How to Become a Psychologist in New Hampshire
Although New Hampshire is one of the smallest states in the country, it offers up a big job market for psychologists. The New Hampshire Employment Security Department reports that psychologist jobs will grow by 14.7% through the year 2020. What this means in terms of employment is that new positions will be opening up, and as employers begin to compete for the available qualified psychologists, they will offer up competitive pay and benefits.
The educational, experience and examination requirements in the state of New Hampshire all ensure that a psychologist is highly qualified and ready to take on the responsibility of patients. A psychologist spends hours assessing, diagnosing and prescribing treatment plans for patients who may consider their psychologist their last hope. They then oversee the patient’s progress with that treatment plan to help improve their well-being and quality of life. The requirements the state sets forth are there for the purpose of ensuring that the right people obtain licensing.
Education Requirements for Psychologist Licensing in New Hampshire
Your first step in becoming a psychologist in the “Granite State” is to obtain a doctoral degree from an institution accredited by the Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges or the American Psychological Association. The laws and statutes require the program to consist of at least 3 academic years of full time graduate study.
New Hampshire offers up a few great doctoral programs in psychology, including those available at the University of New Hampshire. You can see a full list of campus-based doctoral programs and online programs here.
Most doctoral programs take between 2 and 4 years to complete, depending upon your current level of education and the program you choose. Some states have requirements for the length of the program, like New Hampshire. If the program you choose has a supervised residency or internship available, it will count toward your supervised experience requirement.
Supervised Professional Experience Requirements for a Psychologist
The state also requires that individuals complete a certain amount of supervised professional experience in order to obtain licensure. This includes at least 2 years of supervised experience in the area of psychology individuals are pursuing. Each year must include 1500 clock hours, to be completed within not less than 12 months and not more than 24 consecutive calendar months.
Note: To learn more about how to earn a psychology license in the state of New Hampshire, please visit the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice.
Examinations for the Psychologist License in New Hampshire
The only examination required by state law to become a psychologist in New Hampshire is the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), administered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. This test is nationally-recognized, and consists of 225 multiple choice questions. The passing score of the pen and pencil EPPP is 70% or higher, and the passing score of the computerized EPPP is a scaled score of 500 or better.
Psychology Career Outlook in New Hampshire
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that as of May 2011, there were 420 clinical, counseling and school psychologists in the state of New Hampshire. These psychologists earned an annual median wage of $64,490. The median wage is defined as the “center line,” which means that half of the psychologists in New Hampshire earned more than this amount while the other half earned less. Nationally, the lowest 10% of psychologists earned lower than $39,060 per year while the top 10% earned higher than $110,410.
