Tennessee Psychology Education Overview

Psychology Licensure in Tennessee

After you have earned your license to practice psychology in Tennessee, you will discover an array of potential careers in human services has opened up. For example, you could open your own private practice in Memphis or at a hospital in Nashville.

With more than seven million people there’s a need for licensed psychologists in a variety of contexts. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average annual salary for clinical and counseling psychologists in Tennessee is $103,190.

Some feel drawn to helping children heal emotional wounds and pursue careers within one of Tennessee’s 158+ school districts. If working in a fast-paced hospital sounds appealing, you may wish to consider career opportunities at one of Tennessee’s 96+ major hospitals.

Featured Programs:

Sponsored School(s)

Southern New Hampshire University

Featured Program: Earn your BA in Human Services with concentrations in Child and Family Services; Substance Abuse and Gerontology.

Request Info

Grand Canyon University

Featured Program: Choose from a variety of online counseling degree programs at GCU, from our Bachelor of Science in Counseling to our counseling master's degrees, including the Christian-focused online counseling and addiction counseling degrees.

Request Info

Walden University

Featured Program: Earn you BA, MS or PhD degree in Human Services in various concentrations.

Request Info

Liberty University

Featured Program: Our 100% online master’s in human services counseling degree is designed to give you a solid foundation in the study of human behavior and equip you with the practical helping skills you need to make a lasting impact on those around you.

Request Info

Purdue Global

Featured Program: Courses in Purdue Global’s social and behavioral sciences programs are reviewed by professionals and industry leaders to help ensure your education keeps you competitive.

Request Info

Below you will find our guide on becoming licensed as a psychologist in Tennessee.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024. Salary figures for Clinical and Counseling Psychologists. Salaries based on national data not school specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed May 2025.

Required Educational Background

In the state of Tennessee, eligibility to apply for a psychology license requires that you earn your Ph.D. in Psychology from a board approved school. This in turn means that, you will need to have already graduated with a Bachelor and Master of Psychology in order to earn your Doctorate in Psychology.

You will need to have earned your Bachelor of Psychology in order to eventually go on to earn your doctorate to become a licensed Psychologist in Tennessee. Fortunately, the Bachelor of Psychology degree is also useful outside of the context of being a stepping stone towards becoming a licensed Psychologist. A Bachelor of Psychology is one of the most coveted of Bachelor’s degrees for prospective human services employers. Having your Bachelor of Psychology will be a great addition to your career regardless of your career choice in the human services field.

You will need to have already earned your Master’s degree before you can go on to earn your Ph.D. This does not mean that earning your Master’s degree is simply a time sink on the way to getting your doctorate. Quite the contrary, studying for your Master of Psychology degree is helpful in a variety of ways. It is very helpful in determining the focus of your studies in Psychology. This will help you to find a career focus that you find both interesting and rewarding. A Master of Psychology is also a tremendous asset when looking for a job in a human services field. So, while a Master’s is required to earn your doctorate, a Master of Psychology is also a valuable asset to have on your resume in its own right.

Once your doctorate in psychology from an APA approved school you will need to start accumulating your required hours of field experience.

Field Experience

To verify your field experience component, you will need to follow these steps:

• You will need to accumulate two years of supervised professional experience. Each year will be equivalent to 1900 hours.
• One year of your experience must take the form of an internship while completing your Ph.D.
• Before accumulating your second year of experience you must apply for and be granted a provisional license by the Tennessee Board of Examiners of Psychologists.
• You will also need to log an additional year of post-doctoral experience. All experience must be under a board approved supervisor.

You will want to familiarize yourself with the Tennessee 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).

• Apply to board to take the EPPP.
• Pass the EPPP with a score meeting the Tennessee minimum for passing.
• Pass the Tennessee Ethics and Jurisprudence examination

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_school_districts_in_Tennessee
₃ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hospitals_in_Tennessee