Massachusetts Psychology Licensure Requirements

500

251 CMR 3.08(3)(d) sets the passing score on the national examination in psychology (the EPPP) at a scaled score of 500 or higher, 'or as otherwise determined by the Board.' The Board's own FAQ confirms 500 for the computerized version. This matches the ASPPB-recommended cut score. Neither the regulation nor the Board's site mentions EPPP Part 2, so Massachusetts appears to require only the traditional (Part 1) EPPP; the Board's exact Part 2 posture could not be verified from a primary source.

Massachusetts requires 3,200 total clock hours of qualifying supervised experience (251 CMR 3.04(5)), completed within 60 consecutive calendar months. M.G.L. c. 112, s. 119(c) requires at least one of the two years to be completed before the doctoral degree; that year is satisfied by a predoctoral internship of at least 1,600 clock hours completed in not less than ten calendar months (251 CMR 3.04(8)(a)). There is NO postdoctoral hour requirement -- the Board's FAQ states the postdoctoral requirement was eliminated by a statutory change in December 2012, and the remaining 1,600 hours may be met through post-internship hours and/or advanced practicum hours. Separately, certification as a Health Service Provider (required by M.G.L. c. 112, s. 120 for anyone who independently provides health services) requires the same 3,200 clock hours of supervised HEALTH SERVICE experience, of which at least 800 clock hours must be direct client contact (251 CMR 3.06(4)(a)).

Required

251 CMR 3.08(2): 'The applicant must also pass the Massachusetts Jurisprudence examination.' The Board's application checklist states all applicants must take it as the last step before being licensed, after the application is reviewed and approved. Applicants for licensure by reciprocity must also pass it (251 CMR 3.09(4)). The exam may be taken a maximum of four times per calendar year and there is a mandatory 90-day waiting period between attempts (251 CMR 3.08(3)(c); Board FAQ). The Board publishes a 'Psychology Jurisprudence Book' -- a reprint of the Massachusetts statutes and regulations the exam covers (M.G.L. cc. 19A, 19C, 112, 119, 123, 123A, 190B, 208, 233 s.20B; 104 CMR 33.01-33.05; 251 CMR 1.00-4.00). The Board does not publish the exam format (question count/time limit) or a separate jurisprudence exam fee on its public pages, so both are left null. The Board's fee table does list a combined '$282 examination & processing fee' for initial psychologist licensure, but the page does not say which exam(s) that covers.

1. Earn a doctoral degree from a program in psychology that is APA/CPA-accredited or designated by ASPPB or the National Register at the time the degree is granted or within three years thereafter (251 CMR 3.03).
2. Complete a predoctoral internship of at least 1,600 clock hours over not less than ten calendar months at an organized health service training program.
3. Accrue the remaining supervised hours -- to a total of 3,200 clock hours within 60 consecutive months -- through post-internship and/or advanced practicum experience, receiving at least one hour of supervision for every 16 hours of work; no postdoctoral year is required.
4. Apply online through the Massachusetts DPH Health Professions Licensing System, pay the $150 non-refundable application fee, and submit the Academic Program Director Form, supervisor forms, a notarized CORI form, an official transcript, three professional and ethical references, proof of board-approved domestic and sexual violence training, and a MassHealth ordering/referring provider application.
5. Pass the EPPP with a scaled score of at least 500, within three calendar years of Board approval to sit for the exam.
6. Pass the Massachusetts Jurisprudence Examination -- the final step before licensure -- then pay the $270 license fee within 90 days of the Board's notice of eligibility.
7. If you intend to provide health services independently, also obtain Health Service Provider (HSP) certification, which requires 3,200 clock hours of supervised health service experience including at least 800 hours of direct client contact.

Not a PSYPACT member

Massachusetts has no true reciprocity. The Board's FAQ answers 'Does Massachusetts have licensure reciprocity with other states?' with 'No' -- out-of-state licensees must file a complete Massachusetts application documenting education and supervised experience, and must pass the Massachusetts Jurisprudence Examination (251 CMR 3.09(4)); a passing EPPP score from another jurisdiction is accepted. Under M.G.L. c. 112, s. 121 the Board may license without examination an applicant licensed in a jurisdiction whose standards are not lower than Massachusetts'. 251 CMR 3.09(2) gives streamlined recognition to applicants who meet the academic requirements and hold either (a) an ABPP diplomate or (b) five or more years of licensure in good standing plus the ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology (CPQ). 251 CMR 3.09(3) extends recognition for both licensure and HSP certification to psychologists with at least five years of licensure in good standing who are currently listed in the National Register of Health Service Psychologists; those applicants may omit the internship and supervisor forms. Massachusetts is NOT a PSYPACT jurisdiction -- a full-text search of the Massachusetts General Laws for 'PSYPACT' and for 'psychology interjurisdictional compact' returns no results, and neither M.G.L. c. 112, ss. 118-129A, 251 CMR 3.00, nor the Board's policies and guidelines page mentions the compact. The Board does issue temporary licenses of up to one year to out-of-state psychologists practicing in consultation with or under the supervision of a licensed psychologist (M.G.L. c. 112, s. 124).

Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists

(617) 727-9925

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