Oregon PSY Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Licensure as a doctoral psychologist (“Psychologist,” often abbreviated PSY) in Oregon is governed by the Oregon Board of Psychology under ORS Chapter 675 and Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) Chapter 858. The Board sets explicit minimum hour requirements and uses specific terms such as “supervised psychological services,” “supervised experience,” and “psychological services” to define what counts toward licensure.

Below is a step‑by‑step outline of those requirements, with emphasis on the types and amounts of hours the Board requires.

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1. Educational foundation: doctoral degree in psychology

To meet the education requirement, you must hold a doctoral degree in psychology from an approved doctoral program. The Board recognizes:

• An APA‑ or CPA‑accredited psychology program, or
• Certain regionally accredited programs that are in the process of APA/CPA accreditation, or
• A foreign program evaluated by a Board‑recognized credentialing body and shown to meet the Board’s criteria. (oregon.public.law)

For non‑APA/CPA programs, the Board further requires at least three academic years of full‑time graduate study and one continuous year in residence, a dissertation, and specific core coursework. (oregon.public.law)

The doctoral program must include, by rule:

• A supervised practicum as described in OAR 858‑010‑0012. (regulations.justia.com)
• A supervised internship as described in OAR 858‑010‑0013. (secure.sos.state.or.us)

These pre‑degree experiences are where the first formal hour requirements appear.

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2. Pre‑degree practicum hours

Minimum practicum hours

OAR 858‑010‑0012 requires that the degree program include:

• At least two semesters (or three quarters) of practicum, and
• At least 300 hours of supervised psychological services. (regulations.justia.com)

The rule uses the term “supervised psychological services” and explicitly incorporates the definition of “psychological services” from OAR 858‑010‑0036(1)(b). (regulations.justia.com)

Under that definition, psychological services include (paraphrased): (oregon.public.law)

• Direct psychological services to individuals or groups
• Diagnosis and assessment
• Documentation related to services
• Client meetings and consultation
• Psychological testing
• Research related to client services
• Report writing
• Receiving formal training such as workshops and conferences

The same rule also clarifies that business/administrative tasks like marketing, billing, business development, and creating forms do not count as psychological services for licensure purposes. (oregon.public.law)

Summary of practicum requirement

• 300+ hours of supervised psychological services
• Completed across at least 2 semesters or 3 quarters
• Activities must fit the Board’s definition of psychological services, not general administrative work

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3. Pre‑degree internship hours

OAR 858‑010‑0013 sets the requirements for the doctoral internship:

Internship hour requirement

• “The internship must include at least 1,500 hours of supervised experience and be completed within twenty‑four months.” (secure.sos.state.or.us)

Here the Board’s key phrase is “supervised experience.” It does not split this 1,500 hours into separate numerical requirements for “direct” vs. “indirect” work, but it does impose minimum proportions and supervision standards.

Required composition of internship hours

The internship program must: (secure.sos.state.or.us)

• Provide at least 25% of the internship experience in direct client contact providing assessment and intervention services.

  • In other words, at least 25% of the 1,500 hours must be direct client contact (face‑to‑face assessment and treatment/intervention).

• For every 40 hours of internship experience, provide:

  • At least 2 hours of regularly scheduled, formal, one‑on‑one individual supervision focused on the intern’s direct psychological services; and
  • At least 2 hours of other learning activities, such as:
    • Case conferences
    • Seminars on applied issues
    • Co‑therapy with staff (with discussion)
    • Group supervision

Supervision structure

The rule also requires that: (secure.sos.state.or.us)

• The internship setting must have two or more psychologists available as supervisors, at least one of whom is a licensed psychologist.
• The person(s) responsible for the assigned casework must supervise the internship.
• At least 75% of the supervision must be provided by a licensed psychologist with two years of post‑license experience.

Summary of internship requirement

• 1,500+ hours of supervised experience in an organized psychology internship
• Completed within 24 months
• ≥25% of those hours must be direct client contact (assessment and intervention)
• For each 40 hours:
  • ≥2 hours individual supervision
  • ≥2 hours other structured learning activities
• Majority of supervision by an experienced licensed psychologist

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4. Post‑doctoral supervised work experience (“residency”)

After the doctoral degree is conferred, Oregon requires a post‑doctoral supervised work experience—commonly referred to by the Board as a “residency.”

Basic residency requirement

The Board’s Residency Overview and OAR 858‑010‑0036 define the requirement as: (oregon.gov)

• One year of post‑doctoral supervised work experience, and
• “One year of supervised work experience” is defined as 1,500 hours of psychological services performed over a period not less than 12 months.

Key phrases the Board uses:

• “Post‑doctoral” – the hours must occur after the doctoral degree is conferred. (oregon.gov)
• “Psychological services” – the same broad clinical/assessment/documentation/consultation/training activities described earlier, and explicitly not business development, marketing, billing, or other business management tasks. (oregon.public.law)

Thus, for licensure as a Psychologist in Oregon, the post‑degree requirement is:

At least 1,500 hours of psychological services, completed in not less than 12 months, under appropriate supervision.

