North Carolina Psychology Doctorate Programs

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Quick Facts
North Carolina PsyD Programs
Other North Carolina Doctorate Programs
North Carolina Psychologist Requirements
North Carolina Doctorate Salary Outlook

Quick Facts:

The average annual tuition for graduate students at Duke University is $62,620.
North Carolina State University sports an impressive graduation rate of 85% for first-time, full-time students.
North Carolina State University offers more than 220 different master and doctoral level degrees.
The average tuition for an in-state student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is just $8,989.
Duke is not only revered for their academic prowess, but they are also a major sports school.

List of PsyD Programs In North Carolina

Below are the Psy.D. programs that are available in North Carolina. This is typically a four-year, clinically-focused degree that is ideal for the doctoral student who wants to practice as a clinical or counseling psychologist.

Appalachian State University

Appalachian State University offers a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology that is focused on training doctoral students to work in rural populations. The four-year program has a practitioner-scientist training model, and it trains students to be excellent, evidence-based, health service provider psychologists by balancing training in applied clinical assessment and intervention. Also, the training program stresses the effects of diversity and culture on clinical practice. This aspect includes the ecological factors that affect the community and individual development in rural areas. It’s proud to have earned contingency accreditation from the APA in 2024, and once several years of student outcome data can be analyzed it will be eligible for full accreditation. In the meantime, graduates of this program are considered to have completed a fully-accredited APA program.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Boone
Annual tuition: $5,233 in-state, $21,904 out-of-state
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA-on contingency
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Western Carolina University

Western Carolina University offers a Psy.D. in Health Service Psychology that is designed to provide students with culturally competent, evidence-based clinical services while adhering to high ethical standards. Professional psychologists are trained to work in many settings that serve underserved citizens in the state, especially people living in North Carolina rural communities. This four-year program adheres to the practitioner-scholar model of professional psychological training, which puts more emphasis on clinical preparation than research training. Having gained an initial nod from the APA in 2022, this program still has contingency accreditation status until enough student outcome data can be analyzed for full accreditation consideration. In the meantime, graduates of this program are considered to have completed a fully-accredited APA program.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Cullowhee
Annual tuition: $10,241 in-state, $20,960 out-of-state
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA-on contingency
Visit School: Click here

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Other Psychology Doctorates in North Carolina

If you want to earn your Ph.D. in psychology with a focus on academic research, you have some good choices in North Carolina, which we highlight below:

Duke University

Duke University offers an APA-accredited Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, as well as in the following specializations: Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience; Developmental Psychology; Social Psychology, and Systems and Integrative Neuroscience. This program is five years in length and features an apprenticeship model that means students work closely with faculty advisors throughout the program. Mentors for the apprentice program can come from the main faculty of Neuroscience and Psychology or from the joint faculty. Core courses taken in the first three years include psychopathology, cognitive development, social behavior and personality, cognitive psychology, and cognitive neuroscience.

Institution type: Private
Main campus: Durham
Annual tuition: $66,945
Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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University of North Carolina

The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill offers a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that has been accredited by the APA since 1949. The five-year program stresses training in clinically informed research and evidence-based clinical work. The faculty recognizes that students have different career goals and may evolve over time. That is why the program has two tracks: Adult or Child/Family. The additional APA-accredited Ph.D. programs in psychology offered by the UNC system are UNC-Charlotte’s Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, UNC-Greensboro’s Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, UNC-Wilmington’s Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (accredited on contingency), and UNC-Chapel Hill’s Ph.D. in School Psychology.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Wilmington, Greensboro
Annual tuition: Chapel Hill Clinical Psychology: $10,770 in-state, $29,421 out-of-state (students receive full tuition remission for at least five years); Chapel Hill School Psychology: $10,552 in-state, $28,844 out-of-state; Charlotte Clinical Psychology: $4,707 in-state, $19,645 out-of-state (students almost always receive a $20k stipend each year for four years); Greensboro Clinical Psychology: $5,375 in-state, $20,090 out-of-state; Wilmington Clinical Psychology: $5,278 in/out-of-state
Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Ph.D. in School Psychology
Accreditation: All programs are APA-accredited, except UNC-Wilmington’s Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology which is on contingency accreditation status with the APA
Visit School: Clinical Psychology: Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Greensboro, Wilmington; Chapel Hill School Psychology

East Carolina University

East Carolina University offers a Ph.D. in Clinical Health Psychology that features a biopsychosocial approach to understanding illness and health. The training model used is where students are trained as both scientists and practitioners. You are provided with direct educational experiences with high-quality teaching, scholarship, and service. Students are prepared for leadership roles in health care, education, and business, and are provided with leadership skills by working on cutting edge research during the five-year program. Adding on a pediatric school concentration means graduating with a Ph.D. in School Psychology. Both Ph.D. programs are APA-accredited.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Greenville
Annual tuition: Clinical Health Psychology: $4,749 in-state, $17,898 out-of-state; School Psychology: $0; Tuition is fully covered by tuition remission, stipends, and assistantships
Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Clinical Health Psychology, Ph.D. in School Psychology
Accreditation: APA
Visit School: Clinical Health Psychology, School Psychology

University of North Carolina Charlotte

The Clinical Health Ph.D. program at the University of North Carolina Charlotte is accredited by the APA, and students receive intensive training in foundational clinical psychology skills and clinical health psychology-specific skills. Students are taught how to be both excellent practitioners and researchers. The program also strongly adheres to the Biopsychosocial Cultural and Social-Ecological models of health, such as using holistic techniques to provide innovative ways to understand mental and physical disease, risk, and health promotion.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Charlotte
Annual tuition: $4,707 in-state, $19,645 out-of-state; Students almost always receive a $20k stipend each year for four years
Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Clinical Health Psychology
Accreditation: APA
Visit School: Click here

How To Become A Practicing Psychologist In North Carolina

Becoming a licensed practitioner of psychology in the state of North Carolina takes commitment and determination for a prolonged period of time. In order to become licensed, you will have to interface with the North Carolina Psychology Board after completing all of your education requirements.

In order to become a licensed psychologist in North Carolina, you’ll have to achieve at least a bachelor’s degree and potentially a master’s degree in psychology, as well. Earning your bachelor’s degree will typically take up to four years of full-time coursework en route to completing roughly 120 total credit hours. After you complete your B.A. in psychology or a closely related field, you can move on toward your master’s.

Some institutions will roll their master’s degree into their doctoral program in order to facilitate a shortened process. In any event, most master’s degree programs will require roughly two years of full-time coursework to the tune of 45 total credit hours. In order to get into one of these master’s programs, you’ll have to pass a Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

After you have completed your master’s degree, you will move on to pursue your PsyD degree from a university that meets the American Psychological Association (APA) standards. Along the way, you’ll have to complete your thesis and dissertation while pursuing up to seven total years of education.

After meeting education requirements, you are ready to begin the licensing process.

To begin the licensing process, you’ll first submit an application to the North Carolina Psychology Board. You will include much in the way of information while primarily focusing on your clinical training. You’ll also include three professional references before completing a supervision contract form. Both forms must be notified.
Next, you’ll need to go to your local law enforcement agency in order to get your fingerprints taken. You’ll also complete an information release form so that the Board will be allowed to do a thorough background check.
Finally, you’ll get your school transcripts ready, along with $138 in total fees, and have all of your documents shipped off to the Board for reference.
After your application is reviewed, the North Carolina Psychology Board will request that you take the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology. This test requires a $650 fee as well as a scaled score that meets or exceeds 500. After you pass this exam, you will move on to the North Carolina State Examination. You will pay a $200 fee while requiring at least a 78% score to pass the test.
If you wish to achieve a permanent license in North Carolina, you’ll have to complete at least 3,000 hours of supervised work experience. Half of those hours must be completed after you receive your doctoral degree. Additionally, a quarter of these hours must be spent working directly with patients. Most of these hours will be acquired during your doctoral program.
If you meet all examination requirements as well as the other information outlined above, the Board will award you your license to practice in the state of North Carolina.

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North Carolina Clinical Psychologist Salary and Job Outlook

North Carolina has shown itself to be a strong place to pursue the field of psychology. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for counseling and clinical psychologists in the state are projected to increase by 18.9% over the next ten years. Statewide these psychologists are averaging an annual salary of $91,390. The top 10% salary range for these professionals starts at $141,720 per year in North Carolina.

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.