Best PsyD Programs in North Carolina (2027)

Western Carolina University's Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Health Service Psychology (Combined Clinical- School) follows the practitioner-scholar model and runs three years: two academic years on campus and one calendar year of a full-time, 2,000-hour clinical internship. Applicants choose one concentration area, Clinical or School Psychology. Students who have met their prerequisites begin seeing clients in their first semester, train for at least one year at the McKee Assessment and Psychological Services Clinic and at least one year with a community partner, and complete an empirical dissertation of journal-manuscript length under a faculty mentor and committee. Students are generally on campus or at practicum sites Mondays through Thursdays, with Fridays reserved for research and special meetings.

This is a post-master's program: applicants need an MA, MS or SSP degree in clinical psychology, school psychology or a closely related area with certain prerequisite coursework, and those missing no more than 24 credit hours of prerequisites can complete them while enrolled. Applications are due February 1 each year. The program is full-time and in person at the campus in Cullowhee, North Carolina, does not admit part-time students and offers no distance or online courses. All admitted students are offered a 20-hour-per-week graduate assistantship that the program commits to for the first two academic years (the internship site pays students in the third year), and a summer research fellowship and a PsyD scholarship are also available.

• The program runs three years, including a one-year, 2,000-hour internship.
• Applicants need an MA, MS or SSP degree.
• The program does not admit part-time students and offers no online courses.
• Every admitted student is offered a 20-hour-per-week graduate assistantship.
• Applications are due February 1 each year.

APA area

Combined, Clinical-School Psychology

Program unit

Department of Psychology

APA number

2467

Accredited since

March 1, 2022

Next site visit

2036

Schedule

full-time

Entry

master's degree

Length

three years: two academic years on campus and one calendar year of full-time internship

Tuition, in-state

$10,735 (first-year cohort, 2026-2027)

Tuition, out-of-state

$21,514 (first-year cohort, 2026-2027)

EPPP

100% of 6 first-time takers passed (ASPPB)

Internship match

18 of 23 applicants matched to an APA- or CPA-accredited internship (APPIC)

Scored under methodology v2.0

Appalachian State's Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology is an applied practice degree in health service psychology that aims to train students to serve rural and other underserved populations, following a scholar-practitioner model that stresses generalist training, evidence-based practice and applied research. The program of study requires at least 101 hours and is designed to be completed in five years: at least four years of full-time, on-site training, including a three-year sequence of supervised practicum training and a dissertation that must be proposed before students apply for internship, plus a one-year pre-doctoral internship. Students earn an M.A. degree en route to the Psy.D., and training sites include the department's Psychology Clinic, the Counseling and Psychological Services Center, regional school mental health programs and an integrated care placement at a community health center.

Applicants need a bachelor's degree; the program prefers a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and introductory psychology, statistics, research methods and abnormal psychology are required for admission. The GRE General Test is optional, applications are due December 1 for fall entry, and selected applicants are invited to a remote interview, which is required for admission. Enrollment is limited to approximately six students a year, and the program is full-time and in person in Boone, North Carolina, with no part-time or distance option. Students pay tuition and fees; every student is offered a graduate assistantship for four years, given adequate progress, and out-of-state tuition waivers are available on a competitive basis in the first year.

• The program of study requires a minimum of 101 hours.
• Students earn an M.A. degree en route to the Psy.D.
• The GRE General Test is optional.
• Every student is offered a graduate assistantship for four years, given adequate progress.
• Enrollment is limited to approximately six students per year.

APA area

Clinical Psychology

Program unit

Clinical Psychology PsyD Program/Psychology

APA number

2506

Accredited since

February 2, 2024

Schedule

full-time

Entry

bachelor's degree

GRE

optional

Length

five years, including a one-year pre-doctoral internship

Credits

101 credit hours

Tuition, in-state

$6,422 (first-year cohort, 2026-2027)

Tuition, out-of-state

$26,811 (first-year cohort, 2026-2027)

University fees

$4,137

Internship match

8 of 11 applicants matched to an APA- or CPA-accredited internship (APPIC)

Scored under methodology v2.0