Psychology doctoral programs in Tennessee include ten APA-accredited programs across six universities, spanning PhD tracks in clinical, counseling, and school psychology plus one PsyD in counseling psychology. Most run five to seven years and include a year-long internship. These programs are designed to meet Tennessee’s education requirements for licensure, though applicants should confirm current standards with the state board.
Six universities offer psychology doctoral programs in Tennessee, from Nashville to Memphis to the Appalachian foothills around Johnson City. Five of those programs are PhDs built around a scientist-practitioner model, and one, at Austin Peay State University, is a newer PsyD track focused on clinical practice. Before comparing schools, it helps to know which degree track fits your goals.
PhD vs. PsyD in Psychology: Which Track Fits You
Both the PhD and PsyD lead to licensure and require passing the EPPP, but they train psychologists differently. A PhD is research-weighted, following a scientist-practitioner or clinical-science model that expects you to run studies alongside clinical training, and PhD programs are more often assistantship-funded. A PsyD leans toward a practitioner-scholar model: more clinical hours, less dissertation-scale research, and more often tuition-funded. Our guide on how the two degrees differ walks through which track fits which goal in more detail.
Tennessee Psychology Doctoral Programs at a Glance
Every program below is accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation. Select a school name to jump to its full program details, including current accreditation status.
| School | Degree | Focus | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Peay State University | PsyD | Counseling Psychology | Clarksville, TN |
| East Tennessee State University | PhD | Clinical Psychology | Johnson City, TN |
| Tennessee State University | PhD | Counseling Psychology | Nashville, TN |
| University of Memphis | PhD | Clinical Psychology | Memphis, TN |
| University of Memphis | PhD | Counseling Psychology | Memphis, TN |
| University of Memphis | PhD | School Psychology | Memphis, TN |
| University of Tennessee, Knoxville | PhD | Clinical Psychology | Knoxville, TN |
| University of Tennessee, Knoxville | PhD | Counseling Psychology | Knoxville, TN |
| University of Tennessee, Knoxville | PhD | School Psychology | Knoxville, TN |
| Vanderbilt University | PhD | Clinical Psychology | Nashville, TN |
Austin Peay State University
Austin Peay State University, located in Clarksville, offers Tennessee’s newest doctoral psychology program and its only PsyD track.
Counseling Psychology, PsyD
APSU’s PsyD trains generalist practitioners in health service psychology through the asset-strength model of counseling psychology, with an emphasis on how social and cultural systems shape well-being across a person’s life. The program runs three years of coursework, practica, and dissertation work in residence, followed by a full year of internship. APSU’s location near Fort Campbell also builds military-community practicum placements into the training.
Accreditation: Accredited, on contingency, by the APA Commission on Accreditation. Austin Peay State University is regionally accredited.
Contact: Clarksville, TN. Program website.
East Tennessee State University
ETSU, in Johnson City, works closely with the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center in Mountain Home, providing its doctoral students with a built-in internship pipeline in rural and Appalachian behavioral health.
Clinical Psychology, PhD
ETSU’s program follows a scientist-practitioner model built around rural behavioral health and integrated primary care, a focus you won’t find at most Tennessee programs. Students complete a combined MA/PhD track, since ETSU no longer offers a terminal clinical master’s. The program runs five years, including a full year of clinical internship, with practicum training in both rural and semi-rural community settings.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation. East Tennessee State University is regionally accredited.
Contact: Johnson City, TN. Program website.
Tennessee State University
TSU, Nashville’s historically Black public university, trains counseling psychologists through a scientist-professional model built around multicultural competence.
Counseling Psychology, PhD
TSU’s program pairs research training with practice, aiming to graduate psychologists who can integrate science and clinical work across settings. Coursework covers multiple therapy modalities, including cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, systems, and interpersonal approaches, as well as individual, family, and group therapy training.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation. Tennessee State University is regionally accredited.
Contact: Nashville, TN. Program website.
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is a public research university governed by its own Board of Trustees and offers the state’s broadest doctoral psychology lineup: three separate APA-accredited PhD programs.
