Essential Information
The majority of Ohio schools that offer a degree in psychology have bachelor's or doctoral programs. Doctoral programs can be clinical, culminating in a Doctor of Psychology, or they can be research-focused Ph.D. programs. Doctoral students may be able to specialize in behavioral neuroscience or experimental, cognitive, developmental or clinical psychology.
Other options include an associate or a master's degree in psychology; degree program minors can also be pursued. Several programs allow students to gain hands-on skills in the field by completing an internship, and some Ph.D. programs may integrate a teaching experience.
Listed below are brief overviews the state's 10 largest public universities offering psychology programs, in addition to a comparison table with program offerings and tuition information for each school.
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
Located in Bowling Green, Bowling Green State University offers several undergraduate and graduate-level programs in psychology, all of which are administered through the Department of Psychology. Students can earn a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology, a joint bachelor's and master's degree in the field, or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) within several areas of concentration. Both bachelor's programs require students to take 36 credits within the major, including one course from three of the following areas of specialty: clinical psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, and neuroscience.
The joint degree option emphasizes experimental psychology and also requires students focus on neuroscience, cognitive psychology, or social psychology. The first three years of the program are devoted to the undergraduate requirements, followed by two years of master's-level coursework. In addition to the didactic coursework, students take several group classes and lab-based courses, providing them with a well-balanced education.
The PhD program consists of a minimum of 90 credits and allows students to concentrate in clinical psychology, neural and cognitive sciences, developmental psychology, or industrial-organizational psychology. All options require students to take a handful of courses specific to their chosen area of specialty in addition to core classes, an oral examination, and a possible internship experience. Individuals who opt for the clinical concentration gain a deeper understanding in one of the following focus areas: clinical child psychology, health psychology, or clinical community psychology.
Kent State University at Kent
Kent-based Kent State University has a BA in Psychology and a PhD program with five areas of concentration. The 121-credit BA program requires students to complete 34-36 credits within the major, including three core classes. Program coursework includes biopsychology, child psychology, personality, and perception.
PhD students have the option of specializing in health, cognitive, behavioral neuroscience, clinical, developmental, or social psychology. In addition to the program requirements specific to each concentration, all doctoral students take a series of core courses within three groups. Coursework may include physiological psychology, cognitive neuropsychology, community psychology, and theories of personality. Students who enroll in the clinical option must also complete a clinical internship that spans one full year, providing them with extensive hands-on training in the field.
Miami University - Oxford
Oxford's Miami University - Oxford offers a BA in Psychology and PhD options in brain and cognitive science, clinical psychology, and social psychology. The bachelor's program includes coursework within five areas of psychology in addition to electives. This program consists of 36 credits within in the major and also allows students to further individualize their experience by choosing a course sequence from one of the following areas: perception, biopsychology, cognitive, quantitative, developmental, psychopathology, or social. Major-specific courses may cover psychology across cultures, economic psychology, spatial cognition, fundamentals of sensation and perception, and psychological measurement.
The school's PhD programs are research-intensive, and students must complete a minimum of 90 credits, including coursework within their chosen area of specialty, a comprehensive examination, dissertation work, and a teaching experience. The school doesn't offer a terminal master's degree, but students typically earn a master's on their way to the PhD.
Ohio State University - Main Campus
Ohio State University's main campus is located in Columbus and offers several undergraduate and graduate psychology options. Students can earn either a BA or a BS in psychology or enter into one of the PhD programs. Both of the bachelor's options require students to complete 36 credits within the major, including core courses, upper-division courses, and electives. Additionally, students must take at least one course within each of the following areas: brain and behavior, cognitive psychology, clinical and developmental psychology, and social psychology.
Doctoral students can choose from programs in behavioral neuroscience, cognitive, clinical, developmental, intellectual and developmental disabilities, social, or quantitative psychology. All PhD options are research-heavy programs that integrate didactic training, research methods, and a clinical internship or teaching experience (for some programs).
Ohio University - Main Campus
Located in Athens, Ohio University offers a BA in Psychology, a BA in Psychology Pre-Physical Therapy, a PhD in Experimental Psychology with five program tracks, and a PhD in Clinical Psychology with three concentration options. The psychology major consists of 35 credits of psychology courses, including abnormal psychology, research methods, physiological psychology, and advanced statistics. Students also have the option of gaining hands-on experience through either a volunteer experience at a health care setting or a supervised research project in an area of interest. The psychology pre-physical therapy option is designed for students who plan on pursuing careers as physical therapists. This program also requires 35 credits of psychology coursework, and it should meet all of the prerequisites to a doctoral program in physical therapy.
The university's PhD programs typically take five years to complete and combine didactic training with extensive research, a dissertation, and clinical training. Students interested in the experimental psychology option can opt to specialize in cognitive psychology, applied quantitative psychology, health psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, or social psychology. Those pursuing the clinical PhD option can choose to specialize in health psychology, clinical child psychology, or applied quantitative psychology. All specializations require students to complete a 1-year internship before graduating.
Sinclair Community College
Dayton's Sinclair Community College has a 60-credit Associate of Arts (AA) in Psychology program that's geared towards individuals planning to pursue an advanced degree in the field at a 4-year institution. This program gives students a strong foundation in psychology through coursework that covers general psychology, lifespan human development, social psychology, and personality psychology.
