There are 10 APA-accredited psychology doctoral programs in Massachusetts, spanning clinical, counseling, and school psychology across both PhD and PsyD tracks. Most take five to seven years and include a year-long clinical internship. Many are designed to meet the state’s education requirements for psychologist licensure, though applicants should confirm current standards with the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists.
Massachusetts hosts one of the country’s densest concentrations of psychology doctoral programs, from Harvard’s highly selective clinical science track to William James College’s large-scale practitioner-training model in Newton. Programs here draw on the state’s teaching hospitals, community mental health systems, and research universities for practicum and internship placements. Before comparing individual schools, most applicants need to settle a more basic question: whether a PhD or a PsyD better fits how they want to spend the next five to seven years.
PhD vs. PsyD in Massachusetts: Which Track Fits?
Both degrees lead to psychologist licensure, and both require passing the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). The difference is training emphasis. A PhD follows a scientist-practitioner or clinical-science model, weighted toward original research, and is more often funded through research or teaching assistantships. Massachusetts PhD programs at Harvard, the UMass campuses, Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern, Clark, and Suffolk all follow this model.
A PsyD follows a practitioner-scholar model, weighted toward clinical training and direct practice, and is more often funded through tuition rather than assistantships. William James College and Springfield College offer the state’s PsyD training options, building applied clinical work into the curriculum from the first year.
Massachusetts Psychology Doctoral Programs at a Glance
All 10 programs below are accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation. Select a school name to jump to its full listing.
| School | Degree | Focus | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College | Ph.D. | Counseling Psychology | Chestnut Hill, MA |
| Boston University | Ph.D. | Clinical & Counseling Psychology | Boston, MA |
| Clark University | Ph.D. | Clinical Psychology | Worcester, MA |
| Harvard University | Ph.D. | Clinical Psychology | Cambridge, MA |
| Northeastern University | Ph.D. | Counseling & School Psychology | Boston, MA |
| Springfield College | Psy.D. | Counseling Psychology | Springfield, MA |
| Suffolk University | Ph.D. | Clinical Psychology | Boston, MA |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | Ph.D. | Clinical & School Psychology | Amherst, MA |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | Ph.D. | Clinical, Counseling & School Psychology | Boston, MA |
| William James College | Psy.D. | Clinical Psychology | Newton, MA |
Boston College
Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology
Boston College’s counseling psychology doctorate is offered through the Lynch School of Education and Human Development in Chestnut Hill, just outside downtown Boston. The program follows a scientist-practitioner model and centers research on trauma resiliency, bias-based bullying, and immigration alongside clinical training in diverse mental health settings. Students complete advanced practicum placements, a full-year internship, and a dissertation, typically finishing in five years for those entering with a master’s degree.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Location: Chestnut Hill, MA. Program website.
Boston University
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
Boston University’s clinical psychology program, housed in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, follows a scientist-practitioner training model with early involvement in faculty research and clinical placements throughout Boston. Students complete an intensive on-campus practicum through the Psychological Services Center before finishing with a year-long clinical internship, typically in the program’s fifth year.
Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology & Applied Human Development
Housed in the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, this program trains counseling psychologists for work with children, youth, and young adults, with specialization tracks in child and adolescent mental health or sport and performance psychology. Students complete a scientist-practitioner curriculum that includes research methods, a clinical practicum beginning in the second year, and a full-time predoctoral internship.
Accreditation: The clinical program is accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation and the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS). The counseling program is accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Location: Boston, MA. Clinical program website | Counseling program website.
Clark University
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
Clark University’s clinical psychology doctorate, offered through the Frances L. Hiatt School of Psychology in Worcester, follows the scientist-practitioner model with an emphasis on assessment and therapy across adult and child populations. Students build a five- to six-year plan of study that includes advanced coursework, two years of practicum, a master’s-level research project, a dissertation, and a full-time clinical internship.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Location: Worcester, MA. Program website.
Harvard University
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
Harvard’s clinical psychology doctorate, part of the Department of Psychology, follows a clinical-science training model and is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science. The program centers on research into severe psychopathology alongside training in evidence-based assessment and intervention. Admission is highly selective, and the program typically takes five years to complete for students entering with a master’s degree, including a full-time clinical psychologist internship in the final year.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation and the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS).
Location: Cambridge, MA. Program website.
Northeastern University
Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology
Northeastern’s counseling psychology doctorate, housed in the Department of Applied Psychology, prepares students for clinical, research, and academic roles with an emphasis on multicultural competence and urban, community-based intervention. Students complete at least two years of intensive clinical fieldwork at mental health settings around Boston before a full-time predoctoral internship.
