There are five APA-accredited psychology doctoral programs in Kansas, split between the University of Kansas and Wichita State University and covering clinical, clinical child, counseling, and school psychology. Most take five to seven years with a year-long internship. Many meet Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board education requirements for licensure, though applicants should confirm current standards with the board.
Kansas isn’t just farmland. The state runs five APA-accredited doctoral programs in psychology, split between the University of Kansas and Wichita State University, and they cover everything from clinical work to research with kids to school-based practice. Before you start comparing schools, there’s a more basic decision to make first: PhD or PsyD?
PhD or PsyD: Which Path Makes Sense in Kansas?
Both degrees lead to the same destination, licensure as a psychologist in Kansas, with the EPPP as the final exam either way. The difference is what gets you there. PhD programs follow a scientist-practitioner or clinical-science model, weighted toward research and the dissertation, and they’re more likely to come with a funded assistantship. PsyD programs lean practitioner-scholar model, trading some of the research load for more clinical hours, and they’re more often funded by the student rather than the department.
Every APA-accredited doctoral program currently based in Kansas is a PhD. If a practice-focused PsyD specifically is what you’re after, Kansas City University runs one just across the state line in Kansas City, Missouri, and it openly recruits Kansas applicants. For a fuller breakdown of how the two degrees compare, see our guide to how a PsyD differs from a PhD in training and funding.
Kansas Psychology Doctoral Programs at a Glance
Every program below is accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation. Click a school name to jump to its full program details.
| School | Degree | Focus | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kansas | Ph.D. | Clinical Psychology | Lawrence, KS |
| University of Kansas | Ph.D. | Clinical Child Psychology | Lawrence, KS |
| University of Kansas | Ph.D. | Counseling Psychology | Lawrence, KS |
| University of Kansas | Ph.D. | School Psychology | Lawrence, KS |
| Wichita State University | Ph.D. | Clinical Psychology | Wichita, KS |
University of Kansas
KU runs four separate APA-accredited doctoral programs in psychology, spread across two departments in Lawrence. Each has its own admissions process, faculty, and training focus, even though they share a campus. See the full University of Kansas profile for tuition, campus, and admissions details beyond the program summaries below.
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
This is KU’s core clinical doctorate, built on a scientist-practitioner model with concentrations in general clinical training or clinical health psychology. Students complete foundational coursework, join a faculty research group, see clients through the KU Psychological Clinic or KU Medical Center, finish a master’s thesis and dissertation, and complete a full-time predoctoral internship before graduating.
Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology
Housed in its own department, this program trains clinicians and researchers who specialize in children, adolescents, and families rather than in general adult practice. The curriculum pairs coursework with hands-on practicum experience and follows the same scientist-practitioner structure: thesis, preliminary exam, oral comprehensive exam, dissertation, and an 11-month clinical internship at an APA-approved site.
Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology
Run out of KU’s Department of Educational Psychology, this program trains generalists who move between clinical treatment and academic research, with a particular emphasis on personal, social, and career development across the whole person rather than diagnosis alone. The program is APA-accredited and accepts roughly six to eight new students each year.
Ph.D. in School Psychology
This program prepares practitioners to work inside K-12 schools, with coursework in psychosocial foundations, assessment, consultation, and research design typically completed in four years, followed by a full-time, one-year school-based internship in the fifth year. The program is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists in addition to its APA accreditation. If a master’s-level path into a school psychology career fits your timeline better than a doctorate, that route exists too.
Lawrence, KS. Program website.
Wichita State University
WSU’s Department of Psychology offers a single Ph.D. with three tracks: clinical, community, and human factors. Only the clinical track carries APA accreditation, so if licensure as a psychologist is the goal, that’s the one that counts.
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
WSU’s clinical program is APA-accredited. It’s grounded in a scientist-practitioner and action-research model, with a public-service orientation that emphasizes work with underserved populations through Wichita’s mental health clinics, schools, and community agencies. The program runs 90 to 101 credit hours, plus a one-year, 2,000-hour predoctoral internship, and meets Kansas’s educational requirements for psychologist licensure.
Wichita, KS. Program website.
Five programs, two schools, four specialty areas: that’s the full current picture for psychology doctoral programs in Kansas. Roster changes do happen, so confirm accreditation status directly with a program before you apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many APA-accredited psychology doctoral programs does Kansas have?
Five, as of the latest APA Commission on Accreditation listing. Four are at the University of Kansas (clinical, clinical child, counseling, and school psychology), and one is at Wichita State University (clinical psychology).
Is there a PsyD program in Kansas?
Not currently. Every APA-accredited doctoral program based in the state is a PhD. Kansas City University offers a PsyD in clinical psychology just over the state line in Kansas City, Missouri, and accepts applicants from Kansas.
How long does a psychology doctoral program take in Kansas?
Plan on five to seven years for either of Kansas’s programs, including a full-time predoctoral internship in the final year. Exact timelines depend on thesis and dissertation progress, internship match results, and whether you enter with a completed master’s degree.
What does the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board require for licensure?
The board requires a doctoral degree from an APA-accredited program (or one meeting equivalent standards), 3,600 total hours of supervised experience split between a predoctoral internship and postdoctoral supervision, and a passing scaled score of 500 on the EPPP. Requirements vary somewhat from board to board, so it’s worth checking psychology licensing requirements by state alongside Kansas’s current standards before you apply or graduate.
What’s the job outlook for psychologists in Kansas?
Projections Central estimates 12.5% growth for clinical and counseling psychologists in Kansas between 2022 and 2032, with an average of 30 job openings per year, faster than the average for all occupations statewide.
Select your state below to find accredited psychology programs, application links, and licensing requirements for your jurisdiction.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary data and Projections Central 2022-2032 job growth forecasts for Psychologists (including Clinical & Counseling, Industrial-Organizational, and School Psychologists) and Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed June 2026.