Residency contract and where hours are earned

The Board is very specific about how these hours must be structured:

• To practice psychology in Oregon (unless you are already licensed or within a statutory exemption), you must be in a Board‑approved Resident Supervision Contract. (oregon.public.law)
• For post‑doctoral supervised work experience completed in Oregon on or after August 1, 2018, the hours must be done under a Board‑approved Resident Supervision Contract to count toward licensure. Work at an Oregon “exempt site” outside a residency contract does not count toward the required year if done on or after that date. (oregon.gov)

Work in other jurisdictions can count if it is a formal supervised arrangement under a psychologist licensed for at least two years in a jurisdiction with licensing standards comparable to Oregon. (oregon.public.law)

Supervision requirements during residency

The same rule sets weekly supervision minimums: (oregon.public.law)

• If the resident works 1–20 hours in a week:
  • At least 1 hour of individual face‑to‑face supervision that week.
• If the resident works more than 20 hours in a week:
  • At least 2 hours of supervision that week, of which:
    • 1 hour must be individual supervision; and
    • 1 hour may be group supervision (in a formal, ongoing group of ≥3 mental health professionals, facilitated by a licensed psychologist and approved by the resident’s supervisor).

If a week’s work does not meet these supervision requirements, the hours from that week cannot be counted toward the 1,500‑hour supervised work experience requirement. (oregon.public.law)

The rule also outlines administrative responsibilities (record of supervised hours, resident and supervisor evaluation reports, etc.), but those do not change the 1,500‑hour and supervision minimums.

Summary of post‑doctoral requirement

• 1,500+ hours of “psychological services”
• Spanning ≥12 months (and typically within a two‑year contract window)
• Must be under a Board‑approved Resident Supervision Contract if done in Oregon (for work on/after Aug 1, 2018)
• Weekly supervision:
  • 1–20 work hours → ≥1 hour individual supervision

  • 20 work hours → ≥2 hours supervision (≥1 individual, up to 1 group)

• Non‑clinical administrative/business tasks do not count as “psychological services”

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5. Examinations

Oregon requires two exams for psychologist licensure:

National exam – EPPP

• The Board uses the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) as the national written exam. (oregon.public.law)
• The rule on procedures (OAR 858‑010‑0025) specifies the EPPP as the required exam and sets passing score standards (for the current computer‑administered form, a scaled score of 500). (oregon.public.law)

Oregon Jurisprudence Exam (OJE)

• Applicants must also pass the Oregon Jurisprudence Exam (OJE), which covers Oregon statutes, administrative rules, and ethical standards relevant to psychological practice.
• The Board’s “Exams” page notes that the OJE may be taken before, during, or after completion of the post‑doctoral supervised work experience, and either before or after the EPPP. (oregon.gov)

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6. Application, background check, and other Board requirements

The Board’s “Apply for a License” page and OAR 858‑010‑0016 (Standard Application Procedure) list the administrative elements. In brief, an applicant for psychologist licensure must: (oregon.gov)

• Submit a complete application (including transcripts, references, and verification of supervised work experience)
• Undergo a fingerprint‑based criminal background check
• Pay the required fees (the Board currently describes a single application fee that includes the background check)
• Provide verification of any other health‑care licenses and EPPP scores, where applicable

The Board also emphasizes that practicing psychology in Oregon without being properly licensed or without an approved residency contract (if you are in the post‑doc phase) is unlawful and that such work will not count toward the required post‑doctoral supervised work experience. (oregon.gov)

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7. Hour requirements at a glance

Bringing the hour‑based requirements together:

1. Practicum (pre‑degree)

   • ≥300 hours of supervised psychological services within at least 2 semesters or 3 quarters. (regulations.justia.com)

2. Internship (pre‑degree)

   • ≥1,500 hours of supervised experience completed within 24 months, including: (secure.sos.state.or.us)
     • ≥25% of these hours in direct client contact providing assessment and intervention services
     • For each 40 internship hours:
       • ≥2 hours of individual supervision
       • ≥2 hours of other structured learning activities

3. Post‑doctoral supervised work experience / Residency (post‑degree)

   • ≥1,500 hours of psychological services over at least 12 months, usually under a Board‑approved Resident Supervision Contract if in Oregon. (oregon.gov)
   • Weekly minimum supervision:
     • 1–20 work hours → ≥1 hour individual supervision

     • 20 work hours → ≥2 supervision hours (≥1 individual, up to 1 group) (oregon.public.law)

These are Board‑level minimums. Individual training programs or employers often require more hours and may impose their own breakdown of direct vs. indirect services, but for licensure purposes Oregon’s Board focuses on the categories and thresholds summarized above.