Encompassing nearly all of the Southern Rocky Mountains and the western edge of the Great Plains, Colorado is one of the Mountain states within the southeastern region of the United States. Nicknamed the “Centennial State,” Colorado is the eighth most extensive and 22nd most populous state, with more than 5.1 million residents. Often considered the heart of the American Southwest, Colorado is well-known for its Royal Gorge Bridge, Mesa Verde National Park, Continental Divide, Seven Falls, Pikes Peak, Cripple Creek, Denver Broncos NFL team, hot springs, rock climbing, Colorado Gold Rush, and world-class skiing and snowboarding resorts. Also home to some of the best universities in the nation, the following are the PhD programs for aspiring psychology professionals that have been accredited by the American Psychological Association within Colorado.
Colorado State University
College of Natural Sciences
Situated in the mid-sized city of Fort Collins at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and nearby Horsetooth Reservoir less than one hour north of Denver, Colorado State University is considered to be among the leading public research institutions in the nation. With an agreeable climate that allows 300 days of sunshine each year, it is so surprise that the U.S. News and World Report survey has placed CSU as the 121st best college and 60th top public school in the nation. As the second largest major on campus with around 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the College of Natural Sciences’ Department of Psychology is nationally recognized for having the 101st best graduate psychology programs in the nation.
PhD in Counseling Psychology
Based upon a scientist-practitioner model of clinical training, the PhD in Counseling Psychology program is designed to produce students who are capable of advancing psychology as a science and implementing various counseling techniques for intervention. Students in the program receive a broad knowledge for a strong theoretical basis in topics such as human development, learning, personality, assessment, physiology, social psychology, statistics, and neuropsychology. After completing the curriculum in three or four years, students are required to successfully pass a clinical competency exam before engaging in a one-year full-time internship at an APA-approved counseling setting.
Accreditations
- American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation (COA)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)
Contact Information
117 Statistics Building
1801 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523
(970) 491-1300
cns@lamar.colostate.edu
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Psychology/counseling/
University of Colorado at Boulder
School of Education
Standing against a majestic backdrop of the Rocky Mountains in a dynamic college town with more than 80 miles of walking and biking trails for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy, the University of Colorado at Boulder is a major public research and teaching institution with more than 25,500 students annually. As the only university in the Rocky Mountain region to join the elite Association of American Universities, UCB is currently ranked as the 86th best college and 36th top public school in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report. Selected as one of only 32 departments across the United States to become a partner in the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate, the UCB School of Education is also nationally recognized as the 28th top graduate education school in the country.
PhD in Educational Psychology and Learning Sciences (EPSY)
With a strong foundation in the psychological perspectives on education and human development, the Educational Psychology and Learning Sciences (EPSY) program intends to prepare graduate students for research and collective efforts for improving the conditions of learning among young people of diverse backgrounds. The intensive curriculum covers topics in perspectives on classroom teaching, educational research, social policy, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and learning theories. To earn the PhD degree, students must successfully complete a minimum of 56 course credits and 30 hours of dissertation research credits as well as pass a comprehensive examination.
PhD in Clinical Psychology
Recognized in 2008 by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as a Program of Excellence in treatments for mood disorders, the PhD in Clinical Psychology program is strongly emphasized on the study of competence versus psychopathology across the lifespan. Designed to generate clinical psychologists who seamlessly integrate theoretical, clinical, and resource knowledge to improve client quality of life, the program involves five to six years of post-baccalaureate studies without a terminal master’s degree. Throughout the program, students are actively engaged in rigorous coursework, research practicum, clinical practicum, dissertation hours, and a culminating full-time internship.
Accreditations
- American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation (COA)
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)
Contact Information
249 UCB Room 151
Boulder, CO 80309
(303) 492-6937
edadvise@colorado.edu
https://www.colorado.edu/education/academics/graduate-programs/learning-sciences-human-development/phd-education-emphasis-learning
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Psychology Department
As the fourth largest public university for graduate enrollment in Colorado with 1,727 graduate students enrolled, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs is known for offering high-quality education with small class sizes on a campus beautifully situated at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and magnificent views of Pikes Peak. The U.S. News and World Report survey has ranked UCCS as the 42nd best college, 10th top public school, and 13th best college of veterans in the West. One of the two national leaders in community engagement efforts, the UCCS Psychology Department is also nationally recognized as having the 114th best graduate clinical psychology program in the country.
