New Jersey Psychology Doctorate Programs

Featured Programs:

What’s On This Page

Quick Facts
New Jersey PsyD Programs
Other Psychology Doctorates
New Jersey Psychologist Requirements
New Jersey Doctorate Salary Outlook

Quick Facts

The highest graduation rate for a psychology program in New Jersey is Princeton, with 97 percent.
Nineteen schools in the state offer a master’s or other advanced degree in psychology.
There are 26 not-for-profit schools in New Jersey with psychology programs.
New Jersey does not have full reciprocity if you’ve been licensed in another state, but there are options to get your license faster under certain circumstances.
A background check is required before you can become a licensed psychologist in this state.

List of PsyD Degree Programs in New Jersey

This list of schools have programs that can help you move toward a PysD in Psychology:

Below are the Psy.D. programs that you can attend in New Jersey. This is typically a four-year, clinically-focused degree. It is a good choice fo the doctoral student who wants to practice as a clinical or counseling psychologist.

Rutgers University

Rutgers University offers a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology that provides education for psychologists for direct practice in applied and clinical professional settings. It offers a solid foundation in clinical practice that is grounded in the evolving scientific understanding of behavior and mind. The didactic training in general and broad psychological principles is connected to practical, graduated courses covering various assessment and intervention modes. Infused into the training and educational experiences is an awareness of appropriate approaches to the differences of individuals, including those associated with ethnicity, age, culture, race, and religion.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Piscataway
Annual tuition: $20,600 in-state, $36,000 out-of-state
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
Visit School: Click here

FIND SCHOOLS

Saint Elizabeth University

The Saint Elizabeth University offers a four-year Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology that has 88 credit hours, of which 15 are completed by students in the master’s program that are transferred into the doctoral program. Required courses include Human Growth and Personality Development; Psychological Assessment; Psychopathology; Research Methods and Advanced Statistics; Counseling Theories; and Group Counseling. The program is fully accredited by the APA and there are 73 credits of doctoral-level coursework and supervision.

Institution type: Private
Main campus: Morristown
Annual tuition: $1,001 per credit hour
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology
Accreditation: APA
Visit School: Click here

William Paterson University

William Paterson University offers a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology that is a full-time, five-year program that is fully accredited by the APA. The program integrates academic coursework, clinical training under close supervision, and research experience through faculty mentoring. Students often choose this program because of the excellent sense of community among the faculty and students. The faculty are all highly distinguished and are active practitioners and scholars in the field, and support the training of each student in evidence-based assessment and intervention.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Wayne
Annual tuition: $731 per credit hour in-state, $1,134 out-of-state
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology
Accreditation: APA
Visit School: Click here

Kean University

Kean University offers a Psy.D. in School and Clinical Psychology prepares students in a four-year program to work as psychologists in schools, community healthcare facilities, medical centers, or university counseling centers. The program features rigorous academic coursework and clinical training experiences, as well as close mentorship of students by dedicated faculty. Each class is limited to 12 students per year so students get more attention from faculty. There are many opportunities for clinical and research experiences, including several externship placements.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Union
Annual tuition: $21,000 in-state, $24,600 out-of-state
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in School and Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
Visit School: Click here

Felician University

Felician University has a Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology that consists of 73 credits and prepares students to be entry-level counseling psychologists. The training model of the four-year program follows the classic scholar/practitioner model. The training focuses on developing the counseling skills needed to work as a counseling psychologist and an independent practitioner. You also will develop skills so that you can be an informed consumer of the latest psychological research.

Institution type: Private
Main campus: Rutherford
Annual tuition: $20,400
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology
Accreditation: APA accreditation pending
Visit School: Click here

Georgian Court University

Georgian Court University has a new Psy.D. in School Psychology that consists of 112 credit hours and takes five years to complete. The doctoral program provides graduate students with the ability to work with children effectively in schools, clinics, hospitals, and other advanced practice settings by helping with their mental health and educational needs, and also stressing issues related to social justice and diversity. The program also understands and respects various contexts of a pluralistic and multicultural society where children live and shape their lives.

Institution type: Private
Main campus: Lakewood
Annual tuition: $969 per credit hour
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in School Psychology
Accreditation: APA
Visit School: Click here

How to Become a Practicing Clinical Psychologist in New Jersey

If you want to get licensed and legally practice psychology in New Jersey, focus on first earning a bachelor’s degree. There are certificates and associate degrees available, but they won’t really help you get to your goals. Just make sure your bachelor’s degree is in psychology or a field related to it.

During the time you’re working toward your bachelor’s degree in New Jersey, look around for all the opportunities you have to gain good research experience. Most universities offer this, so undergraduates can work with psychology department professors as research assistants and get valuable work experience.

When you’ve completed your bachelor’s degree, it’s time to focus on earning your master’s in psychology. You may want to do that through a program listed above, or through a different school. Either way, completion of your master’s degree will set you up to move to earn your PsyD. That degree, including your internship, should take you approximately four to five years to complete.

The next step will be to get your license so you can practice psychology in New Jersey. Here are the steps to expect when you start the license application process:

You’ll need two years of supervised clinical experience (3,500 hours) in your training area. At least 1,750 of these hours have to be completed after you get your doctoral degree, but the rest can come from internships provided those internships meet the proper criteria.
Next you can submit a licensure application and request transcripts from the educational institutions you’ve attended. The Board will need the application filled out properly, and some areas require notarization. Additionally, you need to document supervised hours with the right forms in order to have those hours accepted.
Once your application has been reviewed and approved, you’ll get information about how to complete your background check. For that you’ll need to be fingerprinted. There is a fingerprinting fee, and you can pay that when you schedule your appointment.
The next step after the completed background check is taking the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPPP). This is a national exam, but in addition to it you also have to take the New Jersey jurisprudence exam. You’ll get instructions on how to take this test, and you’ll need to pay a fee for it.
Getting your license is the last step in the process. After you’ve done everything else, you’ll just wait to hear from the Board about the status of your license. Once it’s approved, you’ll be notified. Then you’ll pay your license fee, and the Board will issue your license and send it to you so you can start practicing psychology in the state of New Jersey. just remember to renew your license on the proper schedule and complete any continuing education credits that are required in each renewal period.

FIND SCHOOLS

New Jersey Clinical Psychologist Salary and Job Outlook

The median pay for psychologists in New Jersey is $102,870. This is significantly higher than the average in many states, but New Jersey also has a higher cost of living than other areas of the country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, you can also expect job growth to be around eight percent for the next decade.

That’s encouraging news for anyone who wants a career in this field in the state of New Jersey.