Missouri offers eight APA-accredited doctoral psychology programs across six universities: PhD tracks in clinical, counseling, and school psychology, plus the state’s only PsyD, at Kansas City University. Most take five to seven years and include a year-long internship. Programs are designed to meet Missouri’s licensure education requirements, though applicants should confirm current standards with the state board.
If you’re comparing psychology doctoral programs in Missouri, you’ll notice most of the state’s options lead with a PhD, not a PsyD. That’s not an accident, and it shapes how you’ll spend the next five-plus years. Here’s how the two degrees split in Missouri, and which one fits where you want to end up.
PhD or PsyD: Which Missouri Doctorate Fits You?
Every accredited doctoral program in Missouri leads to the same finish line: licensure as a psychologist, which requires passing the EPPP no matter which degree you earn. Where they differ is the path there. A PhD follows the scientist-practitioner model, weighted toward research training and typically funded through teaching or research assistantships. That’s the model behind every program at the University of Missouri’s three campuses, Saint Louis University, and Washington University in St. Louis.
A PsyD follows the practitioner-scholar model instead, trading dissertation-heavy research for more clinical training hours, and it’s usually tuition-funded rather than assistantship-funded. Missouri has exactly one: Kansas City University’s Clinical Psychology PsyD, based in Kansas City.
Missouri Psychology Doctoral Programs at a Glance
Every program listed below is accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation. Select a school name to jump to its full listing.
| School | Degree | Focus | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Missouri–Columbia | PhD | Clinical Psychology | Columbia, MO |
| University of Missouri–Columbia | PhD | Counseling Psychology | Columbia, MO |
| University of Missouri–Columbia | PhD | School Psychology | Columbia, MO |
| University of Missouri–Kansas City | PhD | Clinical Psychology | Kansas City, MO |
| University of Missouri–St. Louis | PhD | Clinical Psychology | St. Louis, MO |
| Saint Louis University | PhD | Clinical Psychology | St. Louis, MO |
| Washington University in St. Louis | PhD | Clinical Psychology | St. Louis, MO |
| Kansas City University | PsyD | Clinical Psychology | Kansas City, MO |
University of Missouri–Columbia
Mizzou runs three separate APA-accredited doctoral tracks out of two colleges, giving you more specialization options in one state system than almost anywhere else in Missouri.
Clinical Psychology PhD
Housed in the Department of Psychological Sciences, this program takes a research-first approach and lets students concentrate in areas like clinical science, neuroscience, or quantitative methods alongside their clinical training. Graduates typically move into licensed practice, research, or academic positions.
Counseling Psychology PhD
Offered through the College of Education, this program blends counseling psychology, school, and educational psychology coursework with a strong research-service integration. Graduates often work across health education, school-based, and counseling settings.
School Psychology PhD
This track is also approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) in addition to its APA accreditation, and combines a concurrent master’s in school psychology with doctoral-level research and applied training. Graduates are positioned for both school-based practice and academic research roles.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation (Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychology PhD programs). The School Psychology PhD is also approved by NASP.
Location: Columbia, MO. Program website.
University of Missouri–Kansas City
Clinical Psychology PhD
UMKC’s Clinical Psychology PhD, housed in the School of Education, Social Work and Psychological Sciences, runs on a scientist-practitioner model with a genuine health psychology emphasis, drawing on the university’s partnerships with area hospitals and health systems. It’s a small, selective cohort, and graduates go on to research, teaching, and clinical roles that blend science with applied health service work.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Location: Kansas City, MO. Program website.
University of Missouri–St. Louis
Clinical Psychology PhD
UMSL’s program is built on the premise that most graduates won’t spend their careers purely as therapists. Training emphasizes research skills alongside clinical skills, and the program leans on a mentorship model that pairs each student closely with a faculty research advisor. Many graduates land in supervisory, teaching, program-evaluation, or research roles in addition to, or instead of, direct clinical service.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Location: St. Louis, MO. Program website.
Saint Louis University
Clinical Psychology PhD
SLU’s Jesuit, Catholic-affiliated program follows the scientist-practitioner model and lets students pick up specialized training in clinical child psychology, clinical neuropsychology, health psychology, trauma psychology, or sports psychology alongside the core adult clinical curriculum. Most students complete a master’s degree en route to the PhD, and the program requires an APA-approved predoctoral internship before graduation.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Location: St. Louis, MO. Program website.
Washington University in St. Louis
Clinical Psychology PhD
Part of WashU’s Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, this is a clinical science training program: the focus is on producing researchers who study the assessment, understanding, and treatment of psychological disorders, with some students layering on specialized neuroscience or quantitative training. The department doesn’t require GRE scores for admission, and there’s no standalone master’s track. Students apply directly to the PhD.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
Location: St. Louis, MO. Program website.
Kansas City University
Clinical Psychology PsyD
KCU runs Missouri’s only PsyD program, based in the College of Biosciences and built around a practitioner-focused curriculum: heavy emphasis on assessment, intervention, and evidence-based clinical practice rather than a dissertation-driven research track. The program serves students from both Missouri and Kansas and is structured as a five-year sequence that culminates in a full-time clinical internship.
Accreditation: Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation for a full 10-year term, the maximum term APA grants, following a 2025 review. The program held contingency status for several years while building outcome data before earning full accreditation.
Location: Kansas City, MO. Program website.
Whichever program you’re weighing, the accreditation status above is only part of the picture. Missouri’s own licensing requirements, overseen by the Missouri Committee of Psychologists, still apply on top of your degree, so it’s worth confirming current standards directly with the board before you commit to an application cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many APA-accredited psychology doctoral programs are in Missouri?
Missouri has eight APA-accredited doctoral programs across six universities: three PhD tracks at the University of Missouri–Columbia (clinical, counseling, school), one PhD each at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Saint Louis University, and Washington University in St. Louis, plus one PsyD at Kansas City University.
What’s the difference between a PhD and a PsyD in Missouri?
Both lead to psychologist licensure and require passing the EPPP. A PhD emphasizes research training and is typically funded through assistantships, while a PsyD emphasizes clinical training hours over dissertation research and is usually tuition-funded. Missouri has one PsyD option, at Kansas City University, and PhD options at five other universities.
Are any Missouri psychology doctoral programs available online?
No. Every APA-accredited doctoral program in Missouri requires in-person clinical training, supervised practicum hours, and a full-time predoctoral internship. Some master’s-level counseling programs offer online or hybrid formats, but doctoral-level psychologist training in Missouri is not offered as a fully online program.
How long does it take to finish a psychology doctoral program in Missouri?
Most PhD programs in Missouri take five to seven years, including a year-long predoctoral internship. Kansas City University’s PsyD is structured as a five-year program, also ending in a full-time clinical internship.
Does an APA-accredited degree guarantee I can get licensed in Missouri?
Not on its own. The Missouri Committee of Psychologists requires a doctoral degree from an APA-accredited program, several thousand hours of supervised experience, and passing scores on the EPPP, a state jurisprudence exam, and an oral examination. Standards and hour requirements can change, so confirm current requirements with the board before enrolling.
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