Best Psychology Programs in Washington for 2027

Admission to the Psychology major at Washington State University comes after 30 credits, a minimum C- in Psych 311 and a 2.5 cumulative GPA. The Bachelor of Science in Psychology requires at least 35 psychology credits, with 10 of them taken in residence, and offers a General option and an Accelerated Pre-Pharmacy option. A year-long Undergraduate Practicum (Psych 445) adds one to three credits per semester and lets you choose a professional applied work emphasis, including a clinical placement, with preference for juniors and seniors aiming at graduate school. You can also join research through the department's experiment sign-ups and mentoring program.

Degree Options

General, or Accelerated Pre-Pharmacy.

Psychology Credits

At least 35, with a minimum of 10 in residence at WSU.

Admission to the Major

30 credits, Psych 311 with a C- or better, and a 2.5 cumulative GPA.

Practicum

Psych 445, a year-long course for 1 to 3 credits each semester with a clinical placement track.

Student Programs

Mentoring program, research opportunities and experiment sign-ups.

Program Sources: Major in Psychology - Washington State University Department of PsychologyStudent FAQs - Washington State University Department of Psychology

Psychology is a capacity-constrained major at Western Washington University, so you apply after at least 90 credits with Research Methods and Introduction to Psychology finished, two of five area courses done or in progress, and a GPA of 2.70 or higher. The 75-credit BS then runs through Cognition, Behavioral Neuroscience, Lifespan Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, Introduction to Behavioral and Mental Health and a three-course research and statistics series. Upper-division content courses come before 400-level seminars in two of six areas, and every seminar includes a research project. A BA in Psychology is also offered.

Application Requirements

90 credits, Introduction to Psychology and Research Methods, two area courses, and a 2.70 GPA.

Foundation Courses

Cognition, Behavioral Neuroscience, Lifespan Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology and Introduction to Behavioral and Mental Health.

Research Series

Scientific Thinking and Writing, Correlational Approaches to Research and Statistics, and Experimental Approaches to Research and Statistics.

Seminars

One course each from two of six areas: Cognitive, Behavioral Neuroscience, Developmental, Social, Behavioral and Mental Health, and Multidisciplinary.

Grade Rule

C- or better in major courses.

Program Sources: Program: Psychology, BS - Western Washington University Catalog

Students who plan to earn a PhD can declare the research concentration in Gonzaga University's Psychology BA, which adds Advanced Statistics in Psychology, a two-semester Advanced Research Design and Analyses sequence and a conference presentation of their research. All majors start with General Psychology, Statistics for Psychology and Scientific Principles of Psychology, and a B- or better in the last of those is required to complete the major. The major then needs 24 upper-division credits, 18 of them from cluster areas, and either a culminating exam or independent research presented at a regional or national conference.

Lower-Division Core

General Psychology, Statistics for Psychology and Scientific Principles of Psychology.

Upper-Division Credits

24 for the major, with 18 chosen from cluster areas.

Research Concentration

27 upper-division credits, adding Advanced Statistics in Psychology and a two-semester Advanced Research Design and Analyses sequence, with an A- in Scientific Principles.

Culminating Requirement

A culminating exam, or independent research presented at a regional or national conference.

Program Sources: Psychology and Neuroscience - Gonzaga University Academic Catalog

Central Washington University's Psychology BA can be taken hybrid or completely online, and the major comes in a 60-credit version for professional and graduate paths or a 45-credit version for careers that combine psychology with fields such as social work or business. Both versions train you in research methods and statistics through a methods course, Introductory Statistics and Intermediate Statistics and Research Methods. Electives range from Learning, Multicultural Psychology and Social Justice and Theories of Personality to Psychology of Language, Sensation and Perception and Behavioral Neuroscience. You can work with faculty on lab or online research through SONA, and internships are available.

Research and Statistics

Research Methods in Psychology, Introductory Statistics, and Intermediate Statistics and Research Methods.

Capstone

Senior Assessment.

Major Options

A 60-credit major or a 45-credit major.

Format

In-person plus online hybrid, or completely online.

Elective Examples

Multicultural Psychology and Social Justice, Clinical, Counseling, and Community Psychology, Cognitive Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience.

Program Sources: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology - Central Washington University

A 2.0 or higher in the prerequisites and at least 45 lower-division credits are needed before declaring the Psychology major at University of Washington-Tacoma Campus. The prerequisites include an introductory psychology course, two foundation courses from more than one area, a statistics course and an introductory methods course. The major then adds 15 core credits across at least two areas, among them Controversies in Clinical Psychology, Human Memory, Stereotyping, Prejudice and Discrimination, Health Psychology and Psychopharmacology, plus Fundamentals of Psychological Research II, 10 credits of advanced topics and 15 upper-division credits outside psychology. The major totals 75 credits within a 180-credit degree.

Prerequisites

Introductory psychology, two foundation courses, one statistics course and one introductory methods course, 25 credits in all.

Core Areas

Clinical, developmental, cognitive and experimental, social and applied, and general psychology, with courses from at least two areas.

Research Methods

Fundamentals of Psychological Research II.

Advanced Work

Advanced topics (10 credits) and 15 upper-division credits outside psychology.

Degree Length

75 major credits within at least 180 credits.

