Louisiana Psychology Doctorate Programs
The ongoing and expanding mental health crisis in Louisiana and across the nation has revealed the stark need for trained professionals who can help others cope with trauma, day-to-day stress and serious mental illness.
Fortunately for prospective professionals in Louisiana, several psychology doctoral programs are operational in Louisiana, which can help provide the crucial foundation for licensure as a psychologist in the state.
What’s On This Page
- Quick Facts
- Louisiana PsyD Programs
- Other Psychology Doctorates
- Louisiana Psychologist Requirements
- Louisiana Doctorate Salary Outlook
Quick Facts
- Louisiana is home to three schools that offer APA-accredited doctoral degrees in psychology.
- There are 15 schools in Louisiana that offer master’s degrees or higher in psychology.
- Tulane, LSU-Baton Rouge, and the University of the Holy Cross were ranked among the Best Psychology Schools in the nation by US News and World Report.
- You can earn a stand-alone masters in psychology or combine it with a doctoral program.
- Applying for a provisional license first is a requirement for practicing psychology in Louisiana.
List of PsyD Degree Programs in Louisiana
Right now only APA-accredited Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) in Psychology programs are offered in Louisiana. Let’s check out the vital statistics of these programs and their educational outcomes.
SEE ALSO: 5+ Online Accredited PsyD Programs
Other Psychology Doctorates in Louisiana
Louisiana State University
LSU’s College of Humanities & Social Sciences is home to a slate of Ph.D. degrees focusing on a range of areas within the field of psychology, including clinical, biological, school and industrial-organizational. The department’s Clinical Psychology program has been accredited by the APA since 1956, and 76 students have completed their training between 2013 and 2023. Clinical graduates have earned licensure at a 93% clip over that time.
- Institution type: Public
- Campus: Baton Rouge
- Annual tuition: Clinical: $8,728 in-state, $25,643 out-of-state; School: $4,370 in-state, $12,831 out-of-state; many enrollees receive free tuition and annual stipends
- Degrees offered: PhD with specialties in Clinical Psychology, Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, School Psychology, and Behavior Analysis
- Accreditation: Clinical and School psychology doctoral programs are APA-accredited
- Visit school: Click here
Tulane University
Tulane University is home to several Ph.D. programs in psychology, including one that’s been accredited by the APA since 1991, a Ph.D. in School Psychology. Other doctorates in psychology offered at Tulane include degrees in developmental, social, and brain cognition-developmental science. A total of 29 students earned their degrees from the school psychology program between 2013 and 2023, and 90% of them have earned professional licensure.
- Institution type: Private, not-for-profit
- Campus: New Orleans
- Annual tuition: All admitted students receive free tuition
- Degrees offered: PhD in School Psychology; PhD in Psychological Science with three specializations: Brain Cognition-Developmental Science, Social Psychology, or Health Psychology
- Accreditation: PhD in School Psychology is APA-accredited
- Visit school: Click here
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech’s College of Education offers an APA-accredited Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, first honored by the APA in 2002. The university also offers a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. 44 students completed the counseling psychology Ph.D. program between 2013 and 2024, 75% of whom have been granted professional licensure.
- Institution type: Public
- Campus: Ruston
- Annual tuition: $7,788 in-state, $19,672 out-of-state
- Degrees offered: PhD in Counseling Psychology, PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
- Accreditation: PhD in Counseling Psychology is APA-accredited
- Visit school: Click here
How to Become a Psychologist in Louisiana
Working as a licensed psychologist in the state of Louisiana is a multistep process that begins with a solid foundation of advanced education in psychology. Let’s take a closer look at what’s required here.
- Finish college, ideally with a psychology major. Some but not all psychology doctoral programs require a bachelor’s degree in psychology, but those that don’t will still require a student to have extensive undergraduate coursework in the field and/or another closely related one, such as biology. Absent either of those, students may need to get a master’s degree before they’ll be a sufficiently attractive doctoral candidate.
- Get your doctorate. While both a Psy.D. and Ph.D. are accepted in the state of Louisiana as proof of basic competence in psychology, students who graduate from schools that haven’t been accredited by the APA will face additional reviews of their academic credentials.
- Fulfill other state requirements. In addition to a doctoral degree, ideally from an APA-accredited school, candidates in Louisiana face several other prerequisites, including a pre-internship practicum of at least 300 hours, three professional references, documentation of completion of an internship and a criminal background check. Applicants must score at least 500 on the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology, and they must pass the written and oral portions of the state’s jurisprudence examination.
- Maintain valid licensure. Licensed psychologists must renew their credentials annually, and they must complete 40 hours of continuing education on a two-year schedule.
Louisiana Clinical Psychologist Salary and Job Outlook
The average annual salary for clinical and counseling psychologists in Louisiana was $101,420 in 2021, a good $18k-plus more than all of Louisiana’s neighboring states that year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
SEE ALSO: Louisiana Clinical Psychologist Salary
In addition to high wages today, clinical and counseling psychologists in Louisiana can expect more job freedom over the next decade. That’s because these positions are projected to grow by 10.8% over the decade leading up to 2032, compared to 4% for all jobs in Louisiana.
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.