Psychologist Licensure Procedures in Michigan

How to become a Psychologist in Michigan...

Click on the link that best describes your current situation.

Explore the information below and begin your journey toward becoming a licensed psychologist in Michigan. The following procedures have been the same for many years; however, they are subject to change and it would be wise to contact the Michigan Board of Psychology at (517) 335-0918 if you have any concerns or questions regarding requirements for earning your Michigan psychologist license.

I'm a High School Graduate...

It's simply never too early to learn about your future career options. Researching Michigan psychologist licensure requirements at this point certainly puts you ahead of the curve. However, you don't want to stop here.

Keep your momentum and make sure you take the next couple steps that are vital in your quest to become a psychologist or professional in any field of psychology.

Below are those couple next steps that are vital to any individuals future career success.

Step One:

Continue your education. Absolutely the most important step for a high school graduate. Michigan psychologist licensure requires all applicants possess a doctoral degree. An undergraduate education is a prerequisite for being admitted into any graduate level education program.

In addition, even if you decide psychology is not the field for you, essentially all other professional positions will require you to possess a college education. Therefore, regardless of what career direction you choose to go down, a college education is essential.

Your next step... learn how you can enroll in an associate or bachelor degree program.

Click on the links below to browse schools offering psychology programs!

Step Two:

Secondly, you will want to gain a better understanding of yourself and the psychology career environment. Over the next few years, you will want to get a better idea of whether or not you will be happy working in the field of psychology.

One way to do this is by gaining experience in an environment that is similar to a psychology career work environment through volunteering. In addition to gaining experience to help your career decisions, volunteer work looks great on any resume or college application.

Below are a few links to volunteering organizations in Michigan:

If volunteering is out of the question, look to find paid work or speak with professors about career options as soon as possible in your academic career.

Back to the top

I've already received my Bachelor's or Master's degree...

Once you have your undergraduate or Master's degree you will need to continue on and earn your doctorate degree in psychology, educational psychology or an education degree that specializes in counseling psychology or educational psychology from an accredited college or university.

Step One:

Contact schools offering Master's, PhD or PsyD programs you are interested in.

Step Two:

When choosing a Master's or Doctoral program, you will be narrowing your career focus. Since there are a large variety of areas where you can go within the field of psychology, it would be wise to speak with the career services personnel at your school to learn more about various opportunities you may participate in to boost yourself higher on the list of possible applicants for school and/or for a professional position once you have completed your schooling.

Step Three:

Once you have completed your PhD or PsyD program, you may continue down to:

Back to the top

I have finished my PhD or PsyD...

Follow the steps to learn how to acquire your Psychologist license in Michigan.

Step One:

While working towards your doctorate degree, you will need to participate in an internship equaling 2000 hours under a qualified supervisor. Once you have earned your degree, you will need to have a limited level licensure to begin earning 2000 more hours of work experience which should be completed in no more than 2 years.

More details about the hourly work experience requirements and necessary supervisors qualifications can be found on the following Michigan Board of Psychologist webpage.

Step Two:

To earn your limited level psychology license, you will need to download the appropriate application (download the application from the following webpage) and submit the application to the Michigan Board of Psychology.

This will provide the Board proof of your completed internship hours. Once you have been issued the limited level psychologist license, you will become eligible to sit for the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP).

Step Three:

The EPPP examination is administered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. You will need to email the Michigan Board of Psychology in order to receive a registration packet.

Contact information for the Board can be found on the Michigan Board of Psychology website while information about the EPPP can be found on the ASPPB website.

Step Four:

Once your post-graduate hours have been completed, you can apply for full Michigan psychologist licensure.

You may download the Michigan psychologist license application here. Make sure you include all supporting documents and necessary fees. The Board will review your application and notify you of your eligibility for licensure.

Back to the top