Michigan Psychology Education Overview
Psychology Licensure in Michigan
Michigan is a wonderful state to begin your career in human services as a licensed psychologist. There are a great variety of different organizations, institutions and companies that are looking to employ licensed psychologists.
From working at a school in Detroit, at a private practice in Grand Rapids, or in a hospital in Warren, there are many different opportunities available in Michigan for licensed psychologists.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average annual salary for clinical and counseling psychologists in Michigan is $88,810.
If you’re someone who enjoys a fast paced and stimulating work environment, you can consider employment at one of Michigan’s 200+ major hospitals. Michigan is also home plenty of schools that need psychologists in varying capacities.
With such a diversity of potential employers, finding a work environment that fits your temperament and career goals is very achievable.
The step-by-step licensing procedure we explain below can really help you to refine your search for the perfect career path as a licensed psychologist in Michigan.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024. Salary figures for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists. Salaries based on state data not school specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed May 2025.
Required Educational Background
Michigan is a wonderful state to choose to become a licensed Psychologist in. To qualify for your license in Michigan, you will first need to earn you Doctorate in Psychology. This in turn, presupposes you have already been awarded both your Bachelor and Master of Psychology.
While you study for and earn your Bachelor of Psychology, you will gain valuable insight about your career potential in psychology. Even if for some reason you decide that you don’t like the idea of being a licensed Psychologist, you will find that your degree is extremely useful in finding employment within the human services sector.
Even though you will not be able to apply for a Psychology license in Michigan without your doctorate in Psychology, you will still find that your Master’s degree is extremely valuable in its own right. When you have earned your degree – even if you don’t want to continue on to your doctorate – you will find that a Master’s in Psychology is considered a very desirable resume item for many different jobs in human services.
Once your doctorate in psychology from a board approved school you will need to start accumulating your required hours of field experience.
Field Experience
To begin gaining your required field experience for licensure, you will need to do the following:
- You are required to accumulate 2000 hours of field experience in one year in an internship under a board approved supervisor.
- After graduation you will need to earn an additional 2000 hours supervised of experience, for a total of 4000,
- You will need to apply for licensure, get approval and take your examinations as explained below.
You will want to familiarize yourself with the Michigan specific rules and regulations for licensure. These laws change so it is good to make sure you have current information, which you can find here:
Examination
Once you have completed your internship and field experience requirements, you can apply to take the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP).
- Pass the EPPP with a score meeting the Michigan minimum
You can find some helpful information about your EPPP here: