How to Become a Psychologist in New Hampshire
New Hampshire presents excellent opportunities for aspiring psychologists. The state projects an 11.1% increase in psychology positions between 2020 and 2030. This is a big deal as it means that the growth surpasses the national average of 10.4%. Psychologists in the state can expect a rewarding salary package, with average annual earnings of $83,455 as of May 2021.
The path to becoming a licensed psychologist in New Hampshire has certain requirements. You need a doctoral degree in psychology and two years of supervised clinical experience. The process also requires passing two important exams. The New Hampshire board of psychology oversees licensing, which requires candidates to clear the Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP). The state currently has only two APA-accredited doctoral programs. This limited availability means you should plan your educational trip carefully to get your New Hampshire psychology license. The mental health field shows strong potential, particularly for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. These positions should see a 6% growth from 2024 to 2034.
Educational Pathways
Getting your New Hampshire psychology license requires careful educational planning. New Hampshire has set specific requirements that will shape your educational experience.
Your foundation starts with a bachelor’s degree. Many schools in the state offer psychology programs. The University of New Hampshire, Dartmouth College, Southern New Hampshire University, and New England College provide these degrees. Students learn basic psychological principles and prepare for graduate studies through these programs.
The next step is doctoral-level education. New Hampshire requires all psychology license applicants to have a doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution. Students can choose between two main paths:
- D. in Psychology – This path helps students master research methods, teaching skills, and clinical practice. The University of New Hampshire’s 4-5 year Ph.D. program lets students specialize in brain behavior and cognition, developmental psychology, or social psychology/personality.
- D. (Doctor of Psychology) – This option focuses on clinical work. Antioch University New England runs an APA-accredited Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology. The program takes five years of full-time study.
Here are vital factors to think over before picking a doctoral program:
- APA Accreditation: Programs with American Psychological Association accreditation meet state requirements automatically. New Hampshire has a small number of APA-accredited doctoral psychology programs.
- Program Structure: Programs without APA accreditation need three years of full-time graduate study. They must be clearly labeled as psychology programs with supervised practice and mostly in-person classes.
- Specialization Options: UNH’s doctoral students can focus on brain, behavior, and cognition; developmental psychology; or social psychology/personality.
Doctoral training usually takes 6 years. Students complete coursework, clinical training, comprehensive exams, a dissertation, and a year-long internship. Most students get their master’s degree after two years.
Hands-on clinical work is part of doctoral studies. UNH doctoral students teach introductory psychology classes in their third year with close supervision. Antioch’s Psy.D. program combines supervised practicum, internship, and field training.
The New Hampshire board of psychology looks closely at doctoral credentials during licensing. Picking a program that meets state requirements makes the path to professional practice smoother. Each program should show a well-laid-out study plan with proper supervised training.
New Hampshire has three schools offering doctoral degrees in psychology: the University of New Hampshire, Dartmouth College, and Antioch University. Students looking to save money might start at a smaller school before moving to complete advanced degrees.
Supervised Experience Requirements
The New Hampshire board of psychology requires aspiring psychologists to complete 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience. These hours split evenly into two 1,500-hour phases.
Your first phase involves completing a predoctoral internship during graduate education. You can’t start this internship until you finish two years of graduate study. The New Hampshire psychology license application automatically accepts APA-approved internship hours. Non-APA-approved internships must meet the board’s standards that include:
- Two or more interns training at the same time
- A structured program that offers a variety of psychological assessment and treatment experiences
- Clear documentation of goals and standards
- Weekly schedule with two hours of formal supervision plus two hours of learning activities
- Direct client contact of 375 hours minimum
- Program completion within 24 months
During this first phase, your title must clearly show you’re a trainee – like “intern,” “fellow,” or “resident”.
Phase two needs another 1,500 hours of supervised experience. You can complete these hours before or after getting your doctoral degree. Your post-doctoral hours start only after your program confirms you’ve met all degree requirements, even without formal degree conferral.
Post-doctoral supervision requires weekly face-to-face individual clinical supervision of one hour. This adds up to 50 hours minimum over the entire period. A licensed or certified psychologist must supervise your work and take professional and legal responsibility for your activities, cases, training, and supervision.
Your program and employer must keep permanent records of:
- When you attended
- Individual supervision hours face-to-face
- Total supervised clinical work hours
- Your supervisors’ names and credentials
Getting your New Hampshire psychology license requires several verification forms. You’ll submit the “Summary of Supervised Clinical Experience for Internship and Post Doc” form. This form details your supervised hours, supervisors, and where you gained experience.
Your supervisors must fill out and submit the “Supervisor’s Confirmation of Post Doctoral Clinical Experience” form. This verifies your supervised work’s quality and quantity. The form details supervision methods, types of cases handled, and your supervisor’s licensure recommendation.
You can keep practicing under supervision after submitting your license application while waiting for official licensure.
Licensing Examinations
Getting your New Hampshire psychology license depends on passing standardized exams. You need to prove your professional competency through rigorous testing after finishing your education and supervised experience.
The New Hampshire board of psychology wants all license candidates to pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) develops and manages this detailed assessment. The exam shows you’re ready to practice psychology on your own.
You must submit your license application to the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) before taking the exam. The board will let you and ASPPB know when you can take the exam once they review your application and you complete 200 hours of post-doctoral supervised experience. You can start testing while you finish your remaining supervised hours.
The EPPP has 225 multiple-choice questions that cover eight core psychology areas. These include biological bases of behavior, cognitive-affective bases of behavior, social and cultural bases of behavior, growth and lifespan development, assessment and diagnosis, treatment and intervention, research methods, and ethical/legal/professional issues.