Program Sources: Psychology - Department of Social Sciences - University of Washington Tacoma

Students at Seattle University can earn up to 10 credit hours for a psychology practicum, working three hours a week on site for each credit, often in research labs that study PTSD, autism or substance abuse. The BA requires Introductory Psychology, Writing for Research in Psychology, Statistics and Research Methods I and II, History and Schools of Psychology, Senior Seminar and 30 credits of electives. The BS swaps in Biopsychology, Advanced Statistics and Experimental Design and two of Biological Basis of Learning and Memory, Cognitive Psychology and Health Psychology, with 15 elective credits. Methods courses must be passed with a C or higher.

BA Core

Introductory Psychology, Writing for Research in Psychology, Statistics and Research Methods I and II, History and Schools of Psychology and Senior Seminar.

BS Additions

Biopsychology, Advanced Statistics and Experimental Design, and two of Biological Basis of Learning and Memory, Cognitive Psychology or Health Psychology.

Electives

30 credits for the BA and 15 for the BS.

Practicum

PSYC 4950 Practicum, up to 10 credit hours, for a letter grade or credit/no credit.

Format

In person on the First Hill campus.

Program Sources: Psychology, BA and BS - Seattle UniversityInternships and Research Experiences - Seattle University PsychologyProgram: Psychology, BA - Seattle University

The University of Washington-Bothell's psychology major is taught through a community psychology lens, and the 70-credit degree draws on sociology, public health, anthropology and social justice work as well as psychology. You choose one core course from Risk and Resilience, Community Psychology, Cultural Psychology or Intergroup Relations, then take Approaches to Social Research Methods, two 200-level courses such as Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology or Abnormal Psychology, and 15 upper-division credits like Indigenous Psychology and Health, Clinical Psychology or Decolonizing Psychology. Community-based experience and internships are part of the work.

Core Choices

Risk and Resilience, Community Psychology, Cultural Psychology or Intergroup Relations.

Research Methods

Approaches to Social Research Methods, with a 2.0 minimum grade.

Upper-Division Courses

15 credits, such as Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Prevention and Promotion, Asian American Psychology or Projects in Psychology.

Degree Structure

70 credits, including 15 elective credits and 20 credits of additional School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences coursework.

Program Sources: Psychology - School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences - University of Washington Bothell

Experiential credit is built into the University of Puget Sound's psychology major: BA students complete volunteerism, an internship or research, while BS students must run independent research that includes data collection. Both degrees take Introductory Psychology, Writing and Thinking in Psychology, Methods and Statistics in Psychology and a Senior Capstone Seminar, plus a biology cognate. The BA adds one laboratory course and five electives, and the BS requires a second methods and statistics course, two laboratory courses and three electives. Alumni describe one-to-one mentoring and summer research funding that let them lead their own studies.

Shared Courses

Introductory Psychology, Writing and Thinking in Psychology, Methods and Statistics in Psychology and Psychology Senior Capstone Seminar.

BA Path

One laboratory course, five electives and a volunteerism, internship or research experience.

BS Path

Two laboratory courses, three electives, an additional methods course and independent research with data collection.

Biology Cognate

BIOL 101, 102, 111 or 112 for the BA, and BIOL 111 or 112 for the BS.

Major Size

Ten units in psychology, with a cognate in addition.

Program Sources: Psychology - University of Puget SoundPsychology (BS) - University of Puget Sound Bulletin

Half-time assistantships with tuition waivers and medical insurance support students in Washington State University's PhD in Psychological Science, typically at 20 hours a week over a nine-month appointment. Each student builds a program of study around one or more specialty areas: cognition, biological, health, industrial and organizational, or social psychology. The program aims to produce psychological scientists who can identify significant research problems, use a wide variety of strategies for testing hypotheses and communicate their ideas, and graduates are expected to move into research and teaching positions in academia or research and applied roles in government and industry.

Specialty Areas

Cognition, Biological, Health, Industrial/Organizational and Social.

Funding

Half-time teaching or research assistantships of 20 hours a week over nine months, with tuition waivers and medical insurance.

Assistantship Duties

Assisting an instructor, teaching a lab section, face-to-face or online course, or grading and make-up exam oversight.

Residency

Students become Washington residents within the first semester to receive the in-state tuition waiver.

Program Sources: PhD in Psychological Science - Washington State UniversityFinancial Support - Washington State University Psychological Science

Clinical Psychology and Industrial-Organizational Psychology are the two PhD programs in psychology at Seattle Pacific University. The Clinical PhD is APA accredited, takes five to six years full time with two one-year part-time practicum placements and a full-time one-year internship, and builds on a biopsychosocial framework with a master's of science in psychological science earned along the way. The Industrial-Organizational PhD is a four-year on-site program of 163 credits that follows SIOP guidelines, with field practicum experiences and electives chosen to match career goals in I-O psychology, leadership and consulting.

Clinical PhD Length

190 credits over five to six years, including practicum placements and a full-time internship year.

Clinical Training Models

Scientist-practitioner and local clinical-scientist, with an APA accredited program.

I-O PhD Length

163 credits over four years on site: 129 required, 18 elective and 16 topical seminar credits.

I-O Practice

Field practicum experiences to design workplace interventions, conduct research and develop leaders.

Program Sources: Doctorate (PhD) - Clinical Psychology - Seattle Pacific UniversityDoctorate (PhD) - Industrial-Organizational Psychology - Seattle Pacific University