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2025-2026 Graduate Catalog
Psychology, Ph.D.
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 Return to: Graduate Majors (A-Z)
Concentrations:
- Clinical Psychology
- Cognition, Neuroscience, & Social Psychology
- Industrial-Organizational Psychology
The Ph.D. in Psychology major is divided into three broad concentrations: Clinical Psychology; Cognition, Neuroscience, & Social Psychology; and Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Each of these concentrations offers Ph.D. level training in the following areas of special expertise:
Clinical Psychology
Psychopathology, Psychological Assessment and Interventions, Health Psychology, Addictive Behaviors, Clinical Child Psychology.
Cognition, Neuroscience, & Social Psychology
Behavioral Neuroscience, Cognition, Emotion Processes, Judgment and Decision Making, Development, Memory, Perception, Language, Social-Personality (Stereotyping and Discrimination, Health, Relationships, Gender, Self, Personality).
Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Staffing, Measurement & Personnel Testing, Learning, Training & Development, Motivation & Job Attitudes, Teams & Multilevel Organizational Systems, Leadership, Career Development, Work-Family, Occupational Health Psychology, Future of Work.
Methodological offerings across areas include Regression, Analysis of Variance, Psychometrics, Factor Analysis, Meta-analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling.
Accreditation:
Clinical Program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) Committee on Accreditation (CoA); Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) and is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science.
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Admission Information
Must meet University Admission and English Proficiency requirements as well as requirements for admission to the major, listed below. See Psychology Admissions webpage for additional details. - A statement of purpose.
- A Psychology Interests and Applicant Summary Form.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- GRE scores optional (see Psychology Admissions website for more information.)
- A GPA Worksheet with an upper-level undergraduate GPA of 3.40 or better.
Curriculum Requirements
Total Minimum Hours: 42 Credit Hours Students must successfully complete all requirements noted in the Catalog section for the M.A. in Psychology, or have earned its equivalent master’s degree, with a minimum GPA of 3.00. In addition, students must successfully complete the requirements listed below. A minimum grade of B- is required for all courses. Taken as part of the master’s (30 credit hours minimum; not included in 42 Ph.D. credit hours): - Core – 7 Credit Hours
- Concentration Requirements – 10 Credit Hours minimum*
- Electives – 3 Credit Hours Minimum*
- Thesis – 4 Credit Hours
- Practicum - 2 Credit Hours (Clinical Concentration Only)
*Concentration and elective hours vary; students take necessary coursework in the concentration and/or electives to meet the total minimum of 30 credit hours required for this major. In addition to the requirements for the master’s degree the following are required for completion of the doctorate (42 credit hours minimum): - Concentrations – 18 Credit Hours Minimum*
- Tools or Research– 6 Credit Hours Minimum
- Electives – 6 Credit Hours Minimum*
- Practicum (Clinical Concentration only)
- Dissertation – 12 Credit hours Minimum
A given course may only fulfill one requirement. * Concentration and elective hours vary by concentration; students take necessary coursework in the concentration and/or electives to meet the total minimum of 42 credit hours required for this major. Core Requirements (7 Credit Hours)
Completed as part of the master’s requirements. Students with a completed master’s will meet with the Graduate Director to ensure that all of the course requirements for the M.A. in Psychology at USF have been satisfied. Concentration Requirements (18 Credit Hours Minimum)
Students apply to and enroll in one of the following three concentrations for the Ph.D.: Clinical Psychology (21 Credit Hours)
Concentration requirements in the Master’s Degree must be completed in addition to the courses below: Cognition, Neuroscience, and Social Psychology (18 Credit Hours)
Concentration requirements in the Master’s Degree must be completed in addition to the courses below: Industrial-Organizational Psychology Concentration (21 Credit Hours)
Concentration requirements in the Master’s Degree must be completed in addition to the courses below: Tools of Research (6 Credit Hours Minimum):
Students complete tools of research in the area of the concentration, selected in consultation with their Major Professor. These requirements are in addition to any Master’s requirements. Students wishing to fulfill this methods requirement with any course not listed here must submit a request to their major professor. Clinical Psychology Concentration Tools (9 hours total)
Students select one course from each of the categories below (Multivariate and Psychometrics) and one course (3 credit hours) from the list of Shared Options below. Cognition, Neuroscience, and Social Psychology Concentration Tools (9 hours total):
Students are required to complete nine (9) credit hours. In addition to the Shared Options below, a tools course requirement may be met by any of the following: Industrial-Organization Psychology Concentration Tools (6 Credit hours)
Students complete six (6) Credit hours from the Shared Options below. Shared Options
If not already taken as part of the above requirements, the (remaining) tools requirements within any of the three concentrations may be satisfied with the following courses: Electives: (6 Credit Hours Minimum)
Students complete elective courses in their concentration area, or acceptable alternatives, selected in consultation with the Major Professor.
Approval of courses is the responsibility of the student’s major professor, area director, and Graduate Program Committee. Examples of electives: Practicum/Internship
Students in the Clinical Psychology Concentration are required to complete a one-year, full-time, APA-approved (or CPA approved) internship. Refer to the concentration for the specific hour requirement. International students must enroll in: Qualifying Examination:
Successful completion of the Ph.D. Comprehensive Qualifying Exam is required for Admission to Candidacy. Students in the Clinical Psychology or Cognition, Neuroscience, and Social Psychology Concentrations also have the option of completing a comprehensive major area paper to meet this requirement. Dissertation: (12 Credit Hours Minimum)
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Return to: Graduate Majors (A-Z)
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