University of Akron - Main Campus
Located in Akron, the University of Akron offers a BA in Psychology, a Master of Arts (MA) in Psychology, and a PhD in Psychology with the option to concentrate in industrial organizational or adult developmental/aging psychology. The bachelor's option consists of 128 total credits, including courses in quantitative methods in psychology, psychology of women, organizational theory, applied developmental psychology, and psychodiagnostics.
The 33-credit master's option allows students to choose a thesis or non-thesis track along with an area of concentration, such as counseling, industrial-organizational psychology, or general psychology. Students in the PhD program must complete a minimum of 94 credits, 30 of which come from a master's program. Coursework includes industrial gerontology, psychology of adulthood and aging, and psychopharmacology in adulthood. Additionally, students participate in extensive research work and complete a dissertation.
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
The University of Cincinnati's main campus is located in Cincinnati and offers a BA in Psychology, a BS in Psychology, and a PhD in Clinical Psychology or Experimental Psychology. Undergraduate students can also pursue a minor in psychology. The BA and BS options require students to complete courses from the following categories: experimental; social, developmental, and personality; interpersonal skills; and advanced science. Program coursework may include research methods, sensation and perception, and psychology of personality. Students must also complete a final capstone course.
Students enrolled in one of the two PhD options will earn a master's degree in the field as they work towards the doctoral program. Students can gain extensive training and conduct research in areas related to psychology, such as perception, stress and control, cognition, and performance.
University of Toledo
Toledo's University of Toledo has a BA in Psychology, a PhD in Clinical Psychology, and a PhD in Experimental Psychology, all of which are administered through the Department of Psychology. The BA option consists of 34 credits within the major and 18 credits within a field related to psychology. Students can participate in a research-based course or practicum experience. Program coursework covers clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, psychobiology and learning, and cross-cultural psychology. The school also has a minor program that requires 21 credits of psychology coursework.
Both PhD options take five years to complete and give students in-depth training in their area of choice. The clinical psychology program includes several externship or practicum experiences in addition to the didactic training and dissertation work. The experimental psychology track enables students to gain extensive research experience and knowledge in a variety of areas within psychology, including cognitive psychology, social psychology, and psychobiology.
Wright State University - Main Campus
Celina-based Wright State University offers a BA in Psychology, a BS in Psychology with several areas of emphasis, and a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) that's housed separately through the School of Professional Psychology. The 120-credit BA option combines general education coursework with 44 credits of major courses, including forensic psychology, abnormal psychology, and lifespan development psychology. Students interested in the BS option can choose to concentrate in behavioral neuroscience, cognition and perception, or industrial-organizational psychology. All options consist of 120 credits and require students take a handful of psychology courses and electives.
Coursework for the PsyD program covers a variety of topics within the psychology field, such as psychological assessment practices, research methods, consultation, professional ethics, and intervention. This is an in-depth program that integrates clinical training, practicum experiences, an internship, dissertation work, and examinations.
Career Requirements
Students who hope to practice as psychologists are required to be licensed in the state of Ohio. Those who wish to specialize in school psychology must pass a licensure exam, have a master's degree in school psychology, and complete three years of approved internship experience.
General psychologists are required to obtain a doctoral degree in psychology or school psychology, pass an approved exam, and gain 3,600 total hours of internship experience.
School Comparison: At a Glance
| School Name | School Type & Setting | Psychology Degree Programs Offered | Undergraduate Tuition & Fees (2018-2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green State University | 4-year, public; fringe town | Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Bachelor Arts or Bachelor Science and Master of Arts dual degree program, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology |
$11,105 in-state; $19,093 out-of-state* |
| Kent State University at Kent | 4-year, public; large suburb | Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, PhD in Psychological Science |
$10,312 in-state; $19,014 out-of-state* |
| Miami University - Oxford | 4-year, public; fringe town | Bachelor of Arts in Psychology | $15,380 in-state; $34,896 out-of-state* |
| Ohio State University - Main Campus | 4-year, public; large city | Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Science in Psychology, PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience, PhD in Cognitive Psychology, PhD in Clinical Psychology, PhD in Developmental Psychology, PhD in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, PhD in Social Psychology, PhD in Quantitative Psychology |
$10,726 in-state; $30,742 out-of-state* |
| Ohio University - Main Campus | 4-year, public; distant town | Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Pre-Physical Therapy, PhD in Experimental Psychology, PhD in Clinical Psychology |
$12,192 in-state; $21,656 out-of-state* |
| Sinclair Community College | 2-year, public; midsize city | Associate of Arts in Psychology | $2,870 in-district; $4,004 in-state; $7,271 out-of-state* |
| University of Akron - Main Campus | 4-year, public; midsize city | Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Master of Arts in Psychology, Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology |
$11,463 in-state; $15,500 out-of-state* |
| University of Cincinnati - Main Campus | 4-year, public; large city | Minor in Psychology, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Science in Psychology, PhD in Clinical Psychology, PhD in Experimental Psychology |
$11,000 in-state; $27,334 out-of-state* |
| University of Toledo | 4-year, public; large city | Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, PhD in Clinical Psychology, PhD in Experimental Psychology |
$10,293 in-state; $19,653 out-of-state* |
| Wright State University - Main Campus | 4-year, public; large suburb | Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Doctor of Psychology |
$9,254 in-state; $18,398 out-of-state* |
Source: *NCES College Navigator.
