How to Get Your Psychology License in Alaska

Alaska’s psychology license is a chance to earn well, as practicing psychologists make an average of $97,720 per year as of May 2021. Clinical and counseling psychologists can earn even more with average annual earnings of $111,840. The state has only about 170 licensed psychologists serving more than 735,000 people, which creates a great chance for mental health professionals who want to practice there.

You need to pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) to get your Alaska psychology license. The process includes completing supervised experience hours and submitting your application with fees. The Alaska board of psychology charges a $75 application fee and a $100 credential review fee. The job outlook looks promising too – clinical, counseling, and school psychology positions should grow by 16.7% between 2020 and 2030. This piece covers everything you should know to get your psychology license in Alaska for 2025. You can work in any of Alaska’s 25 major hospitals or almost 500 schools spread across 53 school districts.

Educational pathways

Getting your psychology license in Alaska starts with the right educational credentials. The Alaska Board of Psychology has clear educational requirements that ensure all practicing psychologists have thorough training and expertise.

You’ll need a bachelor’s degree first, which usually takes four years of full-time study and requires 120 semester hours. Your foundation can be in psychology or another field. Students without a psychology degree need to complete prerequisite coursework before they can move to graduate studies.

Your education must come from institutions that the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognizes through its regional accrediting bodies. This recognition tells the Alaska Board of Psychology that your education meets national quality standards.

The Alaska Board requires a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, or an equivalent specialty for full psychologist licensure. Your doctoral program must have:

• Three years of full-time graduate study (or equivalent)
• At least one year completed in residency at the institution
• Coursework covering psychology methodology and history (including research methodology, data analysis, and measurement)
• Foundations in psychology (covering biological, cognitive-affective, and social bases of behavior)
• Individual differences and ethical principles application
• Relevant practicum or laboratory work
• A pre-doctoral internship consisting of at least 1,500 hours

Students from non-APA-accredited doctoral programs need to submit a detailed Doctoral Course Work Check Sheet and Proof of Internship form with their license application.

The University of Alaska Anchorage offers the state’s only APA-accredited doctoral program—a Ph.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology with rural, Indigenous emphasis. This program needs 115 credit hours and takes five years to complete typically. UAA gives qualified students opportunities for paid graduate assistantships with tuition remission.

Many professionals choose to get a psychological associate license after their master’s degree, before full licensure. This mid-level credential needs 48 semester credit hours in psychology coursework and has practicum experience. Licensed psychologists must supervise your work with this credential.

The Alaska Board of Psychology lets you make up missing required courses at an accredited institution if you finish your doctoral program with one or two gaps. This flexibility helps qualified candidates meet all requirements despite small gaps in their educational background.

Supervised Experience Requirements

Your psychology license in Alaska requires supervised experience after you complete your education. The Alaska Board of Psychology sets specific post-doctoral training requirements. These requirements help practitioners develop their clinical skills under proper guidance.

You need one year of postdoctoral supervised experience in psychology that lines up with your graduate education to get your license. This experience should total at least 1,500 clock hours. The board will issue you a temporary license while you accumulate these hours.

You must complete your supervised experience between 10 and 24 consecutive calendar months. Your weekly work schedule should range from 20 to 40 hours. The board might grant you up to 12 extra months in exceptional cases if you show good cause.

The quality of supervision matters significantly. You must get at least 80% of your supervised experience from:

• A licensed psychologist
• A diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology
• A professional with a doctorate in psychology whom the board finds qualified

Other qualified mental health professionals can provide the remaining 20% of supervision. These professionals include psychiatrists, psychological associates, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, or professional counselors who have expertise in your specialty area.

Your supervised work has specific distribution requirements. Direct service activities must make up 50% of your hours. Half of this direct service time (25% of total hours) must involve face-to-face patient contact. You also need at least one hour of individual face-to-face supervision each week that focuses on your direct services.

The Alaska Board of Psychology must approve your supervision plan and issue your temporary license before supervision can begin. Time spent in unsupervised independent practice, including unsupervised practicums, clerkships, and externships, won’t count toward your required supervised experience.

Weekly learning activities beyond direct supervision are essential. These activities should include case conferences, ethics discussions, co-therapy sessions, and other supervisor-assigned content. Your supervisor must document and verify your hours using the Statement of Supervised Psychological Experience form. This form confirms your understanding and proper application of ethical principles.

The Alaska Board automatically accepts pre-doctoral internships accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). These internships offer valuable training, especially the Alaska Psychology Internship Consortium (AK-PIC). AK-PIC requires interns to complete 2,000 total hours with at least 500 direct contact hours.

Licensing Examinations

Getting your psychology license in Alaska requires passing two key exams. The Alaska Board of Psychology needs all applicants to pass both the national Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and the Alaska State Law and Ethics Examination.

The EPPP is a standardized national test that checks your grasp of psychological concepts, theories, and practices. The Alaska Board of Psychology’s approval of your application will trigger instructions about scheduling this computerized exam. You can take the EPPP at any Prometric Test Center across the United States, U.S. territories, or Canada, even though it’s administered in Anchorage. This gives you the freedom to pick a test center that works best with your location.

You’ll need a scaled score of 500 or higher to pass the EPPP. The test costs $687.50, which covers admin and testing facility expenses. The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) offers a practice test that’s a great way to get familiar with the test’s format and timing.

The Alaska State Law and Ethics Examination tests your knowledge of state rules and ethical guidelines for psychology practice. This written test happens four times a year on set dates. Here are the 2025 test dates:

• January 30
• June 12
• October 15
• December 17

The Division staff will send you test instructions and study materials once the board approves your application. The state exam fee is $50.00. You’ll need to tell the staff which test date you plan to take.

