental illnesses. You’ll investigate key figures, like Sigmund Freud, who were an integral part of the development of this field. You’ll also participate in applied training in psychotherapy, in which you’ll practice psychotherapeutic techniques in a supervised clinical setting.
Additional clinical coursework focuses on areas such as:
- Psychopathology
- Clinical Assessment
- Statistics
- Cognitive Psychology
- Biological Psychology
Your training continues with research and applied practice opportunities throughout the program. On the one hand, your research-focused training occurs mostly during the program’s first five years, with the fifth year dedicated to the doctoral dissertation. Then, during the program’s sixth year, you’ll complete a predoctoral internship, during which time you’ll gain experience working in a supervised clinical psychology setting.
By and large, the clinical practice experiences occur in the Penn State Psychology Department’s Psychological Clinic. However, you may also get off-campus experiences in community and school-based locations. In fact, Penn State offers a long list of potential externship sites to complete your clinical training. These sites include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Boston Consortium in Clinical Psychiatry
- Brown University Medical School
- University of Pittsburgh Medical School
- Baltimore Veterans’ Affairs
- University of Chicago
Criteria to be considered for admission are as follows:
- Have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide a sample paper, such as an honor’s thesis, that accurately reflects your writing abilities.
- Submit a statement of purpose in which you explain your academic and research training, your motivation for pursuing this degree, and your career goals.
- Provide three letters of recommendation.
University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D. in Psychology
The Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania combines scholastic pursuits with rigorous psychological research. In fact, the program emphasizes this dual role of becoming an expert in the field of psychology and being able to use that expertise in clinical and research settings from day one.
The curriculum unfolds as any other Ph.D. in Psychology. Your first year will be spent equally divided between core coursework and introductory research experiences. Among the coursework you’re required to complete are a number of proseminars that explore fundamental aspects of the study of psychology.
First, you’ll take Psychopathology, which is the study of mental disorders. The class is not cursory in nature; instead, you’ll deeply investigate common mental illnesses ranging from mood disorders to psychotic disorders to personality disorders. What’s more, you’ll investigate these and other disorders in terms of their etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. In other words, by the time you complete this class, you’ll have a solid foundation of understanding of primary mental health concerns.
Another proseminar requirement you might complete in the first year of the program is Social Psychology. This course examines the relationship between social forces and individual mental health. For example, you might explore the concepts of racism and discrimination and how these social phenomena negatively impact people of color. As another example, you might analyze peer pressure among teens and how it relates to risky behaviors (e.g., drug use) in that age group.
The first year also requires you to complete either Individual Research for First-Year Graduate Students or a Laboratory Rotation. The former provides structure and guidance for an individual research project of your choice (though it must be approved by the department). The latter allows you to rotate through various psychology labs to become familiar with the day-to-day processes of conducting psychological research.
Furthermore, year one in the program requires you to take Applied Regression and Analysis of Variance. This advanced statistics course is crucial for understanding the data processing component of psychological research. Primarily, you’ll explore methods of data analysis and how to interpret that data. For example, you’ll explore the concepts of leverage, influence, and residual analysis. You’ll also be trained in using one-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, and factorial ANOVA.
As you progress into the second year of this APA and PC SAS-accredited program, you’ll continue the same multi-faceted education in coursework, research, and statistics. For example, you’re required to take a Developmental Psychology proseminar that focuses on social and emotional components of psychology or on the cognitive bases of psychology. After that, you must also take one proseminar focusing on the brain and another on the mind.
Year two and beyond further require you to take Applied Regression and Analysis of Variance, which focuses on data analysis and the interpretation of data. You’ll learn how to build data models, conduct residual analyses, and use general linear hypotheses to analyze linear combinations of regression parameters and test complex hypotheses with many different variables.
Additional coursework is required in the following areas:
- Research Methods and Statistical Procedures for Social and Clinical Sciences
- Psychodiagnostic Testing
- Psychodiagnostic Interviewing
- Introductory Practicum
- Advanced Practicum
You must also complete a series of clinical seminars in which you explore topics ranging from ethics and professional standards to empirically supported treatments. You are free to choose two other clinical seminars on topics of your choice.
Once you complete this academic and research-based program, you’ll have the credentials needed for an academic or research-focused career. And since this program is among the elite members of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science, you can rest assured that your education is among the best in the U.S.
The application requirements are as follows:
- Have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Complete and submit a personal statement in which you discuss your academic and personal backgrounds and how they compelled you to apply for this program.
- Submit three letters of recommendation.
- Submit a curriculum vitae.
West Chester University
PsyD in Clinical Psychology
The PsyD program in Clinical Psychology at West Chester University is an APA-accredited option if Ph.D. training doesn’t align with your professional goals. This program follows the scholar-practitioner model, and, as such, focuses your training on acquiring the scholastic expertise required for psychological research and the applied training to be an effective clinician.
The curriculum is divided into two components: didactic coursework and supervised clinical training. Year one of the program focuses on essential areas of psychology, such as:
- Adult Psychopathology
- Multicultural Clinical Psychology
- Psychotherapy I: Cognitive and Behavior Therapy
- Assessment I: Intellectual Assessment
- Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
Your first-year studies also focus on ethical and professional issues in this field. In particular, you’ll examine the ethical standards of the American Psychological Association and the American Counseling Association. An exploration of Pennsylvania laws regarding clinical practice will also occur.
