West-virginia LP Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Becoming a doctoral‑level licensed psychologist (LP) in West Virginia is structured around a specific combination of education, an 1,800‑hour predoctoral internship, Board‑approved supervised experience (if needed) and two exams. The West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists derives these requirements from West Virginia Code §30‑21 and its Legislative Rules (Title 17, Series 3, current version effective May 4, 2026, and Title 17, Series 2 for supervision contracts).

Below is a step‑by‑step guide to the doctoral route, focused on the actual hour counts and the Board’s own terminology. A short note on the master's route is included in section 1.

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1. Degree requirement

West Virginia law allows licensure with either a doctoral or a master’s degree in psychology. This guide focuses on the doctoral route.

Under W. Va. Code §30‑21‑7(a): an applicant must hold “a doctor of philosophy degree or its equivalent or a master’s degree in psychology from an accredited institution of higher learning.” (code.wvlegislature.gov)

The Board’s doctoral‑level rule clarifies that a Psy.D. is treated as equivalent to the Ph.D.: “The Psy.D. is determined to be equivalent to the Ph.D.” (regulations.justia.com)

For an LP‑type license (independent practice as a psychologist), you should assume a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in psychology from an accredited institution, with coursework that the Board deems “psychological in nature.” (regulations.justia.com)

Master's route, briefly: master's applicants need a degree of at least 50 semester hours in clinical or counseling psychology, and 5 years of post‑graduate Board‑approved supervised experience with at least two approved supervising psychologists (17CSR3 §17‑3‑3 and §17‑3‑5.3). Since May 4, 2026, online master's degrees in clinical or counseling psychology also qualify, though practicum and internship must be in person.

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2. Required predoctoral internship: 1,800 hours

Statutory hour requirement

For doctoral applicants, state law is very explicit:

“When the degree held is a doctor of philosophy degree or its equivalent, at least one thousand and eight hundred hours must be a predoctoral internship in the performance of any of the psychological services described in… §30‑21‑2.” (code.wvlegislature.gov)

So, at minimum you need:

• 1,800 hours of predoctoral internship in psychology.

These 1,800 hours must be accrued in an internship that involves the types of activities in the statutory definition of the “practice of psychology” (assessment, psychotherapy, consultation, etc.), not just generic human‑services work. (code.wvlegislature.gov)

Board rule: what an “acceptable formal one‑year internship” looks like

The Board’s Doctoral Level Training Requirements specify what counts as an acceptable internship. Key points for hours and activities: (regulations.justia.com)

• The internship must be “an organized training program” (not just on‑the‑job training).
• Primary purpose: ensure “breadth and quality of training.”
• Supervision must be under licensed psychologists; at least 75% of supervision is provided by two or more psychologists.
• It must provide training across assessment, consultation and treatment activities conducted directly with clients, agencies, or organizations.

Crucially for hours:

• Direct client contact:
  “At least fifty percent (50%) of the intern’s time shall involve direct contact with clients… (minimum 500 hours).” (regulations.justia.com)

  • This is the Board’s explicit minimum for direct service hours within the 1,800‑hour internship.
  • In other words, of the 1,800 supervised internship hours, at least 500 must be direct client (or agency/organization) contact.

• Individual supervision during internship:
  The internship must include:

  • 2 hours per week of “regularly scheduled, formal, face‑to‑face, individual supervision” (based on a 40‑hour workweek), and
  • 2 additional hours per week in “learning activities such as case conferences, seminars, co‑therapy, group supervision, and additional individual supervision.” (regulations.justia.com)

• Time frame:
  The internship is to be full time (per APA standards) and completed within 24 months, except in “exceptional circumstances” where the Board may waive this. (regulations.justia.com)

So, West Virginia’s structure is not “1,500 direct + 1,500 supervised” or a similar split. Instead it is:

• 1,800 total predoctoral internship hours, of which
• At least 500 are direct client contact, and
• Supervision is embedded at the minimum weekly rates above.

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3. How the supervised‑experience requirement works (and when you need post‑degree supervision)

The supervised‑experience requirement for doctoral applicants is framed in years rather than a fixed extra hour count.

Baseline rule: one year of Board‑approved supervised experience

The Board’s supervision rule states:

• “When the applicant holds a Ph.D. or the equivalent, W. Va. Code §30‑21‑7(a)(4) requires at least one year of Board‑approved supervised experience.” (regulations.justia.com)

A “year” is defined not in raw hours but as:

• “Twelve (12) average work months” of full‑time employment; for part‑time work, credit is prorated by dividing hours/week by 40 and applying that fraction to the months worked. (regulations.justia.com)

However, the doctoral rule then allows the 1,800‑hour internship to satisfy that “year” in many cases.

