psychology phd programs nc

We offer a Ph.D. program in Psychology that is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and judgement needed to become active contributors at the highest-level to research, teach, and provide public and professional service in the community.

Training is offered in six sub-fields: Behavioral and Integrative Neuroscience , Clinical Psychology , Cognitive Psychology , Developmental Psychology , Quantitative Psychology , and Social Psychology .

Learn more about the application process and admission requirements .

Current students may be interested in our graduate courses or information for incoming graduate students .

• Undergraduate
• B.A. in Psychology
• Academic Advising
• Experiential Learning
• What Can I Do With My Degree?
• Graduate and Research
• Admission Information
• Current Students
• Applied Social Psychology
• Human Factors and Applied Cognition
• Industrial and Organizational Psychology
• Lifespan Developmental Psychology
• School Psychology Graduate Program
• Social and Behavioral Health Research Group
• Psychoeducational Clinic
• Consultation
• Intervention

Graduate Programs

The Psychology Department offers graduate degrees at the doctoral level in a number of fields.

We have a rich, long history of granting graduate-level degrees, beginning in 1948, and we offer multiple courses of study. We do not, however, offer training in either clinical or counseling psychology.

Students apply to an area and benefit from cross-disciplinary coursework and research across areas.

• Human Factors and Applied Cognition Psychology
• Industrial/Organizational Psychology
• School Psychology

Join Our Community

Taking the next step in your academic career can be both exciting and stressful. Our top-notch community of graduate students and faculty will help you find a place in our community. We want to support your unique goals and interests — and work alongside you to think and do the extraordinary. Get a sense of the collaborative environment on campus in this video about Graduate Student Visiting Day. 

Using Virtual Reality to Study Astronaut Emergencies

Using a virtual reality simulation of the International Space Station, doctoral student Imani Murph will explore how distractions affect abilities to perform unfamiliar tasks.

Helping NASA Select Astronauts

When NASA revised how it chooses astronauts, psychology doctoral student Gary Travinin helped develop the process.

Taking on Health Disparities

Doctoral student Fanice Thomas is honing her leadership skills through a prestigious health policy fellowship. She’ll apply what she learns to improve health and well-being in immigrant communities.

Resources for Current Students

• Documents and Forms
• Department Calendar
• Graduate Student Support Plan
• Graduate School’s Discussion of Funding

The Clinical Psychology doctoral program (PhD) has been accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1949 and is also accredited by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) since 2017 through 2027.

We emphasize training in clinically-informed research and evidence-based clinical work and recognize that students have varying career aspirations that may evolve over the course of graduate training. Our program offers two tracks: Adult and Child/Family . Read more about our Student Admissions, Outcomes and Other Data.

We are strongly committed to promoting diversity and training early career scientists of diverse backgrounds. We encourage students from backgrounds historically underrepresented in the sciences to apply, including but not limited to BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, first generation college students, and those of low socioeconomic status.

Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation American Psychological Association (APA) 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 336-5979 | Email: [email protected] Website: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

Psychology Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) Joseph E. Steinmetz, Ph.D. Executive Director 1101 E 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47401; Phone: 479-301-8008 | Email:   [email protected] Website: https://pcsas.org/pcsas-accredited-programs/

Recent News

• Amanda Haik Awarded the Wadden Award for Training in Behavioral Medicine and Health Psychology
• Maku Orleans-Pobee Named 2023 Community Engaged Scholar Fellow
• Esmeralda Navarro and Yolanda Yang Selected as 2023 LEAD Fellows
• Thank you to all those who came last night, we had a blast and will miss our internship-bound students!
• Congratulations to our 2022 Award Winners!
• Dr. Mitchell J. Prinstein testified in front of the US Senate on the Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• Dr. Andrea Hussong Q&A on the impact of COVID-19 on adolescents’ mental health
• Dr. Andrea Hussong Selected for Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars Program
• Dr. Margaret Sheridan Named APS Fellow
• April Highlander Receives Gray-Little Diversity in Research Honorable Mention
• Carrington Merritt Receives Davenport Diversity in Research Honorable Mention

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Spartan Alert

Psychology, ph.d..

Students admitted to UNC Greensboro’s esteemed Psychology Ph.D. program choose from one of four areas of focus:

• Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
• Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology
• Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology
• Ph.D. in Social Psychology

Ph.D. students follow a single curriculum with a uniform set of requirements, but their research programs and seminar courses focus on their unique areas of interest.

PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS

• The Ph.D. in Psychology is one of the oldest doctoral degree programs at UNCG and is known for its rigorous research and clinical training.
• Equipment facilities include a 64 channel ERP system (Brain Products: actiCHamp and actiCap active electrodes system), remote eye tracking system (SensoMotoric Products), and access to a 3T scanner (Siemens Magnetom Trio).
• Methods training include experimental design, experience and thought sampling, protocol analysis, eye-tracking and pupillometry, and psychometrics.

THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

• Students receive extensive one-on-one mentoring from a faculty advisor and collaborate with many faculty and students to develop research skills.
• Because the graduate program is small, each student’s course of study can be tailored to meet individual interests and needs. 
• Students typically receive five years of funding, including tuition remission.

AFTER GRADUATION

• Students are well-prepared for successful careers as researchers, consultants, or academic psychologists.
• Recent graduates have secured postdoctoral and tenure-track positions as well as positions in non-profit organizations and industry.

Want more information? Let’s get started!

Program details.

Degree Type: Doctoral

College/School: College of Arts and Sciences

Program Type: Majors & Concentrations

Class Type: In Person

Learn More About the Department of Psychology

Similar Degree Offerings

• Psychology, M.A./Ph.D.
• Psychology, M.A.

Dr. Ethan Zell Director of Graduate Studies Department of Psychology [email protected]

Quick Links

• Psychology Research Labs
• Meet our Faculty

University Catalog 2024-2025

Psychology (phd).

Degree Requirements

Full professors.

• John Charles Begeny
• Jeffery P. Braden
• Lori Lea Foster
• Amy G. Halberstadt
• Mary E. Haskett
• Christopher Brooke Mayhorn
• Anne Collins McLaughlin
• Adam W. Meade
• Rupert W. Nacoste
• Shevaun D. Neupert
• Katharine E. Stewart
• Eric N. Wiebe

Associate Professors

• Jason Christopher Allaire
• Jennifer L. Burnette
• S. Bartholomew Craig
• Daniel Gruehn
• Kelly Lynn Sara Mulvey
• Scott Andrew Stage
• Laura Marie Widman

Assistant Professors

• Whitney Griffin
• Yingchen He
• Lori Hoggard
• Kristen Mahony-Atallah
• Aura Ankita Mishra
• Kate Norwalk
• Colleen Patton
• Sydney Reichin
• Patsy Anne Sibley
• Vanessa V. Volpe

Practice/Research/Teaching Professors

• Virginia Baker-Russell
• Anna Maria Behler
• Sarah Louise Desmarais
• Dana Kotter-Gruehn
• Lindsey C. McGowen
• Natalie Simona Murr
• Joseph M. Simons-Rudolph
• Amanda Young

Emeritus Faculty

• Donald William Drewes
• William P. Erchul
• Denis O. Gray
• Thomas M. Hess
• James W. Kalat
• David W. Martin
• Samuel B. Pond III
• Frank J. Smith
• Michael S. Wogalter
• Mary B. Wyer

Adjunct Faculty

• David B. Kaber
• Laura Ann Matalenas

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2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

A PDF of the entire 2024-2025 Undergraduate catalog.

2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

A PDF of the entire 2024-2025 Graduate catalog.

Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology

Mission and Aims

The UNCG Clinical Psychology program produces clinical psychologists who are professionally and culturally competent in the science and practice of psychology, and who recognize their responsibility as Health Service Providers to actively contribute, through research and practice, to issues facing their communities. Our faculty and training program promote the development of critical thinking, innovation, discovery, community engagement, and adherence to evidence-based clinical practice among our trainees. We are also guided by our core values of collaboration, mutual respect, and equity, and by our commitment to diversity and inclusion, alongside high ethical standards. 

To achieve this mission, two related aims guide our approach to training our students. We seek to: 

• Produce Health Service Psychologists with demonstrated knowledge and competence in psychology research, the practice of clinical psychology, and their integration  
• Prepare socially responsible clinical psychologists who will contribute to the field and their community while demonstrating ethical behavior and respect for individual and cultural differences in all aspects of their professional behavior

Read more about the curriculum and practicum training

Application Deadline:

A NOTE ON THE GRE

The Clinical Program does not require GRE scores as part of the admissions process. GRE scores will not be considered as part of our admissions decisions rubric.

Note to 2025 applicants

Please stay tuned for application deadlines and interview dates. If you are interested in attending a Virtual Open House for prospective graduate students, please see this link .

OUR COMMITMENT

Diversity and inclusion

“The clinical program is committed to promoting diversity and inclusiveness in research, service and practice…”

• Read our full statement about Diversity and Inclusion

RESEARCH & MENTORSHIP

Running Start

To give incoming students a jump start on their research, we developed a summer research experience called “Running Start.” Each incoming student is paired with a peer research mentor who meets with the student to introduce him/her to lab data collection procedures and lab data. The peer mentor and the student, in concert with the faculty advisor, discuss ideas for a first research project. The student then works to conduct a literature review, refines the question and “meets” electronically with the mentors to further develop their idea.

PHD PATHWAY

Next Gen Clin

In addition to addressing financial need, the program also addresses critical workforce development needs by expanding the pool of candidates who are able to afford and thrive in graduate school. Our  Next Gen Clin  program offers in-depth training in working with underserved populations through a combination of didactic and  experiential programming, close relationships with a UNCG Faculty Mentor and links students with alumni mentors currently working with underserved populations and within integrated-care settings.

• More on Next Gen Clin

Faculty in Clinical Psychology

Ilana s. berman.

A.P. Assistant Professor & Director of UNCG Psychology Clinic

UNCG Psychology Clinic

Not accepting students

Kari M. Eddington

Professor and Director of Clinical Training

Depression Treatment and Research Program

Adult depression, the role of motivation and self-regulation in emotional functioning, and psychotherapy process and outcome

Margaret Fields-Olivieri

Assistant Professor

Parent-toddler emotional and verbal communication processes, especially in the context of socioeconomic or psychosocial risk; Role of these processes in early emotional and language development; Child effects on parenting

Michaeline Jensen

Associate Professor

Interactions and Relationships Lab

Adolescent mental health and risk taking; parent-adolescent interactions; technology-mediated communication; acculturation and enculturation; intensive longitudinal methods.  

Accepting students

Susan P. Keane

RIGHT TRACK

Childhood psychopathology and children’s social relationships; parent-child interaction; the etiology, assessment, and treatment of peer rejection and neglect.

Julia Mendez

Parenting and School Readiness Lab

Developmental impact of poverty, parent involvement in children’s education, risk and resilience, and clinical interventions for ethnic minorities

Rosemery O. Nelson-Gray

Personality or temperament basis of adult psychopathology, with an emphasis on personality disorders, especially borderline personality disorder

Suzanne Vrshek-Schallhorn

Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director

Genetic, neuroendocrine, and cognitive mechanisms of life stress on depression

Danielle Weber

UNCG Couples Lab

Blair Wisco

Cognitive biases and emotion regulation processes in emotional disorders, particularly depression and PTSD

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the philosophy of the clinical training program.

The Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology is based on the scientist-practitioner model. Consistent with this model, our overarching goal is to foster the development of students as psychologists first, and secondarily as clinical psychologists. 

Is the clinical program accredited by the American Psychological ASSOCIATION?

The clinical program is accredited by the American Psychological Association.  This next site visit is scheduled for 2033. Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation American Psychological Association 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail:  [email protected] Web:  www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

What is the curriculum of the clinical program?

The Ph.D. curriculum for clinical students consists of clinical courses and seminars, courses and seminars in other areas of psychology, courses in statistics and research methods, practicum and internship training, and 24 credit hours of research including the thesis and dissertation. The program is structured so that it can be completed in five years, depending on the progress of the individual student, plus a required year of pre-doctoral internship. For more detailed information about the clinical program curriculum (including coursework, research requirements, and practicum training), see the Clinical Graduate Student Handbook under the Forms and Resources section. 

What practicum opportunities do you offer?

Clinical practicum and internship is required of all clinical students. In the first and second years, students enroll in assessment and intervention courses that include a methodological component. In the second year, students carry a small caseload. By the end of the third year, students typically will have completed 200 client contact hours in the UNCG Psychology Clinic where they are supervised by clinical faculty, all of whom are licensed psychologists. In the 4th and 5th years, students complete their advanced practicum training of 350 supervised client contact hours.  Advanced Practicum primarily occurs in the UNCG Psychology Clinic. Advanced Practicum training can also be obtained at program-approved placements. Some of these external sites require students to be licensed at MA level (LPA). All students are expected to obtain LPA licensure, including taking the EPPP exam; the Clinic provides financial support for licensure costs. The clinical program also sponsors DREAM Camp, a summer day camp for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

How is research training conducted in the clinical program?

