Georgia Psychology Doctorate Programs
For budding psychologists in the state of Georgia, there are several educational institutions where they can earn the Psy.D. degree (Doctor of Psychology) that will let them sit for a state licensing exam and begin practicing as professional psychologists.
Let’s take a look at what Georgia Psy.D. students should know about their options.
What’s On This Page
- Quick Facts
- Georgia PsyD Programs
- Other Georgia Doctorate Programs
- Georgia Psychologist Requirements
- Georgia Doctorate Salary Outlook
Quick Facts
- In-state tuition for students at Georgia State University is roughly $10,858 per year.
- Emory University sports a 25% acceptance rate among qualified applicants.
- Doctoral students at Argosy University must participate in a 2,000-hour internship at an APPIC associated facility in order to earn their degree.
- The annual tuition at the University of Georgia is $14,956.
- Emory University is lauded as having the 18th rated graduate PsyD program in the entire nation.
List of PsyD Programs In Georgia
The following list of schools have programs available for a PysD in Psychology. Let’s take a look at vital statistics about both programs.
SEE ALSO: 5+ Best Online PsyD Programs
Georgia Southern University
The Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies at Georgia Southern began offering a clinical psychology Psy.D. after educational and healthcare leaders grew increasingly concerned about the lack of licensed psychologists in the underserved rural areas of Georgia and the entire American South. Since the first cohort was accepted into the program in 2007, only 39 graduates have completed the program, which speaks to its selectivity and prestige. Nearly all (96%) of graduates since the start of the program have earned professional licensure.
- Institution type: Public
- Main campus: Statesboro
- Annual tuition: $9,954 in-state; $39,777 out-of-state
- Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
- Accreditation: APA
Mercer University
Mercer University’s Atlanta campus is the home of the university’s Psy.D. program, offered within the Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus. Mercer’s program received preliminary APA accreditation, signaling that it’s in rare air when it comes to Psy.D. programs. In the two years for which data is available (the program started enrolling students in 2012), 22 students have earned their Psy.D. at Mercer, and every graduate has earned professional licensure.
- Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
- Main campus: Atlanta
- Annual tuition: $28,476
- Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
- Accreditation: APA, preliminary
Other Psychology Doctorates in Georgia
While it’s usually the fastest route, a Psy.D. is not technically the only path to becoming a psychologist in Georgia. Several schools offer excellent Ph.D. programs in psychology in our state.
University of Georgia
UGA is among the oldest public universities in the United States, and its psychology Ph.D. program has been accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1966. The long history of the psychology doctoral programs offered through the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ psychology department include a clinical psychology Ph.D., as well as doctoral degrees in industrial-organizational psychology, a field that boasts an average national wage of nearly $100,000, and behavior and brain sciences, including development, neuroscience and health psychology. Between 2009 and 2019, 96% of clinical psychology Ph.D. graduates earned professional licensure.
- Institution type: Public
- Main campus: Athens
- Annual tuition: $8,878 in-state; $25,186 out-of-state
- Degrees offered: PhD. in Clinical Psychology, Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology; Ph.D. in Behavior and Brain Sciences
- Accreditation: APA
Emory University
Housed within the College of Arts and Sciences, Emory University’s psychology department offers a total of three psychology Ph.D. degrees, including clinical, cognition and development, and neuroscience and animal behavior. The program has been APA-accredited since 1963, and over the past 10 years, 30 graduates have completed their clinical doctorates. In that time, 67% of graduates have gone on to earn professional licensure, and while tuition for the program is the highest among psychology doctoral programs listed here, all students accepted into the program over the past 10 years have received fellowships or other awards that included tuition waivers.
- Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
- Main campus: Atlanta
- Annual tuition: $64,200
- Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology; also, Ph.D. in Cognition and Development and Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Animal Behavior
- Accreditation: APA
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern’s doctoral psychology department confers only one type of degree, a Ph.D. in Psychology, but several concentration areas are available, including clinical, cognitive, community, developmental and neuropsychology. The clinical Ph.D. at Georgia Southern first earned APA accreditation in 1973, and the program typically confers 10-12 clinical Ph.D. degrees every year. About 67% of clinical psychology graduates earned professional licensure over the past decade.
- Institution type: Public
- Main campus: Statesboro
- Annual tuition: $5,840 in-state; $16,172 out-of-state
- Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Psychology
- Accreditation: APA
How To Become A Practicing Psychologist In Georgia
Completing a challenging-but-rewarding academic program isn’t the only thing required to become a psychologist in Georgia. Let’s take a look at the steps needed to begin practicing as a professional psychologist.
- Earn a bachelor’s degree in an applicable field — ideally psychology. While it’s not always necessary to earn a bachelor’s in psychology, it’s a big help in establishing a foundation, and it will make a student seem like a better candidate to admissions officers. Other possible fields include biology, statistics and other science-related areas. Some Psy.D. programs require students to earn a master’s degree before applying, but this varies from school to school, so be sure to find out what’s expected at the schools that draw your interest.
- Earn a doctoral degree. In this case, a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.). It’s important to note that a person with a Ph.D. could potentially also become a licensed psychologist, but they may lack the internship and practicum hours in psychology field work that are baked into most Psy.D. programs.
- Meet state requirements. In our state, the Georgia State Board of Examiners of Psychologists processes licensure applications and investigates complaints issued against licensed professionals in the state. In addition to a doctoral degree, the board requires at least 1,500 hours of supervised postdoctoral work and the passage of three examinations, the National Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology, the state jurisprudence examination and an oral exam conducted by board members.
- Remain licensed, and keep up with requirements. Once an individual has earned their license, they must ensure their licensure remains valid by complying with all renewal processes and applicable fees.
Georgia Clinical Psychologist Salary and Job Outlook
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, clinical, counseling and school psychologists in Georgia are among the most well-compensated in the nation, earning an average annual wage of $90,760, one of the highest in the South. Not only is the typical psychologist wage in Georgia among the best in the region, it’s nearly double the average wage of $49,620 for all jobs in the state.
While the typical American job is expected to see about 5% growth over the next decade, psychologist jobs are projected to grow much more rapidly. That includes right here in Georgia, where these jobs will expand by 17%, the 10th-highest growth rate in the nation for clinical, counseling and school psychologists.