Psychology in Arkansas: A Human Services Profession
Psychology Licensure in Arkansas
Arkansas hosts a wide array of potential jobs for human services professionals with a psychologist license.
The average annual salary for school psychologists here is $59,050, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
If you enjoy working in a fast-paced medical environment there are 60+ hospitals in Arkansas. If you’re more focused on child psychology, there are options within Arkansas’ 300+ school districts.
Many different institutions, companies, and organizations in Arkansas need licensed psychologists. We hope you find our step-by-step psychologist licensing guide below helpful.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024. Salary figures for School Psychologists. Salaries based on state data not school specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed May 2025.
How to Become a Psychologist in Arkansas
If you wish to become a licensed Psychologist in Arkansas, you will need to have earned your doctorate. Of course this means you will need to first earn your Bachelor and Master of Psychology degrees.
A Bachelor of Psychology is an extremely useful degree in and of itself. While it is a necessary step on the journey to licensure, it is also helpful in its own right. You will open up a variety of human services careers by getting your Bachelor of Psychology. Your course of study will also help you determine if Psychology is a field you wish to continue in.
Master’s Level Licensure
Having a Master of Psychology is a very useful degree and some states will allow limited practice with a Master’s degree through a lower level of licensure. With a Master’s degree you can practice as a Psychological Examiner in Arkansas. To do so, you will need to meet the following requirements:
- A minimum of 600 clock hours of supervised experience directly related to the intended use of the license
- Find an APA approved internship as described here: https://accreditation.apa.org/accredited-programs
- Provide 4 references including 3 from licensed Psychologists and one from director of the academic program where you completed your internship
- Pass the EPPP
Doctoral Level Licensure
To get your Arkansas Psychologist license you will first need to have earned your doctorate in psychology from a board approved school. Once you have your doctorate you will need to turn your attention towards accumulating your required field experience.
Field Experience
To begin earning your field experience on the way to licensure, you will need to do the following:
- Make sure that during your doctorate or through independent study you have completed all the required coursework as described here:
- Find an APA approved 2000 hour internship as described here:
- You will need to submit proof of your education and also your supervision plan to obtain the required experience for licensure.
- Provide 4 references including 3 from licensed Psychologists and one from director of the academic program where you completed your internship
You will want to look at the Arkansas 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 can find some helpful information about your EPPP here: