Massachusetts Psychology Education Overview
Psychology Licensure in Massachusetts
Massachusetts offers a great diversity of potential career paths for those wishing to work in human services as a licensed Psychologist. There is a vast array of institutions and agencies both private and public that are looking to hire licensed Psychologists. You can take a great many paths as you begin your career as a licensed Psychologist. From working at a school in Boston to being employed at a hospital in Cambridge, there are many occupational routes to choose from for licensed Psychologists. Massachusetts can lay claim to a population of over 6.5 million people. A quick trip to the BLS website will reveal that Psychologists in Massachusetts can expect to earn a mean yearly wage of $77,0701. If you enjoy the fast paced and stimulating environment one can find in a hospital setting, you may wish to consider employment in one of Massachusetts’s 170+ Major hospitals2. For those who are interested in helping children to heal emotional wounds or have a degree concentration in child Psychology, there are plenty of opportunities in Massachusetts’s 300+ public school districts3. There is a tremendous diversity of potential career options for you once you become a licensed Psychologist in Massachusetts. To help you find your way, we have created a step-by-step guide to understanding the licensure process in the state of Massachusetts that you will find below.
Required Eeducational Background
Massachusetts requires at least a Master’s of Psychology to attain limited licensure as a psychologist. You will first need to earn your Bachelor of Psychology degree. Having your Bachelor’s will open doors for you, not only as a pre-requisite for later degrees, but also as an excellent asset on your resume for eligibility in a variety of human services jobs.
Massachusetts requires you to have attained your doctorate in Psychology before you can qualify for licensure. While a Master’s degree is part of an educational plan to become a licensed psychologist, that doesn’t mean it is without use in its own right. In fact, a Master of Psychology is one of the most coveted degrees for employers at human services agencies. You will find that a broad and diverse selection of careers become available for you once you have your Master of Psychology.
To begin your journey to licensure you will need your doctorate in psychology from a board approved school. Once you have your doctorate you will need to complete your field experience.
Field Experience
To continue towards your license you will need to do the following:
- You will need to submit proof of your education
- You will need to have fulfilled the requirement for at least 3,200 hours of supervised field experience under a qualified supervisor that has been approved by the board. One year (1600 hours) must be completed after receiving your doctorate.
- You should review the exact specifications of your field experience. They can be found 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 Massachusetts minimum.
You can find some helpful information about your EPPP here:
1 http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes193031.htm
2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hospitals_in_Massachusetts
3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_districts_in_Massachusetts