Arkansas Psychologist Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Licensure as a Psychologist in Arkansas: Supervised Hours and Key Requirements

The Arkansas Psychology Board sets out detailed rules for becoming a licensed psychologist (17 CAR Part 95). The core of the pathway is:

• A qualifying doctoral degree in psychology
• A 2,000-hour predoctoral internship that meets strict criteria
• 2,000 hours of postdoctoral supervised experience, accrued while provisionally licensed
• Passing the EPPP and completing the Board's application process

Below is a step-by-step guide, with emphasis on the types and amounts of hours the Board requires and the specific language it uses in its rules.

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1. Educational foundation

Arkansas requires a doctoral degree in psychology from a regionally accredited institution, in a program that is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) or the Canadian Psychological Association, or that meets the criteria in 17 CAR § 95-404(a) of the Arkansas Psychology Board rules. (17 CAR § 95-404)

Key points:

• Program must be clearly identified as a psychology program and be a recognizable, coherent entity within the institution. (17 CAR § 95-404(a), (d))
• Non-APA programs must include at least 80 graduate semester hours with a "B" or above, and 3 semester hours in seven of the Board's listed areas (e.g., learning, statistics, individual intelligence testing with practicum, abnormal/behavior deviation, personality, developmental, psychotherapy theories and techniques, etc.). (17 CAR § 95-404(e))

The curriculum must cover at least three academic years of full-time graduate study plus one year of residency at the degree-granting institution, and the internship must come after clerkship, practicum and externship training. (17 CAR § 95-404(a)(2)(G), (f)(2)(B)(ix))

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2. Predoctoral internship: 2,000 hours

2.1. Arkansas's basic internship requirement

For psychologist licensure, Arkansas requires a 2,000-hour predoctoral internship and 2,000 hours of post-doctoral supervision. (17 CAR § 95-404(f)(1))

Under 17 CAR § 95-404(f)(2), the internship requirement can be met in one of two ways:

1. An internship accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) that is consistent with your doctoral program and your Statement of Intent, or
2. "A two-thousand-hour internship program" that meets a list of Board criteria. (17 CAR § 95-404(f)(2))

On the Applicants page, the Board restates this as a requirement to complete a 2,000-hour internship that meets the Board's criteria. (psychologyboard.arkansas.gov)

So, in practical terms, Arkansas expects:

• 2,000 internship hours (usually over about 12 months, but can be up to 24 months) that either:
  • Are APA-accredited, or
  • Meet the Board's detailed standards listed below.

2.2. Required structure and supervision of the 2,000-hour internship

For a non-APA internship, 17 CAR § 95-404(f)(2)(B) specifies that the 2,000-hour experience must: (17 CAR § 95-404(f)(2)(B))

• Be organized training, not just "supervised experience or on-the-job training," and provide a programmed sequence of training experiences with emphasis on breadth and quality of training.
• Occur in an internship program that:
  • Has a clearly designated staff psychologist responsible for the integrity and quality of the training program, actively licensed by the Board (or by the proper licensing entity, for an internship in another state).
  • Has two or more psychologists on staff as supervisors, at least one of whom is actively licensed as a psychologist, with at least half of the internship supervision provided by psychologists.
  • Has at least two doctoral-level interns during your training period (a single-intern program must be approved by the Board).
• Be in a multidisciplinary setting, with contributions from at least two other disciplines whose expertise is relevant to evaluation and intervention.
• Provide a range of assessment and treatment activities conducted directly with patients seeking health services.
• Ensure the intern has a title that clearly indicates training status.
• Be completed within 24 months.

2.3. Direct service and supervision hour minimums during internship

Within the 2,000-hour internship, the Board specifies minimums for direct service and supervision: (17 CAR § 95-404(f)(2)(B)(vii)-(viii))

• Direct patient contact:
  • At least 25% of the program must be in direct patient contact, with a minimum of 500 hours.
• Individual supervision:
  • A minimum of two (2) hours per week of regularly scheduled, formal, face-to-face individual supervision, focused on health-service work done directly by the intern (this applies regardless of whether the internship is one or two years in length).
• Additional learning activities:
  • At least two (2) additional hours per week in learning activities, such as:
    • Case conferences involving the intern's own cases
    • Seminars on clinical issues
    • Co-therapy with discussion
    • Group supervision
    • Additional individual supervision

These requirements are part of the Board's explicit definition of an acceptable "2,000 hour internship."

