Vermont Psychology Licensure Requirements
If you are curious about how to become a licensed psychologist in the state of Vermont, this guide will help you navigate the multi-step process. The Vermont Board of Psychological Examiners (the Board) oversees and regulates all psychology licenses in the state. Candidates must complete certain educational degrees, obtain professional experience, complete an application, and pass a national examination. To help you, we have compiled this guide, which details every step in the process.
Table of Contents
- How to Become a Licensed Psychologist
- Licensure by Endorsement
- License Renewal and Continuing Education
- Related Licenses
- Jobs and Salary Information
- Additional Resources
- Frequently Asked Questions
How to Become a Psychologist in Vermont
1. Earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
If you are interested in beginning the journey to becoming a licensed psychologist, you first need to complete a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field. Bachelor’s degrees usually consist of 120 credit hours and take around four full-time academic years to complete. If your degree is in a subject other than psychology, you may need to take some additional core psychology classes before starting a graduate-level psychology program.
2. Earn a master’s degree in psychology or a doctoral degree in psychology.
The Board offers two types of psychologist licenses – a psychologist-master for master’s degree-holders and a psychologist-doctorate for doctoral-degree holders. Many of the requirements for the two licenses are the same, including the supervised practice hours and examinations, but the main difference is the level of degree held. Individuals with either license can work independently as professional psychologists in the state; however, some employers may prefer doctoral licenses. In addition, most other states require doctoral degrees for psychologist licensure by endorsement, so, psychologist candidates who may move out of state later may wish to seek a doctoral degree. You may also choose to practice as a psychologist-master before pursuing a doctoral degree.
Master’s in psychology programs usually range between 30 to 40 semester credits and take around two years of full-time study to complete. To qualify a candidate for licensure in Vermont, the master’s program should be a “planned program of study” integrating science and practice while emphasizing certain defined areas or offered by an institution that is a member of the Council of Applied Master’s Programs in Psychology (CAMPP).
“Psychologist-doctoral” candidates must complete a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in psychology from a regionally accredited program. While these two degree types are similar, there are some differences in the structure of the programs. You can read about these differences on our home page. Doctoral programs can take between four to seven years to fulfill, depending on your previous academic history and your area of focus. Vermont requires that the doctoral program be a “planned program of study” integrating science and practice while emphasizing certain defined areas, approved by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and the National Register of Health Service Psychologists, or accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) or Canadian Psychological Association (CPA).
Whether you choose to become a psychologist-master or a psychologist-doctorate, up to 2,000 hours of the 4,000 supervised practice hours required for licensure may be completed during your master’s or doctoral program.
For more information about the master’s and doctoral programs offered in Vermont, see our Psychology Schools in Vermont page.
3. Gain 4,000 hours of supervised practice in your area of training.
Both psychologist-doctorate and psychologist-master candidates must complete 4,000 hours of supervised practice. You may complete pre- and post-degree hours, with no fewer than 2,000 of these hours being accrued after the advanced degree was received. These post-degree hours cannot be part of an academic program or practicum experience. You can complete a maximum of 40 hours of supervised practice per week, which requires two hours of supervision, one of which is individual supervision. Your supervisor must be a licensed psychologist and submit a
Supervision Report form and other documentation materials like the Summary of Supervised Experience to the Board. You will need to complete a disclosure on a psychologist trainee form when starting you supervised experience hours.
4. Submit your application to the Board.
The next step for applying for psychology licensure in Vermont, for both psychologist-doctorate and psychologist-master candidates, is to fill out an application and submit a $175 application fee. Vermont’s Office of Professional Regulation no longer accepts paper applications, so candidates must use the online licensing platform on the Vermont Secretary of State website. Through this online licensing account, you can apply for your license, check the status of your application, and, once issued, renew your license. You can find application instructions on the Board website.
In addition to the online application, you will need to request official transcripts from the institution where you received your degrees as well as the above-mentioned summaries of supervised experience. You will also need to print out and complete the Vermont jurisprudence examination and submit a copy of the answer sheet with your application. To pass the exam, you cannot answer more than four questions incorrectly.
5. Pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP).
If the Board approves your initial licensure application and receives your licensing fee, they will declare you eligible to sit for the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), the national exam that tests your ability to understand and apply psychology ideas, theories, and practices. You must take the exam within 60 days of receiving approval from the Board, and the total cost of the test is $687.50.
In order to pass the EPPP, you must earn a scaled score of 500 or better. To prepare for the exam, you can take a EPPP practice exam provided by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). The practice test can help you understand the breadth of typical questions and give you experience with taking the exam in a timed setting.
