Maryland has four APA-accredited psychology doctoral programs, offering PhD and PsyD training in clinical, counseling, and school psychology across Baltimore, College Park, and Bethesda. Most take five to seven years and include a full-time predoctoral internship. Many are designed to meet Maryland’s education requirements for psychologist licensure, though applicants should confirm current standards with the state board.
With four accredited institutions offering six distinct doctoral programs, Maryland gives prospective psychologists a real choice between practice-focused and research-focused training, all within reach of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Three of those programs sit inside the University of Maryland, College Park alone, while Loyola, UMBC, and the Uniformed Services University round out the options for students weighing clinical, counseling, school, or military psychology paths. Before comparing individual schools, it helps to understand the core decision nearly every applicant faces: PhD or PsyD.
PhD vs. PsyD: Choosing Your Doctoral Path in Maryland
Both degrees lead to licensure as a psychologist, and both require passing the EPPP. A PhD generally follows a scientist-practitioner or clinical-science model, weighing research training alongside clinical work, and is more often funded through graduate assistantships. Maryland’s PhD programs at the University of Maryland, UMBC, and the Uniformed Services University all fit this pattern.
A PsyD, by contrast, follows a practitioner-scholar model built around clinical training first, with research playing a supporting role, and is typically funded through tuition rather than assistantships. Loyola University Maryland is the state’s only APA-accredited PsyD option. For a fuller breakdown of how PhD and PsyD training differ, including career outcomes for each path, see our dedicated guide.
Maryland Psychology Doctoral Programs at a Glance
All six programs below are accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
| School | Degree | Focus | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola University Maryland | Psy.D. | Clinical Psychology | Baltimore, MD |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Ph.D. | Human Services Psychology (Clinical Track) | Baltimore, MD |
| University of Maryland, College Park | Ph.D. | Clinical Psychology | College Park, MD |
| University of Maryland, College Park | Ph.D. | Counseling Psychology | College Park, MD |
| University of Maryland, College Park | Ph.D. | School Psychology | College Park, MD |
| Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences | Ph.D. | Clinical Psychology (Military or Civilian Track) | Bethesda, MD |
Loyola University Maryland
Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology
Loyola’s Psy.D. is the only APA-accredited PsyD program in Maryland. It follows a scholar-practitioner model built around early and continuous clinical training, pairing a comprehensive psychology knowledge base with hands-on clinical skill development. Students complete 125 credit hours and more than 1,500 supervised field experience hours over a full-time, five-year program, including a full-time internship in the final year. Clinical placements run through the Loyola Clinical Centers in the first two years, then move to community-based externship sites across the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area. All students now begin in year one of the curriculum. The program discontinued advanced-standing admission for applicants with a prior psychology master’s starting with the Fall 2020 cohort, and students instead earn a master’s degree in progress, typically in January of their second year.
Accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation.
Baltimore, MD. Program website.
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Human Services Psychology
UMBC’s Human Services Psychology (HSP) program is an integrated doctoral program spanning three tracks: Clinical Psychology, Behavioral Medicine, and Community Psychology. Students can combine tracks, but only the Clinical track carries APA accreditation, a status it has held continuously since 1990. Students who pursue Behavioral Medicine or Community Psychology alone are not part of the accredited portion of the program. The program follows a scientist-practitioner model with a biopsychosocial emphasis, drawing on clinical placements throughout the greater Baltimore area, including the University of Maryland Medical System and Johns Hopkins-affiliated sites. Median time to degree for students in the accredited Clinical track is six years, including a full-time clinical internship. Students in the non-Clinical tracks typically finish in four to five years.
Accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation (Clinical track).
Baltimore, MD. Program website.
University of Maryland, College Park
The flagship College Park campus houses three separate APA-accredited doctoral programs within its Department of Psychology and Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology
Accredited by the APA since 1963 and also accredited by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) since 2017, this program follows the Clinical Scientist training model and holds membership in the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science. Training is built on a mentorship model, with students conducting research on clinical phenomena such as anxiety, depression, and personality disorders alongside on-campus practicum and community externship placements. Most students spend five years in residence at College Park, followed by a full-time, one-year clinical internship.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Counseling Psychology
One of the longest continuously APA-accredited counseling psychology programs in the country, this program has held that status since 1953. Offered jointly with the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education, it follows a scientist-practitioner model emphasizing psychotherapy process research, multicultural psychology, and vocational psychology. Students typically complete formal coursework over three to four years, finish a dissertation in year five, and complete a full-time predoctoral internship in year six. For an overview of what counseling psychology training looks like more broadly, see our full guide.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in School Psychology
This research-intensive program is accredited by both the APA and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), and prepares graduates for academic, research, and applied practice careers. The scientist-practitioner curriculum culminates in a paid predoctoral internship of at least 1,750 hours that must be either APA-accredited or conform to CDSPP guidelines. Graduates are eligible for psychologist licensure in Maryland and other states, as well as the Nationally Certified School Psychologist credential and automatic Maryland State Department of Education certification. Applicants comparing costs can also review affordable school psychology programs elsewhere.
College Park, MD. Program websites: Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, School Psychology.
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology
Housed in the Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology in Bethesda, this program has been continuously APA-accredited since 1997 and trains scientist-practitioners with a focus on the biopsychosocial factors affecting health in military and DoD-relevant settings. It’s offered through two tracks. The Military Track is open to commissioned officers in the Army, Navy, or Air Force and runs four years of academic study plus a one-year clinical internship, with graduates incurring a seven-year active-duty service commitment afterward. The Civilian Track, open only to civilian applicants, trains independent clinical researchers over five to six years of study plus a one-year internship.
Accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation.
Bethesda, MD. Program website.
Six accredited programs across four institutions give Maryland residents and relocating students a genuine range of doctoral paths, from Loyola’s practitioner-focused PsyD to the research-intensive PhD options at College Park, UMBC, and USUHS. Readers weighing cost alongside fit can also compare affordable clinical psychology programs nationwide before narrowing their list. Confirming current admissions requirements and licensure standards directly with each program and the Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists is the best next step before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many APA-accredited psychology doctoral programs are in Maryland?
Maryland has four institutions offering six APA-accredited doctoral programs: one PsyD at Loyola University Maryland, and five PhD programs split between the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, the University of Maryland, College Park, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
Are there online psychology doctoral programs in Maryland?
No. All of Maryland’s APA-accredited psychology doctoral programs are campus-based. The clinical training, supervised practicum, and internship requirements built into APA accreditation standards make a fully online doctoral format uncommon nationally, and Maryland currently has no exceptions.
Does completing a doctoral program in Maryland guarantee psychologist licensure?
No single program guarantees licensure. Many of Maryland’s APA-accredited programs are designed to meet the state’s education requirements for psychologist licensure, but applicants still need to complete supervised experience hours and pass both the EPPP and the separate Maryland Jurisprudence Examination. Confirm current licensure requirements with the Maryland state board before choosing a program.
Can I earn a doctoral psychology degree in Maryland through the military?
Yes. The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda offers a Military Track within its Clinical Psychology PhD program for commissioned officers in the Army, Navy, or Air Force, funded through active-duty military service with a service commitment required after graduation.
What’s the difference between the PhD programs at UMBC and the University of Maryland, College Park?
UMBC’s PhD is housed within its broader Human Services Psychology program, where only the Clinical track carries APA accreditation. College Park offers three separate, individually APA-accredited PhD programs in Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychology, each housed in its own academic department.
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