In Your State: Massachusetts
Psychology Degree Schools in Massachusetts
Becker College
Worcester, Massachusetts 01609-2165
Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, Massachusetts 02325
Bunker Hill Community College
Boston, Massachusetts 02129-2925
Cape Cod Community College
West Barnstable, Massachusetts 02668-1599
Dean College
Franklin, Massachusetts 02038-1941
Endicott College
Beverly, Massachusetts 01915
Fisher College
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
Framingham State University
Framingham, Massachusetts 01701-9101
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
Lesley University
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138-2790
Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology
Boston, Massachusetts 02132
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts 02115-5005
Salem State University
Salem, Massachusetts 01970
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
University of Massachusetts- Boston
Boston, Massachusetts 02125-3393
University of Massachusetts- Lowell
Lowell, Massachusetts 01854-5104
Westfield State University
Westfield, Massachusetts 01086-1630
How to Become a Psychologist in Massachusetts
How to Become a Psychologist in Massachusetts
Educational Requirements
Massachusetts administers two types of licensure for psychologists: licensed psychologist and psychologist-provider. Both categories require applicants to have a doctoral degree in psychology from an institution designated by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). The difference between the licensed psychologist and psychologist-provider licenses is only the latter can independently offer health services to the public. As such, the psychologist-provider license requires an applicant to have 3,200 hours of supervised work experience in five consecutive years, half of which must be from a formal health service training program. The licensed psychologist license requires the same amount of work experience, but it doesn’t require participation in a health service training program. Massachusetts requires holders of either designation to complete continuing education courses to maintain their licenses.
Continuing Education Requirements
The requirements for continuing education for psychologists in Massachusetts are the completion of 20 hours every two year renewal cycle. Psychologists in Massachusetts are not required to complete any continuing education hours in a particular subject, such as ethics. The Massachusetts Psychological Association sponsors continuing education programs that meets criteria established by the American Psychological Association (APA), and also provides a list of programs that are not sponsored on its website.
Psychology Licensure in Massachusetts
Massachusetts’s requirements for the licensed psychologist and psychologist-provider licenses are essentially the same. The difference between the two licenses is the state requires applicants to the psychologist-provider license to have completed an internship and participated in a formal health service training program. In addition, half of the psychologist-provider’s applicant’s postdoctoral work experience must be supervised by a licensed psychologist. Read on to see the psychology licensure requirements in Massachusetts.
- Licensed Psychologist
- Education: Doctoral degree in psychology.
- Exam: Passing scores on the Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP) and the Massachusetts Jurisprudence exam.
- Work Experience: 3,200 hours in five consecutive years. Two years of supervised experience required.
- Psychologist-Provider
- Education: Doctoral degree in psychology.
- Exam: Passing grade (500) on the EPPP and the Massachusetts Jurisprudence exam.
- Work Experience: 3,200 hours in five consecutive years. First 1,600 hours must be in a formal health service training program. Two years of supervised experience required.
- Other Prerequisites: An internship is required by Massachusetts law.
Salaries for Psychologists in Massachusetts
Psychologists earned a mean annual wage of $81,670 in May 2011, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Meanwhile, clinical, counseling, and school psychologists received a mean annual salary of $77,070, the BLS reports. These estimates are no guarantee of actual salary, which is determined by a person’s credentials, location, employer, and condition of the economy.