Once the Board receives all of the required materials, including your passing score on the jurisprudence exam, they will review your application at their next regular meeting.
6. Receive your license from the Board.
After the Board reviews your completed application, including your EPPP test scores, they will notify you that you have received your license. You can also check the status of your application through the state’s online licensing platform.
Vermont Licensure by Endorsement
The Board can issue a new license by endorsement if you are already licensed in another jurisdiction, given you meet certain requirements. You can have your previous jurisdiction demonstrate your licensure through a Verification of Licensure form. The Board must judge that the licensure requirements are substantially equivalent to those of Vermont and that you are in good standing with the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). In addition, you must take the state’s jurisprudence examination and submit a $175 application fee.
The Board can also grant a temporary license to psychologists licensed in another jurisdiction if the standards of that jurisdiction are deemed to equal or exceed the licensure requirements in Vermont. This license is intended for psychologists who only need to work in the state for a brief period of time; those seeking permanent Vermont licensure should not apply for this license while undergoing the initial application process. The temporary psychologist license form must be submitted with a $50 application fee and verification of licensure from your previous state or province. A temporary license is restricted to no more than 10 days or 80 hours of practice over a period of 12 months. Individuals can only apply for a maximum of two temporary licenses in their lifetime.
License Renewal and Continuing Education
Licensed psychologists in Vermont must renew their licenses every two years. Two months prior to the expiration of the license, you will receive an application for renewal. This application must be completed and returned with the $150 biennial license renewal fee.
The Board requires licensed psychologists to establish that they have completed 60 hours of continuing education (CE) activities every renewal period. A minimum of six credits must relate to professional ethics, jurisprudence, or related legal issues. These education events must be approved by the APA, the Vermont Psychological Association (VPA), or the Board. A database of approved courses (requires login) and CE documentation forms can be found on the Vermont Secretary of State’s website.
Related Licenses
School Psychologist
In Vermont, school psychologists are licensed by the Vermont Agency of Education. To be eligible for an Initial Vermont Educator’s License, a candidate must either be a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) or have completed a specialist-level or doctoral-level degree of at least 60 credit hours from a NASP- or APA-approved program including an internship of at least 1,200 supervised hours, 600 of which must be in a school setting. All candidates must also pass the Praxis school psychology exam.
Vermont Psychologist Jobs and Salary Information
As of May 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), clinical, counseling, school psychologists, and psychologists classified as “all other” in the state earned an annual average salary of $79,367.1 Postsecondary psychology teachers earned an average of $83,770.1 These positions are projected to grow in Vermont by 7.4% through 2030.2
| Occupation | Number Employed1 | Average Annual Salary1 |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | N.Av. | $69,060 |
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | N.Av. | N.Av. |
| Psychologists, All Other | 30 | $92,370 |
| Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | 60 | $83,770 |
| School Psychologists | 170 | $76,670 |
Additional Resources
- Vermont Association of School Psychologists (VASP): Advocates for and supports Vermont school psychologists by offering training, conferences, and other resources for its full, associate, and student members.
- Vermont Psychological Association (VPA): Professional organization providing resources to licensed psychologists and advocating for the industry within the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a psychologist in Vermont?
The answer can vary, depending on what licensure you are aiming to earn and other factors. All candidates must complete a four-year undergraduate degree. On top of that, psychologists-master must complete a two-year graduate degree and psychologists-doctorate must complete a doctoral degree that can take between four to seven years. You must also complete 4,000 hours of supervised practice, at least half of which needs to be completed after your advanced degree program. Including all degrees, becoming a licensed psychologist in Vermont can take anywhere from six to 10 years, though the exact timeline depends on your choices and educational background.
What degree do I need to be a licensed psychologist in Vermont?
According to the Vermont Board of Psychological Examiners, all candidates must complete a bachelor’s degree and either a master’s or doctoral degree, depending on the license you are seeking. Whether you have a master’s or doctoral degree, you will be required to complete the same amount of professional experience and application materials to obtain licensure. Your employment prospects may be affected by your category of psychologist license, with some employers and institutions preferring psychologist-doctorate licenses. Another consideration is that if you ever plan to move out of state, most other states require doctoral degrees for psychologist licensure by endorsement.
Can I take EPPP before sending in my application to the Board?
No. The Board must first approve you to sit for the examination. They first require you to complete your psychology educational requirements, supervised professional experience hours, and application form. They will notify you when you have been approved to take the EPPP.
References:
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Vermont: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_vt.htm
2. Projections Central, Long Term Occupational Projections: https://projectionscentral.org/projections/longterm