Good planning is crucial because applications must reach 45 days before the next board meeting to be reviewed for the upcoming State Law and Ethics exam. The board will issue a temporary license after approving your application, and you can start supervised practice while finishing your exam requirements.

Alaska’s psychology license requirements include options for candidates who need special testing arrangements. You can download the Examination Accommodations for Candidates with Disabilities Application and have your healthcare provider fill it out. Note that you must submit accommodation requests by your chosen exam date’s application deadline.

The board will make its final decision about your license after you pass both exams and meet all other requirements. This thorough testing process makes sure Alaska’s practicing psychologists meet both national standards and have the state-specific knowledge they need to practice ethically.

Application & Licensure Process

Your preparation and training culminate when you submit your application to the Alaska Board of Psychology. The Board of Psychologists and Psychological Associate Examiners manages the final step toward getting your psychology license in Alaska.

Start by completing the Application for Psychologist License by Examination packet from the board’s website or MY LICENSE self-service portal. Submit this application before starting your post-doctoral supervised experience. The packet needs several supporting documents:

1. Five reference letters (two from licensed psychologists and one from your doctoral committee)
2. Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions
3. A detailed resume showing all practice experience
4. Your supervised practice plan for board approval

You’ll need to pay several non-refundable fees:

• Application fee: $200.00
• State examination fee: $50.00
• Temporary license fee: $150.00
• Original license fee: $500.00 (submit after meeting all requirements)

The board will issue a temporary license valid for two years after reviewing your application. This allows you to begin your supervised experience. Remember, this temporary license only lets you complete your supervised practice plan under appropriate supervision—not independent practice.

Keep detailed records during your supervised experience. Your supervisor must verify your hours using the Statement of Supervised Psychological Experience form. This form confirms you’ve worked at least 1,500 hours within 10-24 months and shows your understanding of ethical principles.

Submit all remaining documentation to the board once you meet supervised experience requirements and pass both the EPPP and State Law and Ethics Examination. The board reviews complete applications during their regular meetings three times each year.

Licensed psychologists from other states can qualify for licensure through two paths: showing their state’s requirements match Alaska’s, or providing credentials that verify their status as a diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology.

Psychologists from other states who plan brief practice in Alaska can request courtesy licenses. Submit requests at least 30 days before starting practice. Alaska residents cannot get these licenses.

Master’s degree holders can get a psychological associate license that allows practice under direct supervision of a licensed psychologist.

Your Alaska psychology license expires June 30 of odd-numbered years. You need 40 hours of continuing education to renew, including three credits specifically in ethics.

Continuing Education

Alaska psychologists need continuing education (CE) to keep their licenses active. The state board set up specific requirements that make sure licensed practitioners stay up-to-date with professional standards.

You’ll need to complete 40 hours of CE every two years as a licensed psychologist. This averages about 20 hours per year. Your CE credits must be finished by June 30 of odd-numbered years. Several key requirements apply during this period:

• 3 hours must cover professional ethics
• At least half (20 hours) must come from “live interactive” programs
• You can complete up to 20 hours through independent study or distance learning

Alaska psychology license requirements define “live interactive” programs as sessions where students and instructors participate with content together in real time. These can happen in-person or online, but pre-recorded material and self-study don’t count. Webinars with live instructor interaction qualify, while recorded courses don’t make the cut.

The state board accepts CE programs from American Psychological Association (APA) approved sponsors. Many online providers now offer APA-approved courses that meet Alaska’s standards. This approval confirms the educational content meets professional requirements.

Your license can be reinstated if it lapses by showing proof of completed CE requirements. This lets you return to active practice without going through the whole licensing process again.

Psychological associates must meet similar CE requirements as full psychologists. This approach maintains consistent professional development standards whatever your credential level.

Keep all your CE completion certificates as proof of meeting renewal requirements. The board might ask to see these records during renewal or random audits.

Special State Variations

Alaska’s licensing pathways distinguish it from other states. The Alaska Board of Psychologist and Psychological Associate Examiners oversees all psychology licensing with three psychologists, one psychological associate, and one public member. This board’s structure will give a balanced professional and public voice in regulatory decisions.

Alaska provides a Psychological Associate credential for master’s-level practitioners, beyond standard psychologist licensure. Master’s degree holders can practice psychology under supervision through this pathway. This flexibility creates a stepping stone for professionals pursuing doctoral credentials.

Alaska’s regulatory framework operates under specific statutes and regulations that practitioners need to know. These rules include Alaska Statutes (AS) 08.86 and regulations 12 AAC 60, which govern psychology practice. The general licensing provisions under AS 08.01-08.03 and 12 AAC 02 apply to all professions regulated by the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing.

Alaska has special provisions for practitioners in specific situations:

• Temporary licenses can be issued for 150 days to candidates who default on educational loans or fall behind on child support payments
• Courtesy licenses let out-of-state psychologists practice temporarily in Alaska (practitioners must submit applications 30 days before starting practice)

Among these options, Alaska requires businesses that provide telemedicine to register for the Telemedicine Business Registry. This rule affects psychologists who offer remote services across jurisdictional boundaries.

Out-of-state psychologists can get licensed in Alaska through two main paths:

1. Showing their state’s requirements are “substantively equivalent” to Alaska’s
2. Providing documentation of diplomate status from the American Board of Professional Psychology

The board meets three times a year to review applications, make licensing decisions, and address disciplinary matters. Each meeting lets stakeholders voice their input on regulatory matters during a public comment period.