Minnesota Psychology Licensure Requirements

Minnesota Psychology Schools

Gaining a license to practice psychology in Minnesota is a multi-step process. You will need to earn a doctoral degree in psychology, complete a certain number of supervised hours, and pass national and state exams. The Minnesota Board of Psychology (the Board) administers psychology licenses in the state. To help you navigate this process, we’ve prepared this guide with step-by-step instructions on becoming a licensed psychologist in Minnesota.

Table of Contents

How to Become a Licensed Psychologist
Licensure by Reciprocity
License Renewal and Continuing Education
Related Licenses
Jobs and Salary Information
Additional Resources
Frequently Asked Questions

How to Become a Psychologist in Minnesota

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree and (optionally) a master’s degree in psychology.

If you plan to become a psychologist in Minnesota, your first step will be to earn a bachelor’s degree. These degrees typically take four years (120 credit hours) to complete.

Although majoring in psychology for your bachelor’s degree can provide a good foundation for your graduate studies, it isn’t required. However, if you major in a subject other than psychology, you’ll likely have to complete prerequisite coursework before being admitted into a graduate program.

An optional step after you complete a bachelor’s degree is earning a stand-alone master’s degree in psychology. These programs usually take around two years (30 to 40 credit hours) to complete.

A stand-alone master’s degree can be a good option for anyone who didn’t major in psychology for their bachelor’s. However, many graduate psychology programs offer master’s degrees as part of the doctorate degree, so this step is not usually required.

2. Earn a doctoral degree in psychology.

After completing your bachelor’s degree, your next step will be to complete a doctoral degree in psychology. These programs usually take four to seven years to complete.

There are two types of doctoral degrees in psychology: a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology and a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD). If you aren’t sure which program would be the best for you, visit our comparison of the differences between these degrees.

Applicants for psychology licensure in Minnesota must have graduated from a program that meets educational requirements, including coursework in specific subjects. Programs accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) are automatically approved by the Board.

If you didn’t attend one of these programs, your transcript must reflect that your program met equivalent requirements. Your training must also include a predoctoral internship that is at least one year (1,800 work hours) long. These internship hours do not count toward the postdoctoral supervised experience needed for licensure.

For more information about programs to consider, please visit our guide to psychology schools in Minnesota.

3. Pass the Minnesota psychology licensing exams.

Minnesota requires two exams for licensure: the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and Minnesota’s Professional Responsibility Exam (PRE). Apply for each exam through the Board’s online licensing portal. Each exam carries a $150 testing fee payable to the Board. The EPPP also has a separate testing fee paid to Pearson VUE.

Note that you can take these exams while you are still working on your supervised postdoctoral hours.

The EPPP is given by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and tests your knowledge of psychology across a variety of domains. It consists of 225 multiple-choice questions, and you must earn a scaled score of 500 or higher to pass. The ASPPB offers EPPP sample exams to candidates the Board has approved to test.

The PRE is an online exam that consists of questions about the Minnesota Psychology Practice Act rules and statutes. EPPP and PRE scores should be automatically transferred to the Board after you pass these tests.

4. Submit an application to the Board.

Next, submit an application for licensure to the Board through the online portal. Required supporting documentation includes verification of your supervised experience, two qualified endorsers, and a fingerprint-based criminal background check. You must also have an official transcript sent from your school. You can defer payment of the $500 license fee until the one-year mark of your supervised experience.

5. Gain one year of supervised professional experience.

To be granted a psychology license in Minnesota, you must complete one full year (1,800 hours) of supervised professional experience (SPE) in psychology, or the part-time equivalent. These hours must accrue over no fewer than 12 months and no more than 60 months. The Board may grant a variance for experience beyond 60 months. Hours worked beyond 50 in a given week do not count toward the total.

SPE may be paid or unpaid. Qualifying professional activities include:

Attending workshops, seminars, and other scientific or professional training
Case management
Client care conferences
Direct client contact
Peer review
Primary or secondary prevention
Program development, administration, or evaluation
Record keeping
Report writing
Required training sessions
Research
Staff consultation
Staff meetings
Supervision
Teaching

Work required for your degree or completed before your degree was granted, such as an internship or practicum, does not count. Before you begin SPE hours, you and your primary supervisor may submit an optional supervision agreement for Board staff to pre-approve. The Board charges $50 for this review.

While you are completing your supervised experience, you must receive at least two hours of supervision each week if you are working full time. At least one hour must be individual, in-person supervision with your primary supervisor. Supervision must total at least 100 hours. If you are working less than full time to earn these hours, the amount of weekly supervision can be adjusted so that you are receiving an equivalent proportion of supervision for your work hours.

