Program Overview
Choose Excellence with a PsyD in Leadership Psychology
You can complete the PsyD in Leadership Psychology program at William James College in 4 years (full time) or 6 years (part time). All students are required to possess a minimum 30-credit master's degree, which brings the total number of required WJC credits to 68.
You will enjoy the convenience of courses which are delivered primarily online with 3 required residencies per year (fall, spring, and summer). A residency is a four-day intensive stay at our campus in Newton, MA and an invigorating opportunity to work together with your cohort and engage in executive-level experiential learning courses and attend world-class thought-leader presentations. Students love these residencies because they are able to practice their new skills through experiential learning, meet face to face with their peers and faculty, and build even stronger networking connections.
As a Leadership Psychology PsyD student, you will learn and practice new techniques and tools that you can apply and test in your current role. The knowledge you acquire over the next 4-6 years can have an immediate impact and can produce results for both you and your organization, whether you work internally or as an independent consultant.
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Start HereWhat is Leadership Psychology?
Leadership Psychology is a unique approach to understanding how individuals function as leaders and followers. The area of study examines those who are leaders themselves, those who are followers, and those who advise leaders. The goal is to understand the elements of being a great leader. The way you perform as a leader influences the performance of your team and colleagues.
Choose Real-World Learning with Experiential Education
Field placement is a transformational aspect of our educational model. As a Leadership Psychology PsyD student, you'll graduate with 900 hours of supervised hands-on field training. This includes a 600-hour practicum and a 300-hour internship. You will work with our Field Education Office to find a placement opportunity tailored to suit your career interests and goals.
Choose Impact with a Commitment to Social Responsibility
Our Leadership Psychology PsyD program is rooted in social justice, respect for diversity, and a multicultural perspective. This approach is woven through our entire curriculum and training model.
William James students have the option to choose to participate in a co-curricular, college-wide concentration to enhance their studies and expand their learning. Available concentrations include African and Caribbean Mental Health, Asian Mental Health, Global Mental Health, Latino Mental Health, or LGBTQIA+ Studies.
In addition to the college-wide concentrations, we offer in-depth, focused study opportunities specifically for Leadership Psychology PsyD students, including Anti-Racist Leadership, Educational Leadership, Leading Non-Profits and NGOs, and The Neuroscience of Leadership Psychology.
Program-Specific Concentrations or Areas of Emphasis
Educational Leadership
Inclusive Leadership
Leading Non-Profits and NGOs
Neuroscience of Leadership Psychology
College-Wide Concentrations
African and Caribbean Mental Health
Asian Mental Health
Global Mental Health
Latino Mental Health
LGBTQIA+ Studies
Choose Community Connectivity, Support and Student Life
The William James College community is supportive and connected. Our Dean of Students Office offers regular programming, in person and online, for all students, and oversees our Academic Resource Center. Student leadership and student groups create more opportunities for engagement, and we are proud to be home to the William James College Black Mental Health Graduate Academy, a community for Black students enrolled in our doctoral and master’s degree programs, that provides mentorship and networking opportunities.
Choose Mentorship and Personal Growth
As a student, you will engage with faculty through education, research, mentorship, and training. All students work closely with an advisor on course planning, personal and professional development, and career goals.
Students come from diverse backgrounds. Some are executives, some are on the executive track, and others are leading and supporting teams as managers and directors. Many are managing full-time work, family and personal relationships. They will tell you the support and guidance they receive from faculty is exceptional. Our faculty pride themselves on a high-touch model and are here to support you through this doctoral journey.
Organizational and Leadership Psychology faculty members, collectively, represent expertise across many psychology and business domains including non-profit leadership, organizational culture, neuroscience of leadership, strategic talent management, program evaluation, group dynamics, diversity and leadership, and more.
William James College faculty are practicing professionals who bring their organizational expertise and real-world examples into the classroom. They pair this experience with empirically based research, teaching you nuances, protocols, and interventions, that prepare you for your field work as a student and for your career as a leadership psychologist.