Top Online Doctorate in Psychology Programs of 2023

Liberty University is a pioneer in distance education. In 1985, the Virginia-based Christian university launched one of the nation's first distance-learning programs by mailing VHS tapes to students. Today, its distance-learning program, Liberty University Online, offers 289 programs, including an online Ph.D. in Psychology. Liberty's online doctorate in psychology has the most selective admission rate of all the private schools on this list at 50%. The program is also unique because it's presented through a biblical worldview. You can customize your general Ph.D. in Psychology by adding a specialization in Health Leadership, Development Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Social Psychology, or Theology. The program can be completed 100% remotely, but several optional face-to-face, short on-campus intensives exist for those whose schedules and lifestyles permit. Liberty University Online offers tuition discounts for first responders, current and former military members, and their spouses.

Touro University Worldwide (TUW) is a nonprofit institution of higher learning established by philanthropic visionaries committed to developing a passionate, connected learning community to help students achieve their academic goals. The administration and faculty of TUW are committed to social justice, intellectual pursuit, and philanthropic duty. TUW engages in high-quality and affordable online education resulting in high learning achievement and employable alumni adaptable to changes in working environments. Among its many offerings is an online Doctor of Psychology in Human and Organizational Psychology. The program focuses on the psychology of organizational leadership and can be completed 100% online. Instructors are all scholar-practitioners who are well-versed in the current trends in the organizational psychology field. Touro's online Doctor of Psychology takes an average of three years to complete. It stands out for having the highest graduation rate of all the private school programs on this list. Another unique feature of Touro's program is that it offers six start times annually to begin your doctorate at the most convenient time. Applicants must hold a Master's degree from an accredited institution and a cumulative GPA of 3.4; GRE scores are not required.

The College of Education at Texas Tech University offers an online Ph.D. in Educational Psychology that focuses heavily on research and teaching. Its goal is to prepare students for positions in research and measurement within universities, government agencies, and testing companies. Students have an option, though, of creating an individualized, interdisciplinary degree plan that is more practitioner-oriented. There is also a school psychology track that requires school-based experiential learning. All online courses are taught by the same distinguished and well-published faculty that teach on campus. The research focuses of Texas Tech's faculty for this program are social cognitive theory, secondary trauma, and peer and teacher influence on youth well-being. Although applications are accepted year-round, the school recommends that new doctorate students begin during the fall semester.

Northcentral University is a private, non-profit educational institution founded in 1996 that provides online degrees only. Its online Ph.D. in Psychology program has ten specializations: Addictive Disorders, General Psychology, Health Psychology, Social Policy, Counseling Psychology, Psychology of Gender and Sexual Fluidity, Gerontology, Trauma, and Disaster Relief, Organizational Psychology, and Counseling Psychology. The later specialization only has a licensure track for the state of California. The average completion time for the degree is 43 months, and admitted students can begin any time of the year. Northcentral University stands out for its Pursuit of Knowledge Scholarship, which provides full tuition to three students and half tuition to two students annually who are enrolled in a master's or doctoral program. The only requirement to apply for the scholarship is to answer an essay question about how a graduate degree would help you in your personal and professional life.

Alaska Pacific University is a private university in Anchorage, Alaska, that's affiliated with the Methodist Church. It began its generalized Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program in 2011 to address the dire need for doctoral-level training programs and practicing psychologists in the remote state. Its online program is highly collaborative, and students work closely with faculty who have diverse areas of expertise, such as social justice, ecopsychology, trauma, and substance use disorders. The curriculum is designed to meet the academic requirements of state licensure in Alaska. Courses include Group Counseling, Social Bases of Behavior, Lifespan Development, and Adolescent and Child Assessment.

Fielding Graduate University was founded in 1974 to provide graduate-level educational options for working adults in Santa Barbara, California. Today, it offers primarily online degrees at the master's and doctoral levels. The school's online Psychology Ph.D. program is designed for adults already working in the mental health field. On average, it takes five to six years to complete at a part-time pace, which includes a yearlong clinical doctoral internship. The program requires some occasional in-person attendance, but this requirement can be completed in your geographic area at one of the university's twenty-three satellite locations. These locations include the cities of Cleveland, Boulder, Miami, New York, Boston, and Chicago. The American Psychological Association accredits the program, and four specializations are available: Forensic Psychology, Health Psychology, Neuropsychology, and Social Justice and Diversity.

A private Franciscan Catholic school in New Jersey, Felician University offers a fully online Doctor of Counseling Psychology (Psy.D.) degree. The scholar-practitioner style program prepares students for careers as health service psychologists and psychologist licensure in New Jersey. Felician's Psy.D program was established in 2017 and had an "accredited, on contingency" status by the American Psychological Association. The program takes four to five years to complete. However, students with a master's degree in counseling psychology (or equivalent) can qualify for an accelerated path by transferring fifteen credits. Felician's program follows a traditional 15-week semester program and only allows fall-semester entry. Each incoming cohort has about 10-12 members.

Southern California Seminary is a private Christian institution of higher learning that provides a biblically based education to its students. Its online Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program is designed for those who want to practice psychology in a church, ministry, private practice, organization, or institution. Most of the program, except for the Advanced Therapeutic Interventions course, can be completed online. When that course is taken (usually at the end of the first year), the seminary can assist online students with housing and travel options. Other courses in the program include Theological Foundations of Counseling, Faith Integration and Praxis, and Crisis Response and Intervention. Southern California Seminary's doctorate in psychology program does not offer a path to state licensure.

The University of Texas at Austin's Doctorate in Psychology program stands out on this list for having the most selective admissions rate (32%) and highest graduation rate (81%) of the public schools included. Seven areas of specialization are offered: Behavioral Neuroscience; Clinical Psychology; Cognition, Brain, and Behavior; Developmental Psychology; Individual Differences and Evolutionary Psychology; Perception, Brain, and Behavior; and Social Psychology. Depending on the area of specialization, the doctoral program takes four to six years to complete. An optional Portfolio in Applied Statistical Modeling is also available to doctorate students who wish to pursue a more academic and research-oriented career in psychology. Research interests of current students in the University of Texas at Austin's Ph.D. in Psychology program include perinatal mental health, political psychology, neuroimaging, and novel interventions for anxiety and mood disorders.

Saybrook University's online PhD in Psychology program focuses on existential, humanistic, and transpersonal psychology. While these principles are integrated into the whole curriculum, students can dig deeper into specific areas through the program's specialization options. These include Creativity Studies; Consciousness, Spirituality, and Integrative Health; Psychophysiology, and Existential, Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology.

These innovative concentration areas allow students to be on the cutting edge of research and practice and equip them with a variety of new skills that they can integrate into their professional practices. Saybrook's online PhD in Psychology prepares graduates to advance their careers in many areas, including education, the criminal justice system, community healthcare, and more.