Maine Psychology Education Overview
Psychology Licensure in Maine
The beautiful state of Maine is a wonderful place to start your career in human services as a licensed Psychologist. There is a tremendous assortment of organizations both private and public that have need for licensed Psychologists. A great range of career niches are available to those who have a license in Psychology, they include such diverse options as: working at a school in Augusta, to being employed at a hospital in Portland, there are huge diversity of potential jobs for licensed Psychologists. With a population of over 1.3 million people, Maine needs Psychologists in a large variety of capacities. A quick visit to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics website shows data confirming that Psychologists in Maine can expect to earn a mean yearly wage of $73,4201. For those who feel drawn to fast pace and stimulating environments such as those provided in medical settings, it is worth exploring possible jobs at one of Maine’s 43+ Major hospitals2. If the idea of helping children to heal emotional wounds is one that resonates with you, or if you have a degree concentration in child Psychology, it may be worth exploring the potential for work at one of Maine’s 85+ school districts3. With so many potential avenues for your career all you need to do to find a niche that suits you is to attain your license to practice Psychology. Below you will find our step-by-step guide to help you streamline the process of attaining your license to practice Psychology in Maine.
Required Educational Background
Getting your Psychology license in Maine is a noble and challenging task. However, those who put in the effort and time to get their license will discover they have created a livelihood for themselves that is both lucrative and extremely personally rewarding. In order to attain your license in psychology you will need to have already gained your Ph.D. in Psychology. That in turn means that you have already earned your Bachelor and Master of Psychology.
Whether or not you continue your schooling to go for your license in Psychology, you will find that a Bachelor of Psychology is one of the most flexible and sought after Bachelor’s degrees in the human services field. It is also a necessary component towards getting your psychology license.
While Maine does not allow licensing for those have less than their doctorate, getting your Master of Psychology is still a fantastic item to have on your resume, in addition to being a necessary step towards getting your license. With a Master of Psychology, you will find that a wide variety of job opportunities are available for you immediately, even if you choose not to continue on towards your doctorate and licensure in psychology.
Once you have been awarded your Ph.D. in psychology from an APA approved school you will need to begin accumulating your required hours of field experience.
Field Experience
To verify your field experience component, you will need to take the following actions:
- You are required to amass 1500 hours of field experience over the course of studying for your Ph.D. The remaining 1500 hours must be post-doctoral and in a supervised form under the direction of a Psychologist who is licensed in the state of Maine.
- You will need to apply for licensure, get approval and take your examinations as explained below.
You will want to familiarize yourself with the Maine specific rules and regulations for licensure. These laws change so it is good to make sure you have current information, you can find that information here:
Examination
Once you have completed your field experience you can apply to take the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP).
- Pass the EPPP with a score meeting the Maine minimum.
You can find some helpful information about your EPPP here: