To become a psychologist in Missouri, you must apply for licensure through the State Committee of Psychologists (SCOP or the Board). Applications will not be approved unless candidates meet a series of requirements including obtaining a doctoral degree in psychology, accumulating 3,500 hours of supervised experience, and passing a series of exams. This guide will walk you through all the steps necessary for licensure in Missouri.

Table of Contents

How to Become a Psychologist in Missouri

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

Those hoping to practice psychology in Missouri as licensed professionals should first earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field. If your bachelor’s degree is not in psychology, you may be required to take additional coursework before entering a graduate program. Bachelor’s degrees take about four years of full-time study and 120 credit hours.

After earning a bachelor’s, many psychology candidates pursue a stand-alone master’s degree in psychology. Stand-alone master’s degrees in psychology usually take around two years and from 30 to 40 credit hours to finish. Many doctoral programs include a master’s degree as part of their curricula, so it might not be necessary to complete a stand-alone master’s.

2. Earn a doctoral degree in psychology.

To become a licensed psychologist in Missouri, you must complete a doctoral program in psychology that includes a year of supervised professional experience. Acceptable programs may result in either a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology degree. We provide a comparison of the differences between these two psychology degree types. Either program typically takes four to seven years to complete. To meet the professional experience requirements for licensure in Missouri, students must complete a minimum of 1,500 internship hours during the doctoral program.

Your program must be fully or provisionally accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), or the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) and include supervised practicum, internship, field, or laboratory training. A program fully or provisionally designated or approved by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) or the Council for the National Register of Health Service Psychologists (NRHSP) also qualifies.

Find psychology schools in Missouri that offer programs meeting these education requirements.

3. Submit your application for a provisional license to the Board.

Psychology licensure candidates in Missouri must complete an application for provisional licensure to complete their supervised experience hours. The application must be signed and notarized, and include:

Provisional licenses expire after one year and aren’t renewable.

4. Complete 3,500 hours of supervised experience.

Missouri requires a total of 3,500 hours of supervised professional experience. At least 1,500 hours must be obtained during your doctoral internship over a period between one and two years. The remaining 2,000 hours of experience can be completed as part of a preinternship, internship, predoctoral postinternship professional experience, or postdoctoral training.

Preinternship and predoctoral postinternship experience must take place after the initial year of a doctoral program unless you have successfully completed a psychology (or closely related) master’s degree. As many as 750 internship hours may also be applied to the 2,000-hour requirement as long as the initial 1,500 hours of the internship have already been met. The director or supervisor in charge of the experience must confirm all hours for them to count.

Postinternship and postdoctoral experience must be supervised by a primary supervisor who takes full professional responsibility and meets with you face-to-face at least one hour per month. A secondary supervisor providing clinical supervision must meet with you at least one hour per week, as must a primary supervisor who also serves as the clinical supervisor. Group supervision may not count. Those who wish to provide health services must be supervised by a licensed psychologist and health service provider.

Postdoctoral supervised experience must be completed within 24 months, accrued at a maximum of 50 hours per week, and be in areas related to the applicant’s area of focus. You must include an Verification of Post-Degree Professional Experience form for all postdoctoral experience.

5. Pass the Missouri psychology licensing exams.

After the application is approved, you’ll receive an authorization to register for the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), the official exam administered by the ASPPB. The test should be scheduled within 60 days of receiving authorization. A minimum score of 500 is required to pass. Practice exams are available.

Psychology licensure candidates in Missouri must also complete a written jurisprudence examination on ethical conduct and the rules for psychology practice in the state. There are 100 questions to be answered within three hours. A score of 70% is required to pass. This written examination is given monthly. The Board also requires an oral examination and posts scheduled dates for this exam on its website.

6. Receive your license from the Board.

Once the Board verifies you have met requirements, you will receive your license to practice psychology in Missouri.

Missouri Licensure by Reciprocity and Endorsement

To be considered for a license by reciprocity or endorsement based on licensure in another state, you must submit an application online. Required supporting documents include:

  • A $150 fee
  • Professional references
  • Verification of out-of-state licensure
  • Proof of submission of fingerprints for a Missouri background check
  • Official transcripts for your doctoral degree
  • Verification of Post-Doctoral Supervised Experience if fewer than five years of experience have been earned since the doctoral degree was granted

You may apply for a temporary license that allows you to practice with restrictions using the same application.

Out-of-state license records must be free of any violations, suspensions, or revocations. Applicants must pass the Missouri jurisprudence exam and may be required to take an oral examination as well. Those wishing to obtain certification as a health service provider must be an American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) diplomate in an area of approved specialty, a National Register of Health Service Psychologists (NRHSP) member, or have completed equivalent academic, training, or professional experience as determined by the Board.

License Renewal and Continuing Education

The Board sends renewal notices to licensed psychologists, who must renew on or before the license expiration date. Licensees must provide documentation of 40 hours of continuing education (CE) within the prior two years. A minimum of 15 of the 40 hours must be from formal programs and at least three of the 40 hours must be in ethics.

Psychological Health Service Provider

In Missouri, the Health Service Provider (HSP) is a separate designation from the psychology license that is available to psychologists who wish to provide health services. The HSP designation can be applied for after or at the time of initial licensure. To qualify, candidates must have a doctoral degree in psychology from an APA-accredited program or have graduated from an APA-accredited respecialization program with a minimum of one year of post-degree supervised experience.

School Psychologist/School Psychological Examiner

To become certified as a school psychologist or a school psychological examiner in Missouri, you will need an Initial Student Services (ISS) Certificate from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Candidates must earn a master’s degree from a school with a DESE-approved program and receive the program’s recommendation for certification. Candidates must also pass the Praxis exam in school psychology. The online application must be submitted to receive authorization to take the Praxis exam. Applicants also need a fingerprint background clearance obtained within the past 12 months. Those who qualify must complete and submit the HSP certification application.

Missouri Psychologist Jobs and Salary Information

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average salary for all psychologists (including teachers) in Missouri was $$83,890 as of May 2021.1 Clinical and counseling psychologists earned an average yearly salary of $72,530; postsecondary psychology teachers earned $882,380 per year; school psychologists earned an average of $81,520; and all other psychologists earned $97,620 yearly on average.1 Projections Central predicts that the largest growth will be among postsecondary psychology teachers at 11.6% through 2030, followed by clinical, counseling, and school psychologists at 6.8%.2.

OccupationNumber Employed1Average Annual Salary1
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists1,290$72,530
Industrial-Organizational PsychologistsN.Av.N.Av.
Psychologists, All Other160$97,620
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary670$82,380
School PsychologistsN.Av.$81,520

Additional Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Undergraduate degrees are often four-year-long programs of full-time study. Master’s may be pursued alone (and require from two to three years for completion) or be included within a doctoral program. Doctoral programs vary in length from around five to as many as seven years. Post-degree experience will lengthen the process further. It will take many licensure candidates at least, if not more than, a decade to become psychologists in Missouri.

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

Candidates for psychology licensure in Missouri will need to earn a doctoral degree in psychology or a related area that meets certain accreditation standards as determined by the Committee or else a series of additional requirements.

How much do psychologists in Missouri make?

In Missouri, the average annual salary for psychologists, excluding educators, was $83,890 per year as of May 2021.1 Factors that influence salary include location, proximity to an urban area, and years of experience.

References:
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Missouri: https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/2900000
2. Long Term Occupational Projections: https://projectionscentral.org/projections/longterm