North Carolina Psychology Doctorate Programs

Featured Online Psychology & Counseling Programs

This guide will explain your options for earning your PsyD degree in the state of North Carolina. You will learn about the programs that offer this prestigious psychology degree, as well as understand how to obtain licensure after you graduate.

SEE ALSO: 5+ Best Online PsyD Programs

Keep reading to learn more.

What’s On This Page

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 students at Duke University is $55,960.
North Carolina State University sports an impressive graduation rate of 75.2% 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 $8,591.
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.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Boone
Annual tuition: $237 per credit hour in-state, $895 out-of-state
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
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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.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Cullowhee
Annual tuition: $11,000 in-state, $20,500 out-of-state
Degrees offered: Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
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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: $61,000
Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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The University of North Carolina

The University of North Carolina 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 an Adult and Child and Family track.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Chapell Hill
Annual tuition: $15,000 in-state $31,000 out-of-state
Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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Eastern Carolina University

Eastern Carolina University offers a Ph.D. in 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.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Greenville
Annual tuition: $7,535 in-state, $20,684 out-of state
Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Health Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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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: $213 per credit hour in-state, $872 per credit hour out-of-state
Degrees offered: Ph.D. in Clinical Health Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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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 consider becoming 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 will 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. A majority of these hours will have been acquired during your doctoral pursuit.
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.

North Carolina Clinical Psychologist Salary and Job Outlook

North Carolina has shown itself to be a strong place to pursue the field of clinical psychology. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, North Carolina is projected to see a job growth rate of 15.1% over the next ten years. Licensed and practicing clinical psychologists in the state are averaging an annual salary of $76,000. The top earners in the state of North Carolina earn more than $108,000 per year.