Psychologist Licensing by State

If you’ve decided to take the plunge and become a licensed, practicing psychologist, one of the first things you’ll realize is the process for obtaining your psychology license differs by state.

Some want 3,000 hours of supervised internship experience and others say 1,500 hours is enough. Some require a higher score on the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) than others. A few states request that their candidates take the EPPP along with their Professional Standards Exam (PSE).

Because there are 50 different versions of how you can earn your psychology license, it can become incredibly confusing. There are so many unique details. How can you keep the information straight?

The process may be overwhelming, but we’re here to break it down for you. After reading this article, you’ll know the general process of getting your psychology license, what it means to take the EPPP and the PSE, and requirements for psychology license by state.

If you’re feeling nervous, take a deep breath and read on to learn how to start your journey to earning your psychology license.

What are the Basic Steps of Becoming a Licensed Psychologist? 

While each state has its own laws and requirements, no matter where you’re planning to practice there are three things you’ll need to do to earn your license: 1) get your doctorate in psychology (along with completing a bachelor’s and master’s degree), 2) have a certain number of supervised internship hours, and 3) take some kind of standardized psychology exam.

Every state has slightly different versions of this, but this is what it comes down to.

See also: How to Become a Psychologist

What Standardized Psychology Tests Will I Need to Take to Earn My License to Practice Psychology? 

No matter which state you’ll eventually practice psychology in, you’re going to be taking a standardized psychology test. There are two major types: the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and the Professional Standards Exam (PSE).

The EPPP is the more common psychology standard test. It covers eight unique psychological areas: Biological Bases of Behavior, Cognitive-Affective Bases of Behavior, Social and Cultural Bases of Behavior, Growth and Lifespan Development, Assessment and Diagnosis, Treatment, Intervention, and Prevention Supervision, Research Methods and Statistics, and Ethical/Legal/Professional Issues. This exam takes four hours to complete and is comprised of 225 questions. It also costs about $600.

If offered, the PSE is an exam that check’s the candidate’s knowledge of psychology ethics and laws for the state in which they’re going to practice. The way PSE is given is determined by the states that offer it. Some offer it as an oral exam while others give out a paper test. If it’s given as a regular test, it’s often made up of open-ended questions. This allows the state’s psychology licensing board to see how the license candidate would act in various ethical situations. The cost of this test varies by state, but the average price is $50.

State Requirements Overview

If you’re still deciding where you’d like to practice and are interested in comparing requirements, check out this handy list of psychology license information by state.

Alabama 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP and PSE

Alaska   

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP and PSE

Arizona 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Arkansas 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 2,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP and PSE

California

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Colorado

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Connecticut 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP and PSE

Delaware

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Florida

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 4,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP and PSE

Georgia

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP and PSE

Hawaii

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,900 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Idaho

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Illinois

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP or American Board of Professional Psychology Boards (ABPPB) counseling or clinical psychology certification examination

Indiana 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,100 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Iowa

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP and PSE

Kansas

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,800 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Kentucky

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,600 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP and PSE

Louisiana 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Maine

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Maryland

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,250 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Massachusetts 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Michigan 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Minnesota 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Mississippi

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 4,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Missouri 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Montana

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Nebraska

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Nevada

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP and PSE

New Hampshire 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

New Jersey 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

New Mexico 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

New York 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

North Carolina 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

North Dakota 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Ohio

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Oklahoma 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Oregon

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Pennsylvania 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,750 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Rhode Island 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP and PSE

South Carolina 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

South Dakota 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,800 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Tennessee 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,900 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Texas 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Utah

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 4,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP and PSE

Vermont

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 4,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Virginia

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Washington

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,300 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

West Virginia

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Wisconsin

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 3,000 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP

Wyoming 

  • Degree Type: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD or PsyD
  • Supervised Internship Hours: 1,500 hours
  • Standard Test: EPPP and PSE