New-mexico PA Requirements & Hours Tracker

New Mexico licenses master’s‑level practitioners under the title Psychologist Associate (PA). Licensure is governed by the New Mexico State Board of Psychologist Examiners, primarily in Title 16, Chapter 22, Part 12 of the New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC). (srca.nm.gov)

What follows is a step‑by‑step guide that focuses on the exact “hours” and supervision language the board uses.

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1. Educational and practicum requirements

1.1. Required degree

You must hold a master’s degree in psychology or a closely related psychology specialty, with the exact rule depending on when the degree was awarded: (law.cornell.edu)

• Master’s degree prior to July 1, 1985

  • A master’s degree from a department of psychology, or
  • A master’s degree “primarily psychological in nature” from a program with substantially equivalent requirements.

• Master’s degree on or after July 1, 1985

  • A master’s degree from a department of psychology, counseling psychology, or school psychology in a qualifying institution.

1.2. Required graduate coursework (content areas)

Your master’s program must include at least 3 graduate semester hours (6 quarter hours) in three of nine specified content areas (no single course can count for more than two areas). The nine areas include: (law.cornell.edu)

1. Biological aspects of behavior
2. Cognitive and affective aspects of behavior
3. Social aspects of behavior
4. Human development
5. Individual differences
6. Professional and scientific ethics and standards
7. Research design, methodology, statistics, and data analysis
8. Cultural competence / multicultural topics
9. Methods of assessment and diagnosis

1.3. Practicum requirement – the only pre‑licensure “hours” element for PAs

The PA rule does not set a total clock‑hour requirement (such as 1,500 + 1,500 hours). Instead, it requires a minimum amount of practicum in semesters:

“The applicant shall have completed at least two (2) semesters (or four (4) quarter hours) of clinical, counseling, or school psychology practicum.” (law.cornell.edu)

“Practicum” is separately defined in the general rules as a period of supervised clinical training and practice in which specific techniques and diagnoses are learned. (regulations.justia.com)

The regulation for PAs does not convert those two semesters into a specific number of clock hours, unlike the doctoral‑level psychologist rules.

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2. Application to the Board (initial PA licensure)

The Psychologist Associates: Application Process rule lays out what must be submitted to open an application file: (srca.nm.gov)

To start an application, you must submit:

1. Completed and signed application form
2. Application fee (amount set by the Board; see the Board’s licensing portal) (rld.nm.gov)
3. Official transcripts sent directly from the registrar
4. Three letters of reference

Once your file is opened:

• If anything is missing, the Board will notify you of deficiencies within 30 days of receipt. (srca.nm.gov)
• The application process must be completed within 30 days after all materials are received.
• All required documents must be in the Board office at least 60 days before you sit for the EPPP. (srca.nm.gov)
• Complete applications are reviewed and you are notified of approval, denial, or the need for additional information within 30 days. (srca.nm.gov)

All licensing and renewal is handled through the Regulation and Licensing Department’s online portal. (rld.nm.gov)

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3. Examination requirements (“demonstration of competence”)

For Psychologist Associates, demonstration of competence (NMAC 16.22.12.11) consists of two examinations: (srca.nm.gov)

1. EPPP (Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology) – national written exam

   • For EPPP attempts before January 1, 1993, the passing score is 140 (70%).
   • For EPPP attempts on or after January 1, 1993, the passing score is the cut score recommended by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB).

2. New Mexico online jurisprudence examination

   • Developed and graded by the Board.
   • Assesses knowledge of ethics, New Mexico statutes, and Board regulations as they apply to psychologists and their clients.

If you pass one of the two required exams but not the other, the rule states that the passed exam does not need to be retaken; you only retake the failed examination. (srca.nm.gov)

For the EPPP specifically, as a PA applicant you may take it up to three times within 18 months after the Board approves your application. If you fail all three attempts, you must submit a new initial application, which will then be evaluated under whatever rules are in force at that later time. (srca.nm.gov)

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4. Supervision and conditions of practice (post‑licensure “hours”)

Once licensed, a Psychologist Associate must practice under mandatory supervision; the Board devotes an entire section to “Conditions of Practice for Psychologist Associates” (16.22.12.8 NMAC). (srca.nm.gov)

4.1. Who must supervise you

• You must be supervised by a licensed psychologist or a board‑certified psychiatrist.
• Exception for testing: if you conduct psychological or cognitive testing, you must be supervised in that area by a licensed psychologist (not just a psychiatrist). (srca.nm.gov)

The supervising psychologist must:

• Be licensed in New Mexico as a psychologist
• Be in good standing, with no history of rule violations
• Explicitly agree to supervise you

The supervisor assumes professional and ethical responsibility for your work within that supervisory relationship. (srca.nm.gov)

4.2. Supervision time requirement – monthly “hours”

The Board does not require a total lifetime tally of supervised hours for PAs (e.g., “3,000 hours”). Instead, it specifies supervision by frequency and duration over time:

• “Supervision of a psychologist associate shall cover all aspects of the psychologist associate’s work and shall include at least two hours a month of one‑to‑one supervision between the psychologist associate and the supervisor.” (srca.nm.gov)

• If your primary supervisor is a board‑certified psychiatrist and you also conduct psychological or cognitive testing, you must receive an additional two hours per month of supervision by a licensed psychologist specifically in the area of testing. (law.cornell.edu)

There is no board rule setting a cumulative number like 1,500 “direct” + 1,500 “supervised” hours for Psychologist Associates. Instead, the focus is:

• Completing two semesters of practicum during your master’s program, and
• Maintaining ongoing monthly supervision (minimum 2 hours one‑to‑one, with extra hours if applicable to testing).

