Utah provides several study options for you to earn a Doctor of Psychology, or PsyD, degree if you want advanced preparation for clinical work, assessment, and applied mental health services.
PsyD programs in Utah are designed to help you build strong skills in therapy, psychological testing, diagnosis, research use, and professional ethics. These programs may also include supervised practicum and internship training, which can help prepare you for licensure and direct professional practice.
Below you will find information about some of the well-known PsyD programs in Utah. Review each program, compare their features, and decide which one best matches your future plans.
Best PsyD Programs in Utah
Some of the popular schools offering PsyD program in Utah include Southern Utah University, The Chicago School, and Walden University.
Southern Utah University
PsyD in Clinical Psychology
The PsyD in Clinical Psychology at Southern Utah University (SUU) is designed to train ethical and culturally aware psychologists who plan to seek state licensure in Health Services Psychology.
The program is based in Cedar City, Utah. This location supports training in placement sites that serve Native American, Hispanic, Veteran, student, rural, and other community groups. Along with courses taught by skilled faculty and clinical training tied to culture and community needs, students receive supervision from licensed psychologists with many clinical focus areas.
The Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at Southern Utah University has applied for accreditation on contingency through the American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation. Accreditation on contingency is the first stage in the accreditation process for new doctoral programs.
The program is offered as a full-time day program that leads to the PsyD degree. Its courses and applied training are meant to prepare students for psychologist licensure. The program gives special attention to preparing new psychologists to serve rural and frontier parts of southern Utah and nearby areas that have limited access to care.
The PsyD program at SUU is a full-time, in-residence, in-person program of scholarly study. It prepares graduates to practice professional psychology while focusing on the needs of rural and underserved communities. The program follows the practitioner-scholar model. Through coursework and training, students are prepared for state licensure in Health Services Psychology.
The program trains students to become ethical, culturally aware generalists who use research-based practice. This may include psychotherapy, psychological testing, program evaluation, supervision, professional teamwork, and consultation. The program also stresses diversity, inclusive practice, social justice, and research-based changes that improve systems of care.
The PsyD program at SUU has 3 main aims:
- Train ethical and culturally aware new psychologists who plan to seek state licensure in Health Services Psychology.
- Train new psychologists who use science well, apply psychological research, add scholarly knowledge to their work, and share that knowledge in their professional roles.
- Train skilled, self-aware, and thoughtful new psychologists who are respectful, professional, supportive of diversity and inclusive practice, committed to social justice, and prepared to work with rural communities.
Program Length and Residency
The PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology at Southern Utah University is a 5-year, full-time, in-residence course of study. Students must be physically present for classes, clinical training, and practicum placements. External practicum placements are expected to be part of the program. Students must also complete a full-time, year-long predoctoral internship during the 5th year.
Admission Requirements
After applicants submit all required materials, their applications are scored by number and placed into 3 ranked groups. Prospective students in Tier 1 are invited to an in-person interview. A virtual interview option is provided for applicants who cannot attend the in-person interviews. Final candidates are chosen and informed by phone or email. They then receive formal admission invitations.
Students who hold degrees in related areas must show basic knowledge of psychology. They may do this by earning an acceptable score, at least the 50th percentile, on the GRE Psychology Subtest or the Psychology Major’s Field Test. Students whose psychology degree was granted more than 10 years ago are also advised to take the GRE Psychology Subtest or the Psychology Major’s Field Test.
Applicants with undergraduate degrees in psychology do not need to submit general GRE scores or subject GRE scores. Students who have already taken these tests may choose to include their scores with the application materials.
Required application materials:
- Applicants must submit unofficial copies of undergraduate transcripts and graduate transcripts, if applicable, when they apply. Official transcripts are required after admission to the program.
- Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.00 scale. Strong applicants will likely have cumulative GPAs above this minimum.
- The Letter of Intent must clearly show, through past achievement, the abilities that qualify the applicant for the aims and expectations of the PsyD program. Applicants must describe their professional goals, objectives, and career plans. They must also explain how these plans match the program aims and curriculum. The letter may be no more than 1,000 words.
- Applicants must provide a Statement on Cultural Awareness in Clinical Care. This statement must explain views on diversity, equity, and inclusion in clinical psychology. It must also describe proof of past support for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and/or explain the applicant’s future commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their career. The statement may be no more than 1,000 words.
