One of the most rewarding positions within the psychology industry is that of the college instructor, and the psychology doctoral programs in Ohio allow professionals to become well-researched, engaging psychology instructors at universities nationwide. Each of the programs offered in the state emphasizes a unique approach to clinical, school, or counseling services, giving students the background they need to both excel in the field at a high level and teach courses to new students who are considering the field for their own, long-term career goals.
Though each program and department is slightly different, the doctorate offerings in Ohio are united by a strong commitment to research, a firm policy of giving students all the tools they’ll need in the workplace, and a long history of helping students land fellowships, graduate teaching assistantships, enviable research positions, and other experiences that will benefit their careers for a lifetime.
Bowling Green State University
Department of Psychology
Bowling Green is one of the top-ranked public universities in Ohio, with a number of notable graduates and quite a few highly regarded professors who have contributed greatly to psychological research. The university is home to a doctoral program in psychology that routinely conducts scholarly research worthy of being published in national journals within the industry. In addition to hosting an all-doctoral group of faculty members and providing labs for industry-leading research, Bowling Green State’s graduate and doctoral programs are typically ranked as one of the best values in Ohio due to in-state tuition prices and public funding programs. Students are given the opportunity to both work and teach alongside professors, giving them serious academic credentials for life in academia after graduation.
Clinical Psychology PhD
Students who enroll in the clinical psychology program at Bowling Green State University are expected to have both an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master’s degree in clinical psychology. These two degrees are generally required because the doctoral program is so in-depth right from the very beginning. Students will build on their knowledge and understanding of the diagnosis and treatment process in today’s hospitals and clinics. They’ll learn how to properly conduct academic research that seeks to learn more about common psychological disorders and new treatments that might allow patients to go without the common medications prescribed by psychiatrists. While on campus, students will assist professors with intensive research projects in the area of psychological disorder and diagnosis. They’ll also have an opportunity to teach undergraduate students through a teaching assistantship program if they wish to build their post-graduation credentials for life in the classroom.
Accreditations: American Psychological Association, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Bowling Green State University
Department of Psychology
Bowling Green, OH 43403
Phone: (419) 372-2531
Email: pwatson@bgnet.bgsu.edu
Program Website
Case Western Reserve University
College of Arts and Sciences
Case Western is one of the largest private institutions in the state of Ohio, and is typically touted as one of the best values for the money, one of the best schools for military personnel and veterans, and one of the best schools for research, distance education, and online learning. Students who opt to get their doctoral degree at the university will work with an all-doctoral psychology faculty within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The faculty has earned an esteemed reputation for their research into clinical services, including how patients respond to certain methods of counseling, treatment, and diagnosis, in a medical environment. Faculty members are known for bringing their findings into the classroom, where students gain a first-hand account of new industry standards, changes, and procedures, which they’ll use in their own classrooms or clinical practices.
Clinical Psychology PhD
Pursuing clinical psychology at the doctoral level requires Case Western applicants to have studied psychology previously, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Coursework is highly sophisticated, and builds on an already advanced understanding gained through prior studies. Students in the program will be able to choose from concentrations that range from health counseling to disorder diagnosis and treatment. During their time in the program, all Case Western students will work with a professor in an assistant role within an on-campus research lab. Common areas of focus for research include adolescent disorder diagnosis, health-related psychological issues, child psychology, and adult treatment. This research builds a foundation for the student’s doctoral thesis, which represents both the capstone course and the final requirement fulfilled prior to graduation.
Accreditations: American Psychological Association, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Case Western Reserve University
College of Arts and Sciences
10900 Euclid Ave
Cleveland, OH 44106
Phone: (216) 368-2000
Program Website
Cleveland State University
Department of Psychology
Cleveland State University is an urbanized campus located centrally in the city, serving students of both Cleveland and the surrounding metropolitan areas with intensive research and affordable, in-state tuition rates. The Department of Psychology offers a concentrated program in counseling that gives students the background they need to become researchers on their own, professional faculty members at a university, or more effective professionals in private practice. The department has been published several times nationally for its research work, and is committed to bringing that groundbreaking work into the classroom. Thanks to strong Cleveland ties, students often have numerous opportunities in the city for internships and assistantships, case studies, and research-related networking.
