List of Best 3 Year PsyD Programs to Consider
Earning a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) is a crucial educational step along the path to becoming a professional psychologist, and the degree can serve as the foundation to many other careers.
Like with any other doctorate, Psy.D. programs tend to be long and grueling, combining challenging coursework with hands-on experience in clinical psychology, counseling, assessment and other areas.
SEE ALSO: Best Online PsyD Accredited Programs
But some programs are designed to make the time spent earning the Psy.D. as streamlined and efficient as possible, and many colleges, universities and institutions offering these degrees tout the fact that most coursework can be done about three years. It’s important for students to understand that even if their coursework takes only three years, they still may have to complete internships and dissertations, and if they are seeking professional licensure, postdoctoral internships are usually required.
Let’s take a look at some of the best programs that make it possible to complete the academic portion of a Psy.D. in as little as three years.
Schools On This Page
- Pacifica Graduate Institute – California
- University of Indianapolis – Indiana
- The Wright Institute – California
- James Madison University – Virginia
- Univerity of Hartford – Connecticut
- Rutgers University – New Jersey
- University of Denver – Colorado
Pacifica Graduate Institute
- Location: Alameda, California
- Degree: PsyD in Counseling Psychology
- Program length: Three years of academic study, one year of internship/dissertation
- Learn more: Click here
Pacifica is also home to a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology that’s designed to be completed in five years, and its Counseling Psy.D. is a new offering. Students will complete all necessary classroom work in three years and take a fourth year to complete their internship and dissertation. Neither program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), but program leaders say both have been designed to meet state licensure requirements.
University of Indianapolis
- Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
- Degree: PsyD in Clinical Psychology
- Program length: Three years of academic study, one year of internship
- Learn more: Click here
UIndy’s APA-accredited Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology includes a possible 3+1 track in which students spend their first three years focused on classwork and the final year defending their dissertation and taking part in internships. The track is geared toward students who already have psychology master’s degrees and, ideally, some professional experience.
The Wright Institute
- Location: Berkeley, California
- Degree: PsyD in Clinical Psychology
- Program length: Three years of academic study and practicum, plus internship and dissertation
- Learn more: Click here
Classroom work in the APA-accredited Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology offered by The Wright Institute spans three full-time years of academic study. Students are engaged in hands-on clinical work during all three years, and this culminates in at least one full-time year of internship at the end of their journey.
SEE ALSO: The Wright Institute Psy.D. Psychology Review
James Madison University
- Location: Harrisonburg, Virginia
- Degree: PsyD in Clinical & School Psychology
- Program length: Three years of academic study, dissertation and practicum, plus internship
- Learn more: Click here
James Madison University offers an APA-accredited combined Psy.D. in Clinical and School Psychology, first accredited in 1996. Practicum begins in the first year right alongside classroom work, with all coursework and dissertation completed by the third year. This is all capped off by a full-time year spent in internships.
University of Hartford
- Location: West Hartford, Connecticut
- Degree: PsyD in Clinical Psychology
- Program length: Three years of academic study, plus internship and dissertation
- Learn more: Click here
The University of Hartford’s Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology is home to an APA-accredited Psy.D. degree (first accredited in 1991) that was designed to allow students to finish up their classroom work with three years of full-time study. This is followed by a varying length of time spent in internships and dissertation defense.
SEE ALSO: University of Hartford Psy.D. Psychology Review
Rutgers University
- Location: Piscataway, New Jersey
- Degrees: PsyD in Clinical Psychology and PsyD in School Psychology
- Program length: Three years of academic study, dissertation and practicum, plus internship
- Learn more: Clinical click here, school click here
Rutgers is home to a pair of APA-accredited Psy.D. degrees in clinical and school psychology, and both programs have the same basic design, which is three years of combined academic study, dissertation and practica, followed by at least one full-time internship year.
SEE ALSO: Rutgers University Psy.D. Psychology Review
University of Denver
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Degree: PsyD in Clinical Psychology
- Program length: Three years of academic study and research, plus internship
- Learn more: Click here
Through its Graduate School of Professional Psychology, the University of Denver offers a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology that first gained APA accreditation in 1979. The bulk of the degree can be completed in three years, including academic work and a research project. At least one year of full-time internship follows.
SEE ALSO: University of Denver Psy.D. Program Review
Conclusion
Given that it’s just one step on a lengthy journey to a career devoted to helping others, it’s understandable that most Psy.D. programs aren’t designed to be completed very quickly. But for those who want to be able to make a difference right away, pursuing one of these programs could help them condense their doctoral training and begin the licensure process in a shorter amount of time.