California offers more APA-accredited psychology PhD programs than any other state, with options in clinical, school, and social psychology spread across public universities, private universities, and faith-based institutions. Most take five to seven years and include a year-long clinical internship. Many of these psychology PhD programs in California are designed to meet the state’s education requirements for psychologist licensure, though applicants should confirm current standards with the California Board of Psychology.
Twelve APA-accredited psychology PhD programs are currently active across California, from four California School of Professional Psychology campuses to research powerhouses like UC Berkeley and UCLA. Before you start comparing individual schools, though, there’s a more basic decision to make: PhD or PsyD? For applicants specifically seeking licensure as a clinical psychologist in California, the second part of this list covers PsyD programs in psychology in California.
PhD or PsyD: Which Doctorate Fits Your Goals?
Both degrees lead to psychologist licensure, and both require passing the EPPP, the national licensing exam. The PhD follows a scientist-practitioner or clinical-science model. It’s research-weighted, and many programs come with funded research assistantships that offset tuition. The PsyD follows a practitioner-scholar model instead, weighted toward clinical training rather than original research, and the student more often funds it through tuition.
If you picture yourself conducting research and teaching at the university level, a PhD is the better fit. If you picture yourself in a therapy office seeing clients, the PsyD usually gets you there with less research coursework. Neither is the “lesser” degree. For a closer look at how the PhD and PsyD differ, including coursework and admissions expectations, see our full breakdown.
Psychology PhD Programs in California at a Glance
Every program listed below is accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation. Click a school name to jump to its full profile.
| School | Degree | Focus | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alliant International University – Fresno | PhD in Clinical Psychology | Clinical, forensic, child, and health emphases | Fresno, CA |
| Alliant International University – Los Angeles | PhD in Clinical Psychology | Health, family/couple, and multicultural-community emphases | Los Angeles, CA |
| Alliant International University – San Diego | PhD in Clinical Psychology | Integrated research and clinical practice | San Diego, CA |
| Alliant International University – San Francisco Bay | PhD in Clinical Psychology | LGBT/gender, multicultural, and child/adolescent emphases | Emeryville, CA |
| Biola University | PhD in Clinical Psychology | Clinical psychology with biblical and theological integration | La Mirada, CA |
| Fielding Graduate University | PhD in Clinical Psychology | Forensic, health, neuropsychology, and violence-prevention emphases | Santa Barbara, CA |
| Fuller Theological Seminary | PhD in Clinical Psychology | Clinical psychology with theological integration | Pasadena, CA |
| Loma Linda University | PhD in Clinical Psychology | Neuroscience, health, and child/adolescent emphases | Loma Linda, CA |
| University of California – Berkeley | PhD in Clinical Psychology, PhD in Social Psychology | Clinical science and social psychology research | Berkeley, CA |
| University of California – Los Angeles | PhD in Clinical Psychology | Behavioral neuroscience, developmental, cognitive, and social tracks | Los Angeles, CA |
| University of California – Riverside | PhD in School Psychology | Response to Intervention and Eco-Behavioral Models | Riverside, CA |
| University of California – Santa Barbara | Combined PhD in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology | Blended counseling, clinical, and school psychology training | Santa Barbara, CA |
Alliant International University – Fresno
PhD in Clinical Psychology
The California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant’s Fresno campus emphasizes clinical training alongside research and teaching preparation. Third-year students complete a minimum of 1,600 hours at the on-campus Psychological Services Center, working directly with clients under supervision. Students can choose an emphasis in forensic psychology, ecosystemic child psychology, or health psychology.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Contact: Fresno, CA. Program website.
Alliant International University – Los Angeles
PhD in Clinical Psychology
Alliant’s Los Angeles campus offers four emphasis tracks: clinical health psychology, family and couple therapy, multicultural-community psychology, and a multi-interest option for students who want more flexibility. Students aren’t required to complete a fifth-year internship, but the school strongly encourages it for hands-on experience before graduation.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Contact: Los Angeles, CA. Program website.
Alliant International University – San Diego
PhD in Clinical Psychology
The San Diego campus blends research and clinical practice, with students working alongside faculty researchers on topics like traumatic brain injury, autism, and pediatric psychology. Each student is paired with a faculty advisor to plan practicum and internship placements. Students complete 800 supervised hours in the second year and 1,000 in the third, across roughly 80 partnering agencies in the San Diego area.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Contact: San Diego, CA. Program website.
Alliant International University – San Francisco Bay
PhD in Clinical Psychology
Alliant’s Bay Area campus places students in practicum settings ranging from Veterans Affairs facilities to community mental health clinics. Emphasis options include LGBT psychology and gender studies, multicultural community psychology, health psychology, and child and adolescent psychology. Students can also participate in collaborative research projects with institutions such as UC San Francisco and Stanford.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Contact: Emeryville, CA. Program website.
Biola University
PhD in Clinical Psychology
Biola’s Rosemead School of Psychology combines clinical training with a biblical understanding of human behavior. Students complete a minimum of 133 semester hours over four years of residency, including a minor in theology and at least 17 semester hours of biblical coursework. The program requires a full-time clinical internship and a dissertation defense before graduation.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Contact: La Mirada, CA. Program website.
Fielding Graduate University
PhD in Clinical Psychology
Fielding uses a distributed-delivery model that blends in-person sessions, independent study, and online seminars, which makes it a fit for students juggling work or family obligations alongside their doctorate. Students can concentrate in forensic psychology, health psychology, neuropsychology, violence prevention and control, or parent-infant mental health. Students who follow the recommended sequence can complete the program’s 175.5 semester units within six years.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Contact: Santa Barbara, CA. Program website.
Fuller Theological Seminary
PhD in Clinical Psychology
Fuller’s School of Psychology was the first seminary-based program in the country to earn full APA accreditation, and it pairs clinical training with theological integration. Students complete a minimum of 300 semester units over six years, earning a Master of Arts in Psychology after 88 units and a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership after 76 units of theology coursework. The program includes more than 1,000 hours of clinical training across field placements throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Contact: Pasadena, CA. Program website.
Loma Linda University
PhD in Clinical Psychology
Loma Linda’s School of Behavioral Health trains clinical psychologists alongside social work and counseling students, with access to the largest medical facility in the Inland Empire at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Students choose one professional emphasis: neuroscience, health psychology, child and adolescent psychology, or social-cultural behavioral health. The program requires a minimum of 204 semester units, typically completed in five years.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Contact: Loma Linda, CA. Program website.
University of California – Berkeley
PhD in Clinical Psychology
UC Berkeley’s clinical psychology PhD program takes five to six years, culminating in a full-time clinical internship and dissertation. Students are matched with a faculty advisor at the start of the program, who supervises their research and helps schedule clinical training.
PhD in Social Psychology
The social psychology track prepares students for research and teaching careers at the university level, with coursework spanning six core areas: self and identity, social cognition, emotion and motivation, personality development, interpersonal relations, and organizational behavior. This is a separate research program from the Clinical Psychology PhD above and isn’t itself APA-accredited, since APA accredits professional practice programs rather than standalone research doctorates.
Accreditation: UC Berkeley’s Clinical Psychology PhD is accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation and is additionally accredited by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS).
Contact: Berkeley, CA. Program website.
University of California – Los Angeles
PhD in Clinical Psychology
UCLA’s Doctoral Training Program lets students choose from several concentrations, including behavioral neuroscience, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, learning and behavior, and social psychology. Students gain hands-on experience at the UCLA Psychology Clinic, providing low-fee therapy and assessment services, or through research at the Fernald Child Study Center. The program must be completed within seven years, with typical completion between four and seven years, depending on the student’s track.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Contact: Los Angeles, CA. Program website.
University of California – Riverside
PhD in School Psychology
UC Riverside’s Graduate School of Education offers a five-year PhD in School Psychology that includes a one-year internship in a school or university setting and leads to a California Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential. The program uses an eco-behavioral theoretical model to train students to implement Response to Intervention (RTI) strategies in K-12 settings.
Accreditation: The doctoral program is APA-accredited and is also approved/recognized by NASP, leading to eligibility for the California PPS credential.
Contact: Riverside, CA. Program website.
University of California – Santa Barbara
Combined PhD in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology
UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education blends three service areas into a single doctoral program, preparing students to work across counseling, clinical practice, and school psychology settings. Graduates meet the educational requirements for the California PPS School Psychology credential and, after completing all applicable supervised experience and state requirements, may pursue psychologist licensure.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Contact: Santa Barbara, CA. Program website.
APA accreditation confirms that a program meets national training standards, but it doesn’t, by itself, determine whether you qualify for psychologist licensure in California. Licensure also depends on completing the state’s required supervised hours and passing the EPPP, so it’s worth confirming California’s psychologist licensing requirements with the state board before you commit to a program.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many APA-accredited psychology PhD programs are in California?
California has 12 schools offering APA-accredited psychology PhD programs, mostly in clinical and school psychology. (UC Berkeley’s psychology department also offers a separate PhD in Social Psychology, which isn’t itself APA-accredited.) That’s in addition to the state’s separate roster of APA-accredited PsyD programs, which are covered on our PsyD-specific page.
How long does it take to earn a psychology PhD in California?
Most programs on this list take five to seven years, including coursework, a dissertation, and a year-long clinical internship. A few, like Biola’s and UCLA’s, allow some flexibility in completion timelines depending on the student’s track and pace.
Does an APA-accredited PhD guarantee licensure as a psychologist in California?
No. Accreditation shows a program meets national training standards, but the California Board of Psychology also requires supervised practice hours and a passing score on the EPPP before granting a license. Confirm current requirements with the state board before enrolling.
Can I earn a psychology PhD in California through a hybrid or distance format?
Some programs, like Fielding Graduate University’s distributed-delivery model, blend online coursework with in-person sessions and are designed for students balancing outside obligations. Most other programs on this list are primarily in-person, since clinical training requires hands-on supervised practice.
Whichever program you choose, confirm current admissions requirements and emphasis areas directly with the school, since these details can change from year to year.
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