Psychology in Arizona: A Human Services Profession
The BLS website shows that the Mean Wage for Psychologists in Arizona is $58,601. A tremendous career opportunity in human services is reserved for licensed psychologists. Arizona has a wide diversity of employers are looking to fill positions for licensed Psychologists within their organizations. Among the many types of employers who need psychologists on staff are hospitals, schools, public organizations and corporations. For example, you might feel drawn to seek employment in any of Arizona’s 88+ major hospitals.You might wish to work at a school in one of Arizona’s 200+ school districts. Many different kinds of organizations are in need of licensed psychologists and with the help of our step-by-step licensure instructions; you will be able to find the perfect fit for your talents and skill set.
Arizona Psychology License Requirements
Licensure in Arizona requires that you have earned your doctorate. In order to earn your doctorate you will need to have already gained both your Bachelor and Master of Psychology degrees.
Your Bachelor of Psychology will help you to learn about your career in psychology and it will also help you find employment in many different human services fields if you find that psychology is not appealing for you. It is also required if you wish to become a licensed psychologist.
With a Master’s degree in Psychology some states will allow limited practice with Master’s level licensure. However, Arizona is not a state that allows for licensure at less than the doctoral level. You will also find that a Master’s in Psychology is a desirable degree in a number of other careers in human services other than just as a stepping stone towards becoming a licensed psychologist.
To begin your path to licensure you will need your doctorate in psychology from a board approved school. Once you have your doctorate you will need to earn your field experience.
Field Experience
To begin earning your field experience on the way to licensure, you will need to do the following:
- Find an APA approved internship as described here: http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/programs/internships-state.aspx
- You will need to submit proof of your education and also your supervision plan to obtain the required experience for licensure.
- You will need to log 1500 supervised hours of that can be completed during your doctoral APA approved internship (a minimum of 25% of your supervised experience must be in direct client contact. There must be one hour of supervision for every 20 hours accrued)
- You must earn an additional 1500 hours, for a total of 3000, as post-doctoral experience
You will want to look at the Arizona’s legislature’s page on the laws around Psychology license here:
These laws change so it is good to make sure you have current information.
Examination
Once you have completed your field experience you can apply to take the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). You may also be required to pass an Arizona examination hat will be administered by the Arizona Psychology Board.
You can find some helpful information about your EPPP here: