20 Best Online Doctorates in Psychology

You don’t have to come from a Psychology background in order to benefit from the Educational Psychology PhD from Texas Tech. The program’s broad approach explores educational foundations with a deep understanding and connection to quantitative and qualitative research. Above all, the goal is to develop and improve educational systems while respecting the inherent diversity. 

This blended program is guided by framework set by the American Psychological Association and influence from other educational accreditation institutions. The curriculum works through exploring core concepts, conducting and applying research, plus a practicum and residency requirement so students can both learn and exhibit the skills learned. 

Research of core education creates the bulk of this program. Courses in Foundations of Educational Research, Structural Equation Modeling, and Qualitative Research Methods (among others) are available to choose from to create your own schedule. Those with goals to teach or to conduct educational research will blossom with this curriculum. 

An area of emphasis can also steer this degree to your personalized goals. These concentrations can be in Education, Psychology, Human Development and Family Science, Computer Science, or Anthropology and Sociology. In its totality, this program will equip students with the tools to design effective and transformational programs based on data-driven research. 

The trojan helmet of Michigan State University has been decorated with the U.S. News and World Report’s gold medal in education graduate programs for the past 25 years. The online program, specifically, has earned a spot in the top five for graduate programs in education. The PhD in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology falls under this category.

This PhD program uses a blended method of online and residential learning to teach scholars to become leaders in education. The education can lead to roles within academia or research that impacts the way education works in a technologically advanced and culturally diverse world. Preparation for these roles comes from a chose in emphasis in either Educational Technology or Educational Psychology.

The student and faculty members reflect the diversity that the university reveres. Courses will explore and celebrate these differences in community while preparing tomorrow’s professionals to meet the needs. Courses in Cultural Perspectives on Learning and Development, Current Issues in Motivation and Learning, and Cognitive Development across the Lifespan can prepare you to enter a classroom at any level and make a difference. 

Loyola University Chicago presents an EdD in School Psychology through a blended model. It doesn’t lead to licensure, but invites students who hold a school psychology license to build upon their career. Residency courses are held in the summer, allowing you to continue to work your job during the school year and learn on your own time. 

This is one of the quickest ways to a doctoral-level degree. Part-time students can complete the program in just two years. Like you would in a traditional school, you’ll move through 72 semester hours with the support of a steady student body. 

The program functions on a basis of coursework. Ideal candidates will value transformation learning, both for themselves and those they go on to serve. Preparation for all types of communities is vital to the success of EdD students. Service learning activities are a large part of the curriculum, and help to bring cultural awareness and a commitment to social justice to the education. 

In lieu of a final dissertation, you’ll complete a Doctoral Research Project. Similar to a dissertation, you’ll be expected to defend it. The help of an assigned advisor, as well as the consistent cohort of classmates, helps to push you over the finish line as an advanced and insightful school psychologist.

If education is your goal, then an EdD is the right degree for you. The EdD in Educational Psychology from Regent University aims to help you better understand students’ diverse learning styles so you can foster a successful environment for everyone. With the use of technology and grounded in Christian tradition, you’ll be able to impact the lives of students of any age. 

The core curriculum blends includes data-driven decision making, motivational development, and qualitative data analysis with cultural influence and a Christian worldview. The majority of the curriculum is delivered online. It requires a minimum of 66 credits to complete, each eight weeks in length. The anticipated length of the program, including dissertation defense, is five years.

U.S. News and World Report ranks Regent at number four for Best Online Graduate Education Programs in Virginia. Whether you’re in-state or out-of-state, the tuition rates remain the same. This degree may not only earn you a higher salary, but can also give you the chance to join over 800 graduates of the program named “Teacher of the Year.”

This accredited online PhD in Psychology from Liberty University sets its students up for enacting change in professional settings. The Industrial/Organizational Psychology emphasis opens the door for roles as independent mentors or consultants, professors, or researchers. The coursework aims to address challenges in the workplace by improving productivity through program design.

To be able to do this, students will need to engage in research and seminars. The curriculum is designed to help you better understand human behavior, as both individuals and groups alike, in a professional setting. You’ll work through research training and critical thinking that remains rooted in Christian values and biblical principles.

Whether you hope to land in a professional or academic setting, lessons can be tailored to your goals. You’ll find even more flexibility with a number of yearly start dates. Courses last eight weeks each. With a total of 60 credit hours necessary, it takes an average of three years to complete the program. 