- Applicants must submit 3 recommendation letters from people who know them well. These writers should be able to discuss the applicant’s career interest, carefulness, ability to do research-based clinical work, support for diversity and inclusion, and likely success in health services psychology.
- Applicants must submit a curriculum vitae that lists academic, work, and professional achievements or honors that relate to doctoral study in psychology.
Transfer Credits
Transfer credit may be granted for earlier graduate coursework completed successfully at the proper level. Students may request transfer credit by completing the Transfer Credit Application form and the Transfer Equivalency Form. They must also provide a copy of the syllabus for the course already completed and the syllabus for the SUU course that the transfer credit would replace.
Transfer credit decisions are made by the Program Coordinator with input from the Director of Clinical Training and the course instructor. Any transfer credit granted may reduce the number of courses required in a given semester. However, it will not shorten the total length of the training program. Graduate credit earned more than 10 years ago will not be accepted as transfer credit.
Financial Aid
Based on current university and legislative support, each student is expected to receive a university graduate assistantship for the first 4 years of the program. This assistantship includes a full-tuition waiver and a $1,000 monthly stipend for Graduate Assistant work. These assistantships require a 20-hour weekly on-campus work commitment.
The Chicago School
Online PsyD in Applied Clinical Psychology
The post-master’s PsyD in Applied Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School is designed to prepare you as a well-informed and careful practitioner. The program helps you connect strong scientific and theory-based knowledge with many types of clinical cases.
Faculty members in the program follow a practitioner-scholar approach and take an active role in teaching. They use many clinical examples during classroom learning and include core abilities from the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP). You are prepared for your career through strong coursework, practicum training, a full internship experience, and a dissertation project that brings together your academic work.
After completing this 3-year PsyD program, you should be able to:
- Provide effective and ethical psychotherapy services.
- Complete culturally aware interviews, treatment planning, goal setting, and care for clients from many backgrounds.
- Follow ethical, legal, and professional rules in psychotherapy.
- Review clinical psychology research with care and use it for practice and wider communication.
The online PsyD in Applied Clinical Psychology gives students a flexible way to study. Students must attend 4 required in-person residencies. These residencies help students build community and make professional connections in the field.
Students may also ask for face-to-face support or may be asked to attend added meetings with faculty while working on the dissertation and preparing for licensure. The online PsyD program has the same coursework standards, work quality expectations, and academic demands as the in-person Applied Clinical Psychology program.
Practicum Experience
The Applied Clinical Psychology practicum is a key part of clinical training. It gives students closely supervised clinical experience. During practicum work, students use classroom knowledge to understand clients and build skills in assessment, psychotherapy, and other related professional areas.
The practicum helps connect theory with direct practice in the training of professional psychologists. It also helps students learn about professional teamwork and consultation in a clinical setting.
All students in the program, including online PsyD students, must complete an 800-hour practicum.
Internship
All students in both the in-person and online PsyD programs must complete a 1,500-hour internship after they finish all coursework, practicum, and dissertation requirements.
During the internship, Applied Clinical Psychology students connect academic knowledge with clinical skills. They also show that they can use these skills in an effective and ethical way during clinical practice. Through close supervised training, students gain direct experience applying their knowledge with a clinical population.
Major Program Examination
The Applied Clinical Psychology major program examination focuses on the 8 areas of professional psychology practice named by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB):
- Biological Bases of Behavior
- Cognitive-Affective Bases of Behavior
- Social and Cultural Bases of Behavior
- Growth and Lifespan Development
- Assessment and Diagnosis
- Treatment, Intervention, Prevention, and Supervision
- Research Methods and Statistics
- Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues
This examination measures each student’s knowledge in these areas. It also reviews whether the student is ready to practice at the internship level in an ethical and culturally aware manner. In the end, the examination helps the department judge the student’s ability to become a future clinical psychologist.
Dissertation
The Applied Clinical Psychology dissertation is an important part of the student’s academic training. The dissertation reviews the student’s ability to add to the field by using theory and research in clinical psychology. It also measures the student’s ability to think with care and creativity about professional psychology, work with self-direction, and show strong professional and scholarly writing.
Admissions Requirements
Applications for The Chicago School’s online PsyD in Applied Clinical Psychology are open to applicants who have earned a master’s degree in a mental health field from an accredited school and who meet the other entry requirements. Applicants must show an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher to be considered.
