Doctoral programs in psychology in Oklahoma help residents of the state and those moving to the state gain the experience that they need before working with clients or in research and academic positions. Designed for students with both a graduate and undergraduate degree, these programs let them hone their skills and find success after graduation. Former students now work in private practices, for community organizations and for churches and other organizations, but they also teach at some of the best schools in the country.
The following is a list of all APA-CoA accredited psychology degree programs in the state of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma State University
College of Arts & Sciences
Founded in 1890, Oklahoma State University opened as an agricultural and mechanical school. Though the school initially focused on offering programs that led to jobs in the mechanical and vocational trades, it later added new programs and adopted its current name to reflect its commitment to general learning and education. Both Washington Monthly and U.S. News & World Report listed OSU as one of the top 140 colleges in the country, with U.S. News & World Report ranking the school slightly higher. It also has a good reputation due to the number of students who win national and international awards while enrolled.
Clinical Psychology PhD
Oklahoma State University introduced its Clinical Psychology PhD program several decades ago, and the school gained accreditation in 1971. The program uses a number of core courses in psychology that look at aspects of research, writing and other topics. Students must also attend seminars throughout their studies, and those seminars meet once or twice a week. Seminars look at specific areas, including alcohol and drug dependence or issues affecting the elderly, and require that students research a topic relating to that subject and write a paper. As part of the program, students also spend one year in an internship program. They work in the field in an approved clinical setting. Students work under the trained guidance and supervision of a faculty member or licensed psychologist, and they keep a log to show the experiences they had. Students must commit to spending at least one year working on the internship before completing the program.
Counseling Psychology PhD
Counselors meet with clients, discuss their issues and find potential treatment options for those patients, and psychology graduate programs prepare students for working with those clients. The Counseling Psychology PhD program is a doctoral program that consists of several different steps. Students spend one year in an internship approved by the APA. They must work in a counseling clinic or setting for at least 40 hours each week for 50 weeks in a single calendar year. Many students work in hospitals and mental health clinics, and OSU can also help students find internships in other settings. After taking their courses, psychology students must sit for written and oral examinations. After passing a one hour oral examination and two written examinations, students can complete a practicum worth three credit hours. Students also have the chance to gain more research and teaching experience through a program that lets them teach undergraduate classes and work with students in those courses.
School Psychology PhD
The School Psychology PhD program places a high level of importance on three different subject matters: assessment, consultation and intervention. Students who successfully complete this doctoral level program work as counselors at the primary school, middle school and high school, but students can also seek employment as a college counselor. The assessment phase teaches students how to identify signs of problems, including bullying at school and abuse at home. During the consultation phase, students learn how to talk to students about the problems affecting them. Students will also learn the importance of intervening and how to offer help and support to others. As with other PhD programs, all enrolled students must complete an internship in an approved setting. Many students choose to work at local schools, while others work at organizations and groups that offer help to troubled students. Faculty members work closely with students and supervise their studies.
Accreditation
•American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation (CoA)
Contact
116 N. Murray, OSU
Stillwater, OK 74078-3064
(405) 744-7494
thad.leffingwell@okstate.edu
Program Website
University of Oklahoma
Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is one of the largest public school systems in the state of Oklahoma. More than 24,000 students take courses at its flagship campus in Norman, but it expanded its main campus into four separate branches across the city. The University of Oklahoma also has a large research campus designed for its health care students. The university is both nationally and globally ranked, with QS World University Rankings listing the school as one of the top 400 in the world and U.S. News & World Report giving it a ranking of 101 on its list.
Counseling Psychology PhD
The Counseling Psychology PhD program is a program offered through the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education at the University of Oklahoma. Accredited in 1988, the program stresses the idea of real life experience. It operates the Counseling Psychology Clinic, which is open to both students and faculty members. Before graduating, students must complete work at the clinic. They spend a portion of their time writing out notes on cases and doing administrative work and a portion of time meeting with clients in group and individual therapy sessions. Students can gain more experience working in clinical community settings, where they work with people living in the community. The Counseling Psychology PhD program also requires that students research and write papers on topics that interest them. This prepares students for working in academic positions as teachers and lecturers, but it also helps those interested in working as licensed counselors in cities across the country.
Accreditation
•American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation (CoA)
Contact
820 Van Vleet Oval
Collings Hall, Room 321
Norman, OK 73019-2041
(405) 325-5974
xge@ou.edu
Program Website
University of Tulsa
Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences
Located in Tulsa, the University of Tulsa is a large private university founded in 1894 as a small Presbyterian school for girls. After admitting male students and expanding into college courses, it became the Henry Kendall College. Though the school later changed its name, the school named its College of Arts and Sciences to honor the man, who was a high ranking member of the Presbyterian Church. U.S. News & World Report named the University of Tulsa as the 83rd best school in the United States, while Forbes listed the school at number 110 due to its high graduation rate and low cost.
Clinical Psychology PhD
The Department of Psychology at the Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences operates the Clinical Psychology PhD program, which received accreditation in 1991. Designed for practicing clinical psychologists, the program prepares students for the problems and issues that they face when working in academics, research settings, in private practice or in the health care field. All students must finish 90 credit hours of work beyond the undergraduate level, which includes courses they take in a Master degree program. Students take a minimum of 15 credit hours in psychology classes, 24 credit hours of clinical psychology classes and nine credit hours in statistics and research. Graduation also requires that students have a minimum of 12 credit hours of practicum work. Though a thesis is not required, the program does require that students complete a more extensive dissertation and complete an outline for that dissertation early on. The passing of both a written and oral examination is also required.
Accreditation
•American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation (CoA)
Contact
800 South Tucker Drive
Tulsa, OK 74104
(918) 631-2000
judy-berry@utulsa.edu
Program Website
Earning your graduate and undergraduate degree lets you work in some fields, but many psychology students require additional studies at the doctoral level. These programs combine real life experience working with clients in different settings with research and classroom learning. Doctoral programs in psychology in Oklahoma have accreditation from the CoA and set you up for working in the field.