How to Become a Licensed Psychologist in Mississippi

Want to be a psychologist in Mississippi? You’re looking at a career with exceptional growth ahead. Clinical, counseling, and school psychologist jobs in Mississippi should grow by 17.2% between 2020 and 2030. On top of that, the need for psychologists has reached remarkable levels, with almost 40% of practitioners having waitlists.

Mississippi’s status as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) means it needs 188 mental health practitioners to serve its population effectively. This opens up great opportunities if you want to become a licensed psychologist in the state. While earnings vary, Mississippi’s psychologists make between $71,700 and $95,140 annually, averaging $72,323 per year. The Mississippi Board of Psychologists requires specific educational credentials, supervised experience, and exams. These include the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and a state oral examination.

This detailed guide will show you each step to become a licensed psychologist in Mississippi. You’ll learn about educational requirements, application procedures, and continuing education needs. The information here will help you start your journey toward professional psychology practice in Mississippi, whether you’re beginning your studies or getting ready for licensing exams.

Educational Pathways

Getting your psychology license in Mississippi takes about 8-12 years of education. Let’s take a look at each step to help you direct your educational experience.

You’ll start with a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited four-year college or university. Your degree doesn’t have to be in psychology, but psychology courses will give you valuable knowledge for advanced studies. The National Center for Education Statistics shows psychology as the fifth most popular major in the US, with 26,944 degrees awarded in 2020-2021 (6.15% of total degrees).

An online master’s degree in psychology could be your next step. Though optional, it gives you great experience before doctoral studies. Most master’s programs need 30-40 credits and take about two years. Stand-alone master’s programs let you specialize and build stronger doctoral program applications.

Your education’s foundation is a doctoral degree in psychology – a must for Mississippi licensure. You have two main choices:

1. D. (Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology) – Research is the main focus
2. D. (Doctor of Psychology) – Practice is the main focus

Mississippi requires your doctoral program to have accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA) or Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). Programs in specialties without these accreditations must be designated as psychology programs by the National Register of Health Service Providers and the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards Designation Committee.

New programs working toward accreditation need to show progress to the Mississippi Board of Psychologists. Program completion takes 4-7 years, based on whether you include a master’s degree and your specialty area.

Your doctoral studies will cover advanced topics like clinical psychology, developmental psychology, and research methods. Most programs teach biological psychology, social psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and psychology’s history. These courses build expertise in multiple psychological areas.

American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) diplomate status holders meet all educational requirements. Degrees from outside the United States or Canada work too if they meet recognized standards.

Mississippi State University and the University of Southern Mississippi’s doctoral programs offer specialized training in various psychological fields. These programs feature small classes for personal attention and use the scientist-practitioner model, mixing research and clinical opportunities throughout your studies.

This educational foundation starts your path to Mississippi licensure. Supervised experience and licensing exams come next as vital steps.

Supervised Experience Requirements

Mississippi requires extensive supervised experience after you complete your doctoral education to become licensed. The Mississippi Board of Psychologists requires 4,000 hours of supervised professional experience, which equals two full-time years.

Your supervised experience has two distinct phases:

1. Predoctoral Internship: You must complete the first 2,000 hours as an internship that takes one to two years. Full-time interns get at least four hours of supervision each week, and two hours must be individual supervision. The American Psychological Association (APA) or Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) must accredit the internship, except in special cases. The Board reviews each non-accredited internship program to ensure it meets their standards.
2. Postdoctoral Experience: You need to complete the second 2,000 hours within two years after your doctoral program. You must receive at least two hours of formal, face-to-face individual supervision weekly during this phase. Your experience must match your academic coursework’s specialty area.

Your internship should provide a broad range of psychological services to different types of clients. Licensed psychologists will supervise you as you work with various diagnostic categories and intervention approaches. The setting must give you opportunities to develop programs, provide consultations, and work directly with clients.

Your supervisors must meet specific requirements. They need to work at least twelve hours weekly at your facility or have a contract with it. They must have a psychology license in the jurisdiction where they supervise you. Supervisors can’t have any dual relationships with their supervisees.

Remember that class work, personal therapy, encounter groups, or supervising others won’t count toward your required supervision hours. Your supervision must focus on providing psychological services directly to individuals or groups.

Documentation plays a vital role in both internship and postdoctoral experience. Your licensure application must include records from when you started your experience. If you haven’t finished your postdoctoral experience when applying, you’ll need to submit a supervision plan for the Board’s approval.

This comprehensive supervised experience helps new psychologists in Mississippi develop strong clinical skills and professional judgment before they practice independently.

Licensing Examinations

Getting your psychology license in Mississippi requires passing standardized exams after completing your education and supervised experience. The state asks candidates to pass multiple tests that show both their knowledge and practical abilities.

The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) represents the cornerstone assessment. The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) developed this test that all U.S. states and most Canadian provinces require. The Mississippi Board of Psychology will let you know when you can register for the EPPP after they review your application.

You’ll face 225 multiple-choice questions on the EPPP that assess your grasp of advanced psychological concepts and their applications. This detailed assessment covers key areas including:

• Clinical psychology
• Industrial-organizational psychology
• Human development
• Psychological assessment and diagnosis

Mississippi requires a scaled score of 500 or higher on the EPPP. The test costs about $600, and your Authorization to Test (ATT) stays valid for 60 days. Any authorized Prometric testing center can host your exam during this period.