You need a scaled score of at least 500 to pass. This usually means getting about 70% of the questions right. You’ll get an Authorization to Test (ATT) that’s valid for 60 days, and you can schedule your exam at any authorized testing center.
The exam costs $600, which you pay to the testing company when you register. The New Hampshire board of psychology will mail your results to you after you finish.
You can try again after 60 days if you don’t pass the first time. But if you fail twice, New Hampshire rules say you need remediation before your next attempt. Your remediation options include:
- Coursework through an accredited psychology program
- Studies at a professional psychology school with APA accreditation
- Continuing education at an approved institution
- An EPPP license examination preparation course
New Hampshire doesn’t require a separate jurisprudence exam right now. You should still learn New Hampshire’s psychology practice regulations (RSA 329-B) and the board’s administrative rules really well.
If you need special testing accommodations, send a written request to the OPLC with doctor verification of your disability and the specific help you need.
The New Hampshire board of psychology protects the public by making sure practitioners meet professional standards. These exam requirements help maintain quality standards in the profession.
Application & Licensure Process
Getting your license from the New Hampshire board of psychology is a crucial step to become a licensed psychologist. You’ll need to gather several important documents after completing your education and examination requirements.
Your application package should contain various forms and supporting materials. Standard applicants must submit:
- A completed license application form
- Current passport-style photo
- Professional curriculum vitae
- Graduate Program Course Sheet
- Summary of Supervised Clinical Experience form
- Supervisor Confirmation forms for internship and post-doctoral experiences
- Three professional reference forms
- Responses to the board’s essay questions
- Verification of licensure from other jurisdictions (if applicable)
- Official transcripts from your educational institutions
The board requires all new applicants to complete a criminal background check since July 1, 2017. This rule applies to psychologists who want their license reinstated. You’ll need to pay for the background check process.
The application comes with several fees. A standard application costs $198.00, which includes a mandatory $28.00 Professional Health Program fee. License renewal costs the same amount. Inactive licenses cost $85.00, while license reinstatement fees are $198.00.
Licensed psychologists from other states follow a modified application process. They must submit the standard application form, supporting documentation, essay question responses, and appropriate fees.
The board offers a faster path for candidates with specific credentials. You’ll need fewer documents if you have a current Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology (CPQ) from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, certification by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), or active credentials from the National Register of Health Service Psychologists (NRHSP). These candidates only need to submit the standard application form, proof of current credential, a curriculum vitae, and verification of licensure from all current jurisdictions.
Send your completed application with required forms and payment to the Office of Professional Licensure & Certification in Concord. Paper applications accept personal checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks.
The board will review your qualifications after receiving your application package and EPPP scores. You should receive your New Hampshire psychology license within five to seven days after approval.
Continuing Education
Your New Hampshire psychology license renewal depends on professional development after your original licensure. The New Hampshire board of psychology sets specific continuing education requirements that help psychologists stay up-to-date with current practices and research.
Licensed psychologists need to complete 40 approved continuing education (CE) hours during each license term to renew their license. The requirements state that 30 of these hours must come from Category A sources, which include sessions that the American Psychological Association (APA) or the National Board for Certified Counselors approve. Six of the 40 required hours must focus on ethics and must be from Category A.
The board allows up to 10 hours from Category B to promote varied professional development. These hours can cover mental health seminars or workshops that don’t meet Category A criteria. Licensees must keep detailed records of their attendance and participation in continuing education activities.
The board randomly selects a group of psychologists each year for CE audit to check compliance. Selected professionals receive a notice 30-60 days before the audit date and have 30 days to submit their CE documentation.
Many organizations provide approved continuing education options. The New Hampshire Psychological Association (NHPA), an APA-approved sponsor, offers CE workshops both in-person and on-demand. On top of that, the New Hampshire Association of School Psychologists (NHASP) hosts professional development events throughout the year, including fall and spring conferences and webinars.
Psychologists can earn CE credits through volunteer activities that support board work. Licensed board members get 2 CE units for each monthly meeting they attend, up to 24 hours per calendar year. Professional conduct investigators earn 18 CE units when they complete investigation reports.
These well-laid-out requirements ensure New Hampshire’s psychologists have the tools to provide quality mental health services based on current best practices and ethical standards. NHPA and the board’s website offer detailed information about approved CE providers and upcoming opportunities.
Special State Variations
Psychologists moving to New Hampshire have several distinct licensing options. The New Hampshire board of psychology doesn’t have formal reciprocity agreements, but qualified practitioners can still get their license through multiple pathways.
Licensed psychologists from other states can submit their application through the standard process with the same documents and fees as new applicants. The process becomes much simpler for professionals with specific credentials. Your application needs fewer components if you have a current Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology (CPQ) from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, certification from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), or valid credentials from the National Register of Health Service Psychologists (NRHSP).
Every new applicant for a New Hampshire psychology license must complete a criminal background check whatever their prior license status. This rule has been active since July 1, 2017, and applies to professionals seeking to reinstate expired licenses too. Applicants must pay all related costs.
New Hampshire’s licensing options have expanded with recent legislative changes. The state is updating its rules about temporary licenses for practitioners from other states.
The Office of Professional Licensure and Certification manages three different psychology-related licenses in the state: Psychologist, School Psychologist (Doctoral), and School Psychologist (Specialist). Understanding which path matches your professional background is vital while you work to establish your practice in New Hampshire.