2.4. Non-health-service internship option

For practice areas that are not health-service related (i.e., do not provide "direct ameliorative services"), Arkansas allows a different internship structure:

• 2,000 hours of a supervised predoctoral internship program consistent with your doctoral program and Statement of Intent may fulfill the internship requirement for non-health-service practice (e.g., some industrial/organizational, research, or purely academic roles). (17 CAR § 95-404(f)(3))

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3. Postdoctoral supervised experience: Another 2,000 hours

After the internship, Arkansas requires 2,000 hours of supervised post-doctoral experience, defined in 17 CAR § 95-404(h). (17 CAR § 95-404(h))

3.1. Amount and timing of postdoctoral hours

The rule states that 2,000 hours of supervised post-doctoral experience is required and that it must:

• Be full time (40 hours per week) for at least one calendar year (50 weeks); a part-time postdoc must be pre-approved by the Board; and
• Not exceed 3 years in total. (17 CAR § 95-404(h)(2)(B))

So, the Board's explicit hour expectation is:

• Postdoctoral supervised experience: 2,000 hours, in not more than 3 years.

At least 25% (a minimum of 500 hours) of the postdoctoral experience must be direct client services (psychological treatment and assessment) consistent with your Statement of Intent, and the experience must occur under supervision of a licensed psychologist whose Statement of Intent matches the supervised areas of practice. (17 CAR § 95-404(h)(2)(C)-(D))

To begin accruing post-doctoral hours, you must apply for and be granted provisional licensure (see Section 3.4), and a plan of supervision signed by you and your supervisor must be approved by the Board before you deliver any services. (17 CAR §§ 95-404(h)(6), 95-502(b))

3.2. Required supervision during postdoc

Within the postdoctoral period, Arkansas requires:

• A minimum of one (1) hour per week of regularly scheduled, formal, face-to-face supervision, explicitly directed at services the supervisee has rendered. (17 CAR § 95-404(h)(3); 17 CAR § 95-502(c)(2))
• In special circumstances (for example, geographic or physical hardship), the Board may allow a variance, as long as at least 4 hours per month of one-to-one supervision is maintained. (17 CAR § 95-502(c)(2)(B))
• Quarterly supervision reports, the joint responsibility of you and your supervisor, with at least one report on file before the exam. All written professional reports and communications must be countersigned by the supervisor. (17 CAR § 95-503(c))

This is less supervision than the internship (which requires 2 hours/week of individual plus 2 additional hours/week of learning activities), reflecting your more advanced, postdoctoral level.

3.3. Types of activities that may count

The Board recognizes that professional psychology is broader than clinical work. 17 CAR § 95-404(h)(4) lists other components of practice that may count toward the 2,000 postdoctoral hours, so long as they align with your doctoral training and Statement of Intent: (17 CAR § 95-404(h)(4))

• Teaching psychology at a recognized academic institution or training program
• Research in psychology
• Consultation in psychology
• Psychological or mental health-related administration

These are in addition to direct services (psychological treatment and assessment), which must make up at least 500 hours. The Board's language makes clear that postdoctoral hours can be a mix of direct clinical service and other professional activities, provided they are supervised and consistent with your training and intended practice. For practice that is not health-service related, the 2,000 postdoctoral hours must be supervised training experience consistent with your doctoral program, internship and Statement of Intent. (17 CAR § 95-404(h)(5))

3.4. Provisional licensure during postdoc

Applicants must be granted provisional licensure before they can begin accruing post-doctoral hours. Provisional status is granted for up to 18 months and may be extended up to 3 years in total. If you have not passed the EPPP after 3 years, you may not continue to practice psychology under supervision. (17 CAR §§ 95-404(h)(6), 95-603)

On the Applicants page, this is operationalized as a Provisionally Licensed Psychologist who:

• Must have written authorization from the Board to practice
• May work only under supervision
• Pays a provisional license fee every six months (psychologyboard.arkansas.gov)

If you do not pass the exam within the first 18 months, you may submit a written request for one additional 18-month extension, which the Board may grant or refuse. (17 CAR § 95-703(e)(3))

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4. Total supervised experience requirements (hours summary)

Putting the Arkansas rules together for a typical health-service psychologist:

1. Internship (pre-doctoral)

   • Total hours: 2,000 hours minimum
   • Direct patient contact: at least 25% of time, minimum 500 hours
   • Supervision:
     • At least 2 hours/week formal, face-to-face individual supervision
     • At least 2 hours/week additional learning/supervisory activities
   • Duration: completed within 24 months

2. Postdoctoral supervised experience

   • Total hours: 2,000 hours (full-time 40 hrs/week for 50 weeks, or a Board-approved part-time plan, within 3 years)
   • Direct client services: at least 25%, minimum 500 hours
   • Supervision: at least 1 hour/week of formal, face-to-face supervision, with quarterly reports
   • Activities: direct clinical services plus a potential mix of teaching, research, consultation and administration, all aligned with doctoral training and Statement of Intent

In effect, Arkansas expects approximately 4,000 hours of supervised professional experience:

• 2,000-hour internship, with defined direct patient contact and intensive supervision
• 2,000-hour postdoctoral supervised experience, with defined minimum direct service, formal supervision and an allowable range of professional activities

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5. Examination requirements (beyond hours)

Full licensure also requires exams.