Liberty also aims to make the program affordable. Their tuition rates are frozen, and they intend to keep it that way. It’s completely online, having no residency requirements. Stay committed to your life while staying committed to your goals: that’s the Liberty way.

If you want to get things moving along at a smooth, steady, and immediate pace, look to Touro University Worldwide. You can achieve a Doctor of Psychology in Human and Organizational Psychology without any residency requirements at all. This degree focuses much less on the clinical side of things and much more on the strategic ways to improve motivation and productivity in the professional workplace.

This program is considered a PsyD, instead of a PhD, due to its lack of residential research requirements. It still follows the scholar-practitioner model. In place of a heavy practicum experience, the curriculum is structured to include required courses in research and theory that lead to a personalized dissertation. The dissertation is done on a personally-chosen topic. 

Plenty of research methods still come into for the PsyD, but are structured in a way that can make it more applicable to professional settings. A total of 30 semester credits are dedicated to the core curriculum, which includes everything from Qualitative Research Methods to Applied Social Psychology.

This program does not lead to licensure. Instead, you’ll be ready to advance your professional career with the display of evidence-based solutions to a technologically-advanced world.

The doctoral program from the University of Texas at Austin is all about mentorship. Through the online portal known as iSchool, students can cater a PhD to their specific interests within psychology and be matched with a mentor who has the professional knowledge and background to usher you through. These mentors seek to give you a broad-based education while finding ways to hone specific skills that can be put into action.

Though timelines will differ depending on your chosen track, there’s a rough formulation of program length. About two years of coursework is followed by a year for qualifying procedures (which relate to the chosen field of study) and dissertation proposal, and up to a year and a half’s work for dissertation is the typical timeline.

This unique program puts you in the driver’s seat of your Psychology PhD. You formulate your own yearly Plan of Study, keeping in mind doctoral core courses. These courses are preparatory, and include Survey of Information Studies and Research requirements. Outside of that core, it’s essentially up to you (and your advisory committee) to end up at the defense of a dissertation.

The UT Austin longhorns are an iconic image around the globe. Forbes ranks it as one of the Best Colleges for Psychology in America. More importantly, it is considered number one for Public Universities in Texas.

The mind is a fascinating place, both physically and metaphysically, and no one knows that better than the staff at the California Institute of Integral Studies. The importance of these concepts are directly translated into the Doctorate of Integral and Transpersonal Psychology. This degree brings neuroscience into play along with personal intuition and spiritual experiences that create a “whole-person” understanding.

The core curriculum takes a scholarly approach to interpersonal psychology. It combines a multicultural understanding with neuroscientific research. The bulk of the curriculum can be learned online, with the exception of a mandated week-long seminar that occurs twice each year. Twelve units each are devoted to core and research requirements, with a final 12 devoted to a specialization.

Specializations can be chosen from three focus areas: integral and transpersonal psychology, somatic studies, or consciousness studies with contemplative neuroscience. For all areas, critical thinking is just as important as the creative essence. Each track will teach you to apply scientific method to studies, especially in the student-led research that will become the backbone of the dissertation.

The final goal is to create psychology professionals with an interdisciplinary approach to the field. Sometimes also referred to as “spiritual psychology,” this educational basis can be exceptionally useful for students looking to become life coaches, crisis counselors, or enter into grief and family counseling.

Capella University is another example of a premier university that can be attended online. There is a face-to-face element, calling for a year-in residency. This portion is necessary to the program leading to licensure. It also helps to build those important interpersonal bonds you need to succeed in the field. This portion aside, many of the concepts on the intricacies of human nature necessary for fulfilling a PhD in Clinical Psychology can be done remotely. 

The online work is extensive in itself. Psychotherapeutic approaches, treatment planning, and ethical issues in clinical psychology all unfold through core courses that are presented online. Students will explore major psychological disorders as presented in the DSM-5 and in clinical practice before putting it to work in 1,000 practicum and 2,000 required internship hours. 

This program earns its stripes as one of the best not only because it exposes you to cutting edge theories and top notch faculty, but also in that it prepares you for licensure. Capella University itself is highly regarded as a reputable institution of higher education, offering “degrees designed for the modern world.” It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, in addition to other program-specific recognitions.

Northcentral is highly generous with their PhD program offerings. With the submission of an essay on how this degree will enrich you, two winners get full tuition coverage, and one is awarded $20,000. 

In addition to generosity, they’re also eclectic and current. The PhD in Psychology can cater to your specific goals with eight different specializations, all particularly relevant in today’s society. Trauma and Disaster Relief, Gender Diversity Issues, Addiction, and Mental Health Policy are a few of these in-demand specializations, but there are also more generalized tracks as well. None of these are designed as a pre-licensure degrees, with the exception of Counseling Psychology which can provide eligibility for licensure in California state. 

