Nicknamed the “Land of Lincoln” and “Prairie State,” Illinois, is situated in the Midwestern Great Lakes region of the United States as the 5th most populous and 25th most extensive state, offering many accredited Psychology Doctoral Programs for aspiring psychologists. Although Illinois is best known for being home to Chicago as the third largest city in the nation, the state’s prairies provide some of the world’s most productive and valuable farmlands. Also serving as the location to many top-ranked universities in the country and Midwest, the following are the doctoral psychology programs fully accredited by the APA in Illinois. This is part 1 of our list, which includes schools A-L. For the remainder of the listings, see Psychology Doctoral Programs in Illinois (M-Z).
Adler School of Professional Psychology
Department of Clinical Psychology
Established in honor of the first community psychologist to focus on health and wellness at the community level, the Adler School of Professional Psychology is a private institution with a home campus in the Chicago Loop and a growing campus in downtown Vancouver. Offering both campus-based, hybrid, and online learning formats to accommodate working professionals, the school has been recognized as a military friendly university by G.I Jobs magazine for embracing America’s military service members. Awarded the Advocacy Award for outstanding contributions in education and training in public interest issues, the Adler School has also been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary community engagement.
Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology
With a national reputation for being the only program of its kind focused on graduating culturally competent psychologists with a unique emphasis in socially responsible practice, the PsyD in Clinical Psychology program encourages students to identify and address shared problems to foster the development of social justice throughout the global community. Based on the practitioner-scholar model of training, students develop expertise in assessment, theory, research, and practice with the assistance of faculty who are practicing clinicians. Structured for completion in five years, students are asked to select an area of special interest, such as Advanced Adlerian Psychotherapy, Clinical Neuropsychology, or Traumatic Stress Psychology.
Accreditations
- American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation (CoA)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA)
Contact Information
17 North Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 662-4000
[email protected]
https://www.adler.edu/program/clinical-psychology-chicago/
Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Department of Clinical Psychology
Situated directly on the Chicago River in the heart of downtown just steps away from Lake Michigan and the Magnificent Mile, the Chicago School of Professional Psychology is a non-profit private accredited institution that offers an unrivaled range of programs in psychology and relevant behavioral health sciences. Known for being the nation’s leading psychology graduate school with its vast number of concentrations and specializations, the Chicago School houses various on-campus innovation centers that help provide real-world experience equating to more than 800,000 hours of student work each year. In addition, graduates of the program have the highest pass rate on licensure examinations in the Chicago area at 76 percent.
Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology
Designed to be the highest degree for practitioners in the field who wish to apply their knowledge as practicing clinicians, the PsyD in Clinical Psychology program focuses on training culturally competent service providers through a wide variety of professional training opportunities. Following the research-clerkship model of training, students complete foundational coursework in the four intervention orientations of Cognitive Behavioral, Psychodynamic, Humanistic Existential, and System. Requiring students to complete a minimum of 106 semester credits, the program offers the chance to concentrate studies in Child and Adolescent Psychology, Neuropsychology, Health Psychology, and Forensic Psychology.
Accreditations
- American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation (CoA)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA)
Contact Information
325 North Wells Street Suite 1050
Chicago, IL 60654
(800) 721-8072
[email protected]
http://www.thechicagoschool.edu/Chicago/Our_Programs/PsyD_in_Clinical_Psychology
DePaul University
Department of Psychology
Based in the heart of downtown Chicago with its Loop and Lincoln Park campuses with four other locations scattered around the Windy City, DePaul University is a private institution recognized as the nation’s largest Catholic university with about 25,000 students. Consistently ranked among the top 25 nationally for service learning opportunities, DePaul is currently named as the 121st best college in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report survey. Among the 141st best doctorate psychology programs, the Department of Psychology is nationally acclaimed for hosting the 94th best program in clinical psychology.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology
Following a scientist-practitioner model, the clinical psychology doctoral program is focused on training in culturally and contextually relevant research, prevention, and treatment within underserved populations, especially youth of color residing in urban poverty. The program requires that students are admitted into one of the two offered tracks in Community Psychology or Child Psychology to receive training to become specialized clinical psychologists. Offering students the unique opportunity to participate in clinical experiences to develop skills in testing, assessment, and psychotherapy, the program includes practicum training at the on-campus DePaul Family and Community Services.