5.1. EPPP: written exam

Arkansas requires all psychologist applicants to take the national examination developed by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). Passing scores are set according to ASPPB standards, and the Board may use additional examinations. (17 CAR § 95-703)

The Applicants page confirms that the minimum passing score is 500 and that candidates may take the EPPP up to four times in one year, with a 60-day waiting period between attempts. (psychologyboard.arkansas.gov)

5.2. Oral exam (historical vs. current practice)

The rules still describe the provisional period as time to complete "the written and oral examinations." (17 CAR § 95-603(a)(2))

However, the Applicants page contains an important qualification:

• It states that only applicants prior to July 3, 2020 may sit for an oral interview once provisionally licensed, after passing the EPPP and completing post-doc requirements. (psychologyboard.arkansas.gov)

Practically, this means that as of the current guidance on the Board's site, newer applicants are generally not taking an oral exam, although you should confirm any updates directly with the Board when you apply.

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6. Application sequence with where the hours fit

Based on the Board's Applicants page and rules: (psychologyboard.arkansas.gov)

1. Doctoral education & coursework

   • Complete a qualifying doctoral program and required coursework (17 CAR § 95-404(a)-(e)).

2. Internship (2,000 hours)

   • Complete an APA-accredited internship or a Board-defined 2,000-hour internship meeting all criteria (structure, supervision, direct patient hours).

3. Initial application & credential review

   • Request and submit the psychologist application, pay the application fee, complete background checks, and have transcripts sent.
   • Once your credentials are approved, you are granted provisional license status (or a reciprocity/senior path if applicable). (psychologyboard.arkansas.gov)

4. EPPP and file building

   • Sit for the EPPP, achieve at least 500.
   • Submit Statement of Intent, reference forms (one from your program director and three from qualified psychologists), and other required documentation. (17 CAR § 95-404(b)-(c))

5. Provisional practice and postdoctoral supervised experience (2,000 hours)

   • Get your Supervision Agreement and Plan approved and practice only under supervision.
   • Complete 2,000 hours of postdoctoral supervised experience meeting the Board's hour and supervision requirements, with quarterly reports.

6. Convert to full psychologist license

   • After completing postdoc hours and passing the EPPP (and any oral/interview requirement that might apply to your cohort), submit:
     • Revised Statement of Intent as a psychologist
     • Certification and license fees
   • The Board issues your psychologist license. Licenses renew every year by July 1, with 20 hours of continuing education per year (3 in ethics). (17 CAR §§ 95-801, 95-1302)

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7. Special note for non-health-service careers

If your intended practice is not health-service oriented (for example, purely academic, research, or some I/O psychology roles), Arkansas allows the internship to be satisfied by 2,000 hours of a supervised predoctoral internship program consistent with your doctoral program and Statement of Intent, rather than a health-service patient-care internship. (17 CAR § 95-404(f)(3))

You still must complete:

• A qualifying doctoral degree
• 2,000 hours of supervised internship experience as defined for non-health-service roles
• 2,000 hours of postdoctoral supervised training experience (17 CAR § 95-404(h)(5))
• The EPPP and full application process

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8. Always verify current rules

The Arkansas Psychology Board's rules (now codified as 17 CAR Part 95) and the Applicants page are the controlling sources, and the Board occasionally updates procedures (for example, the change around July 3, 2020 regarding oral exams). (psychologyboard.arkansas.gov)

When you are close to applying, you should:

• Download the current rules from the Board's Laws & Rules section
• Confirm hour and supervision expectations with the Board if your training is atypical (e.g., non-health-service focus, part-time postdoc, non-APA internship)

But as of the most recent Board publications, the state's defined supervised-experience requirements for psychologist licensure can be summarized as:

• 2,000-hour predoctoral internship (with at least 500 hours of direct patient contact and intensive weekly supervision), and
• 2,000 hours of postdoctoral supervised experience (within 3 years, at least 500 hours of direct services, at least 1 hour/week of formal supervision), for a total of roughly 4,000 supervised hours consistent with your doctoral training and Statement of Intent.