Clinical Psychology, PhD
This scientist-practitioner program is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science, an alliance of research-oriented clinical training programs. Research areas include clinical health psychology, child and family studies, and psychotherapy research. Students complete community-based clinical training at sites including the university’s own Psychological Services Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and local VA facilities.
Counseling Psychology, PhD
This program trains psychologists for work in mental health, career development, and social and emotional learning, with particular attention to urban settings and diverse client populations. Students who enter with a master’s degree typically finish coursework in three years, then complete a predoctoral internship and dissertation in a fourth year.
School Psychology, PhD
Memphis’s newest doctoral track trains school psychologists through a research-based curriculum that requires a thesis and a dissertation, typically completed over five years. Graduates have gone on to work in public schools, developmental disabilities centers, and medical settings across several states.
Accreditation: All three programs are accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation. The University of Memphis is regionally accredited.
Contact: Memphis, TN. Clinical Psychology program website, Counseling Psychology program website, or School Psychology program website.
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
UTK’s Knoxville campus houses three APA-accredited doctoral programs across two departments, all built around what the university calls the Tennessee Model, which integrates research and clinical practice.
Clinical Psychology, PhD
UTK’s clinical program balances research, assessment, teaching, and psychotherapy training under the Tennessee Model. The vast majority of students in the program have matched with an APA-accredited internship in recent years, and most complete the program in 5 to 6 years.
Counseling Psychology, PhD
This program was the first counseling psychology PhD accredited under a scientist-practitioner-advocate model, which layers social-justice and systemic-advocacy training on top of standard research and clinical training. It’s one of the longest-running APA-accredited counseling programs in the Southeast.
School Psychology, PhD
Housed in UTK’s College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, this program trains school psychologists through a Scientist-Practitioner Model focused on data-driven assessment, intervention, and consultation in K-12 settings.
Accreditation: All three programs are accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is regionally accredited.
Contact: Knoxville, TN. Clinical Psychology program website, Counseling Psychology program website, or School Psychology program website.
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt, a private research university in Nashville, runs Tennessee’s most research-intensive and most selective doctoral psychology program.
Clinical Science, PhD
Vanderbilt’s Clinical Science PhD emphasizes empirically supported interventions and offers research opportunities through the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the university’s medical center. Students begin with core training in research, coursework, and clinical practice, then choose a concentration such as psychopathology, developmental disabilities, clinical neuroscience, or health psychology. Vanderbilt generally provides admitted PhD students full funding for up to five years, including tuition, stipend, and health insurance.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Contact: Nashville, TN. Program website.
Each of these programs sets its own admissions requirements and application deadlines, so check directly with the school before applying. If you’re weighing Tennessee against doctoral programs in neighboring states, our guide to psychology doctorates covers what APA accreditation means nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many APA-accredited psychology doctoral programs does Tennessee have?
Tennessee has ten APA-accredited doctoral psychology programs across six universities: Austin Peay State University, East Tennessee State University, Tennessee State University, the University of Memphis, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Vanderbilt University. Most are PhD programs in clinical, counseling, or school psychology.
Does Tennessee have an APA-accredited PsyD program?
Yes. Austin Peay State University in Clarksville offers a PsyD in Counseling Psychology that currently holds accreditation on a contingency basis from the APA Commission on Accreditation. Every other Tennessee doctoral psychology program is a PhD.
Which Tennessee school offers the most doctoral programs in psychology?
The University of Memphis has three separate APA-accredited PhD programs in clinical, counseling, and school psychology, more than any other school in the state.
Does APA accreditation guarantee I can get licensed as a psychologist in Tennessee?
Not automatically. APA accreditation confirms that our program meets national training standards, but Tennessee licensure also requires supervised experience and a passing score on the EPPP. Check current standards with the Tennessee Board of Examiners in Psychology before enrolling.
What’s the difference between the PhD and PsyD programs listed here?
PhD programs, which make up nine of Tennessee’s ten doctoral psychology programs, are research-weighted and follow a scientist-practitioner model. The state’s one PsyD program at Austin Peay is practice-weighted and follows a practitioner-scholar model. Both require passing the EPPP for licensure.
Compare accredited psychology programs by state, degree level, and specialty to find schools that match your career goals.