Maryland Psychologist License Requirements
Maryland’s psychologists enjoy impressive earnings. Their salaries range from $64,680 to $192,740, which is nice as it means that they earn more than the national average. The field offers excellent career prospects with psychology jobs set to grow by 23.8% between 2023 and 2034.
The path to becoming a licensed psychologist in Maryland needs careful planning through several educational and professional milestones. The Maryland Board of Psychology upholds strict standards to ensure quality mental health care. The state currently meets just 19.4% of its population’s mental health needs – lower than the national average of 27.7%. A Maryland psychologist license usually takes 9 to 12 years to get, including undergraduate education, graduate studies, and supervised experience.
In this guide, you’ll learn each step of the licensing process. We cover everything from educational requirements and supervised experience to examination details and application procedures. The information here helps both newcomers to psychology and professionals transferring from other states. You’ll find all you need to advance your career in Maryland’s expanding mental health field.
Educational Pathways
Starting a journey to become a licensed psychologist in Maryland requires the right educational credentials. The Maryland Board of Psychology has specific educational requirements that create a well-laid-out pathway toward licensure.
A bachelor’s degree is the first step in this educational path. Psychology is a popular major, but you can complete your bachelor’s in any field. All the same, students with degrees in other disciplines might need to complete certain prerequisites before entering a psychology graduate program. Full-time students typically complete their bachelor’s in four years, which equals approximately 120 credit hours.
After completing undergraduate studies, several options become available. You can register as a Psychology Associate in Maryland with a master’s degree in clinical, counseling, or school psychology from a Council for Higher Education Accreditation-accredited program. This registration lets you practice psychology under a licensed psychologist’s supervision. Some professionals use this opportunity to prepare for doctoral studies.
Full licensure as a psychologist in Maryland needs a doctoral degree. You must get either a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology or a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD). These degrees should come from programs accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), or approved by the Council for the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. Students usually complete these doctoral programs in 4-7 years, based on program structure and whether they include a master’s degree.
Maryland recognizes two types of doctoral programs:
- Practice-oriented programs – These focus on clinical, counseling, or school psychology and must include at least 1,750 hours of internship (with 25% in direct client service) plus two hours weekly of individual, face-to-face supervision.
- Non-practice-oriented programs – These include other psychology specializations not specifically advertised as clinical, counseling, or school psychology.
Maryland offers four distinct paths to become a school psychologist:
- A master’s degree or higher in school psychology from a Maryland-approved program, plus special education coursework and qualifying test scores
- A master’s degree or higher with special education coursework, completion of an out-of-state school psychology program, and qualifying test scores
- A valid Nationally Certified School Psychologist certificate plus special education coursework
- A master’s degree or higher, valid professional license from another state, special education coursework, and 27 months of satisfactory performance within the last 7 years
The University of Maryland’s Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program is a 60-year-old APA-accredited institution. It is a prominent option for aspiring psychologists in the state. Several other Maryland institutions offer APA-accredited programs, including the University of Maryland – College Park’s Counseling PhD program.
Your educational foundation during these years is a vital step that prepares you for supervised experience and examination requirements on your path to licensure.
Supervised Experience Requirements
Getting your Maryland psychologist license requires extensive supervised experience after completing your education. The Maryland Board of Psychology requires 3,250 hours of supervised professional experience before you can take licensing examinations.
If you graduate from practice-oriented programs (clinical, counseling, or school psychology), you can build this experience through:
- Pre-internship hours (after completing your first doctoral year)
- Formal internship hours
- Pre-doctoral post-internship hours
- Post-doctoral hours
You must complete at least 1,750 hours from an internship within 24 months. The other 1,500 hours can come from pre-internship, post-internship pre-doctoral, or post-doctoral experiences.
Your total supervised experience must include face-to-face, on-site supervision by a qualified psychologist for at least 75% (2,438 hours). You need one hour of individual supervision for every 20 hours of service-related activities. Your supervisors must keep detailed records of all experience and supervision hours.
The supervisor must hold a psychology license in Maryland, be exempt from licensure in Maryland, or have certification/license in the state where supervision takes place. A written supervision agreement makes the supervisor legally and ethically responsible for all your work.
Your training status must be reflected in your titles like “psychology resident,” “psychology intern,” or “psychology supervisee”. Registered psychology associates doing post-doctoral supervision must follow specific Maryland regulations.
Pre-internship and pre-doctoral post-internship experiences should follow a structured training sequence that grows in complexity. These experiences need:
- At least 50% in service-related activities (treatment, assessment, interviews, report writing)
- At least 25% in face-to-face client contact
Your supervisor will write an evaluation after post-doctoral supervision that documents your service-related activities and completed supervised hours. The Board might require extra supervision if any hours weren’t completed successfully.
The Board may waive face-to-face supervision requirements or allow off-site supervision in special cases. You must request this waiver before starting your supervised experience.
Licensing Examinations
The Maryland psychologist licensure process requires you to pass two mandatory examinations after completing your supervised experience hours. You’ll need to clear both national and state-specific exams before the Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists grants your license.
The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) comes first. This national test is administered through the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). The computerized test has 225 multiple-choice questions that test your basic psychological knowledge. Here are the eight content areas the EPPP covers:
- Biological bases of behavior
- Cognitive-affective bases of behavior
- Social and cultural bases of behavior
- Growth and lifespan development
- Assessment and diagnosis
- Treatment, intervention, prevention, and supervision
- Research methods and statistics
- Ethical, legal, and professional issues
You must score at least 500 on the scaled score to pass, which means getting about 73% of the questions right. ASPPB sends your score directly to the Maryland Board once you pass.
