How to Become a Psychologist in Kansas

The state of Kansas has a good job market for psychologists, so if you plan to learn and practice psychology here, you can expect to find a position fairly easily. You should also expect competitive pay and a great support system for psychology professionals. However, before you begin printing up resumes to find a job in the Sunflower State, you’re going to need to complete the educational, examination and experience requirements.

These requirements are in place because the state of Kansas wants to ensure that their psychologists are highly qualified and prepared to take on the responsibilities of being a psychologist. A lot of time and care goes into each patient, from the initial assessment to the diagnosis and treatment plan. A psychologist needs a rich educational background and some sound experience to pull from when treating patients. The steps to becoming a psychologist in Kansas ensure that every psychologist has those things.

Education Requirements for Psychologist Licensing in Kansas

Gaining your education is the first step to becoming a psychologist in the state of Kansas. You’re required to graduate from a doctoral program in psychology, and the program should be accredited by the American Psychological Association. Kansas offers up a few great choices, and you can find information on accredited campus-based and online doctoral programs in our guide to KS psychology degrees.

Generally, completing a doctoral program takes between 2 and 4 years, but that is depending upon your educational background and the program you choose. If you’re able to find one with a supervised residency or internship, you will earn some of the required supervised experience you’ll need. If you’re pursuing a career in school psychology, the doctoral rule doesn’t apply to you. You will need to earn at least a Master’s Degree before passing the Praxis exam.

Supervised Professional Experience Requirements for a Psychologist

While you’re earning your doctoral degree, you can begin accumulating your required supervised professional experience. You’ll need to gain 2 years of experience, and one of those years can be pre-doctoral in the form of an internship. However, the remaining year (1800 hours) must be postdoctoral. In addition to that, at least 180 hours per year should be providing general or non-clinical psychological services. This must be under the guidance of a licensed psychologist.

Note: To learn more about how to earn a psychology license in the state of Kansas, please visit the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board.

Examinations for the Psychologist License in Kansas

Before you can take the state level examination, you will need to complete a licensure application and submit it to the board. This should be done at least 8 weeks before you plan to take the examination. You will need to wait for approval before you can register for the exam. The test you’ll be taking is the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), which is the industry standard. It covers a variety of topics that you will have learned during your doctoral program. You will need to earn at least a 70% in order to pass, or a scaled score of 500.

Psychology Career Outlook in Kansas

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there are approximately 1,130 clinical, counseling, school, and other types of psychologists in the state of Kansas, and they earn an annual average wage between $69,720 and $97,400. Specialized psychologists have the highest average salary with clinical/counseling psychologists second and school psychologists third.

Find information regarding tuition, financial aid, enrollment dates, and curriculum by requesting information from the programs below:

Additional Psychology Resources for Kansas:

• Kansas Counselor Licensing
• Kansas Social Work Licensing
• Kansas Marriage and Family Therapist Licensing
• Explore Additional Psychologist Careers

2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job market trends and salary figures for clinical and counseling psychologists, school psychologists, and psychologists (all other) are based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2023.