The Board provides an optional supervision log for tracking hours. It does not require applicants to submit logs unless it requests them. After you complete one full year of supervision, the Board will contact your primary supervisor directly for verification of your SPE.

6. Receive your psychology license from the Board.

When you have completed and documented all of the above steps, the Board will notify you when your license has been issued and you are eligible to practice psychology independently.

Minnesota Licensure by Reciprocity

If you are licensed as a psychologist in a different state, you may want to transfer your license to Minnesota. To qualify for licensure by reciprocity, you must have³:

A current psychology license, certification, or registration in another jurisdiction, held for at least two consecutive years immediately before you apply
A doctoral degree in psychology that served as the basis for your current license
A notarized application
A passing score on the PRE
No unresolved complaints and no current disciplinary or corrective actions in any state or jurisdiction where you practice

Submit your application through the online licensure portal along with a $500 application fee.

Minnesota is also a member of the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT). If your home state is another PSYPACT member, you may be able to provide telepsychology to clients in Minnesota, or practice in person for up to 30 days per calendar year, without getting a Minnesota license. You must apply for authorization through PSYPACT.

License Renewal and Continuing Education

You must renew your Minnesota psychologist license every two years to keep it valid. The application for renewal is on Minnesota’s online licensing portal. You must pay a $500 fee each time you renew your license.

During each renewal period, you must also earn 40 continuing education (CE) credits. One hour of a Board-approved CE activity is equal to one credit. Eligible CE activities include:

Attending presentations with a scientific, practice, or professional standards foundation
Authoring, editing, or reviewing a psychological publication
Completing a graduate-level psychology course at a regionally accredited institution
Completing home study or computer-based courses from a vendor
Creating and delivering a presentation
Developing and teaching an academic psychology course for the first time
Developing recorded or computer-based materials

Some activities have limits on the hours you can claim. The Board’s continuing education requirements page lists these limits.

CE activities that are approved by the APA or the ASPPB are automatically approved by the Board. If you’re interested in CE activities that aren’t automatically approved, you can request pre-approval to ensure that you’ll be able to count the hours. The Board also provides a list of pre-approved CE activities on its website.

School Psychologist

School psychologists are licensed under the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB). To qualify for an initial temporary Tier 2 license, applicants must have completed a school psychology program accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) or two years of equivalent graduate study in school psychology.

To upgrade to a Tier 3 license, applicants must complete school-based mentorship and evaluation and have completed a preparation program in school psychology accredited by NASP or have earned the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential. Tier 4 applicants must meet Tier 3 requirements and have three or more years of experience working as a school psychologist.

Minnesota Psychologist Jobs and Salary Information

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as of May 2021, the average yearly salary across all types of psychologists in Minnesota was $84,753.¹ Clinical and counseling psychologists had the highest average salary in the state, at $93,790.¹ During the 10-year period between 2020 and 2030, the overall number of psychologist jobs is expected to increase by 4.6% in Minnesota, slower than the average national growth expected of 7.5%.²

Occupation	Number Employed¹	Average Annual Salary¹
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	1,260	$93,790
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists	N.Av.	N.Av.
Psychologists, All Other	610	$81,150
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary	780	$88,450
School Psychologists	1,090	$79,320

Additional Resources

Minnesota Psychological Association (MPA): Serves the science of psychology in the state through advocacy, CE opportunities, and other services and partnerships.
Minnesota School Psychologists Association (MSPA): Supports the needs of children, youth, families, and communities and promotes the delivery of comprehensive school psychological services.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to become a psychologist in Minnesota?

The minimum requirements for a psychology license in Minnesota are a doctoral degree in psychology, completion of two exams, and 1,800 hours of supervised experience. These steps usually take about 10 years to complete, but the amount of time can vary based on the requirements of the programs you attend, whether you earn an optional stand-alone master’s degree, and how long it takes you to earn your supervised postdoctoral hours.

What degree do I need to be a licensed psychologist in Minnesota?

To earn a license to practice psychology in Minnesota, you will need to complete either a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology or a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree. Before applying for for these programs, you will need to earn a bachelor’s degree and may also choose to earn a stand-alone master’s degree in psychology, though this is usually optional.

How much do psychologists in Minnesota make?

The average salary for psychologists, including teachers, in Minnesota is $84,753.¹ Specifically, counseling and clinical psychologists earned an average salary of $93,790, postsecondary psychology teachers earned an average of $88,450, school psychologists earned $79,320, and psychologists in the “all other” category earned an average salary of $81,150.¹

References:
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Minnesota: https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/2700000
2. Long Term Occupational Projections: https://projectionscentral.org/Projections/LongTerm