Northcentral was founded on and thrives in the online community. What makes this program even more flexible than most is its weekly start-dates. Four years from any given Monday later, you can have in your hand a PhD in Psychology.

Northcentral, even without a campus, is an accredited university with highly-respected staff. An entirely doctoral staff is knowledgeable and accessible to provide mentorship directly to you. You have unmatched flexibility to achieve your dreams, on your own time and in your own space, through Northcentral University.

Education is power at Grand Canyon University, and they pass that power to you at the doctoral level. The PhD in Psychology: Cognition and Instruction is offered online, where you’ll explore the intricacies of formal learning. Lessons will touch on memory, motivation, and intelligence just as much as social cognition, human learning, and existential psychology.

The focus on “cognitive psychology” goes deep into the mind, looking at concepts of nature vs. nurture and applying cognitive theories and techniques to the teaching in diverse adult education communities. This degree can help to advance your existing career in the field, as well as mold successful teachers and researchers in both higher education and government institutions. 

Just because you fit into this mold doesn’t mean you’re pigeon-holed. This degree is heavily rooted in research. When it comes to your dissertation, you have all the opportunity to emphasize your personal interests through the scope of prior research. 

As such, they look for candidates who have advanced degrees and extensive practice. 

You’ll pay per credit as you work through online courses. The online format allows you to work it into a busy schedule, and offers the chance to apply lessons into professional settings on the fly.

Alaska is a state with particularly diverse population. The Counseling Psychology PsyD from Alaska Pacific is designed to meet the needs of this community. It’s an online program, but catered to Alaskan residents, since it meets the specific qualifications for licensure and aims to fill the void for mental health professionals in the state. It also calls for recurring weekend intensives, so being able to travel to Anchorage is a must.

The curriculum is based on practical skills, with the first semester focusing on ethics, values, and theories. Since the major is rooted in counseling psychology, there is plenty of coursework devoted to treatment planning, with particular attention to substance abuse, anxiety disorders, and different behavioral influences of families and individuals. 

Research and evidence-based practice is just as important as communication skills, and the university strives to foster interpersonal relationships with students and faculty. In the same vein, practicum experience is vital for the success of students, and allows for students to exhibit their skills in a supervised environment. At the culmination of this full degree (including internship, practicum, and dissertation) students will be eligible for roles in independent practice, health clinics, government agencies, schools, and more.

Students with a track record of taking part in underserved communities are the ideal candidates for the Fielding Graduate University’s PhD in Clinical Psychology. The online format of this program functions as a way to teach you additional tools and skills while allowing you to carry on your own personal commitment to the community. 

Not only is the curriculum virtually delivered, but the university makes a point to offer professional seminars across the country so that every student can get the chance to be involved. This is an important element of the degree, so only students in the contiguous US or Canada can enroll in the program. 

The curriculum covers both core psychology lessons, such as Developmental and Social Bases of Behavior, Psychopathology, and Multicultural Psychology, and clinical courses. The clinical portion covers 21 credit hours including cognitive, objective, and integrated assessments. It also prepares you for your required internship.  

You can choose to further hone your skills and interests into a concentration in Forensic, Health, Neuropsychology, or Social Justice and Diversity. Each of these specializations will have individualized credit requirements. There are a total of 179 semester credits, including dissertation, required before you can go on and officially call yourself a Doctor.

Issues of diversity provide the core basis for a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Felician University. As opposed to a PhD, Felician University offers a PsyD emphasizing the balance between scholarship and practice. Those with an MA can expect to move through the program in just four years, while those coming off a bachelor’s will require an extra year. 

The curriculum’s practitioner-scholar model brings research, practicum, and coursework into play. There is an option to complete the program completely online, though internships will still play a role, as they help to mold skills within a clinical setting. There is also an expectation for students to achieve a high level of competency in research skills that they can take with them into psychology roles and continue to explore throughout their career.

The curriculum explores topics that will help address the needs of different groups of people, with required core courses including Biological Basis of Behavior, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) Approaches, Health Psychology, and Social Basis of Behavior. There are Multicultural requirements during each year, helping to paint a vivid picture of diversity and how psychological methods will vary across cultures. 

The school’s values are reflected directly in this degree’s focus on providing for underserved populations. The end goal is to equip entry-level psychologists with scientific principles, strong communication, and sharpened practice skills for a diverse client base. 

