North Carolina Psychology Licensure Requirements
In North Carolina, psychology licenses are issued through the North Carolina Psychology Board (the Board). To obtain a license to practice psychology, you will need to complete certain educational requirements, acquire supervised post-doctoral clinical experience, and pass a national exam and a state exam. Because this can be a complex process, we’ve provided this step-by-step guide to obtaining a psychology license in North Carolina.
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 North Carolina
1. Earn a bachelor’s degree and (optionally) a master’s degree in psychology.
To become a psychologist in North Carolina, the first step is to complete a bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s usually requires four years of full-time enrollment and about 120 credit hours. You can also major in related areas as long as you are prepared to take additional coursework (such as psychology or statistics courses) to be considered for a graduate program.
After completing your bachelor’s degree, you may choose to complete a master’s degree in psychology. Psychology master’s degree programs usually require about two years of full-time study and 30 to 40 credit hours. Some students pursue stand-alone master’s degree programs while others may earn this degree as part of their doctoral training program. In North Carolina, it is also possible to become a Licensed Psychological Associate with a master’s degree in psychology.
2. Earn a doctoral degree in psychology.
After completing a bachelor’s degree (and a master’s degree, if you choose), you will need to earn a doctoral degree in psychology. Depending on the program, students may earn a Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) or a Doctor of Psychology degree (PsyD). For more information on the differences, see our comparison of PhD and PsyD programs. Doctoral degrees in psychology usually take four to seven years to complete.
Programs recognized by the American Psychological Association (APA) qualify applicants for a streamlined application process, as additional documentation is required for graduates of other programs. All qualifying doctoral programs must involve at least three full-time years of study, with at least one year completed in-person at the school. Only graduates of programs in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, or combined professional-scientific psychology are eligible to become licensed psychologists in North Carolina.
For a list of programs to consider, please visit our Psychology Schools in North Carolina guide.
3. Submit your application for a provisional license to the Board.
Once you’ve completed your doctorate, you’ll need to complete and submit a provisional license application. The provisional license is required to earn your supervised postdoctoral experience. The required forms will provide information about your education and clinical training, as well as contact information for three professional references. You will also need to complete a Supervision Contract Form and keep this form updated as you earn your supervised experience. You will also need to go to a law enforcement agency to be fingerprinted and complete a background check.
All required documents should be sent together in one envelope to the Board. The application fee is $100 and you will need to pay an additional $38 fee for the background check. During this step, you will also need to have your official college transcripts sent directly to the Board.
4. Pass the North Carolina psychology licensing exams.
After the Board reviews your application, they will give you approval to take the licensing exams. The first exam you will need to take is the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). This multiple-choice test assesses broad knowledge of psychology, and you need a scaled score of 500 or higher to pass the exam.
The second exam you will need to take is the North Carolina State Examination. This is a 50-item, multiple-choice test that assesses knowledge of state and national psychology laws and ethics. You must answer all questions correctly to pass this exam, and the fee is $200.
5. Complete two years of supervised experience in the practice of psychology.
Once the Board issues your Psychological Associate license, you may begin completing postdoctoral supervised experience. To earn a permanent psychologist license in North Carolina, you’ll need to complete 3,000 total hours of supervised experience. Of these, at least 1,500 must be completed after you’ve finished your doctoral degree. Additionally, at least 25% of these hours must be directly related to working with patients, which includes activities such as conducting therapy, making diagnoses, and administering psychological assessments. While you are earning these hours, you will also need to meet with a licensed psychologist for at least two hours each week for supervision. You are responsible for keeping accurate records for your experience.
6. Apply to convert your provisional license to a permanent one.
Once you have finished your 3,000 SPE hours, you can submit the application to convert your provisional license to a permanent one. You must also include the completed Application for Health Services Provider (HSP) form and a $50 fee.
7. Receive your license from the Board.
The Board will notify you when your permanent license has been granted.
North Carolina Licensure by Reciprocity
North Carolina does not have direct reciprocity with any other state. However, if you are currently licensed in another state and meet all the criteria for licensure in North Carolina, you may submit an Application for Licensure with all required supporting documents. Once these have been reviewed and approved, you will be scheduled to take the North Carolina State Examination ($200), after which you may receive your North Carolina psychologist license.
License Renewal and Continuing Education
To keep your North Carolina psychology license active, you’ll need to apply for renewal every two years. Applications for renewal are always due by the first day of October in even-numbered years and carry a $250 fee. To be eligible for renewal, you must have completed at least 24 continuing education (CE) hours within the past two years. At least 15 of these CE hours have to be earned through approved sponsors, and three have to be in ethics. The Board provides a list of resources to help psychologists understand CE requirements and find eligible CE programming.
Related Licenses
Licensed Psychological Associate
North Carolina allows graduates of qualifying master’s programs to apply to become Licensed Psychological Associates (LPAs). LPAs must initially practice under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. After completing 4,000 post-licensure supervised practice hours across at least two years, LPAs may apply to the Board for unsupervised practice. To be eligible for the initial credential, you will need to have completed a master’s degree in psychology in a program that requires at least 45 semester credit hours and 500 hours of supervised experience. You will still need to take the state exam and earn a passing score on the EPPP.
School Psychologist
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) issues Initial Professional Educator’s Licenses to school psychologists, who are considered special service personnel. To qualify for licensure, you must have completed an approved program in school psychology at the Educational Specialist (EdS) level or above and pass the Praxis School Psychologist exam. You can apply through the NCDPI Online License System. You will need to submit all transcripts, exam results, current out-of-state educator’s license (if applicable), the Verification by Institution form, and experience request forms for previous work experience. You must also pay the licensure fee upon submission of your application. For more information, see the NCDPI website.
North Carolina Psychologist Jobs and Salary Information
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average yearly salary for psychologists in the state of North Carolina (excluding educators) is $82,267.1 Postsecondary psychology teachers earn an average of $80,960 per year.1 Projections Central predicts growth of 10.2% for clinical, counseling, and school psychologists between 2020 and 2030. The number of “all other” psychologist positions is expected to increase 8.9%; industrial-organizational psychologists are expected to grow by 5.3%; and postsecondary psychologist teaching positions are expected to grow by 9.6% between 2020 and 2030.2
| Occupation | Number Employed1 | Average Annual Salary1 |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | 1,930 | $94,480 |
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | N.Av. | N.Av. |
| Psychologists, All Other | 500 | $87,210 |
| Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | 910 | $80,960 |
| School Psychologists | 1,090 | $65,110 |
Additional Resources
- North Carolina Psychological Association (NCPA): Helps advocate for and advance the profession of psychology through networking with other psychology professionals in North Carolina and offering CE opportunities.
- North Carolina School Psychology Association (NCSPA): Organization designed to advance the field of school psychology in North Carolina and provide resources for school psychologists.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a psychologist in North Carolina?
Becoming a psychologist in North Carolina can take a long time–you’ll need to complete a bachelor’s degree and two graduate degrees after that. In total, this might take 10 years or longer. However, psychology can be an incredibly rewarding career with a good salary, and the number of jobs available is expected to grow over the next 10 years.
What degree do I need to be a licensed psychologist in North Carolina?
To become a licensed psychologist in North Carolina, you will need to earn either a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree. In addition, you’ll need to earn these from a program that specializes in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, or combined professional-scientific psychology.
How much do psychologists in North Carolina make?
The average salary for psychologists in North Carolina, excluding teachers, is $82,267.1 Postsecondary psychology teachers have an average salary of $80,960.1
References:
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, North Carolina: https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/3700000
2. Projections Central, Long Term Occupational Projections: https://projectionscentral.org/Projections/LongTerm