Counseling Psychology PhD
Cleveland State is one of the few universities to dedicate an entire sub-department to aging, and that commitment is reflected in the coursework undertaken by doctoral students. It can also be seen in on-campus research assistantships. All those who enroll at Cleveland State will take courses in the ethics and professional guidelines for advanced research and case studies, as well as advanced classes in counseling children, adults, and those with severe psychological disorders and significant symptoms. They’ll learn more about treatment, and they’ll focus heavily on the philosophy of the counseling profession in the 21st century. Students will graduate with not only a more practical understanding of the field, but also an understanding of why counseling matters, how it’s developing, and how their work can change their patients’ response to challenging disorders. Research is required of all students, as is a doctoral thesis approved by a faculty panel.
Accreditations: American Psychological Association, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Cleveland State University
Department of Psychology
2121 Euclid Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44115
Phone: (216) 687-2000
Email: psychology@csuohio.edu
Program Website
Kent State University
Department of Psychology
Kent State is one of the largest and most research-focused universities in the state of Ohio, with a proud reputation of student involvement, activism, and success. The Department of Psychology at Kent State is one of the few in Ohio that’s large enough to maintain two separate degree programs. Students can opt for studies in either clinical or school psychology, giving them a research-focused background that can lead to better patient or student outcomes on a consistent basis. Kent State’s research labs are among the largest and busiest in the state, and the department requires students to become part of an ongoing research project in order to complete their degree. To help students further their own career goals, the department regularly hosts a professional speaker series, on-campus networking events, and several job fairs each year.
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
Clinical psychology is perhaps the most popular area of psychology, at least among the general public. To ensure that the broadest segment of the population can benefit from clinical services, Kent State has crafted its clinical program to focus on a series of different demographic groups. Students will focus on advanced coursework in youth and adolescent clinical services, adult clinical services, and diagnosis of disorders in a medical setting. They’ll dive deeper into diagnosis and treatment, using both traditional counseling methods, groundbreaking research, and treatment using approved prescription drugs. By the conclusion of the program, students will have the skills they need to be highly efficient clinical psychologists at the highest levels. They’ll have conducted a proper amount of research for work in academia as well, which includes their required doctoral thesis.
Ph.D. in School Psychology
School psychology is an increasingly popular field within the industry and one that is requiring more advanced certifications or education with each passing year. Some schools will only hire school counselors with a doctorate, largely thanks to their background in advanced youth and adolescent services and diagnosis. That’s exactly what Kent State offers to its students. Courses include those centered on sensitivity to problems in the home, an understanding of how external factors can affect today’s students, and how to prevent students from giving into psychological conflicts and harming their fellow students or their teachers. Doctoral students will conduct research related to this field, and they’ll present a thesis that examines one specific aspect of modern school counseling to a panel of faculty members. Upon graduation, they’ll be among the most qualified school psychologists in the state of Ohio.
Accreditations: American Psychological Association, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Kent State University
Department of Psychology
800 E Summit St.
Kent, OH 44240
Phone: (330) 672-3000
Program Website
Miami University
Department of Psychology
The Department of Psychology at Miami University is one of the most accomplished departments in Ohio, with an innovative doctoral program that covers three major areas of clinical and counseling psychology. Professors are also deeply involved in their own academic research through on-campus experiments, case studies, and labs, and these experiments typically make use of graduate and doctoral students in assistant roles. Miami’s research is routinely published in scholarly journals and has made national headlines, especially in the area of cognitive psychology. Due to the school’s sterling reputation in Ohio and throughout the Midwest, students often have a wealth of professional networking contacts to use as they graduate from the program and seek an academic or clinical position.
PhD Clinical Psychology
The PhD in clinical psychology at Miami University requires students to have obtained a graduate degree in cognitive science, clinical psychology, or psychological counseling. These programs provide the necessary, intermediate coursework that serves as a pre-requisite for the university’s doctoral courses. Once enrolled, students will study advanced cognitive psychology in young children, young adults, and older individuals. They will study disorders and diagnosis, and learn a significant amount of information about today’s common counseling and prescription drug treatments. All students will serve as a research assistant immediately upon matriculation but, by their final year in the program, Miami expects those same students to become “independent scientists” who lead their own research work in on-campus labs and within the surrounding community. A thesis is required prior to graduation, with students presenting to a faculty panel that can either recommend their graduation or recommend further work on the scholarly document.