Success on the EPPP leads to two state-specific tests:

1. Oral Examination: Three psychologists conduct this test, with a Board member leading the panel. The 45-60 minute assessment focuses on clinical scenarios and professional ethics, using a pass/fail system. Mississippi offers multiple testing dates throughout the year at different locations.
2. Jurisprudence Examination: This online open-book test contains 20 multiple-choice questions about Mississippi’s psychology practice rules. You need a score of 75% or 90. The test takes place online.

Both oral and jurisprudence exams cost $150 combined, payable when you schedule the oral exam.

The Board allows one retake if you fail either the EPPP or oral exam. A second failure means waiting two years before trying again.

Test results reach you within ten business days after the Board receives them. Passing all required exams lets you move forward with the final steps of getting your license through the Mississippi Board of Psychologists.

Application & Licensure Process

Mississippi’s psychology licensure application system runs through the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). The Mississippi Board of Psychology now uses the Psychology Licensure Universal System (PLUS) program to handle all applications. Your credentials stay permanently on record and you can retrieve them whenever needed for future licensing.

You need to submit a request form through the Mississippi Board of Psychologists website to start your licensing process. A $300 application fee plus $50 for the mandatory criminal background check must accompany your submission. The Board won’t refund application fees if you don’t meet licensure requirements.

The Board mails you a fingerprint card after receiving your application materials. You must complete the background check, and then the Board sends this information to the Department of Public Safety. Senate Bill 2731 made this process more thorough starting January 2025. The bill now requires both Mississippi criminal database and FBI background checks to confirm good moral character.

Your current licensure status determines your application path:

New applicants receive ASPPB login credentials after background clearance to complete the PLUS application, which costs an additional $200. The Board issues your license once they verify your credentials and you pass all examinations.

Psychologists licensed in other jurisdictions follow a similar but often faster process. You might skip certain educational requirements and the EPPP examination, especially when you have specialized credentials. Available options include:

• Standard licensure through PLUS application and Mississippi examinations
• Quick licensure for those with diplomate status through the American Board of Professional Psychology
• Fast-track pathway for holders of the ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification
• Senior psychologist pathway for those licensed at the doctoral level for 20+ years

The Universal Recognition of Licensure Act provides another option for licensed psychologists who have practiced for at least one year and can prove Mississippi residency or employment.

The Board communicates mainly through email and notifies applicants within ten days after each milestone. Your official psychologist license arrives after meeting all requirements, and you can then start your professional practice in Mississippi.

Continuing Education

Your Mississippi psychology license requires regular education to keep your knowledge up to date with current practices and standards. The Mississippi Board of Psychology requires 20 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years. Licensed psychologists must complete these hours by June 30th of each odd-numbered year.

The board mandates that 2 hours of your total CE requirement must cover ethics or legal issues related to psychological services. This rule helps psychologists stay current with their profession’s ethical standards.

The Mississippi Board of Psychology currently accepts CE credits from several approved organizations:

• American Psychological Association (APA)
• Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)
• National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
• Accreditation Council of Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), when the content lines up with practicing psychologists’ professional needs

Mississippi psychologists can complete all 20 required CE hours through online courses or distance learning. This flexibility lets you meet your educational requirements when it works best for you.

Several Mississippi institutions can provide your CE credits:

• Mississippi State University Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program
• School of Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi
• Mississippi Psychological Association
• Mississippi State Hospital

Organizations interested in becoming CE providers should submit their application to the Mississippi Board of Psychology. The board considers applications from the Mississippi Psychological Association, APA-accredited predoctoral internship programs, postdoctoral fellowship programs in Mississippi, and APA-accredited graduate training departments.

You’ll need to log your completed CE hours through the License Management System on the Mississippi Board’s website. Since the board might audit CE records, you should keep detailed documentation of all your completed courses.

Many online providers offer Mississippi-approved courses that are great ways to get your CE credits. CE4Less, and NetCE represent just a few available options. These providers offer several ethics-focused courses that will meet your mandatory ethics training requirement.

Meeting these CE requirements helps you stay compliant with state regulations and supports your professional growth as a Mississippi psychologist.

Special State Variations

Mississippi’s psychology licensure system recognizes credentials and experience from other states. The state lets psychologists licensed elsewhere practice more quickly through reciprocity options. ABPP board-certified psychologists get major advantages because Mississippi gives them full reciprocity.

The state stands out by offering different temporary credentials that fit various professional needs. Psychologists who completed everything except their post-doctoral supervision year can get a provisional license. Those who met all requirements but haven’t passed the oral exam can get a temporary license until the next exam happens. Right now, this temporary license requires passing the EPPP at the level set by Mississippi’s Board of Psychology.

Mississippi also has a Temporary Practice Certificate for out-of-state psychologists who just need to practice briefly in the state. This certificate lets them practice up to 30 days in any 12-month period. They must show proof about their practice type and verify their current license. The fee won’t go above $300. State residents, people denied Mississippi licensure, or those planning full-time practice in Mississippi can’t use this option.

Over the last several years, Mississippi made it easier for experienced professionals to get licensed. The Senior Psychologist option helps applicants with 20+ years of practice in another state get licensed if their original license came from a doctoral degree. These professionals must have a clean record and pass Mississippi’s oral exam.

Mississippi’s system shows how to balance flexibility with professional standards. New legislation (Senate Bill 2731 introduced January 2025) wants to make it simpler for out-of-state psychologists to get licensed because there’s a growing need for mental health professionals. The bill helps military-trained applicants and their spouses transition more easily into Mississippi practice.