The Maryland Jurisprudence Examination follows the EPPP. This test checks how well you know the state-specific laws, regulations, and ethical standards that govern psychological practice. You’ll have 60 minutes to answer 50 multiple-choice questions in this closed-book test. The passing score is 75%.
The exam fees are a big part of your licensure budget:
- EPPP examination: $650
- Maryland Jurisprudence Examination: $250
The Maryland Psychological Association has created a self-study review course just for the jurisprudence exam. Their online program helps with exam strategies and points out the most important sections of Maryland law. The Board provides study materials for the jurisprudence exam, but many candidates find extra preparation helpful.
The Board sets the subjects, scope, form, and passing score for all exams under Maryland law. You can retake either exam as many times as needed, but you’ll need to pay a reexamination fee each time.
The Board lets you schedule your exams after giving authorization. They tell qualified applicants when and where to take the tests, which are offered at least once a year. Passing both exams marks a major milestone in your journey to becoming a licensed Maryland psychologist.
Application & Licensure Process
After completing your education, supervised experience, and passing the required exams, you can submit your application to the Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists. The application needs careful attention to detail and proper documentation.
You’ll need to pick the right application packet for your situation. Maryland has two main paths: one for graduates of practice-oriented programs and another for non-practice-oriented programs. You should ask the board directly about the non-practice-oriented route.
Your application package must include:
- Official transcripts from all graduate institutions
- Reference coversheets documenting supervised experience
- Fingerprints for a Criminal History Records Check
- Application fee of $300 (non-refundable)
The Board won’t review incomplete applications, so you need to follow all instructions carefully. You can submit everything online through the Board’s official portal. New applicants should click “START NEW APPLICATION” on the portal. If you’ve already started, just log in with your application ID and credentials.
Besides the application fee, you’ll need to budget for other costs:
- EPPP examination fee: $650
- State jurisprudence examination fee: $250
- Biennial license renewal fee: $400
- Maryland Health Care Commission fee: $26 (collected with renewals)
Military servicemembers and their spouses get special treatment. The Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022 lets qualified individuals with valid psychology licenses from other states practice in Maryland during their service without paying application fees.
The Board reviews your application and exam scores together. They’ll either approve your license if you meet all requirements or ask for more information.
Your psychology license needs renewal by March 31, 2025. The renewal process requires information about any psychology associates under your supervision, a completed continuing education form, and renewal fees.
Maryland also offers options through limited reciprocity for psychologists licensed in other U.S. jurisdictions. This lets you get a temporary Maryland license while preparing for the state’s jurisprudence examination.
Practicing psychology without proper licensure in Maryland breaks the Maryland Psychology Practice Act. A complete and accurate application isn’t just good practice—it’s required by law.
Continuing Education
Your Maryland psychologist license needs regular professional development through continuing education. Licensed psychologists must get 40 continuing education (CE) hours during each reporting period. Psychology associates need 20 hours.
The Maryland Board of Psychology has strict CE requirements. Licensed psychologists must complete these specific hours:
- 20 CE hours maximum in independent study
- 3 CE hours minimum in laws, ethics, and professional conduct
- 3 CE hours minimum in providing psychological services to culturally diverse populations
Psychologists who supervise psychology associates must complete 3 extra CE hours in clinical supervision competence. These rules help practitioners stay current with evolving standards and practices.
CE credit reporting periods end on March 31. Licenses with odd-digit numbers renew in odd years, while even-digit or zero numbers renew in even years. The next renewal deadline is March 31, 2025. New licensees with less than 12 months before renewal don’t need CE credits for their first period.
The Maryland Board carefully screens continuing education activities. Only specific organizations can sponsor CE programs. These include the American Psychological Association, Association for Psychological Science, American Medical Association, and accredited academic institutions.
Your professional practice requires understanding different types of continuing education. Live broadcasts let you interact with presenters in real-time. Independent or home study uses pre-recorded or downloaded materials you can complete at your own pace. You must keep records of all CE activities for four years after renewal.
Random audits of continuing education documentation happen regularly. Selected practitioners must show proof within 10 days of being notified. Valid proof includes attendance certificates, transcripts, course syllabi, publication reprints, or test results.
In-person workshop registration deadlines are one week before events. Late registration costs an extra $10. Online workshops close registration an hour before starting. You can get refunds up to one week before workshops, minus a $35 service fee.
Special State Variations
Maryland takes a different approach to psychology licensure compared to other states. The state’s Board of Examiners of Psychologists licenses both practice-oriented and non-practice-oriented psychologists with different standards for each group.
Maryland recognizes many psychology specializations, unlike other states that only focus on clinical work. Practice-oriented fields include clinical, counseling, and school psychology. Research careers, industrial/organizational psychology, and social psychology are part of non-practice oriented paths.
The state’s system shines with its adaptable approach to supervised experience. Candidates can count hours from different career stages – before internship, after internship but before doctorate, and post-doctoral periods. This works well, especially when you have candidates who need time to complete their dissertations after internships.
Psychologists moving to Maryland can benefit from limited out-of-state reciprocity. While no formal agreements exist between states, Maryland gives temporary practice privileges for up to one year while candidates prepare for the state jurisprudence examination. You’ll need to:
- Have an active license in good standing from another state
- Get approval to take the Maryland Jurisprudence Exam
- Be ready for the next available exam
The state offers a shorter application process if you’re certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology or have Health Service Psychologist credentials from the National Register.
Maryland also provides Psychology Associate registration for professionals without doctoral degrees. This lets master’s degree holders provide psychological services under supervision. You’ll need a master’s degree in clinical, counseling, or school psychology from an accredited program.
School psychologist certification through the Maryland State Department of Education comes with four different qualification paths. These range from completing state-approved programs to getting national certification recognition.