4.3. Supervisor’s obligations and limits

The supervisor must: (srca.nm.gov)

• Provide supervision only in areas where they are qualified.
• Keep separate supervision records (dates of supervision, no client names) and submit these to the Board biennially as a condition of renewal.
• Avoid exploiting the PA “for financial gain or with excessive work demands.”
• Avoid supervising anyone who is their administrative superior or a family member.
• Ensure financial arrangements with you do not compromise ethical or legal duties to clients.

4.4. Your responsibilities as a PA

The rule also assigns explicit ethical responsibility to the Psychologist Associate: (srca.nm.gov)

• You “assume legal, ethical, and professional responsibility for the welfare of the client or patient,” including diagnosis, intervention, and outcomes.
• You must provide services only in areas for which you are qualified.

4.5. Mandatory disclosure language in advertising

If you advertise or solicit services, you must use the exact disclosure phrase:

“Licensed psychologist associate – supervised practice.” (srca.nm.gov)

This wording is required in any advertising or solicitation to the general public.

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5. Continuing education and cultural‑competence hour requirements (after licensure)

Once licensed, you must meet ongoing hour‑based requirements for continuing education and cultural competence.

5.1. Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

For licensed psychologists and psychologist associates, the Board requires: (law.cornell.edu)

• 40 hours of CPE every two years
• At least 15 of the 40 hours must be Category I programs (more stringent standards and monitoring).

Content‑specific minimums within those 40 hours:

• Cultural diversity / health disparities: at least 2 hours every 2 years (some earlier versions required 4; current version specifies 2). (law.cornell.edu)
• Equity and inclusion topics (race, ethnicity, systemic racism, structural inequality, poverty, etc.): at least 4 hours every 2 years. (law.cornell.edu)
• Ethics: at least 4 hours every 2 years. (law.cornell.edu)

(Additional 40‑hour psychopharmacology requirements apply only to conditional and unrestricted prescribing psychologists, not to standard PAs.)

5.2. Cultural competence training requirement (early in licensure)

There is a separate cultural competence mandate that applies to psychologist associates and all psychologists: (law.cornell.edu)

• In your first year of licensure, you must complete 8 hours of cultural‑competence coursework promulgated by the Board.
• After that, you must complete an additional 4 hours of cultural‑competence training every two years, in addition to the CPE hours described above.

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6. How PA hour requirements differ from psychologist licensure

New Mexico’s doctoral‑level psychologist license has explicit supervised‑experience hours that are not imposed on Psychologist Associates:

• For psychologists, the Board requires two years (3,000 hours) of supervised experience for licensure.
• Up to 1,500 hours may come from doctoral practicum, and up to 1,500 hours from an APA‑approved doctoral internship; a non‑APA‑approved internship can count for up to 750 hours; remaining hours must be postdoctoral supervised work. (regulations.justia.com)

By contrast, for Psychologist Associates (PAs) the Board:

• Specifies no total supervised‑experience hour minimum (no “3,000 hours” or “1,500 + 1,500” breakdown),
• Requires instead:
  • A master’s degree with specified coursework,
  • At least two semesters of clinical/counseling/school psychology practicum during that master’s program, and
  • Ongoing monthly supervision (2+ hours one‑to‑one per month, plus extra testing supervision if relevant).

Secondary sources summarizing state law are consistent with this: they typically list New Mexico’s Psychologist Associate license as requiring a master’s degree in psychology, EPPP, and jurisprudence exam, with no post‑degree experience requirement beyond the supervised practice condition. (cga.ct.gov)

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7. Practical checklist for becoming a Psychologist Associate (PA) in New Mexico

1. Earn an appropriate master’s degree

   • From a department of psychology, counseling psychology, or school psychology (for degrees after July 1, 1985). (law.cornell.edu)
   • Ensure your coursework covers at least three of the nine required content areas.
   • Complete at least two semesters of practicum in clinical, counseling, or school psychology.

2. Prepare your application file

   • Complete and sign the online application.
   • Pay the required fee. (rld.nm.gov)
   • Arrange for official transcripts to be sent directly from your institution.
   • Obtain three reference letters.

3. Take and pass the examinations

   • Sit for the EPPP, meeting the passing score standards. (srca.nm.gov)
   • Complete and pass the New Mexico online jurisprudence exam.
   • If you fail one exam but pass the other, you only retake the failed exam.

4. Obtain your license and set up supervision

   • Secure a supervising licensed psychologist (and, if appropriate, a board‑certified psychiatrist). (srca.nm.gov)
   • Ensure you receive at least two hours per month of one‑to‑one supervision, with extra psychologist supervision for any psychological/cognitive testing if your main supervisor is a psychiatrist.
   • Keep supervision records per Board rules.

5. Practice with required disclosure and ethics

   • Advertise your services using the required phrase:
     “Licensed psychologist associate – supervised practice.” (srca.nm.gov)
   • Practice only within your competencies.

6. Maintain your license

   • Renew biennially on or before July 1. (rld.nm.gov)
   • Complete 40 hours of CPE every two years, including the specified ethics, cultural diversity, and equity/inclusion components. (law.cornell.edu)
   • Complete 8 hours of Board‑promulgated cultural‑competence training in your first year, plus 4 hours every two years thereafter. (law.cornell.edu)

In short, for a Psychologist Associate (PA) in New Mexico, the Board’s rules focus on master’s‑level education with practicum, examination (EPPP + jurisprudence), and ongoing supervised practice and continuing education, rather than a fixed multi‑year supervised‑experience hour total like the 3,000‑hour requirement used for full psychologist licensure.