How to Become a Psychologist in North Dakota

If you plan to learn and practice psychology while nestled in the great plains of North Dakota, you’ll be happy to know that the job market is pretty good. While this growth rate isn’t as great as some states, psychologists here have the opportunity to earn competitive pay and it shouldn’t prove too difficult to find a job.

Psychologists are often the greatest help and hope for their clients, whether the client is suffering from a mild case of depression, a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder or something different. In the same way that a patient's life is in the hands of their surgeon while undergoing heart surgery, a client's mental health and well being is often in the hands of their psychologist while seeking treatment. The state of North Dakota understands this and puts strict requirements in place to ensure that those who hold a license are highly qualified and properly experienced to deal with this responsibility.

Education Requirements for Psychologist Licensing in North Dakota

If you’ve started your schooling in a doctoral program approved by the American Psychological Association, you’re on the right track to become a psychologist in North Dakota. The state offers up some great programs, such as the Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology program at the University of North Dakota. Read more and the various psychology degree programs in ND.

Those pursuing a career as a school psychologist are the exception to this rule; those individuals must only gain a Master’s Degree from a NASP-accredited program and then complete a 1200-hour internship.

Obtaining a doctoral degree can take anywhere from 3 to 7 years, depending upon your current educational background and the program you choose. It's a great idea to find a program with hands-on experience, such as a supervised residency or an internship. This can count toward your supervised experience requirement as well.

Supervised Professional Experience Requirements for a Psychologist

You will be gaining experience throughout your educational years, but the state of North Dakota requires hands-on, supervised experience in order to become a psychologist. You must accumulate 2 full years of supervised experience before applying for your license. A supervised residency or internship may count as one of those years.

Note: To learn more about how to earn a psychology license in the state of North Dakota, please visit the North Dakota State Board of Psychologist Examiners.

Examinations for the Psychologist License in North Dakota

After you’ve graduated from the doctoral program you chose, and you’ve gained the required amount of supervised experience, you should be prepared for even more testing. The state laws and regulations require you to complete 2 separate tests in order to obtain your psychology license. This includes the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), the industry standard, as well as the oral examination administered by the North Dakota State Board of Psychologist Examiners. While the EPPP covers the academic side of psychology such as behaviors, diagnosis, intervention, etc. the oral examination covers North Dakota specific laws as well as ethics.

Psychology Career Outlook in North Dakota

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there were 150 clinical and counseling psychologists in North Dakota in May of 2022. It was reported that these psychologists earned an annual mean wage of $112,640 with a mean hourly wage of $54.16. On a national level, the lowest ten percent of psychologists earned lower than $42,760 while the top ten percent earned an annual median wage in excess of $168,790.

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

Additional Psychology Resources for North Dakota:

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

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