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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology

Harold Abel School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Department of Psychology

General Psychology specialization

This online psychology PhD specialization offers you the opportunity to create an individualized, academic-track program designed to meet your professional goals and research interests. Choose an established area of psychological study such as health psychology, or design an interdisciplinary program that blends psychology with education, business, or human services courses. People who choose this specialization are often pursuing faculty or administrative training positions in higher education, business or the military, or careers in consulting, institutional research, or program evaluation or administration.
 
This specialization is not designed to meet licensure requirements for the counseling professions. If you are seeking information on professional licensure, please visit our Licensure Resource site.

Residency Requirements: Three four-day colloquia (PSY-R8921, PSY-R8922, PSY-R8923).

Learn about the residential colloquia experience.
As a PhD learner, you will attend three three-day residential colloquia at specific stages in your program, in addition to your online courses. These energizing residencies provide you with insights and knowledge that will be valuable during your PhD studies and beyond. Learn more about residential colloquia:
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Total Program: 120 quarter credits
Up to 50 quarter credits may be transferred into this specialization
Admission Requirements Icon indicating PDF
Next Start Date: March 5, 2012
Credit: $487
Quarter - Comps/Diss: $2,679

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Residency requirements: Three 4-day weekend experiences

Learn about the residential colloquia experience.
In addition to your online courses, you will complete 3 residential colloquia, each of which includes a 4-day weekend experience, at specific stages in your program. These energizing residencies provide you with insights and knowledge that will be valuable during your PhD studies and beyond.

Doctoral colloquia each have 3 steps:

Step 1: Colloquium Courseroom (opens approximately 2 weeks prior to Weekend Experience)
Step 2: Weekend Experience (4-day residency)
Step 3: Colloquium Courseroom—Assessment and evaluation (completed the week after the Weekend Experience)

What is the cost to attend?

The price for each colloquium is $1,495 (pricing is subject to periodic adjustment), but doesn’t include costs for evening meals or travel. You’ll be responsible for making your hotel reservations and travel arrangements.
  • Learn more about residency requirements.
  • Get more detailed information and learn how the residency experiences will enrich your learning at Capella University. Speak with an enrollment counselor at 1.888.227.3552.

Gain more value from your degree

Expand your educational and career opportunities by choosing one of Capella's degree enrichment options.

  • Add a concentration to gain deeper expertise

    Delve more deeply into a specific knowledge area by earning a concentration that will be included on your transcript and can enhance your career opportunities. If you have elective courses in your degree program, you may be able to use them to fulfill both your degree and concentration requirements at the same time. However, completing a concentration may extend your total credits beyond the requirements of your degree.

    Concentrations available as part of this specialization include:
    • Program Evaluation and Measurement
    • Psychology Teaching and Instruction
    • Child and Adolescent Development
    • Industrial Psychology
    • Organizational Psychology
    • Coaching Psychology
    • Consultation Psychology

Core Courses (each course 5 quarter credits unless noted)

  • PSY8002 - Orientation to Doctoral Learning in Psychology
  • PSY7110 - History and Systems of Psychology
  • PSY7210 - Lifespan Development
  • PSY7615 - Data Analysis with SPSS
  • PSY7520 - Social Psychology
  • PSY7543 - Ethics and Multicultural Issues in Psychology*
  • PSY7610 - Tests and Measurements
  • PSY7625 - Advanced Inferential Statistics**
  • PSY7630 - Qualitative Analysis
  • PSY7658 - Quantitative Research Methods in Psychology**

Specialization Courses (each course 5 quarter credits unless noted)

  • PSY7635 - Advanced Qualitative Analysis*
  • PSY7626 - Multivariate Statistics: Theory and Application*
  • PSY9919 - Doctoral Comprehensive Examination*
  • PSY9920 - Dissertation Courseroom* - non-credit
  • PSY9921 - Dissertation Research 1*
  • PSY9922 - Dissertation Research 2*
  • PSY9923 - Dissertation Research 3*
  • PSY9924 - Dissertation Research 4*

Seven Elective Courses (each course 5 quarter credits unless noted)

  • Choose any graduate courses, excluding introductory and special topics courses, lectures, seminars, practica, internships, and any Capella-designated first course
  • OR
  • For a health psychology focus, choose seven courses from these recommended electives:
  •  
  • PSY7320 - Advanced Biological Psychology*
  • PSY7330 - Psychopharmacology*
  • PSY8610 - Principles of Health Psychology
  • PSY8630 - Health Care Delivery
  • PSY8640 - Community Psychology
  • PSY8650 - Innovative Health Care Practices
  • PSY8660 - Coping with Chronic Physical Illness
  • PSY8670 - Cognitive/Affective Basis of Physical Illness
Courses without a PSY designation may be worth fewer than five quarter credits. Learners must carefully plan their elective courses to ensure that total credit requirements for the degree are met. Special topics courses in the Harold Abel School of Social and Behaviorial Sciences can be used as an option to complete the total required credits needed for graduation.
** This course has a prerequisite that is not listed as a required course, which may increase the total number of courses needed to complete this specialization. See course descriptions for additional course prerequisites.
* This course has a prerequisite. Contact an enrollment counselor for more information.

