Best Psychology Programs in Colorado for 2027

Statistics and research methods arrive early in the University of Colorado Boulder's Psychology BA, as the two-part Psychological Science sequence, ideally taken in consecutive semesters and finished by the fifth semester. The 36 psychology credits also include four of five core courses: Biological Psychology, Introductory Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology, Behavioral Genetics and Clinical Psychology: Psychological Disorders. You then take an upper-division laboratory and methods course in areas such as social, clinical or cognitive research, plus nine credits of upper-division electives. A natural science sequence and a math course sit alongside the major, and at least 20 psychology credits must be upper-division.

Core

General Psychology, Psychological Science I: Statistics and Psychological Science 2: Research Methods in Psychology.

Required Courses

Four of Biological Psychology, Introductory Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology, Behavioral Genetics and Clinical Psychology: Psychological Disorders.

Lab and Methods

One upper-division course, from Research Methods in Behavioral Genetics to Community-based Research and Design.

Ancillary Courses

A natural science sequence and one math course.

Credits

36 in psychology, with at least 20 upper-division.

Program Sources: Psychology - Bachelor of Arts (BA) | University of Colorado Boulder

Colorado State University's Psychology BS offers five concentrations: General Psychology, Clinical/Counseling Psychology, Industrial/Organizational, Mind, Brain, and Behavior, and Addictions Counseling, which also comes in an accelerated version. The major is built on the natural sciences, so the General Psychology concentration includes Psychology of the Individual in Context, Research Design and Analysis I and II, Mind, Brain, and Behavior, a statistics course and two lecture-lab pairs, then ends with Capstone Seminar. The core psychology courses need a grade of C or higher. The General Psychology plan has an accelerated version that finishes in three years plus summers, and the 120 credits include at least 42 upper-division credits.

Concentrations

General Psychology, Clinical/Counseling, Industrial/Organizational, Mind, Brain, and Behavior, Addictions Counseling and Accelerated Addictions Counseling.

Research Sequence

Research Design and Analysis I and II, plus an applied statistics or biostatistics course.

Labs

Two lecture-lab pairs in psychology, such as Social Psychology or Cognitive Psychology with their laboratories.

Capstone

Capstone Seminar in the senior year.

Credits

120, at least 42 of them upper-division.

Program Sources: Major in Psychology | Colorado State University Catalog

A two-year distinction sequence lets University of Denver psychology majors finish with a senior honors research project, starting in junior year with an introduction to basic research principles. The department offers a BA with 40 psychology credits and a BS with 45, and both require Foundations of Psychological Science, Introduction to Statistics and Research Methods. Content courses come from clinical, cognition and neuroscience, developmental and social areas, with the BA covering three of the four and the BS all four. The BA needs a minor or second major, while the BS needs two minors or a second major with a minor, one in a natural or computer science or mathematics. A cognitive neuroscience concentration pairs the major with biological sciences, and clinically minded students can complete a one-year internship in a community hospital or agency.

BA

40 psychology credits and a minor or second major.

BS

45 psychology credits and two minors or a second major with a minor, one in science, computer science or mathematics.

Core

Foundations of Psychological Science, Introduction to Statistics and Research Methods.

Distinction

Junior and Senior Honors Research Seminars ending in a senior honors research project.

Concentration

Cognitive Neuroscience, with a biological sciences major or minor.

Program Sources: Psychology | University of Denver Bulletin

Experiential learning is required in the BS version of the psychology major at the University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus. The BA takes 37 psychology credits, with Introduction to Psychology I and II, Statistics and Research Methods, Biological Basis of Behavior, Research Methods in Psychology and History of Psychology, then electives from two groups. The BS needs 54 credits, 31 in psychology and 23 in ancillary science coursework, swaps History of Psychology for Behavioral Neuroscience, and requires an approved experiential learning component such as a research seminar sequence, an internship or the career capstone. Both degrees need 16 upper-division psychology credits taken with Denver faculty.

BA Credits

37 psychology credits.

BS Credits

54 credits, with 31 in psychology and 23 in ancillary coursework.

BS Experiential Learning

Approved research seminar sequence, Internship or Senior Seminar in Psychology: Career Capstone.

Required Courses

Introduction to Psychology I and II, Statistics and Research Methods, Biological Basis of Behavior and Research Methods in Psychology.

Research Scholar Tracks

Gardner Psych Research Scholar versions of both the BA and the BS.

Program Sources: Psychology, BA | CU Denver Undergraduate CatalogPsychology, BS | CU Denver Undergraduate Catalog

Choose a subplan when you apply to the PhD in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder: Behavioral Neuroscience, Behavioral, Psychiatric, and Statistical Genetics, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, or Social Psychology. There is no developmental subplan, though many faculty have related interests. Applications are tied to specific faculty who are recruiting students, and an application to someone who is not recruiting won't be considered. Students receive a tuition waiver and a stipend, generally funded by teaching or research assistantships, for the first five years, and the assistantships also cover part of student health insurance.

Subplans

Behavioral Neuroscience, Behavioral Psychiatric and Statistical Genetics, Clinical, Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, and Social.