Students applying to the PsyD in Applied Clinical Psychology program must submit the following materials:
- Completed application.
- Resume or curriculum vitae.
- 2 essays.
- Letters of recommendation.
- Official college or university transcripts.
Walden University
PsyD in Behavioral Health Leadership
Walden’s 56-credit PsyD in Behavioral Health Leadership is a career-based program that helps you gain the skills and knowledge needed to make a strong contribution in the field.
Modern health care needs behavioral health leaders who can manage high-quality behavioral health and mental health services in care settings that are becoming more connected. This professional doctoral leadership program prepares students to answer that need. Since this program does not lead to licensure, students can build knowledge from many fields, business and management skills, and practical experience that may support work in the fast-changing integrated health care field.
Walden’s online PsyD does not make you wait until the end of the program to begin capstone work. Instead, capstone parts are included across the program. This planned structure is built into every course, so you can move forward each term while receiving steady support.
The PsyD in Behavioral Health Leadership can give you the professional skills and academic base needed to seek leadership or management roles in public or private organizations. It may also help you prepare to start your own organization. The PsyD in Behavioral Health Leadership is not a licensure-leading program and does not prepare you to become a licensed psychology professional.
All graduates will be prepared to:
- Review behavioral health care and leadership across many social conditions and organizational settings.
- Study strong management and leadership methods that can improve behavioral health programs for diverse groups.
- Use careful thinking to solve real-world problems in behavioral health settings.
- Apply leadership and consulting ideas to the management of mental health and integrated health service systems.
- Judge major factors linked to social determinants of health in behavioral health care settings.
- Explain how legal rules and regulatory policies in behavioral health care affect different stakeholders.
- Combine theories and research to support goal-based decisions in the management of mental health service systems.
- Review key ideas in health economics when judging the long-term financial strength of health care organizations.
Minimum Degree Requirements
The minimum degree requirements include:
- Doctoral Writing Assessment
- Professional Development Plan and Program of Study
- Foundation course of 1 credit
- Core courses totaling 35 credits
- Research courses totaling 10 credits
- Doctoral Capstone courses totaling 10 credits
- 2 residencies
Admission Requirements
Applicants should meet the following admission criteria:
- Submit an official transcript showing a master’s degree or higher from a U.S. school accredited by a regional, professional or specialized, or national accrediting group recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants may also submit a degree from a properly accredited non-U.S. institution.
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in post-baccalaureate degree coursework.
- Submit a completed application form.
- Provide, if requested by the Office of Admissions, the names and contact details of 2 professional or academic persons who can speak with knowledge about the applicant’s skills and qualifications.
- Submit official transcript(s) for the highest degree earned or coursework completed to date.
- Have access to a computer and the internet.
What is a PsyD Degree and How Is It Different From a PhD?
A Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) is usually chosen by people who want to use psychology in direct practice, rather than place their main attention on research or academic work. Like a PhD in psychology, the PsyD prepares students to work in many professional settings.
Can PsyD be Fully Funded?
Some PsyD programs offer financial support through grants, fellowships, and assistantships. Unlike PhD programs, fully funded PsyD options are rare, but partial funding may be available.
What is the Difference Between Applied Clinical Psychology and Clinical Psychology?
Applied clinical psychology is the practical application of clinical psychology methods, which focuses on assessment, case conceptualization, and treatment of mental illness in real-world settings. Graduates of applied clinical psychology programs are trained to be leaders in their field.
How Long Does It Take to Complete a PsyD in Utah?
Completing a PsyD in Utah 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 Can I Do With a PsyD in Utah?
Clinical career paths for PsyD graduates include:
- Licensed Clinical Psychologist
- Neuropsychologist
- Health Psychologist
- Integrated Behavioral Health Provider
- Forensic Psychologist
- School Psychologist
- Military or VA Psychologist
How Long Does it Take to Become a Psychologist in Utah?
Becoming a licensed psychologist in Utah generally takes 8 to 12 years, encompassing a bachelor’s degree (4 years), a doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD, 4–7 years), and 4,000 hours of supervised clinical experience (roughly 2 years). Specialized roles like school psychologists may take 6–7 years, while clinical roles require rigorous, long-term training.
What is the Average Salary of a Psychologist in Utah?
As of April 2026, the average annual pay for a psychologist in Utah is $147,728 a year. Top earning psychologists in Utah earn well over $250,000 per year.
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