Oregon Psychology Licensure Requirements

Those wishing to become practicing psychologists within the state of Oregon will need to apply for licensure through the Oregon Board of Psychology (the Board). For approval, candidates must follow several state-specific guidelines. They will need a doctorate in psychology with an included practicum and internship, additional postdoctoral residency experience, and to pass the required exams. This guide is designed to help you understand how to navigate this complicated process.

Table of Contents

How to Become a Psychologist in Oregon

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

Those hoping to practice as psychologists in Oregon must first earn their bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field. A bachelor’s will typically take four years of full-time study and 120 credit hours to complete. If your bachelor’s degree isn’t in psychology, you may be required to complete prerequisite coursework before entering a graduate program.

After you’ve finished your bachelor’s degree, you may wish to complete a master’s degree. Master’s degrees in psychology generally take two to three years to complete and require 30 to 40 credit hours. They can either be completed as stand-alone degrees or as part of the thesis portion of a doctorate and earned along with a PsyD or PhD in psychology. Oregon no longer issues new master’s-level psychologist associate licenses, so you must hold a doctoral degree to be licensed by the Oregon Board of Psychology (the Board).

2. Earn a doctoral degree in psychology.

Those seeking licensure in Oregon must have a doctoral degree in psychology, which can be either a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). You can read about the differences between the two degrees with our comparison. To qualify for licensure in Oregon, the doctoral program you choose must be accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), or the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) when your degree is conferred. A program may also qualify if it applied for APA or CPA accreditation and received a site visit before your degree was conferred.

Doctoral programs should include a practicum of at least 300 hours over a minimum of two semesters and 1,500 or more hours of supervised internship experience within the span of 24 months. At least 25% of internship hours must be spent in direct client contact. For every 40 hours, students must have two hours of face-to-face supervision on direct psychological services and two hours of other activities such as co-therapy sessions with staff, seminars, or case conferences.

Discover psychology schools in Oregon where you can meet your degree requirements.

3. Submit application documents and references to the Board.

In Oregon, candidates can begin sending supporting license application documentation such as references as soon as six months prior to graduation, but not before. Fingerprints for the background check can’t be taken more than 90 days before the application is submitted.

For applications to be considered complete, the Board must receive the online application, an official doctoral transcript showing the date the degree was conferred, and background check results. Each primary internship supervisor must also send a Supervisor Reference form. Those who completed a postdoctoral residency must also have each primary residency supervisor send a reference form. Applicants who have held any health care license must have each licensing agency send a license verification.

Applicants must pay a non-refundable $370 fee, which includes the cost of a background check. Payment must be made with the submission of the online application.

Following approval of their application materials, psychology candidates can request to take the required exams and seek approval for the residency contract.

4. Gain one year of supervised experience in your area of training.

A Psychologist Resident Supervision Contract must be submitted and approved by the Board for those pursuing their postdoctoral supervised work experience in Oregon. Although it may be submitted before application approval, residency contracts won’t be granted until afterward. Beginning residency requirements and practicing psychology without a contract is illegal, so these hours won’t count and individuals who do so may be sanctioned by the Board.

The supervised postdoctoral experience must include a minimum of 1,500 hours and last no fewer than 12 full months. Within that time, psychological services must be provided in at least 50 weeks. The residency may not exceed two years following contract approval.

Those in supervisory roles must have been licensed for at least two years and provide one hour of face-to-face supervision for every 20 work hours. Over 20 hours during a week requires two hours of supervision, which can be either two hours individually or one hour individually and one hour in a group.

During residency, you must maintain an up-to-date Record of Supervised Hours form as this will be submitted following hours completion. A Final Resident Evaluation form and Final Supervisor Evaluation form signed by the relevant parties will also be required after the residency is over. These forms must be submitted within 30 days of the contract end date.

5. Pass the Oregon psychology licensing exams.

Exams required for those seeking psychology licensure in Oregon include the state’s jurisprudence exam and the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). Candidates request the EPPP through the Board’s online exam request form. After the Board confirms eligibility, ASPPB emails registration instructions. A scaled score of 500 is considered passing.

The Oregon Jurisprudence Exam (OJE) can be taken before, during, or after the completion of your supervised work experience and either before or after the EPPP. Passing scores vary based on score distribution. Results are posted in the Applicant Portal within 10 to 14 days. A Candidate Handbook can be found on the Board’s website. Candidates must complete both tests and all experience to become licensed within two years of receiving application approval.

6. Receive your psychology license from the Board.

Licenses will be granted a few days to a week after the last remaining requirement is met. Instead of mailing a certificate, the Board makes the license card available for download in the Licensee Portal.

Oregon Licensure by Endorsement

Those applying for licensure by endorsement will complete an online application. All applicants must complete a background check and have each licensing agency send a Verification of Health Care License/Registration form. Those who have maintained an active psychologist license for fewer than 15 years must also submit a Supervisor Reference form and an official doctoral transcript.

Additional forms are available on the Board’s online forms page. A fee of $370 is required.

Those with fewer than 15 years of experience will need to provide EPPP score verification and must meet the same postdoctoral supervised work experience requirements as regular licensure candidates. Those with 15 or more years of practice won’t be required to send EPPP score verification and are also exempt from post-doc hour requirements.

Review of complete applications typically takes two weeks, after which notification of approval to take the state jurisprudence exam will be sent. Applicants must pass this exam for their license to be issued.

License Renewal and Continuing Education

Psychologists with an even-numbered license must renew it in odd years, and those with an odd-numbered license renew in even years using the online license portal. The renewal deadline is the last day of the licensee’s birth month. Notices for renewal are sent a minimum of six weeks before. The renewal fee is $600. Licensees must also provide a healthcare workforce data survey and pay an additional $8 processing fee..

Psychologists must complete 40 credits of continuing education (CE) within the two years before license renewal, including four hours in ethics and/or laws and regulations concerning psychology in Oregon.

CE must include four hours of cultural competency, one hour of pain management, and two hours of suicide risk assessment, treatment, and management each renewal period. Further information on CE is outlined in the Board’s Continuing Education Overview.

Psychologist Associate

Oregon stopped issuing new psychologist associate licenses on January 1, 2022, after state lawmakers repealed the license. The Board still regulates psychologist associates licensed before that date. They may test mental abilities, assess personality, and provide counseling under periodic direct supervision by a licensed psychologist, unless the Board grants them independent status.

School Psychologist

The Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) regulates the profession of school psychology in the state. To be eligible for a preliminary school psychologist license (valid for Pre-K through grade 12), applicants must have a master’s degree and have completed a school psychology program. The preliminary license is good for three years. A professional license is good for five years and requires a related doctoral degree or certification by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Applicants must also have five years of at least half-time experience in school psychology. Further information and application materials are available through the TSPC website.

Oregon Psychologist Jobs and Salary Information

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), psychologists in Oregon, excluding educators, earned an average annual salary of $109,070 as of May 2021, while psychology postsecondary teachers earned an annual mean wage of $98,920.1 Oregon is the second-highest paying state for “all other” psychologists and the third-highest paying state for clinical and counseling psychologists.2,3 The long-term data available from Projections Central predicts that psychologist jobs (excluding educator jobs) in the state will grow by 18.47% by the year 2030.4 Industrial-organizational psychologist jobs are expected to increase the most during this time period, at an estimated 33.3% growth.4

OccupationNumber Employed1Average Annual Salary1
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists850$126,230
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists50$110,840
Psychologists, All Other230$112,570
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary280$98,920
School Psychologists720$86,640

Additional Resources

  • Central Oregon Association of Psychologists (COAP): Helps psychologists meet their continued professional development requirements,providing a combination of research, academic, and other types of activities for this purpose.
  • Oregon Psychological Association (OPA): Promotes the science and application of psychology for the benefit of its members and the general public, and works to advocate for those in the profession on a local, state, and national level.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

An undergraduate degree in Oregon typically takes four years, and a master’s degree can take two to three years. State requirements mandate that doctoral programs last a minimum of three years of full-time study, but those that combine master’s degrees will be longer. In addition to this, there is a required one year of postdoctoral residency for licensure. It will likely take over 10 years for most individuals to gain their psychology licensure in the state of Oregon.

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

To be a licensed psychologist in Oregon, you will need a doctorate degree in psychology. The program must be accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), or have regional accreditation and an open application for APA or CPA approval. Programs with only regional accreditation may be approved as well as long as they meet a long list of Board-mandated standards.

How much do psychologists in Oregon make?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported the average annual salary for psychologists (excluding educators) in Oregon was $109,070 a year as of May 2021 and $73,930 for psychology postsecondary teachers.1

References:
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Oregon: https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/4100000
2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, Psychologists, All Other: https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes193039.htm
3. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists: https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes193033.htm
4. Projections Central, Long Term Occupational Projections: https://projectionscentral.org/Projections/LongTerm