Tennessee Psychology Doctorate Programs

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Quick Facts
Tennessee PsyD Programs
Other Tennessee Doctorate Programs
Tennessee Psychologist Requirements
Tennessee Doctorate Salary Outlook

Quick Facts:

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville was ranked on the Princeton Review’s 2025 list of best colleges in the nation
Vanderbilt University’s graduation rate is among the highest in the state at 93%.
17 schools in Tennessee offer a graduate program in psychology.
Vanderbilt’s Psychology Department ranks the 8th-best in the nation according to 2025 US News Best Undergraduate Psychology Programs, and its graduate psychology program ranks 12th-best

List of PsyD Degree Programs in Tennessee

There are currently no PsyD programs in the state of Tennessee.

SEE ALSO: 5+ Online PsyD Programs

Other Psychology Doctorates in Tennessee

Students who want to pursue a psychology career in academia or research might prefer to earn their Ph.D. Popular programs in Tennessee include:

The University of Tennessee Knoxville

The University of Tennessee Knoxville offers an APA-accredited Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that is designed to train highly competent clinical psychologists who can make vital contributions to the profession and society as teachers, researchers, and clinicians. Each student in this five-year program receives intensive training in psychological assessment, research, psychotherapy, and teaching. The faculty approach clinical work from many psychological perspectives, including psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, systemic, and emotion-focused. UT Knoxville is also proud to offer APA-accredited Ph.D. programs in Counseling Psychology and School Psychology.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Knoxville
Annual tuition: Clinical and Counseling: $11,468 in-state, $18,188 out-of-state; School: $13,620 in-state, $32,108 out-of-state
Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, Ph.D. in School Psychology
Accreditation: APA
Visit School: Clinical, Counseling, School

Tennessee State University

Tennessee State University offers a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology that is based on the scientist-professional training model. It is a five-year, APA-accredited program that develops ethical, competent psychology practitioners who are facilitators of learning. Students graduate with a multicultural point of view and are skilled at integrating science and practice in many settings and modalities. Students are prepared for dynamic careers in health service psychology, research, consultation and to be change agents in the field.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Nashville
Annual tuition: $5,366 in-state, $11,418 out-of-state
Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology
Accreditation: APA
Visit School: Click here

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University offers an APA-accredited Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. This program focuses on the clinical scientist training model. All students complete a core of required research, coursework, and clinical training. This includes coursework in biological, social, cognitive, and affective aspects of behavior; human development; individual differences; and research design and statistics.

Institution type: Private
Main campus: Nashville
Annual tuition: $43,339
Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
Visit School: Click here

The University of Memphis

The University of Memphis offers a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that has been accredited since 1972. The program focuses on a scientist and practitioner model and puts a strong emphasis on research. Students who have strong interests in psychological research and academic-focused career goals are the ideal fit with the clinical faculty. The program is five-years in length and offers many excellent clinical training opportunities, including supervised internships at the Psychological Services Center, as well as a variety of training opportunities in the local community. The school is also proud to offer APA-accredited programs in Counseling and School Psychology.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Memphis
Annual tuition: Clinical: All clinical doctoral students in good standing receive a minimum of four years of assistantship support; Counseling: $11,060 in-state, $18,880 out-of-state; School: Students typically have their tuition covered by assistantships, fellowships, and tuition waivers.
Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, Ph.D. in School Psychology
Accreditation: APA
Visit School: Clinical, Counseling, School

How to Become a Practicing Clinical Psychologist in Tennessee

The first step on your journey to becoming a licensed psychologist in the state of Tennessee is completing your education. You will first need to complete your bachelor’s degree which will often take four years going full-time to achieve the 120 credit hours. While majoring in psychology can help in your higher education, it is not a requirement at this level.

After achieving a bachelor’s degree, many students will choose to get a standalone master’s degree in psychology. This can help give you an advantage on your doctorate admissions but is not required as it can be part of your doctorate program. A standalone master’s degree will take 35 to 45 credit hours to achieve and often takes about one to two hours when attending full-time.

The final step in your educational journey to achieve your license to practice is completing your PsyD or Ph.D. in psychology. Completion of this degree usually takes four to eight years when attending full-time. To be able to qualify for a license in Tennessee you must receive your doctorate from a program that is accredited by the American Psychological Association or one that has been approved by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. Programs will also need to include a 12-month internship in the final year.

Once you have completed your educational requirement, you will need to complete a few more steps before obtaining your license.

After completing your doctorate program, you will need to submit your Psychologist Application to the Board for review. You will need to indicate that you are applying for an HSP designation. Before submitting your application, you will need to complete a criminal background check and submit it with your application. Other materials you will need to include are a Declaration of Citizenship Form, a Mandatory Practitioner Profile, and at least three letters of recommendation for directors and supervisors of your internship. You will need to send your official transcripts as well as a fee of $85.
If you plan to complete your postdoctoral supervised professional experience in the state, you may or may not be required to obtain a provisional license from the board. Check with your supervisor, and if you need one, you should apply when you submit your official application. To obtain this license, you will have to include more forms with your Psychologist Application and pay an additional fee of $125.
You will need to complete the required hours of supervised professional experience. In total, you will need 3,800 hours, though 1,900 should be completed during the internship portion of your doctorate program. The other 1,900 hours will need to be earned after the completion of your doctoral degree. Once completed you will need to notify the board.
The final step to obtaining your license in Tennessee is taking and passing the required psychology licensing exams. This will include the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology, which is a multiple choice test that you will need to score 500 or higher. The test costs $687.50 in fees. After passing the EPPP exam, you will need to take the Tennessee ethics and jurisprudence exam. This exam is open book and requires a 90% or higher to pass.

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Tennessee Clinical Psychologist Salary and Job Outlook

The average annual salary for counseling and clinical psychologists in Tennessee is $109,670. That places Tennessee in 11^th place nationwide in terms of highest average salary for psychologists. For Tennessee psychologists in the top 10%, salaries start at $143,890.

Tennessee also ranks fourth in the nation in terms of its job growth prospects for clinical and counseling psychologists between 2022 and 2032. While the state’s growth rate among all jobs over this time span is forecast at 13.9%, clinical and counseling psychologists are projected to see a job growth rate of 23.4%.

2023 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures shown here for Psychologists. Job growth projections are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, CareerOneStop. Figures are based on state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed December 2024.