You’ll have two practicum experiences during the first year as well. The first is a Clinical Skills Practicum that focuses mainly on process issues that often occur in the context of psychotherapy. The class is not orientation-specific. That is, regardless of your affinity for one theoretical orientation over another, this class will help you ensure you have the essential skills to be an effective clinician.
The second practicum is at the campus’ Community Mental Health Clinic. This experience is supervised and affords you the opportunity to gain experience in an outpatient mental health setting. During the practicum, you’ll be responsible for assessing and diagnosing clients, writing reports, and providing individual, group, or family therapy.
As you progress through the program, you’ll participate in more didactic training that explores additional areas of interest in psychology. On the one hand, you’ll take courses like Cognitive-Affective Bases of Behavior, which discusses brain-based and emotional-based influences on how people behave. On the other hand, you’ll take courses like Consultation and Supervision in Clinical Practice, which gives you a broad introduction to the development and research bases of clinical supervision.
Much of your time during the second, third, fourth, and fifth years in this program will be spent in research and clinical training. For example, you’ll complete numerous additional research and clinical practicums, clinical supervision, and dissertation work. The dissertation, in particular, requires a significant investment of time, which culminates in your dissertation defense, which occurs near the program’s end.
As far as clinical training goes, the doctoral internship begins in the summer term of the program’s fourth year and extends through the program’s fifth year. Over the course of three semesters, you’ll acquire a deep understanding of the day-to-day processes of being a professional therapist, including case consultations, supervision, maintaining case notes, and providing therapeutic services to clients, too.
As a result of these and other curricular activities, you’ll graduate from this program possessing the following characteristics:
- The ability to provide evidence-based services to clients, including assessments and treatments for a range of mental illnesses.
- The ability to critically evaluate research and use that knowledge to develop and implement evidence-based interventions.
- The ability to adapt your practice as you gain new knowledge and skills while also being responsive to the changing needs of a diverse clientele.
You must meet the following requirements to be considered for admission:
- Have a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher from an accredited college or university or a graduate degree with a 3.3 GPA or higher.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide a current curriculum vitae that includes a discussion of your clinical and research experience.
- Provide a statement of professional interests in which you discuss, among other things, why you wish to pursue this degree, how this program fits in with your professional goals, and your interest in working with diverse populations.
- Submit three letters of recommendation, at least one of which is familiar with your academic qualifications.
Chestnut Hill College
PsyD in Clinical Psychology
Another popular PsyD option in Pennsylvania is the Clinical Psychology PsyD from Chestnut Hill College. This program, which is accredited by the APA, requires you to complete 117 credits, which includes coursework, practica, and a dissertation. This program also requires a clinical internship.
The bulk of your activities during the program’s first year are foundational courses. Classes like Theories of Psychotherapy, Psychopathology, and Development Across the Lifespan help you develop a solid understanding of the science of psychology and its application in addressing mental health issues.
Additionally, you’ll take courses like Introduction to Couple and Family Therapy, which provide you with specific training and insights that allow you to competently provide services to families experiencing difficulties due to finances, infidelity, relationship issues with children, and so on.
Other foundational courses you’ll take during the program’s first year include the following:
- Individual and Systemic Approaches to the Treatment of Children and Adolescents
- Techniques of Psychotherapy
- Research Design and Methodology
- Legal and Ethical Issues
- The Role of Culture and Gender in Counseling and Psychotherapy
In year two, your training expands with explorations of Psychometric Theory, Historical Foundations of Psychology, and Psychological Assessment (which is a three-part series of course). However, you’ll also participate in numerous clinical experiences that provide you with hands-on training in a clinical psychology setting. During these early experiences, your role will mostly be observational. However, you’ll have opportunities to work directly with clients while being supervised by an experienced clinician.
Years three and four continue the trend of completing coursework and clinical experiences. The following courses are a sampling from this period of the program:
- Statistical Applications
- Biological Bases of Behavior
- Evidence-Based Practice
- Cognitive Bases of Behavior
- Integrated Healthcare
Years three and four also begin to focus your attention on your doctoral dissertation. This research project is highly detailed and time-consuming; you’ll start work on it in year two and defend it in year five.
Another milestone during this portion of the program is the clinical competency exam. This exam occurs in the summer term of year four and tests your knowledge and understanding of practical and applied components of your training. This exam is followed in the subsequent semester by a Comprehensive Exam, which assesses your broad knowledge of psychology. You must pass both exams to continue in the program.
The program’s fifth year includes numerous clinical practicum experiences, opportunities for supervision and consultation, and two elective courses. These activities are the final pieces of the curriculum before you move on to the year-six internship. The internship lasts a full year and places you in a clinical psychology setting to get thorough training as a clinician. Your work will be supervised, and you’ll work closely with your supervisor and program faculty to ensure you are making the required progress to complete the PsyD before working on post-doctoral requirements for licensure.
The admissions requirements are as follows:
- Have a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
- Have at least 12 undergraduate credits of psychology coursework if your degree is not in psychology.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide three letters of recommendation.
- Provide a curriculum vitae or resume.
- Submit a five-page essay in which you address your unique qualifications for becoming a professional psychologist. You must also discuss how this program fits with your professional goals and your commitment to diversity.
- Participate in a personal interview with psychology faculty.
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