How to Become a Licensed Psychologist in New York

If you derive pleasure from helping people overcome their mental challenges, then a career in psychology is best suited for you. Read this article to understand how to become a psychologist in New York.

Specific job duties of psychologists vary depending upon the concentration they have opted for. But generally, their duties revolve around identifying and treating a range of mental illnesses.

A long list of requirements has to be met before you can practice as a licensed psychologist in New York. The details are listed below:

1. Education Requirements
You will be required to complete bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology, followed by a doctoral degree (PsyD or PhD).

2. Training Requirements
You will have to complete 2 years of full-time supervised work experience in order to become eligible to apply for a license.

3. Certification and Licensing Requirements
You will have to apply to the New York State Office of the Professions in order to get your license. If your application is successful, you will be asked to register for a professional exam, which you must clear if you wish to obtain the license.

The following stages must be completed:

1. Obtain a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Psychology
In order to build your base in psychology, it is recommended that you study foundational courses in undergrad. Many programs, such as a Bachelor of Science (B.S)/Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Psychology, are offering such courses. After completing your undergraduate education, you can enroll in a Master of Arts (M.A) or a Master of Science (M.S) in Psychology. This program will give you an opportunity to study much advanced courses – some of them include Psychopathology, Physiological Psychology and Affective Neuroscience. Several research tracks are now being offered to master’s students such as the Global Psychology Research track, Industrial and Organizational Psychology Research track and the Behavioral/Social Science Research track. You can opt for any of these, depending upon your career goals and research interests.

2. Enroll in a Doctorate Program
You will have to complete a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology or a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in order to meet the education requirements for state licensure.

3. Fulfill Training Requirements
You will be expected to complete 2 years of work experience, which has to be supervised by a qualified and licensed psychologist. Out of these two years, one year can be spent completing a:

• University approved doctoral level internship, practicum, applied research, or field experience. However this research experience should not be related to your thesis or dissertation requirement;
• Teaching psychology, as a college or university faculty member, provided it meets the criteria for supervised experience

4. Obtain a State License
You must meet the following requirements if you want to be licensed as a psychologist in New York:

• Should possess a good moral character
• Should be at least 21 years old
• Must hold a doctoral degree in Psychology and should meet the Child Abuse Identification Reporting criteria
• Should have 2 years of full-time supervised work experience

After meeting these requirements, you will have to file an application with the New York State Office of the Professions. You will have to attach all required supporting documents and will be required to pay a licensure fee. If the Office approves your application and deems you eligible for a license, they will send a notice to the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). ASPPB will then send you an email and ask you to register online for the Examination of Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). In order to obtain your license, you must achieve a converted score of 75 or above in this exam.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that the annual mean wage of Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists in New York was $94,140 in 2018, which was much higher than the national average of $85,340.