What will I learn?

The Department of Psychology offers a doctoral program in psychology with three concentrations.

  1. The General Clinical concentration that provides education and training in psychological science and clinical practice to prepare individuals for licensure as doctoral-level psychologists in health-service fields as designated by the American Psychological Association.
  2. The Applied Behavior Analysis concentration in which students have the opportunity to engage in coursework (approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc.®) and training designed to provide strong backgrounds in the experimental and applied analyses of behavior and in the methodological and conceptual foundations of behavior analysis.
  3. The Psychological Science concentration prepares individuals to work in a broad range of professional domains, including education, health, government, and industry. This includes a solid foundation of quantitative and methodological skills pertaining to the science of psychology.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Students demonstrate doctoral-level knowledge in the theoretical and empirical frameworks of the science and application of Psychology.
  2. Students demonstrate doctoral-level comprehensive knowledge in research design and quantitative methods.
  3. Students demonstrate effective communication of empirical findings in writing (in the style of the American Psychological Association) and in oral presentations.
  4. Students demonstrate doctoral-level ability to critically evaluate research and to independently develop a research plan based on current empirical findings.
  5. Students demonstrate doctoral-level knowledge, technical skills, and ethical decisions that are appropriate for the student’s particular concentration.

Overview of Concentrations

General Clinical Concentration

The General Clinical concentration, designed to meet American Psychological Association accreditation standards, embraces a scientist-practitioner training model in preparing individuals for licensure as doctoral-level psychologists in health-service fields that can include children, adolescents, and adults. The program focuses on the biological, psychological, behavioral, social and cultural influences on the development, assessment, and treatment of mental health, substance use, and behavioral disorders.

Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration

The Applied Behavior Analysis concentration, designed to meet Board Certified Behavior Analyst standards, is a scientific discipline that involves the comprehensive use of the principles of learning to design, implement, and evaluate strategies that promote socially significant improvements in behavior. Students will be trained with an emphasis on empirically supported and individualized assessment and intervention, consistent with outcomes-driven and problem-solving models. Students are also trained in the experimental and applied analyses of behavior underlying effective interventions for vulnerable populations.

Psychological Science Concentration

The Psychological Science concentration emphasizes training skilled researchers who will be prepared to work in a broad range of careers in education, health, and industry. Coursework is designed to provide disciplinary knowledge in the core domains of psychology and a solid foundation of quantitative and methodological skills. Students will engage in faculty-mentored research in one or more of the following areas: behavior analysis, behavioral pharmacology, cognitive, developmental, neuroscience, personality, and social. Students earning their Ph.D. in the Psychological Science concentration will be able to pursue research-oriented careers in academic, industry, or government settings.

Which department am I in?

College of Arts and Sciences

Study options

Full Time (Post-baccalaureate credit hours: At least 92 for General Clinical; At least 87 for Applied Behavior Analysis; At least 66 for Psychological Science)

Tuition fees
$21,364.00 (18,02,565) per year

*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution

Start date

September 2025

Venue

University of North Carolina Wilmington

601 South College Road,

WILMINGTON,

North Carolina,

28403, United States

Entry requirements

For students from United States

Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or its equivalent from a foreign institution of higher education accredited university. Major of psychology or at least 21 hr. of psychology with a GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) with evidence of a grade of at least a B- in a course in statistics and a grade of at least a B in a course in psychology research methods.

For international students

Students will be admitted to the PhD program by recommendation of the Department of Psychology Admissions Committee based upon eligibility requirements and available resources. Under most circumstances, students admitted to the program will have met the following requirements:

Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or its equivalent from a foreign institution of higher education accredited university.
Major of psychology or at least 21 hr. of psychology with a GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) with evidence of a grade of at least a B- in a course in statistics and a grade of at least a B in a course in psychology research methods.
Three letters of recommendation from professionals in a psychology-related field. At least two letters must be from faculty members.
Science-based statistics and research methods courses in departments outside of psychology will be considered for non-psychology majors only after the application has been submitted. It will then be reviewed for possible approval by the graduate coordinator and graduate admissions committee. Applicants who are non-psychology majors may count these two courses for up to 6 hours of the 21 hours of psychology courses. Applicants who are considering this option must include relevant syllabi as part of their application.

Minimum Score Requirement – TOEFL: 79; IELTS: minimum of 6.5 for acceptance, 7.0 for TA consideration; Duolingo: minimum of 115.

*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.

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About University of North Carolina - Wilmington

A renowned coastal university, that places emphasis on applied learning to offer students hands on experience within their field of study.

  • UNCW is located in a beachside town on the U.S. east coast
  • 93% of students are employed within two years of graduation
  • UNCW offers a variety of scholarships
  • Only U.S. degree program focused on coastal engineering