Oklahoma Psychology Licensure Requirements

Psychologists are regulated in all 50 states, and Oklahoma is no exception. To become a clinical psychologist in the state, you must meet certain educational requirements, gain supervised experience in the field, and pass the required examinations. The Oklahoma State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (the Board) regulates all psychology licensing. To help guide you through the psychology licensure process in Oklahoma, we have put together this guide to give you step-by-step instructions that will help you along the way.

Table of Contents

• How to Become a Licensed Psychologist
• Licensure by Reciprocity
• License Renewal and Continuing Education
• Related Licenses
• Jobs and Salary Information
• Additional Resources
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Become a Psychologist in Oklahoma

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree and (optionally) a master’s degree in psychology.

An educational foundation in psychology will give you the broad base of knowledge you will need to become a licensed psychologist in Oklahoma. If you are interested in becoming a psychologist in the state, you will first need a bachelor’s degree in psychology or another field. If your bachelor’s degree is not in psychology or a closely related field, you will probably have to complete some prerequisites before entering a graduate program.

Between the undergraduate and doctoral degrees, most students also get a master’s degree in psychology or a related field. Master’s degrees in psychology typically take around two years of full-time study to complete and require around 30 to 40 semester credits. Keep in mind that if your bachelor’s degree wasn’t in psychology or a closely related field, you may have to complete additional prerequisites before beginning a master’s program. Some master’s degrees in psychology are offered as part of a doctoral program, so you may choose to skip a stand-alone master’s program.

2. Earn a doctoral degree in psychology.

All prospective Oklahoma psychologists must have either a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology from a regionally accredited and American Psychological Association (APA) accredited program. You can read more about the differences between a PsyD and PhD in Psychology on our home page. Most doctoral psychology programs take between four and seven years to complete, depending on the school, whether the program includes a master’s degree, any specialties pursued, and other factors.

With the exception of the area of school psychology, Oklahoma applicants must have at least three years of study leading to their doctoral degree, two of which must be full-time, on-campus study, not including internships. For school psychologists, applicants must have at least one year of full-time, on-campus study, not including internships. According to the Board, your doctoral degree must also include at least 42 hours of graduate-level courses that are “primarily psychological in content.” You must have at least three graduate semester hours (21 total) in each of the following content areas:

• scientific and professional ethica and standards
• research design and methodolgoy
• statistics and psychometrics
• biological bases of behavior
• cognitive-affective bases of behavior
• social bases of behavior
• individual behavior

For more information about the doctoral programs offered in Oklahoma, see our Psychology Schools in Oklahoma page.

3. Submit your applicant information form to the Board.

The first step to apply for psychology licensure in the state of Oklahoma is to submit an Applicant Information Form (the affidavit will need to be notarized). Along with this form, applicants will submit a $400 application fee and two passport photos. Once the Board receives these items, you will be invited via email to begin the full online application process.

4. Gain two years of supervised experience in your area of training.

Before you can become licensed in Oklahoma, you must gain at least two years of supervised experience in your field. You may start this process before or after submitting your Applicant Information Form. One of the two years of experience can be a pre-doctoral internship as long as it is in the areas of clinical, counseling, or school psychology.

For internship supervision experience, at least 2,000 hours over at least one calendar year must be logged with at least three licensed psychologists, and at least half of the supervision must be in direct contact with the patient. For postdoctoral supervision experience, at least 2,000 hours must be logged, 75 of which must be individual, face-to-face supervision distributed at a rate of 90 minutes per week for each month.

Before beginning your post-doc work, you and your supervisor will need to complete and submit an Application for Institutional Practice Under Supervision form along with a $200 fee, unless the post-doc is in an exempt setting such as a state agency. Once you have completed your post-doc work, you will submit confirmation of the supervised experience online with your application and submit the Application for Health Service Psychologist Certification to the Board.

5. Pass the Oklahoma psychology licensing exams.

Regardless of the state in which you are seeking licensure, you must pass a standardized national exam to showcase your ability to understand and implement complex psychological ideas, theories, and practices. In order to pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), you must earn a scaled score of 500 or better. The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) offers an EPPP practice exam to all applicants. The practice test will help you prepare for the kinds of questions on the actual exam and give you the experience of answering the questions in a timed setting.

