New Brunswick Psychology Licensure Requirements

Not yet independently verified for this state. Confirm with the board →

preDoc = the pre-doctoral internship: CPNB Rule 1.03.02(e) requires 'a minimum of 1600 hours of supervised experience in the practice of psychology'; if the doctoral program contains no internship, an additional 1600 hours of acceptable supervised practice may satisfy it. Separately, Rule 1.03.02(d) requires a practicum of a minimum of 600 hours of supervised experience within the degree — that 600 is NOT included in the 3200 total. postDoc = the post-doctoral residency: Rule 1.04.01 requires one (1) calendar year after the doctoral degree, 'a minimum of 1,600 hours of documented supervised experience in psychology normally accumulated over a period of not less than 12 months (48 weeks) and not more than 24 months (96 weeks)'. Supervision must continue until the licence is granted, even after the minimum hours are met, and a supervision report is filed with the Registration Committee every six months. total = 1600 + 1600 = 3200 (arithmetic sum of the two verified figures; 3800 if the 600-hour practicum is counted).

Required

Not a standalone written jurisprudence exam. Jurisprudence is one of three mandatory areas examined in CPNB's oral examination, conducted by an Examining Board and lasting a minimum of one hour: (1) Professional Practice and/or Specialty, (2) Professional Ethics, (3) Jurisprudence — 'The applicant's awareness of New Brunswick laws which affect the work of psychologists.' CFTA labour-mobility applicants sit an interview instead of the oral exam, in which the jurisprudence component covers 'provincial and federal jurisprudence which affect the work of psychologists of New Brunswick.'

There is no separate jurisprudence-exam fee. The oral examination fee is $360 CAD, and re-examination (oral) is also $360 CAD; the CFTA interview fee is $360 CAD. Examiners grade on a seven-point scale, with the final grade reached by consensus.

1. Earn a doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) in psychology from a CPA-accredited program, or an equivalent doctoral program meeting CPNB Rule 1.03.02, including a minimum 600-hour practicum and a minimum 1600-hour internship.
2. Apply to CPNB for interim membership ('Resident in psychology') with the Application for Interim Member, reference forms and the $500 CAD application fee, then pay the $315 CAD admission fee once approved.
3. Put an approved supervisory agreement in place with a licensed member within four months of being granted interim membership, and file a supervision report to the Registration Committee every six months.
4. Complete the post-doctoral residency: at least 1,600 hours of documented supervised practice over not less than 12 months and not more than 24 months, continuing supervision until the licence is granted.
5. Notify the Registrar in writing, then register through ASPPB/Certemy and pass the EPPP at a Pearson Professional Centre (nearest centres for NB candidates: Halifax, Montreal, and Bangor, Maine).
6. Pass the CPNB oral examination before an Examining Board ($360 CAD), covering professional practice/specialty, professional ethics, and New Brunswick jurisprudence.
7. Receive the licence from the Registration Committee, then maintain it with the $1,200 CAD annual renewal and CPNB's continuing-education reporting under Rule No. 2.

Not eligible — U.S. compact

Labour mobility runs through the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), not PSYPACT — PSYPACT is a US interstate compact and does not apply in Canada or to New Brunswick. A psychologist registered and in good standing with another Canadian provincial or territorial regulator applies to CPNB under the CFTA stream (application fee $500 CAD) with a checklist, registration form, reference form, and Verification of Good Standing from the home jurisdiction. Once the Registration Committee approves the application, the applicant is invited to an interview ($360 CAD) rather than the full oral examination, and may take a temporary licence ($325 CAD, up to six months per calendar year) to work in the province while waiting. Under the By-Laws, a CFTA candidate must pass the interview within six months of the temporary licence being granted; a failed interview may be retaken after one month, and a second failure revokes the temporary licence and reduces the person to temporary membership under supervision until licensed. The Registration Committee also has discretion to waive one or more examinations for applicants who hold a psychology degree and are certified/licensed/registered by the examining body of a Canadian province or a US state whose standards it deems equivalent. Separately, a psychologist licensed and in good standing in another Canadian jurisdiction may obtain a free courtesy licence to practise in person in New Brunswick for no more than 21 days per calendar year (days need not be continuous); a courtesy licence is not required for telepsychology by a psychologist licensed in another Canadian jurisdiction, but psychologists registered outside Canada are expected to obtain one for both in-person and virtual services. Foreign-educated applicants (outside Canada and the US) must first complete an ACPRO-required credentials evaluation through ICD, a division of TruMerit (formerly CGFNS), before applying; US-educated and/or US-registered applicants do not need a credentials evaluation. Council may also grant emergency registration under Rule 1.06 during a declared public-health emergency.

College of Psychologists of New Brunswick

(506) 382-1994

Official board page →