PhD in Clinical Psychology
Designed with a curricular emphasis in Geropsychology, the PhD in Clinical Psychology program educates students following the scientist-practitioner model for training in effective mental health diagnosis, assessment, and intervention of adults and older adults. Within a minimum of five years of post-baccalaureate studies, the doctoral program requires 126 credit hours, a comprehensive examination, dissertation of original research, and clinical internship off-site in mental health settings. The goals of the program are for students to develop foundational skills in the practice of clinical psychology with a concentration on aging and provide diverse empirically-based assessment with diverse populations.
Accreditations
- American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation (COA)
- Council of Professional Geropsychology Training Programs (CoPGTP)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)
Contact Information
1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
(719) 255-4500
psych-l-on@uccs.edu
https://psychology.uccs.edu/phd-program
University of Denver
Morgridge College of Education
Nestled at the base of the Rock Mountains in the thriving urban capital “Mile High” city of Colorado, the University of Denver is one of the nation’s premier private universities with more than 11,500 students pursuing their college dreams in more than 220 programs of study. First founded in 1864 as the oldest independent university in the Rocky Mountain region, DU is currently ranked as the 91st best college and 10th best up-and-coming school in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report. Furthermore, the DU Morgridge College of Education is nationally recognized as the 149th best graduate education school with the 47th best graduate clinical/counseling psychology programs in the United States.
PhD in Counseling Psychology
A highly selective doctoral accredited by the American Psychological Association, the PhD in Counseling Psychology (CP) program has the goal of developing practitioners who are insightful, self-reflective, innovative, and superior critical thinkers. The program includes work in counseling theories, research, intervention techniques, career counseling, individual/group counseling, program evaluation, and practicum. In addition to joining faculty mentors on research projects for specialized interests, students are given the opportunity to counsel adolescent and adult clients with supervision of a licensed psychologist while working in the Counseling and Educational Services Clinic on-campus.
PhD in Clinical Child Psychology
As one of the few programs in the country that primarily focuses on providing training in clinical child psychology from a clinical science model approach, this PhD degree program aims to prepare professionals who will implement effective assessment and intervention techniques for children and families of underserved communities. The curriculum is strongly based on research design, statistical analyses, psychotherapy systems, multicultural issues in mental health, intellectual assessment, psychopathology, and social/emotional assessment. Within the final fifth or sixth year of the program, students are required to complete a full-time clinical internship at an APA-approved internship site.
Accreditations
- American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation (COA)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)
Contact Information
Mary Reed Building, Room 5
2199 S. University Blvd.
Denver, CO 80208
(303) 871-2831
gradinfo@du.edue
https://morgridge.du.edu/programs/counseling-psychology/
https://liberalarts.du.edu/academics-admissions/programs-gr/phd-clinical-psychology-child-emphasis
University of Northern Colorado
College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
About one hour north of the capital city and one hour east of the famous Rocky Mountain National Park on a 236-acre campus in the suburban town of Greeley, the University of Northern Colorado is a comprehensive public research institution that offers more than 2,000 academic programs to approximately 13,000 students annually. The university is known for being large enough to offer engaging educational opportunities, yet small enough to offer a personalized academic career for individualized learning. Despite being a second-tier institution, the U.S. News and World Report ranks the UNC College of Education and Behavioral Sciences as having the 161st best graduate education programs and 209th best graduate psychology programs in the entire nation.
PhD in Counseling Psychology
Adhering to the scientist-practitioner model of training, the Counseling Psychology PhD degree program is designed for students interested in careers as psychologists working in private practices, mental health centers, healthcare facilities, and academic institutions. Since the program strongly believes students must become contributors to psychological research, all students are involved in a rigorous research methodology coursework and a doctoral dissertation that must be defended that Counseling Psychology Research Day. Within the clinical practicum and internship experiences, students are also supervised in administering psychological assessments, including the MMPI-2, Wechsler, and Rorschach tests.
PhD in School Psychology
The PhD in School Psychology program aims to prepare professionals for psychological practice with children, youth, families, and adult learners in the schooling process. Attention is strongly directed toward the development of skills in the assessment of intellectual, emotional, physical, and social development of children to implement academic interventions. Students within the program are required to complete 130 credits to accomplish the PhD degree, including a minimum of 1,500 hours of school psychology internship and 16 semester hours of doctoral dissertation research. Since the program is uniquely set within the College of Education and Behavioral Studies, students have the opportunity to work closely with interdisciplinary faculty mentors within the primary training institution for educators in Colorado.
Accreditations
- American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation (COA)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)
Contact Information
501 20th Street McKee 248
Greeley, CO 80639
(970) 351-2731
https://www.unco.edu/cebs/applied-psychology-counselor-education/counseling-psychology/
https://www.unco.edu/cebs/school-psychology/programs/doctor-philosophy.aspx
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