Psychologist Licensure Requirements in New Hampshire

New Hampshire’s psychologists are regulated by the new Board of Psychology, under the banner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. For now you can go to the New Hampshire Psychological Association website to learn more and find all of the licensure materials you will need as the new New Hampshire Board of Psychology gets organized (http://www.nhpaonline.org/Board%20of%20Psych/BOPInformation.htm). As of July 2013, psychologists are no longer under the jurisdiction of the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice.

As before, licensure is based on education, examination, and supervised professional experience. Applicants are evaluated on the basis of references and written responses to essay questions.

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Licensed Psychologist Education Requirements

A prospective New Hampshire psychologist must earn a doctoral degree. A student who enrolls in a program accredited by the American Psychological Association or the Canadian Psychological Association can be assured of meeting educational standards.

Click Here to learn more about psychology education options based on your current educational attainment.

Doctoral programs that are not accredited by an approved organization must adhere to an extensive set of regulations adopted by the state.

The psychology program must be clearly identified as such. It must be housed in a regionally accredited college or university. A psychologist must be at the helm.

The degree must represent at least three academic years of study. At least one year must be done in residence. (Applicants who do some portion of their education online or through other distance modalities will need to submit paperwork that documents that the residency requirement was met.)

The student must have a total of 24 semester hours in the following:

  • Biological and chemical basis of behavior: This content area includes sensation and perception, neuropsychology, psychopharmacology, physiological psychology, and comparative psychology.
  • Social basis of behavior: Covered under this standard are social psychology, group processes, cultural diversity, and organizational and systems theory.
  • Cognitive-affective basis of behavior: This standard encompasses emotion, learning, thinking, and motivation.
  • Individual differences: This may include human development, personality theory, and abnormal psychology.

Additionally, there must be coursework in each of the following areas;

  • Statistics
  • Psychometrics
  • Research methodology and design
  • Professional standards and ethics

Supervised Professional Experience

A candidate for psychologist must complete two years (and at least 3,000 hours) of supervised work experience. The first year is internship, or formal training. The internship is not begun until the student has completed at least two years of graduate education. If the internship is not APA-approved, it must meet standards adopted by the New Hampshire Board.

There must be at least two interns in training at the same time. The program must be planned and sequential and must provide interns the opportunity to carry out a range of psychological assessments and treatments. The goals and standards must be stated in written materials. There must be at least two hours a week of formal supervisory sessions and at least two hours of additional learning experiences. At least 375 hours must be spent in direct client contact. The experience must be completed within a 24 month period.

During the first year, the individual must use a title that reflects trainee status. This may be intern, fellow, or resident.

The second year of professional experience may be completed before or after the doctoral degree is conferred. Again, the requirement is 1,500 hours and may be completed in one calendar year or two. The psychologist will need one hour a week of direct supervision at this stage.

The application packet includes internship and supervised experience verification forms.

The Application Process

Candidates submit license applications before taking the national board examination. Application forms are currently available on the site of the state’s APA affiliate, the New Hampshire Psychological Association (http://www.nhpaonline.org/Board%20of%20Psych/BOPInformation.htm).

The application includes six essay questions; applicants will staple all the pages of their essays together and make sure that a name appears on each page.

The candidate will need at least three professional references; one must come from a supervisor. The candidate will fill out the information at the top of the form before sending it to references. Later the references will return forms in sealed envelopes to be included in the application packet.

The applicant will pay a nonrefundable $150 application fee. (The successful candidate will later pay a $135 licensing fee.)

Licensure Examination

The candidate must pass the Examination for the Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP), a national examination developed by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). Candidates can visit the ASPPB site to get an overview of examination content and testing procedures (http://www.asppb.net).

The New Hampshire Board will send the testing company notice of approval. The testing company will then issue an authorization to test (or ATT). This allows the candidate to schedule a computerized exam at whichever testing location is most convenient, either in New Hampshire or another state. A $600 fee will be assessed by the testing company upon registration. The ATT will be good for 60 days.

The New Hampshire Board will mail examination results to the candidate.

A candidate who fails the examination can register again once the mandatory 60-day wait period has elapsed.

A candidate who fails a second time will need to do remediation. This may entail completing academic coursework or taking an APA-approved course. Continuing education coursework must be approved by the APA or by a regionally accredited university if is to satisfy the remediation requirement.

Out-of-State Candidates

Candidates who have already passed the EPPP should get official verification from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and submit it to the New Jersey Board in its original envelope.

Psychologists who are licensed in other jurisdictions (or have applied for such licensing) are required to submit license verification.

International candidates must have degrees deemed equivalent by a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) member.

Additional Information

If you are still in High School, hold a High School Diploma/GED, hold a bachelor’s degree, or hold a master’s degree check out suggested steps to take along the path to become a Licensed Psychologist in New Hampshire.

Contact information for the new Board of Psychology is as follows:

129 Pleasant Street

Concord, NH 03301

(603) 271-9369

Email may be sent to jabarnes at dhhs.state.nh.us.

The New Hampshire Psychological Association (NHPA) notes that the Board of Psychology prefers email communication.

The NHPA (http://www.nhpaonline.org) does not issue licenses but does invite licensees and candidates to contact them; the organization may be able to direct individuals to the appropriate contact person.