Accreditations
- American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation (CoA)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA)
Contact Information
Byrne Hall Room 422
1 East Jackson Street
Chicago, IL 60604
(773) 325-2039
[email protected]
https://csh.depaul.edu/academics/psychology/graduate/clinical-psychology-ma-phd/Pages/default.aspx
Illinois Institute of Technology
Lewis College of Health Sciences
As a private proprietary institution devoted to offering its more than 7,700 students with a variety of degree options related to the sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology is located three miles from the downtown business district of Chicago across the street from the home of the Chicago White Sox. Recently named as one of the most beautiful college campuses in the nation by Forbes magazine, IIT is currently ranked as the 109th best college and 38th top value school in the United States by the U.S. News and World Report. Even more importantly, the Lewis College of Health Sciences is nationally acclaimed for having the 125th best clinical psychology program in the country for 2014.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology
Structured on the Boulder scientist-practitioner model on a cognitive-behavioral theoretical framework to emphasize the integration of clinical practice and applied research, the Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology program aims to prepare graduates for licensure eligibility in Illinois to work in medical centers and multi-disciplinary clinical settings as academics, practitioners, and/or researchers. Within the program, students have the option of specializing their studies in the Rehabilitation track to practice in rehabilitation settings. Requiring a total of 107 semester credits, the program typically requires students to complete coursework in the first three years before spending the next two in doctoral dissertation and a full-time one-year internship.
Accreditations
- American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation (CoA)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA)
Contact Information
Life Sciences Building Room 246B
10 West 35th Street
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 567-3500
[email protected]
https://www.iit.edu/academics/programs/psychology-specialization-clinical-psychology-phd
Illinois State University
Department of Psychology
Situated in the town of Normal approximately 130 miles southwest of Chicago, Illinois State University has a history of being the first public institution in the state founded in 1857 as a teacher’s state college. Fostering a small-college atmosphere of more than 18,500 students with all of the large-university opportunities, ISU is currently ranked as the 152nd best college and 81st top public school in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report. Moreover, the ISU Department of Psychology is recognized for being home to the 191st best graduate psychology program in the United States.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in School Psychology
With a strong emphasis on the scientist-practitioner model whereby the science of psychology is used as a framework to provide direct service to help children, the Ph.D. in School Psychology program is focused on producing culturally competent doctoral-level school psychologists to be sensitive to the needs of children and families from diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and sexual orientation backgrounds. Requiring a minimum of 113 credit hours to receive the doctoral degree, the program aims to prepare graduates for various settings, including schools, mental health centers, hospitals, colleges and universities, and private practices, through experiential learning in a full-time one-year internship.
Accreditations
- American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation (CoA)
- National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
- Senior College Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
Contact Information
Campus Box 4040
Normal, IL 61790
(309) 438-2583
[email protected]
http://psychology.illinoisstate.edu/school/phd/philosophy.shtml
Loyola University Chicago
Department of Psychology
Considered the largest private Jesuit institution in the nation with more than 15,750 students, Loyola University Chicago is based on a 105-acre Lake Shore campus alongside the banks of Lake Michigan in the outskirts of the metropolitan center. According to the U.S. News and World Report, LUC is ranked as the 101st best college and 44th best value school in the nation. Furthermore, the Department of Psychology is recognized for having the 117th best graduate psychology programs and specifically the 60th best clinical psychology program in the nation.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology
Adhering to the scientist-practitioner model of clinical training designed to develop competent creative professionals capable of functioning in clinical, research, and academic settings, the Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology program strives to produce professionals who are proficient in the execution of psychological research, methodologies approaches of psychology, and specialized knowledge of psychological dysfunctions. All students in the program must complete a minimum of 800 hours of practicum training experience beginning in the second year before beginning a 12-month full-time internship in the final sixth year.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Counseling Psychology
The Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology aims to prepare students who are seeking to engage in the professional practice of psychology, including conducting research, teaching at the university level, and/or counseling in a variety of clinical service settings. Requiring five years of study for 66 credit hours and a full-time internship to meet all licensure requirements to sit for the Clinical Psychologist licensure examination in Illinois, the program is invested in training psychologists committed to cultural diversity and social justice issues.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in School Psychology
Committed to preparing future school psychologists in an atmosphere of collaboration with fellow students, faculty, and the community at large, the Ph.D. in School Psychology program has the goal of fostering a sense of collaboration in providing support services to children, parents, and educators. Aligned with the standards set by the Illinois State Board of Education, the program graduates professional psychologists for academic settings who are broadly educated within the context of the scientific bases of general psychology. Normally taking six full-time years of studies, the program involves 99 semester credits, dissertation, and internship.
Accreditations
- American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation (CoA)
- Senior College Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
Contact Information
Coffey Hall Room 231
1032 W. Sheridan Road
Chicago, IL 60626
(773) 508-2967
[email protected]
http://www.luc.edu/psychology/academics_graduate.shtml
These excellent Psychology Doctoral Programs in Illinois will prepare any aspiring psychologist for a rewarding career.
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