While it may not strike you as particularly creative, Saybrook University has developed a Doctoral program in Psychology that allows you to be uniquely you. Taught by highly experienced and trusted professors, you can choose to specialize in one of four areas: Consciousness, Spirituality, and Integrative Health; Creativity Studies; Existential, Humanistic, and Transpersonal Psychology; or Psychophysiology.

While each track’s curriculum will differ slightly, the bulk of the work will remain the same across concentrations. Learning to understand human behavior drives each program, with special attention in each given to research programs. All students also work through psychology core, beginning with a two-part requirement in Foundations and Critique of Contemporary Psychology. From there, students have plenty of options of study as dictated by their chosen track and electives to meet their personal goals. 

This is a non-clinical PhD program, so the final dissertation will present concepts and theories explored through core studies. This represents the bulk of the degree, and takes at least nine consecutive semesters to complete. The program, in its entirety, offers students a chance to dive into, appreciate, and apply the humanistic tradition to professional work.

Transpersonal Psychology affects all of us, even those who are unaware of its impact. To become an expert in this field that’s both progressive and prehistoric, Sofia University offers a PhD in Transpersonal Psychology. The three year program can be completed predominantly online, maximizing the accessibility for active professionals. 

Transpersonal Psychology takes spirituality into consideration when examining the human experience. Concentrations in Transpersonal Education and Research, Applied Transpersonal Psychology, Whole Systems Approach to Health and Wellbeing, Consciousness and Creativity Studies, or Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience are available for students with a keen understanding of where they want to take this career.

It’s expected that you take a maximum of seven years to arrive at the end of the program. When you arrive at the end, you may find you have undergone your own personal transformation. The program aims to create more thoughtful psychologists with sensitivity to diversity and effective communication skills that can reach a wide audience. 

The world has never been more of a global community as it is now. With the simple touch of a button, we can join someone on the other side of the world in their personal space. This type of interconnectivity creates new relationships, and calls for a better understanding of what happens when cultures converge.

Enter the PhD in International Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. This degree uses the pseudo-futuristic online format to engage students in the understanding of global systems and trains them to lead teams with positivity and effect change across borders. 

Three tracks of emphasis help to pin down your personal interests. Leadership is the main frame of the program, but you can also choose to specialize in Organizations & Systems or Trauma Services. Courses throughout all tracks will surround multicultural human behavior and mental health from a global perspective. 

Regardless of your concentration, this PhD puts practice into effect with two mandated international internships. These experiences are done together with your cohort classmates. This field experience serves as a strong basis for the final dissertation, as well as an unbeatable life experience that can be applied to your career.

If it’s your goal to use psychology as a means to improve the mental and emotional wellbeing of those in your community, then Ashford University offers the right PsyD program for you. It starts with a basis in the history of psychology. The coursework then moves into how the field has evolved overtime, using your own individual interests to guide the curriculum. 

Choice of an emphasis helps to guide this personalization, but students join together with 10 credits of core work. From there, you’ll take seven credits in your chosen specialization, one interactive capstone seminar, and complete a final Doctorate project. This project is much less research-intensive than traditional PhD dissertations, but the option for this process is also available to PsyD students.

Specializations help to bring your career goals to the forefront of your education. These specializations can be in Criminal Justice, Educational Leadership, Industrial Organization, Health & Wellness Psychology, Mediation & Conflict Resolution, or Sport and Performance Psychology. With these concentrations in mind, you can build upon your strong basis in the field while working toward making yourself marketable in the field of your dreams.

The role of a leader is to promote positive and effective action from groups of people, especially within an organization. The PsyD in Leadership Psychology farms effective leaders by teaching them how to get a positive response out of those they intend to lead. As a strong leader, you should also be a strong manager, and managing your time is a major responsibility within this online program. Some courses will call for in-person meetings, but most of the reading and lectures can be fulfilled on your own schedule. 

Coursework is structured around this idea of molding effective leaders. The very first course you’ll take, The Psychology of Leadership and Followership, explores the “complexities of modern leadership” and the ways in which you can use psychology to improve the group dynamic. This sets the scene for the following courses, including Organization Development and Change, The Neurobiology of Leadership, and Adaptive Leadership and Resistance to Change.

Though you are in charge of managing your time, it’s still expected that part-time enrollees complete the program in six-years time. This includes all of the relevant coursework, plus experience through practicum hours and an internship. You’re offered flexibility with two start dates during the year, so you can start when the time is right for you.