Accreditations: American Psychological Association, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Miami University
Department of Psychology
501 E High St.
Oxford, OH 45056
Phone: (513) 529-1809
Program Website
The Ohio State University
Department of Psychology
Ohio State is the flagship public university in the Buckeye State, and its clinical psychology program reflects this dominance. The school has one of the most selective admissions rates for doctoral students in psychology, and offers them some of the most advanced research labs and scientific tools upon enrollment. Professors both teach and conduct research, and they typically bring their own findings into the classroom to further discussion of emerging trends, new technologies, and innovative clinical processes in the 21st century.
PhD in Clinical Psychology
Clinical psychology students start their studies with a core of required classes, focusing on the advanced legal and ethical issues of treatment in a medical environment, the nature of scholarly research and its impact on the industry, and their role as both a counselor and an instrument of treatment. Beyond these required components, students then focus on a concentration and a significant research component, both of which will lead to a future career serving those with past psychological trauma, those of younger age groups, or those with a terminal psychological disorder that requires intense treatment and study. A thesis is required as part of the graduation process, with students presenting their unique, on-campus research to a faculty panel during their final year at OSU.
Accreditations: American Psychological Association, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
The Ohio State University
Department of Psychology
015 Psychology Building
1835 Neil Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: (614) 292-5136
Email: psychadvising@osu.edu
Program Website
Ohio University
Department of Psychology
Ohio State’s chief rival is Ohio University, which offers smaller class sizes to psychology students and a more prestigious reputation in terms of its classroom environment. The university does still focus heavily on doctoral research, however, and professors are both active researchers and involved community members as a result. Regarded as a top value in Ohio and one of the state’s most powerful degrees, the doctorate in clinical psychology offers advanced courses across a broad array of topics so that graduates can effectively function in crisis centers, large hospitals, and smaller clinics, meeting patients’ needs regardless of venue.
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
Ohio University focuses heavily on advanced quantitative coursework within its doctoral program, and students can actually opt for a track in quantitative psychology. Other tracks at Ohio University include clinical child psychology or health psychology, both of which represent some of the fastest-growing fields in the industry nationwide. Research is conducted by all graduate students, though they must choose an ongoing research project that represents their chosen coursework track in the program. Research provides the basis for a doctoral thesis, which can accompany students into a professional teaching role after graduation as they seek to further their research in that area. Thesis presentation must achieve a full commendation by a faculty panel prior to graduation, as should be expected in a doctoral program of this kind.
Accreditations: American Psychological Association, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Ohio University
Department of Psychology
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: (740) 593-1000
Program Website
The University of Akron
Department of Psychology
Akron is home to a 25,000-member student body and one of the largest on-campus research outfits in the nation. The Department of Psychology is a significant, contributing factor to Akron’s research reputation. Every faculty member is involved in research relating to psychological counseling and treatment, with highly specialized research topics that have yielded national publication. The most common areas of focus have been youth and school psychology, cognitive psychology, and counseling in private practice environments. Faculty members work with students to conduct research together, mentoring them as they build a thesis of their own and graduate from the program.
Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology
Counseling psychology is a strong area of focus for many in the industry, since it’s almost always in high demand across the country. Akron builds on the counseling skills that students learned at the graduate level, giving them even more advanced coursework in treatment and diagnosis, cognitive behavior, disorder and treatment management, and the ethical hurdles of modern counseling. Paired with this coursework is academic research, which will see each student serve both as an assistant and as a lead researcher during their several years at Akron.
Accreditations: American Psychological Association, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
The University of Akron
Department of Psychology
302 E Buchtel Ave
Akron, OH 44325
Phone: (330) 972-7777
Program Website
University of Cincinnati
McMicken College of Arts and Sciences
Top-ranked University of Cincinnati offers students the right combination of in-state tuition fees and extensive research. In fact, Cincinnati is home to one of the largest collections of research labs anywhere in the country. It’s second only to Ohio State in terms of research conducted, much of which happens within the Department of Psychology. Professors at the school are primarily concerned with the intersection of new treatments, new technologies, and the traditional role of the skilled psychologist. Their research is paving the way for innovative treatments that can give patients the skills they need to overcome their disorder without heavy medication or other, less attractive options.
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
Those who enroll in this program should already have completed an M.S. in clinical psychology prior to filing an application. Upon enrollment, students will build on their understanding of clinical services by focusing extensively on medical technology and high-teach treatment methods. They’ll also enroll in courses focusing much more on advanced disorder treatment and diagnosis, and they’ll take classes that convey advanced research ethics, legal guidelines, and case studies to that effect. By their final year, students will be able to lead their own team of research assistants as they study a serious issue related to their clinical concentration. This research builds the foundation for a mandatory, pre-graduation thesis presentation.
