Licensing Requirements
Education & Experience
The Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Board) cannot pre-approve an applicant’s eligibility for a psychology license. You must submit a completed application and fee to the Board. It is the individual’s responsibility to know the licensing requirements.
Application Process
Print the application form and related forms. Complete the application form and mail it to the address provided on the application along with the application fee. You may also contact the customer service office at (360) 236-4700 and request an application packet.
HIV/AIDS Education Requirement
Completion of seven (7) clock hours of AIDS education and training is required prior to licensing.
Education Requirement
Completion of a doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution.
The doctoral degree program must include:
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At least 40 semester hours, or 60 quarter hours, of graduate courses in curriculum areas described in WAC 246-924-046. Courses must be clearly identified by title and course content as being part of an integrated psychology program.
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One year in residency.
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Submission of an original dissertation which is psychological in nature and endorsed by the program; and
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An organized, sequential and coordinated practicum and internship experience as described in WAC 246-924-049 and WAC 246-924-056.
Experience Requirement
If the major emphasis is in clinical, counseling, school or other applied area, the program must include a coordinated practicum and internship experience. Applicants are required to verify a total of 3,300 hours of supervision.
Practicum
The doctoral degree program in WAC 246-924-046 must include a practicum of at least two semesters or three quarters and at least 300 hours of direct experience, 100 hours of which must be in supervision.
Pre-internship
The preinternship occurs between the practicum required by WAC 246-924-049 and internship required by WAC 246-924-056. A preinternship can include up to 1500 hours of supervised experience, but is not required
Internship
Applicants must complete an internship as part of the doctoral degree program.
The internship must include at least 1500 hours of supervised experience and be completed within 24 months. The internship program must be accredited by the American Psychological Association; or be a member program of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers. If the program is not accredited by the APA or APPIC member, it must meet the requirements listed in WAC 246-924-056.
Post-Doctoral Supervise Experience
If 3000 hours of supervised experience has not been completed at the end of the doctoral degree program, then up to 1500 hours of supervised post-doctoral experience can be used to satisfy the total requirement. Post-doctoral supervised experience must be completed only if an applicant does not already have 3000 hours of supervised experience.
Exams
Candidates taking the written exam will receive a scanable application form directly from the testing company, Professional Exam Services (PES). You complete the form and return it to PES along with the exam fee. After PES receives your application and fee, they will send you information about contacting the testing center through a toll free number to schedule your exam appointment.
Once we have verification of your passing the EPPP and documentation of 3,300 supervised hours, you will be scheduled for the jurisprudence exam.
You will receive a letter letting you know of your eligibility and instructions on how to schedule your exam. Once you have been approved, you may schedule your test at your convenience.
Jurisprudence Exam
The jurisprudence exam is the last step in the licensure process. The exam is a multiple-choice, open book exam given monthly at the Department of Health, in Tumwater. Please see this link for more information.
Americans With Disabilities Act
If you have a disability, which requires an accommodation during the exams, please indicate so on your application. The Examining Board of Psychology complies with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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