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I AM the Capella Kid (ok, not so young....but you'll get the metaphor)

July 8, 2010Karen I started with Capella in 2006. At first, like the Karate Kid, it felt like a lot of "wax on, wax off". At times, it didn't make sense, but I trusted (rightly so) my faculty & the excellent support team. Then, as time went on, I knew what I was doing, and I am now at the top of my game. Capella has changed my life for the better. I can spar with the best of them, proving myself as an instructor at a State University of New York instructor & recently launched my own positive psychology life coaching business. My faculty were the best in the world. My doctoral advisor was my life line. The people behind the scenes work like it's going out of style to provide us with every opportunity to be the best. Now, I know I can kick any challenges "intellectual black belt". I have a different, more profound worldview, and I see the wax on/wax off for what it is....power, knowledge, dedication to self & others and confidence. Thanks! Karen Henry (working on my dissertation in happiness studies)

A Rewarding Journey

July 18, 2010Deborah I began the Addiction Psychology PHD Program in October 2003. I have to admit that I love the flexibility of the Program. I have learned so much from Capella, things that are relevant to my current employment as a Family Therapist and also relevant to my future goals of starting a private practice. The PhD Program has been a very rewarding experience for me, though the dissertation phase can be frustrating and very very stressful. If you have determination, motivation, commitment, and a strong support system, you can succeed in Capella's doctoral program. What helped me the most in my Capella journey was having an advisor to guide me. It also helped that Capella is excellent in communicating things to the learners. If you begin a program here at Capella, be sure to utilize all of it's resources. Capella is also a recognizable name and my learning is respected by my peers & colleagues. Thanks, Deborah

Catapulted by Capella!

July 8, 2010Samuel My PhD from Capella was what I needed to take my career into the stratosphere! I am well respected by doctors, patients, educators, and different media. People stare at my diploma and feel secure that they are in good hands. Dr. Sam <a href="http://www.DrSam.tv" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.DrSam.tv</a>

The Process

July 27, 2010Steve I started out rather cocky. I thought, "This will be a breeze. I'll have the dissertation done in a year." Well, it didn't quite work that way. Actually, it took almost 3 years. I have to admit, I almost gave up a couple of times. Now that I look back on the experience, I can see that it was all worth it. I'm thinking about completing some research with the NIH Loan Repayment Program. The knowledge I gained from Capella's dissertation process will surely help my efforts with future research endeavors.

Great Program

March 13, 2011Brooke I am currently enrolled in the PhD General Psychology program and so far, it has been a wonderful experience. I am currently taking my third class, soon to be in my fourth, and the professors and many of the other learners have been great to work with. In the beginning, I was extremely doubtful and hesitant that an online degree program would meet my standards, but the technology at Capella is awesome, the staff is very prompt and the classes are challenging.

Career Choices at Capella University

December 15, 2010Patti I am a First year learner at Capella Universaity. In my studies of Psycholgy I learned a lot that has been very valuable to my educational process . The staff at Capella have gone beyond and above to make my career goals happen. I am so blessed to have chosen Capella University. The online courses at CAPELLA make it easy to understand the blackboard and the assignments with hassles or confusion. Which gives you time to do your research and turn your assignments in an early fashion. Leaving you with time for your own life and less traffic headaches

The Benefit of the Capella Ph.D.

August 31, 2011Joan I have to say that the rigor of the program seemed daunting at times, but it served me SO well in terms of my critical thinking skills and knowledge acquisition. It also brought me a promotion at my college! The entire experience (5 years) was worth it...

Fresh Start

November 12, 2010yolanda Starting this online class with Capella is the best thing that happen to me. Its like everytime I start going to school something or someone alway get in the way,so I called this my fresh start.

Career Choices at Capella University

December 15, 2010patti The psychology course I have chosen and have stuck to have been very educational. I am in my first year at Capella and enjoying all the courses I have taken . The Online staff at Capella are very helpful. They have gone beyond and above to help students achieve their academic goals. I am looking forward to starting class next year again to acheive my goal as a PSYCHOLOGIST. I am blessed to have such great teachers at Capella Univeristy

new vanture

August 8, 2010markee I have never tried on line course because I beieve in the grout theory.-which is work hard play hard. This is the first time I have vanture out of my comfort zone because the school has been highly recommended by a freind whose attending. My major concern is how will a human service major with interest in higher learning benfit from cappella in the field of dually diagnose clients.For the past five years I have been attending community college and off and the academic changes in the program has driven me crazy, because my personal interst is to get my BA before retirement. I am a first generation college student and so graduation is very important to me especialy in the helping feild and on a personal level.
Image of enrollment counselor who specializes in Capella's psychology graduate programs and online psychology degrees
Image of enrollment counselor who specializes in Capella's psychology graduate programs and online psychology degrees

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