Psychologist Licensure Requirements in New York

New York psychologists are licensed by the Office of the Professions, under the banner of the New York State Education Department (http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/psych). Psychologists must complete doctoral degrees, pass a national board examination, and acquire professional experience under supervision.

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New York State Psychologist Educational Requirements

A prospective psychologist must complete a license qualifying psychology doctoral program. New York maintains a list of in-state programs that are license qualifying. Programs located in other jurisdictions must be deemed equivalent.

Click Here to learn more about psychology education options based on your current educational attainment.

In order to be deemed equivalent, a U.S. program must be housed in a regionally accredited institution. The program must be the equivalent of at least three full-time years. Two years are to consist of academic coursework, seminars, and tutorials. Fully 30 semester hours must be taken at the institution granting the degree.

The student will need at least three semester hours each in the following core content areas:

  • Psychology history and design
  • Research design, methodology, and statistics
  • Psychometrics
  • Biological basis of behavior
  • Individual differences
  • Social basis of behavior
  • Cognitive-affective basis of behavior

There must also be coursework in cultural and ethnic diversity and in scientific and professional standards. There must be a year of practical experience which may be practicum, internship, or applied research.

Child Abuse Training

New York mandates training in child abuse. Candidates who complete programs that are registered in New York will have this training integrated into their coursework. Candidates who complete out-of-state programs may complete the training through an approved provider. A list of approved providers can be found by clicking here.

Supervision Requirements in New York

The equivalent of two years of supervised professional experience is required for full licensure; 1,750 hours is considered one year. The first year may be a university-approved pre-doctoral field experience. Applied research is acceptable if the research was not part of the dissertation or thesis requirement.

At least one year of experience must be post-doctoral. In many cases, a graduate will need to apply for a limited permit. Some New York settings are exempt from licensure requirements. A candidate who works in such a setting may have hours credited toward licensure without holding a permit. However, it is crucial to know that the setting is indeed exempt; in some instances, employment may be deemed illegal practice of psychology.
An individual who holds a permit is permitted to use the word “psychologist” in his or her job title but status must be made clear. Under normal circumstances, graduates can work under limited permits for up to three years; this period may be extended by one year if the Board concurs that there is good cause. Attestation of supervision must be submitted at the end of the supervisory period.

A candidate who works in an academic setting can only credit assignments that were a full semester in length and involved teaching at least six semester hours. Candidates who work in other settings must work at least 16 hours a week. The Board considers 16 to 34 hours a week to be part-time, 35 to 45 hours to be full-time. Part-time workers must have at least two hours of supervision every two weeks while full-time workers must have two hours each week. At least one hour must be an individual supervisory session which focuses on service delivery. The other hour may be spent in seminars, group supervision, or “apprenticeship activities”.

Psychologist Examination for NY

New York requires the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). Candidates are eligible to take the licensing examination after they have completed their degree and at least one year (1,750 hours) of supervised practice. Many candidates will have fulfilled the supervised practice requirement upon graduation.

Approved candidates will receive information from Professional Examination Service. A candidate handbook is available for download on the site of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (http://www.asppb.net).

Candidates should expect to pay $600 upon registration and $79.56 upon scheduling. An ATT is issued soon after registration; the examination must be scheduled and taken within 60 days.

An unsuccessful candidate may schedule another exam, subject to additional fees. New York allows four attempts in a year.

The Application Process for Psychologists in NY

The application is typically submitted when some requirements are left to be met (http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/psych/howtoapply.htm). A graduate who needs a temporary permit must submit the entire license application; the form requires notarization.

It is permissible to begin the application file even before degree requirements have been met, but a permit will not be issued until afterward. If a student is attending a program that is listed as degree qualifying in New York, the program will submit a form to verify that degree requirements have been met.

The application fee is $294. The temporary permit costs an additional $70.
As requirements are met, content will be added to the file. Candidates who are awaiting licensure may do online license verification.

Out-of-State Psychologists

Out-of-state psychologists will need to provide license verification for each state. Confirmation of EPPP test results may be provided by the state of licensure or by the ASPPB. A candidate who was licensed on the basis of some other examination may request that the other jurisdiction submit a copy of the examination to New York for review purposes.
Candidates who earned doctoral degrees before October 1, 1992 do not necessarily have to demonstrate that one year of their supervised practice was earned after the degree was granted.

The Board notes, though, that the Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) is not accepted for mobility purposes in New York.

An otherwise qualified out-of-state licensee who needs to take the examination may be granted a temporary permit to practice while awaiting examination, provided the application is submitted within six months of taking up residence in New York. This type of temporary permit is good for just one year. It will be invalidated if the candidate fails the licensing examination.

Internationally educated candidates should contact the Department to find out what materials must be submitted.

Additional Information for Psychologists in New York State

If you are still in High School, hold a High School Diploma/GED, hold a bachelor’s degree, or hold a master’s degree check out suggested steps to take along the path to become a Licensed Psychologist in New York.

The NYS Licensure Department can be reached by phone or email. The phone is typically answered between 8:30 and 4:45.

Candidates with questions about out-of-state programs may call 518-474-3817, ext. 300. Applicants with questions about their own file may call 518-474-3817, ext. 592.

Students and professionals may also look to the New York Psychological Association for information about the profession.