How to Become a Psychologist in Missouri
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Becoming a Psychologist in Missouri
The state of Missouri supports a thriving job market for psychologists. According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, psychologist jobs are expected to grow by 10.4 percent from 2010 to 2020. Given the promising employment forecast, aspiring psychologists who have met the minimum education, experience and examination requirements should feel confident about their job prospects.
In order to use the title “psychologist” in Missouri, you must obtain state licensure. Psychologists take on a large amount of responsibility when working with patients; attempting to assess and correctly diagnose mental and emotional illnesses, and put into place treatment plans that will allow their patients to beat or manage those illnesses. Therefore, the state of Missouri has several requirements that all individuals must meet before being issued a license - to ensure that they are properly qualified and able to handle those responsibilities.
Education Requirements for Psychologist Licensing in Missouri
The state of Missouri requires that individuals receive either a doctoral or master's degree from an accredited university or college. Those who have obtained a master’s degree must have at least three years of satisfactory professional experience in the psychology field before pursuing a license. Those pursuing a school psychologist license within the state must complete an education specialist program and meet the additional requirements of the state of Missouri.
Missouri offers up a few great doctoral programs, including those available at Saint Louis Missouri and The School of Professional Psychology at the Forest Institute. Most doctoral programs take between 2 and 4 years to complete, depending upon your current level of education and the program you choose. Get detailed information about MO psychology schools and degree programs.
Supervised Professional Experience Requirements for a Psychologist
The state of Missouri requires that individuals obtain at least two years of supervised experience. One of those years can be a supervised internship or residency, but the other must be postdoctoral. The experience must be completed in no less than twelve and no more than 24 consecutive calendar months and you must accumulate between 20 and 50 hours of experience per week. Also, the experience for prospective health service providers must relate to the delivery of psychological health services.
Note: Additional information about how to earn a psychology license in the state of Missouri, may be found at the Missouri Division of Professional Registration.
Examinations for the Psychologist License in Missouri
In the state of Missouri, there are three examinations individuals must take in order to earn a psychology license. The first is the EPPP, or the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology. This is a nationally-recognized test, which consists of 225 multiple-choice questions. In addition to this test, individuals must take the Jurisprudence Exam, which consists of 100 questions and covers topics specific to the practice of psychology in Missouri, including Ethical Rules of Conduct and more. Lastly, applicants must take an oral exam administered by the Division of Professional Registration.
Psychology Career Outlook in Missouri
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in May of 2011, there were 1520 clinical, counseling and school psychologists in the state of Missouri. The BLS reports that these individuals earned an annual median wage of $65,410. The median wage, as defined by the BLS, is the “center line,” meaning that half of all psychologists in the state of Missouri earn more than this amount. The other half earn less than this amount. Nationally, the lowest 10 percent of psychologists earned lower than $39,060 per year while the top 10 percent earned higher than $110,410.