Ph.D. in School Psychology
Northeastern’s school psychology doctorate follows a scientist-practitioner, ecological training model focused on preparing psychologists for K-12 and community settings. Students complete a supervised practicum, two advanced fieldwork placements in school-based settings, and a one-year internship, with an optional concentration in applied behavior analysis.
Accreditation: Both programs are accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation. The school psychology program is also recognized by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).
Location: Boston, MA. Counseling program website | School psychology program website.
Springfield College
Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology
Springfield College’s counseling psychology doctorate follows the practitioner-scholar model, moving students from classroom coursework into supervised clinical fieldwork early in the program. The curriculum carries a social justice and service orientation, with optional specialized training in couples and family counseling or athletic counseling. Students complete a minimum of 1,400 practicum hours before a full-time, year-long internship.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Location: Springfield, MA. Program website.
Suffolk University
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
Suffolk University’s clinical psychology doctorate, offered through the Department of Psychology in downtown Boston, follows the Boulder scientist-practitioner model, with training across developmental, psychodynamic, systemic, behavioral, and cognitive perspectives. Students complete 72 credits of coursework, two years of practicum, a teaching assistantship, a comprehensive examination, a dissertation, and a full-time internship.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Location: Boston, MA. Program website.
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
UMass Amherst’s clinical psychology program, part of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, follows a clinical-science model and is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science. Students engage in psychotherapy and neuropsychological assessment with clients across the lifespan under a mentor model, with a research concentration available in clinical child and family psychology.
Ph.D. in School Psychology
Housed in the College of Education, this program follows an ecological, prevention-focused scientist-practitioner model to prepare psychologists for K-12 and community settings. The 117-credit program admits students with backgrounds in psychology, education, or special education and includes a sequential practicum plan culminating in a full-time internship.
Accreditation: Both programs are accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Location: Amherst, MA. Clinical program website | School psychology program website.
University of Massachusetts Boston
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
UMass Boston’s clinical psychology program follows a scientist-practitioner-activist model with a biopsychosocial orientation, preparing graduates to serve children, adolescents, and adults from diverse sociocultural backgrounds. Students complete at least five years of full-time study, including three years of campus residency, two year-long practica, a master’s thesis, and a full-time internship.
Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology
This program prepares counseling psychologists for careers as scholars, faculty, and practitioners through a scientist-practitioner training model with a strong social justice focus. Admission favors applicants who already hold a license-eligible master’s degree in a field such as mental health counseling or school psychology.
Ph.D. in School Psychology
UMass Boston’s school psychology doctorate uses a scientist-practitioner model to train psychologists in assessment, consultation, and intervention for schools and communities, and its curriculum is designed to meet Massachusetts licensure requirements.
Accreditation: All three programs are accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Location: Boston, MA. Clinical program website | Counseling program website | School psychology program website.
William James College
Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
William James College, formerly known as the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, is a graduate institution in Newton devoted exclusively to training in psychology and behavioral health. Its clinical psychology doctorate is a five-year, 134-credit program built around hands-on field placement beginning in the first semester, with concentrations in forensic psychology, geropsychology, neuropsychology, and clinical health psychology. Field training runs through an APA-accredited internship consortium spanning sites across Massachusetts and neighboring states.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Location: Newton, MA. Program website.
Massachusetts continues to add to this roster, most recently as Northeastern University and Springfield College earned APA accreditation for their doctoral tracks. If you’re weighing several of these programs, ask each admissions office for current outcome data, including internship placement and licensure rates, before applying.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many psychology doctoral programs are in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has 10 APA-accredited psychology doctoral programs, offered across 10 universities in clinical, counseling, and school psychology. That count reflects programs currently accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation and doesn’t include unaccredited or master’s-level options.
Should I choose a PhD or PsyD program in Massachusetts?
It depends on your career goal. A PhD suits students aiming for research, academic, or clinical science roles and is more likely to include funded research or teaching assistantships. A PsyD suits students who want to move into clinical practice more quickly and are comfortable financing more of their training through tuition. See our PsyD vs. PhD breakdown for a fuller comparison.
Does a doctoral degree guarantee licensure as a psychologist in Massachusetts?
No single degree guarantees licensure. Massachusetts requires a doctoral degree from an APA-accredited program, supervised professional experience, and a passing score on the EPPP, all of which are reviewed by the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists. Review the state licensing requirements page before you apply.
Are there online psychology doctoral programs in Massachusetts?
Fully online doctoral programs in psychology are rare because APA accreditation requires substantial in-person clinical training. None of the programs listed above is fully online, though most build flexibility into the timing and location of practicum and internship hours.
How long does a psychology doctorate take to complete?
Most PhD and PsyD programs in Massachusetts take 5 to 7 years for students entering with a bachelor’s degree, including a full-time, year-long clinical internship in the final year. Students entering with a relevant master’s degree can sometimes complete the program in five years.
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