Funding

Tuition waiver and stipend for the first five years, generally through teaching or research assistantships.

Applying

Apply to work with a faculty member who is actively recruiting students.

Developmental Interests

No developmental subplan, but faculty with related research interests are listed.

Program Sources: Graduate Program Subplans | Psychology and Neuroscience | University of Colorado Boulder

Colorado State offers psychology doctoral study in applied social psychology, cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, counseling psychology, and industrial-organizational psychology. Your research requirements and courses depend on the area. Cognitive students, for example, conduct research every semester, complete a master’s thesis before the comprehensive examination, and participate in a weekly research discussion. Their coursework includes a two-semester statistics sequence, advanced methods, and cognitive specialty seminars. Faculty mentoring supports additional research beyond the thesis and dissertation projects.

Cognitive Sequence

Master’s thesis, comprehensive examination, then dissertation research.

Cognitive Training

Two-semester statistics sequence, advanced methods, and weekly research discussion.

Program Sources: Psychology PhDCognitive Psychology Doctoral Training

Training for research, teaching and professional practice runs through three PhD programs in the Department of Psychology at the University of Denver: Experimental Psychology with an affect, social or cognitive emphasis, Clinical Psychology with a child emphasis, and Developmental and Child Psychology. A Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience specialization is open to students in any of the three and covers neuroimaging, computational modeling, eye-tracking, psychophysiology, neuropsychology, neuroendocrinology and behavioral genetics. Clinical students earn a master's on the way to the PhD, for a minimum of 120 credits that include research design and inference, correlation and regression, and advanced statistics. GRE scores are optional for admission.

Programs

Experimental (affect, social or cognitive), Clinical with a child emphasis, and Developmental and Child Psychology.

Specialization

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, open to students in any psychology graduate program.

Clinical Credits

At least 120, including a master's degree on the way.

Statistics

Research Design and Inference, Correlation and Regression, plus advanced statistics or programming courses.

Admission

GRE scores optional, with a 2.5 minimum undergraduate GPA for consideration.

Program Sources: Psychology | University of Denver Bulletin

Credits you earn in the psychology program at Trinidad State College travel well, because nearly every course is a Guaranteed Transfer course accepted at other public institutions in Colorado. You choose between an Associate of Arts toward a BA and an Associate of Science toward a BS, each 60 credits. Both take General Psychology I and II and three psychology electives from Psychology of Death and Dying, Positive Psychology, Human Growth and Development, Child Development and Abnormal Psychology. The AS adds Social Psychology and a two-course General College Biology sequence. Classes meet at the Trinidad and Valley campuses, and many sections are delivered live over WebEx or Zoom, including to incarcerated students across Colorado.

AA Track

Transfer pathway toward a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.

AS Track

Transfer pathway toward a Bachelor of Science, with General College Biology I and II and Social Psychology.

Psychology Electives

Three from Death and Dying, Positive Psychology, Human Growth and Development, Child Development and Abnormal Psychology.

Credits

60 in each degree.

Where

Trinidad and Valley campuses, in person or live over WebEx or Zoom.

Program Sources: Psychology | Trinidad State College

Transfer toward a BA or a BS is the choice behind the two psychology degrees at Lamar Community College. The Psychology AA explores the social aspects of behavior and transfers toward a BA in psychology, while the Psychology AS focuses on the neuroscience behind behavior and transfers toward a BS. Both take 60 credits with General Psychology I and II plus Public Speaking or Interpersonal Communication. The AA adds three more psychology courses from Human Sexuality, Social Psychology, Child Development, Human Growth and Development and Abnormal Psychology, and the AS keeps its electives outside psychology and carries a larger science load. Some students may need to choose online courses to finish either degree.

AA Focus

Social aspects of human behavior, transferring toward a BA in psychology.

AS Focus

Neuroscience behind human behavior, transferring toward a BS in psychology.

Shared Courses

General Psychology I and II, and Public Speaking or Interpersonal Communication.

AA Psychology Electives

Three from Human Sexuality, Social Psychology, Child Development, Human Growth and Development and Abnormal Psychology.

Credits

60 in each degree.

Program Sources: Psychology, A.A. | Lamar CCPsychology, A.S. | Lamar CC

Biology marks the split between the two psychology degrees at Northeastern Junior College. The AS requires General College Biology I and II with labs, then General Psychology I and II and Social Psychology, and it limits psychology courses to six credits among the electives. The AA takes General Psychology I and II plus three more psychology courses in the social sciences category, with one biology course that has a lab. Both degrees run 60 credits and transfer to four-year colleges. Build a strong mathematics and statistics background and take natural science courses along the way. Electives are chosen with an advisor from the articulation agreement of the target school.

AS Psychology Courses

General Psychology I and II and Social Psychology.

AS Science

General College Biology I and II with labs, ten credits.

AA Psychology Courses

General Psychology I and II plus three more psychology courses.

Math

College Algebra recommended for the AS, and one three-credit math course for the AA, with Statistics preferred.

Credits

60 in each degree.

Program Sources: Psychology | Northeastern Junior CollegePsychology Designation | Northeastern Junior College