Accreditations: American Psychological Association, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
University of Cincinnati
McMicken College of Arts and Sciences
7148 Edwards One
Cincinnati, OH 45221
Phone: (513) 556-5860
Email: Karen.eichelbrenner@uc.edu
Program Website
University of Toledo
Psychology Department
The city of Toledo is served well by this namesake university, which is home to more than 22,000 students and hundreds of faculty members. Those in the Psychology Department are known for conducting hugely important research in the areas of treatment technologies, the psychology of aging, and how to diagnose and treat differing age groups suffering from the same or similar disorders. This segmentation is a central theme in doctoral coursework, where students learn the importance of a patient’s background in appropriately diagnosing and treating their symptoms in a medical venue.
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
Clinical psychology students will pick a “track” immediately upon enrolling. When paired with the doctoral core of the program, these tracks emphasize the impact of aging, the effect of technology on psychological treatment, health counseling in a clinical setting, or adolescent counseling. Students will use this track as the basis for on-campus research, assisting a professor who is already studying a related area. While assisting with research, students will create a thesis of their own and eventually move into a solo research role where they work exclusively on their thesis, its required research, and its successful presentation to several faculty members prior to graduation.
Accreditations: American Psychological Association, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
University of Toledo
Psychology Department
2801 W Bancroft St.
Toledo, OH 43606
Phone: (800) 586-5336
Program Website
Wright State University
School of Professional Psychology
Wright State is one of the few institutions nationwide to have its own, separate school for those studying psychology at the graduate or doctoral levels. The School of Professional Psychology separates students from other, larger colleges at the university and even from their undergraduate counterparts. As a result, students gain access to a unique slate of professors and a bigger commitment to scholarly research and post-graduation professional networking and guidance. The School of Professional Psychology pairs all students with an advisor and a research supervisor, hosts on-campus research presentations, networking events, and job fairs, and is committed to serving both on-campus students and the psychological needs of nearby Dayton.
Ph.D. Clinical Psychology
Clinical psychology students at Wright State University take advanced courses in clinical services, youth services, research, ethical guidelines, and treatment of both rare and common disorders. In addition to these classes, students are required to conduct on-campus research, guided toward their own case studies, and must complete an individual thesis prior to graduation. Students can also opt for off-campus clinical job placements to further their own experience in the field, especially if they haven’t yet worked professionally in clinical psychology during their time in undergraduate, graduate-level, and now doctoral coursework.
Accreditations: American Psychological Association, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Wright State University
School of Professional Psychology
117 Health Sciences
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy.
Dayton, OH 45435
Phone: (937) 775-3490
Program Website
Xavier University
Department of Clinical Psychology
Xavier’s doctoral program in clinical psychology is one of Ohio’s newest, having been around only since 1997. Even so, the university has placed significant emphasis on the program during its nearly two decades of availability and this has resulted in a prestigious reputation nationwide. It has also allowed the program to be consistently ranked among the fastest growing and as among the most selective anywhere in the state of Ohio. Research is central to the role of the Department of Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis being placed primarily on how counseling is changing in large medical settings as technology itself changes the entire profession.
Clinical Psychology Doctorate
All students start off with a traditional foundation in advanced psychology courses, including quantitative psychology and statistics, advanced research, professional ethics, rare disorders, and the role of the medical environment in providing psychological services. After these courses, they move into one of several specialized tracks that range from youth services to health psychology. Research becomes a core component of the program at this stage, with students assisting other professors before formulating their own thesis and conducting independent research as a result. This thesis is presented to a panel of professors prior to graduation, with a commendation leading to graduation with the school’s doctorate in clinical psychology.
Accreditations: American Psychological Association, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Xavier University
Department of Clinical Psychology
3800 Victory Pkwy.
Cincinnati, OH 45207
Phone: (513) 745-3000
Email: webmaster@xavier.edu
Program Website
Excellent, Intensive Programs for Doctoral Students in Psychology
From clinical problems to doctorates that can dramatically improve the role of the school counselor, universities in Ohio offer some of the most academically rigorous, and research intensive, doctoral programs in the state. Each program offers unique benefits and a customized approach that gives students the skills, research abilities, and instructional qualities, required of psychologists at the highest levels. For those who feel that their interests and talents are best used in scholarly research or teaching at the college level, it’s worth checking out the scores of psychology doctoral programs in Ohio.