The following requirements must be met in order to be licensed
as a psychologist in this jurisdiction.
(a) A doctoral degree from an American
Psychological Association (APA) or Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)
accredited doctoral program in applied psychology (as defined below under
Education) or from an I/O or international program (as defined below under
Education).
(b) Successful
completion of an APA or CPA accredited or Association of Psychology and
Internship Centers (APPIC) member internship, or its equivalent (as defined
below under Education).
1. An applicant who
was enrolled in a APA or CPA approved program prior to May of 2003, and who was
a student in good standing, will be deemed to have met the above noted
internship requirement, provided the applicant completed/graduated from the
program within a seven (7) year period from the date of enrollment.
(c) Successful completion of a
1500 hour postdoctoral supervised work (SWE) experience (as defined in Board
Rule
510-2-.04 Education).
(d) Completed Application Initiation Form
including all supporting documents and the fee made payable to the Georgia
Board.
(e) Once registered with the
Georgia Board, the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards
(ASPPB) will notify applicants to register for participation in their
Psychology Licensure Universal System (PLUS) program application process.
Instructions on the PLUS program titled" General Instructions for Application
by Examination or Endorsement" may be found on the Board website on the
Application/Forms Downloads webpage.
(f) Once your application is completed and
submitted for approval to the Georgia Board by ASPPB, and approval is granted
by the Georgia Board, applicants will be notified to begin the examination
process. Georgia Board approved applicants will be required to take and pass
the following examinations, in the following order:
1. The first examination is a two-part
national licensing exam developed and owned by the Association of State and
Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) designed to measure knowledge and skills
of psychology relevant to practice. The Board will accept the standard passing
score set by ASPPB for each administration of the Examination for the
Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP). This examination is administered
online and procedural information is available from the office of the State
Board of Examiners of Psychologists.
A person must apply for licensure and be approved by the Board
as a licensure candidate in order to take the national licensing exam. EPPP
Part 1 is a computer-based examination that assesses the knowledge needed for
entry level licensure. Part 1 may be taken after all course work has been
completed (prior to internship and post-doctoral supervised work experience).
EPPP Part 2 is a computer-based examination that assesses the skills needed for
entry level licensure. Part 2 may be taken after all requirements for the
doctoral degree including the internship have been completed.
(i) After three unsuccessful attempts to pass
either part of the two-part national examination, the applicant will be
required to earn, in person, a minimum of three semester hours of Board
approved graduate level coursework in psychology at a regionally accredited
institution, or 15 hours of Board approved APA, CPA or GPA approved continuing
education prior to retaking the failed examinations. Documentation of
attendance must be by letter from the instructor or by official APA, CPA or GPA
certificate.
(ii) After six
unsuccessful attempts to pass either part of the two-part national examination,
the applicant will be required to earn, in person, a minimum of 9 semester
hours of Board approved graduate level course work in psychology at a
regionally accredited institution or 45 hours of Board approved APA, CPA or GPA
approved continuing education prior to retaking the failed examinations.
Documentation of attendance must be by letter from the instructor or by APA,
CPA or GPA official certificate.
2. The second examination, prepared by the
Georgia Board of Examiners of Psychologists, consists of a timed, multiple
choice, closed book Jurisprudence Examination covering current law, rules and
regulations, and general provisions. A licensure candidate can be scheduled to
take this exam after the two-part national licensing exam has been passed and
while the SWE is being completed. This information is available at the web site
at
www.sos.state.ga.us. The Board
shall set a passing score for this examination. Exam candidates who fail the
Jurisprudence Examination must wait 30 days before they can register to retake
the exam again.
3. The third
examination is the oral exam given by the Georgia Board of Examiners or their
representatives. The licensure candidate may be scheduled to take the oral exam
after the licensure candidate has passed all examinations, and is within 2
months of satisfactorily completing the SWE. The licensure candidate may be
granted a license to practice psychology only after having successfully
completed and obtained Board approval of the SWE and after having passed the
oral examination. The Board reserves the right to re-administer the oral exam
to individuals who do not satisfactorily complete the SWE.
(i) The licensure candidate must personally
appear before a subcommittee of the Board for an oral examination which will be
based on a work sample of material from their intended area of practice
provided by the licensure candidate. The work sample must have been generated
within six months preceding the oral examination or within six months of the
most recent professional practice. Licensure candidates must bring the SWE log
to the oral exam (see below under Education for exceptions).
(ii) The licensure candidate who fails the
subcommittee-administered oral examination will be scheduled for a Full Board
Exam. A Full Board oral examination is defined as an oral exam in which the
majority of Board members are present.
(iii) The licensure candidate who fails the
Full Board oral examination may take a second Full Board Exam after the
expiration of a six month period following the date on which the licensure
candidate failed the Full Board oral examination.
(iv) The licensure candidate who fails the
second Full Board oral examination will be denied licensure. Any consideration
for subsequent licensure will require submission of a new application, fees and
documentation. The applicant must meet all requirements that are in effect on
the date on which the Board receives the new application.
(v) The licensure candidate who passes the
subcommittee-administered oral examination and has successfully completed the
SWE will be granted a license to practice psychology in the State of
Georgia.