In addition to the EPPP exam, the state of Oklahoma Board also requires psychologist candidates to take the Jurisprudence (JP) Examination to prove they are versed in Oklahoma’s code of ethics and Board rules. This exam is taken at the Board office, includes 120 multiple choice questions, and takes two hours to complete. A passing score of 70% is required and no fee is necessary for first-time candidates. You can access JP study materials through the Board’s website.

6. Submit your application to the Board.

During the full online application process, you will be asked to submit three letters of reference from licensed psychologists who are familiar with your character, your professional ethics, and the quality of services you provide. You will also be asked to submit documentation of your supervised professional experience. You must also list all graduate courses you took that are in your specialty area, comprising 42 hours of psychological content.

7. Receive your psychology license from the Board.

You will receive your license from the Board once the application has been approved and proof of fulfilling all requirements has been verified.

Oklahoma Licensure by Reciprocity

If you have been licensed in a state other than Oklahoma, you can submit your application for licensure to the Board along with the $400 application, two recent passport photographs, a notarized Citizens Affidavit, and an Application for Health Service Psychologist Certification.

Applicants will also need to submit three letters of reference from the licensed psychologists you list in your application, an Out of State Licensure Verification form, and your Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology (CPQ) or American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) Certification.

Once the committee has approved your application, you will be able to practice on your current out-of-state licensure for one year as you work to complete the remaining requirements for Oklahoma licensure. During this time, you will need to pass the Jurisprudence (JP) Exam. You will be issued Oklahoma licensure after all requirements have been fulfilled.

License Renewal and Continuing Education

In Oklahoma, a minimum of 20 credits must be completed each year to renew your psychology license. Three of those credits must be in ethics, and all credits must be approved by the Board. The CPE calendar year is January 1 through December 31 and all CPE requirements are due by the end of the year. You may carry over up to 12 hours to the next renewal year. An annual renewal fee of $400 will also be due before the next calendar year. Some workshops and seminars offered that fulfill CPE requirements are listed on the Board’s website.

Related Licenses

School Psychologist

Certified School Psychologists in Oklahoma are regulated by the Oklahoma State Department of Education. To be certified, you must have a master’s degree with a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS), a specialist degree, or a doctoral degree in school psychology, with a minimum of 60 hours for all of these options. You must also complete a year-long supervised internship of 1,200 hours under an Emergency Certificate. You must also pass the Praxis exam in School Psychology or receive a passing score on required state tests including the Oklahoma General Education Test (OGET), Oklahoma Professional Teaching Exam (OPTE), and the Oklahoma Subject Area Test (OSAT) in School Psychology. To apply, you will need to submit an application with transcripts from all schools and submit to a background check.

Oklahoma Psychologist Jobs and Salary Information

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of May 2021, clinical, counseling, school, and all other psychologists in the state earned an average of $75,127 per year, and postsecondary psychology teachers earned an average salary of $60,930.¹ Overall, Projections Central predicts that the number of psychologists (not including teachers) in Oklahoma is projected to increase by an average of 11% by the year 2028.² The most growth is expected for clinical, counseling, and school psychologists, who are projected to grow by over 14% during the 10-year period between 2018 to 2028 in the state.¹

Additional Resources

• Oklahoma Psychological Association (OPA): Aims to advance the profession of psychology in the state in order to promote human welfare.
• Oklahoma Psychological Society (OPS): Provides psychology students and faculty with a space to communicate their ideas and contribute to psychological research.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to become a psychologist in Oklahoma?

The length of time it will take to become licensed as a psychologist in Oklahoma depends partially on how quickly you complete your education. A typical bachelor’s degree will take four years of full-time study and a typical doctoral program including a master’s degree will take four to seven years of study. In addition to these years of schooling, you will need to complete two years of supervised experience to become licensed in Oklahoma (one of which may be completed during your doctoral program). In general, you should expect the entire process to take around 10 years, though it could take more or less time depending on your choices.

What degree do I need to be a licensed psychologist in Oklahoma?

The Oklahoma State Board of Examiners of Psychologists requires candidates to have a doctoral degree in psychology–either a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in psychology to be licensed.

How much do psychologists in Oklahoma make?

The BLS reports that clinical and counseling psychologists in the state earned an average salary of $66,350 as of May 2021, school psychologists earned $66,820, and all other psychologists earn $92,210.¹ Postsecondary psychology teachers in the state earn an average of $60,930.¹

References:
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Oklahoma: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ok.htm
2. Projections Central, Long Term Occupational Projections: https://projectionscentral.org/Projections/LongTerm/