Best Psychology Programs in North Carolina for 2027

NC State’s general psychology concentration requires social, developmental, cognitive, and biological psychology alongside introductory research and statistics. Fifteen credits of psychology electives let students pursue subjects such as health or industrial-organizational psychology, with at least two courses at the 400 or 500 level. The broader BA includes history, literature, world language, and additional social sciences. That mix leaves room to pair psychology with another academic interest while retaining a defined scientific core.

Psychology Core

Social, developmental, cognitive, and biological psychology with research and statistics.

Elective Structure

15 psychology elective credits; at least two courses at the 400 or 500 level.

Program Sources: Psychology BA — NC State Catalog

Charlotte revised its psychology BS curriculum in fall 2025, making catalog year important when planning courses. After admission to the major, students complete three consecutive stages: Research Methods I, then Research Methods II or Critical Thinking About Research, followed by a capstone. These stages cannot be taken together. Declaration also requires completed introductory psychology, statistics, and a laboratory science course, so transfer students need to account for both prerequisites and the later sequence.

Required Sequence

Methods I, then Methods II or Critical Thinking About Research, then capstone.

Major Entry

C or better in introductory psychology, statistics, and a laboratory science, with a psychology GPA of at least 2.0.

Program Sources: Psychology Curriculum — UNC CharlotteDeclaring the Psychology Major

App State offers a general BA and seven BS concentrations, including Business, Human Services, Health Studies, and Sustainability. The Health Studies option combines psychology with biology and exercise science; Social Science draws on fields such as anthropology, criminal justice, and geography. Undergraduates can also join faculty research for credit or as volunteers. Current labs study topics including adult ADHD, anxiety and mindfulness, and mental health treatment in underserved rural communities.

Degree Options

General BA and seven BS concentrations.

Undergraduate Research

Credit-bearing or volunteer work in faculty laboratories.

Program Sources: Psychology Academics — Appalachian StatePsychology Transfer ProgramsPsychology Research and Laboratories

UNC Wilmington starts students in pre-psychology, with introductory psychology, biology with a laboratory, and mathematics required before they declare the major. The program emphasizes undergraduate involvement in faculty research on topics such as memory, drug effects, prejudice, and psychological treatment. Coursework includes behavioral statistics and experimental psychology, with advanced options such as forensic psychology and a sensation-and-perception capstone. Students must actively change their major designation after completing the entry requirements.

Major Entry

Introductory psychology, biology with lab, and mathematics before declaration.

Research Sequence

Behavioral statistics and experimental psychology.

Program Sources: Psychology BA — UNC Wilmington

Three tiers organize the Wake Forest psychology major. Tier 1 is Introductory Psychology plus Research Methods I and II, each with a lab, and both methods courses must be taken on campus. Tier 2 asks for at least three credits in each of brain and cognitive science, the individual in context, and applied psychology and mental health. Tier 3 is skill-building: one seminar and six credits of research courses in areas like emotion, personality or social psychology, with three of those credits replaceable by an experience course. To declare, you need a perspectives course and a C or better in Research Methods I. Honors students carry an original research project over three semesters with a faculty mentor.

Methods Sequence

Research Methods I and II with labs, taken at Wake Forest.

Perspectives

Brain and cognitive science; the individual in context; applied psychology and mental health.

Research Tier

A seminar plus six credits of Research in Psychology courses.

Honors

A three-semester original research project with a faculty mentor; applications are due near the end of junior fall.

Program Sources: Psychology, B.A. | Wake Forest University Academic BulletinHonors in Psychology | Department of Psychology | Wake Forest University

ECU's Psychology BA treats statistics, research design and scientific writing as core skills. You can apply to assist a faculty research project for elective credit or pursue a year-long senior thesis with a paper and departmental presentation. These opportunities depend on faculty availability and have different prerequisites, so selecting a research topic also means checking the route into that work. Field Experience offers another elective option through outside organizations. An independently arranged internship needs an ECU psychology faculty mentor if you want course credit.

Research Choices

Faculty research assistantships or a year-long senior thesis

External Internship Credit

Requires a psychology faculty mentor to monitor the work

Program Sources: Psychology (BA) | Learning Outcomes | ECUStudent Research Assistants | Psychology | ECUUndergraduate Internships | Psychology | ECU

ECU's psychology MA concentrates on industrial and organizational psychology. Students study personnel selection, organizational behavior, professional ethics, and psychometrics, with particular attention to how psychological measures are designed and interpreted. The program also requires students to conduct a research project relevant to their area of study and apply I/O knowledge in practical settings. That combination makes measurement and research design central to the degree, so applicants should look closely at the workplace questions they want to investigate and the methods needed to answer them.

Concentration

Industrial and organizational psychology.

Research Work

A project tied to the student’s area, with psychometrics and research methods.

Program Sources: Psychology (MA) | Learning Outcomes | ECU

NC State offers concentrations in applied social and community psychology, human factors and applied cognition, industrial-organizational psychology, lifespan developmental psychology, and school psychology. The curriculum combines psychology breadth courses with two quantitative methods courses and additional training in statistics, research methods, or measurement. Your concentration determines the rest of the plan. School psychology has a larger credit requirement that includes assessment, intervention, consultation, supervised practica, and internship work alongside the doctoral research sequence.

Concentration Options

Community, human factors, organizational, lifespan developmental, and school psychology.

Methods Preparation

Two quantitative courses and additional methods or measurement training.

Program Sources: Psychology PhDSchool Psychology PhD Concentration

UNC Wilmington's Psychology PhD has concentrations in Psychological Science, Applied Behavior Analysis and General Clinical psychology. Psychological Science students complete master's coursework and an empirical thesis before doctoral work that includes advanced modeling, teaching preparation, a qualifying examination and a dissertation. Applied Behavior Analysis combines a faculty-mentored thesis with practicum experience, then adds advanced coursework and dissertation research. The General Clinical concentration uses the university's General Psychotherapy and Assessment Clinic for training. Choose the concentration by its research and practice requirements, since these experiences differ within the doctorate.

Psychological Science

Empirical thesis, advanced modeling, teaching preparation and dissertation

Applied Behavior Analysis

Thesis research and practica before further applied work and dissertation research

Program Sources: Psychology, Ph.D. | UNCWPh.D. in Psychological Science | UNCWApplied Behavior Analysis | UNCW

UNC Greensboro's Psychology PhD includes cognitive, developmental and social research alongside a separate clinical curriculum. In the experimental concentrations, you take additional research tools beyond master's statistics and at least four psychology seminars. Independent doctoral research leads to written and oral comprehensive examinations, a dissertation proposal and a defended dissertation. The department supports methods such as eye-tracking, experience sampling and psychometrics. Your prior master's coursework and thesis are reviewed when entering with another institution's degree, making your earlier research preparation part of the doctoral plan.

Experimental Curriculum

Additional research tools and at least four psychology seminars

Doctoral Milestones

Independent research, written and oral exams, proposal and dissertation defense

Program Sources: Psychology, Ph.D. < UNC GreensboroPhD in Psychology | UNC Greensboro