Research training in UNCG’s clinical program is based on a mentorship model. Training begins in the summer prior to the first year with the Running Start program. During the first year, students begin to develop a thesis research project through the research methods course and under the direction of their faculty mentors. All second-year students make a presentation at the Graduate Research Conference, scheduled early in the fall term. The thesis is typically completed during the second or third year. An independent doctoral research project, which is often pilot work for the dissertation, is generally completed during the third or fourth years, and the doctoral dissertation during the fourth or fifth years.Students are encouraged to co-author papers for publication and presentation at professional meetings, as well as to have involvement in grant preparation. 

What is the student selection process?

Applications for admission to the Clinical program are due December 1st and are reviewed for admission into the program for the following Fall semester. Only one annual admission cycle is offered. Typically, around 200 applications are received for each admission cycle. We admit between 5-8 students each year.  Successful candidates show evidence of knowledge of psychology through their previous coursework and work/research experience, show evidence of success in managing the demands of academic coursework through a strong GPA and history of good grades, have scholarly interests that are a good “fit” with one or more of our core clinical faculty members, and are committed to diversity and inclusion in their endeavors as psychologists, consistent with the APA Code of Ethics for Psychologists. Successful applicants are notified by April 1 of each year. The selection process is usually completed by April 15 of each year. 

We do not admit part-time students.  Except in extraordinary circumstances, we do not offer clinical retraining of persons with a Ph.D. in another area of psychology. Qualified persons may take specific graduate courses in the department (e.g., Psychological Disorders of Adults or of Children) without admission to the program. Interested students should contact the Graduate School for admission as a non-degree student. The assessment, intervention, and practicum courses are open only to clinical psychology graduate students.

What financial support will I receive as a student?

Program costs are listed here: Student Outcome Table

Tuition waivers

The Department has a limited pool of funds that cover the costs out-of-state or in-state tuition.  We make every effort to provide Out of State (OS) students the funds to cover the cost of out-of-state tuition. In-state (IS) tuition funds are also available to students. Over the past 10 years, we have provided funds to cover the cost of  tuition to all IS and OS students who are in good standing in the program.

Tuition funds do not cover any student fees that may be charged by the University. Current student fee costs are found here .

Student Funding

Competitive Fellowships .  There are many fellowships at UNCG and in the department available for students. For example,  Alumni / Excellence / Hayes Fellowship s, t he PRIME program, the   Duffy scholarship.  Faculty nominate students for these fellowships. 

State Funded assistantships : State funding provided by the department typically provides students who are in good standing in the program with stipend support for a TA assignment (the commitment includes no more than 20 hours a week). 

Other Funding Opportunities : Clinical students may also be eligible for funding through our partnerships with external clinics, hospitals, schools, and other organizations. Some of these funding opportunities require that students be licensed at the Psychological Associate (Master’s) level.

What are the job placements of your alumni? 

Our alumni are employed in a variety of positions. Over the past 10 years, approximately 37% of our alumni work in hospitals, academic medical centers or VA Centers, 32% are employed in community mental health centers or are in independent private practice, 7% are employed in Academic Teaching positions, 7% are employed in research positions (including on who is doing pharmaceutical research) and 4% are in other Integrated Health care settings (including 1 in a pediatric practice).  Thirteen percent (13%) are completing post doctoral fellowship positions.

Once I earn my Ph.D., are there any other requirements for practicing as a clinical psychologist? 

Licensure as a psychologist is required in the United States. Our program requires students to obtain licensure in North Carolina at the master’s level (as a Licensed Psychological Associate). However, additional requirements must be met to obtain licensure at the doctoral level. See here for more information.

Request more information

Please address all Graduate Application questions to:

Malcolm Moon

Administrative Assistant

[email protected] 336-334-5014

Please address all Clinical Training questions to:

[email protected] 336-256-0045 Eberhart 279

Please address all additional Graduate questions to:

Professor and Graduate Program Director

[email protected] Eberhart 271

The U.S. Department of Education requires that all higher education institutions advise students as to whether their curriculum provides them with the eligibility to apply for a professional license and/or certification in the state for which they plan to practice. 

As such, please review  UNC Greensboro’s status by state for the Clinical Psychology program . You should note whether the program either “meets”, “does not meet”, or if there “has not been a determination” of the program’s status in the state for which you plan to practice. You should contact the program at  [email protected]  with any questions regarding this data.