Alabama psychology license

Candidates who complete APA-accredited programs in the desired specialization at the doctoral and post-doctoral level will be assumed to meet requirements. Candidates whose training varies from the norm will need to produce more documentation to show that they merit the designation.

School psychology is a special case in that a person may come under the jurisdiction of more than one licensing agency. An individual whose practice is confined solely to the schools may apply only for school certification and not apply to the Board of Psychological Examiners at all.

Nonetheless the Board does set standards for professional psychologists who have a school psychology focus. A school psychologist should have 24 semester hours in the following:. If a graduate earns Diplomate status through the American Board of Professional Psychology, but it does not correspond to one of the four recognized specialties, the Board will decide on a case-by-case basis which, if any, specialization the applicant is entitled to.

Psychologists can add or change specializations, but the Board notes that continuing education is not sufficient. Clinical and counseling psychology internships must be at least 11 months; school psychology internships must be at least 10 months. A candidate may do one internship or a combination of two internships.

Any internship that is accredited by the American Psychological Association or its Canadian counterpart, the Canadian Psychological Association, is considered to meet the requirements of the Alabama Board. Other internships may be acceptable if they meet a rigorous set of standards.

The internship must be an organized training experience and not merely a supervised work experience. Candidates must wait for the Alabama Board to determine their qualifications before scheduling an examination. The test is administered via computer at Prometric centers around the country. Exams are scheduled on weekday mornings in Montgomery.

A candidate may request a copy of the code of ethics from the APA. A candidate who fails either the board examination or jurisprudence examination will need to wait six months before making another attempt. An examination application will be included with the licensing application. The candidate will need four references from psychologists. One of these should be from an academic source director, chairperson, or dissertation advisor.

If the applicant has done an internship in an applied branch of psychology, at least one reference should come from the supervisor or training director. If the applicant has already practiced at the professional level, at least one reference should come from a supervisor or professional colleague.

The Board reviews application packets every other month. In order for an application to be reviewed at the next meeting, all materials must be received by the first of the month on odd-numbered months. The Board notes that frequently several months pass between the time the application is sent and the time the license is granted.

The examination is a multiple-choice test which contains items. Note: More information is available on the process of becoming a psychologist in the state of Alabama from the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology. According to data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics , there were approximately clinical, counseling and school psychologists and psychologists in the category of "other", employed within the state of Alabama as of May View all posts by: careersinpsychology.

How to Become a Licensed Psychologist in Alabama. Featured Programs:. Request Info. Sponsored Content. Written by careersinpsychology View all posts by: careersinpsychology. Earn a Bachelor's Degree. View Programs. Online or Campus. Earn A Master's Degree.