Critical exception: waiving the year of supervised experience with a full 1,800‑hour internship

Under §17‑3‑4.5: (regulations.justia.com)

• If you hold a doctorate and have completed at least 1,800 hours in a predoctoral internship,

  • You may apply to the Board to waive the year of supervision required by §30‑21‑7.
  • You must supply documentation of the internship.
  • If you are working in WV before full licensure, you still must identify a Board‑approved supervisor and practice under supervision (as a “Supervised‑Psychologist”) until you pass the EPPP and oral exam.

• If you have a doctorate but have not completed 1,800 hours of predoctoral internship:

  • You must complete one year of Board‑approved supervision.

• If you did not complete an internship at all:

  • You are “required to have an additional year of Board‑approved supervision beyond the required one year” (i.e., two years of supervised experience).

In practice, for most current doctoral graduates with an APA‑approved or equivalent 1,800‑hour internship:

• The 1,800‑hour internship is the core supervised‑hours requirement.
• Additional supervised experience is only required if the internship is less than 1,800 hours or if there was no internship.

What counts as acceptable supervised experience (post‑degree)

For any required Board‑approved supervised experience, the Board defines “adequacy of supervised experience” as follows: (regulations.justia.com)

• The supervised‑psychologist must be engaged in the “practice of psychology” as defined in W. Va. Code §30‑21‑2.
• Experience cannot be limited to “essentially repetitious and routine tasks at the pre‑professional level,” such as:
  • Only administering and scoring structured tests,
  • Computing statistics,
  • Merely assisting in courses.
• Acceptable experience includes tasks that apply professional psychological skills and concepts, such as:
  • Administering and interpreting tests (including unstructured tests),
  • Psychological evaluation, prevention, and treatment of adjustment problems,
  • Providing assistance to clients in solving professional or personal problems.
• For university clinical faculty, some supervised teaching, supervising, and research can count, but these may not exceed 50% of the total supervised hours.
• The experience must be under the supervision of a licensed psychologist competent in the relevant area; independent private practice does not count as supervised experience.

The Board does not assign a fixed number of additional post‑doctoral hours (like “1,500 postdoc hours”). Instead, it treats the requirement as one or two “years” of supervised work, defined by full‑time months and the supervision structure described next.

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4. Supervision structure and the “Supervised‑Psychologist” role

Title while accruing supervised experience

Anyone providing psychological services who is not yet licensed and is obtaining required supervised experience must work “under the critical observation of a licensee.” (regulations.justia.com)

Applicants for licensure in this category:

• “Shall refer to himself or herself and sign all work as: Supervised‑Psychologist.” (regulations.justia.com)

You may not use the unqualified title “psychologist” for independent practice until fully licensed.

Required supervision ratio and format (during supervised practice)

The Board’s supervision standards for applicants for licensure require: (regulations.justia.com)

• You must be “supervised directly by a licensee.”
• Supervisors must provide at least:
  • 1 hour of individual supervision for every 20 hours of your clinical practice, with a minimum of 1 hour per week regardless of hours worked.
  • Individual supervision sessions must occur at least every 2 weeks.
• “Individual supervision” is defined as a face‑to‑face, private interaction between supervisor and supervised‑psychologist.
• The supervisor must be available for telephone consultation during business/practice hours.
• All psychological reports and professional opinions you render as a supervised‑psychologist must be countersigned by your supervisor.
• The supervisor must keep a log of supervision sessions and submit quarterly reports to the Board (due by April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31). The Board's report instructions expect at least 24 hours of individual supervision per full‑time quarter.

For full‑time supervisees, the Board’s supervision contracts further specify: (law.cornell.edu)

• At least 6 hours per month of individual face‑to‑face supervision.
• Up to 2 hours per month of group or multidisciplinary supervision can be counted towards the total supervision requirement (as detailed in the individual supervision contract).
• Individual supervision is in person unless the Board approves otherwise in the contract; video conferencing may be approved as an alternative.
• At least once per quarter, one of the required individual face‑to‑face sessions must occur at the location where you are providing services.
• You must be a W‑2 employee of the supervisor or agency (independent contracting is reserved for psychologists already licensed for independent practice). The Board's licensure page adds that supervision must take place in West Virginia, with a WV‑approved supervisor and a WV employer.

A licensee may supervise no more than four candidates for licensure at one time (17CSR3 §17‑3‑8.4; 17CSR2 §17‑2‑6.3). (law.cornell.edu)

Supervisors themselves must meet specific Board‑approved supervisor training requirements (either a 3‑hour graduate course in supervision or 14 hours of supervision training provided by a psychologist, plus at least two years of licensure). A licensee with a substantiated complaint resulting in censure, sanction, restriction or reprimand may not supervise (17CSR3 §17‑3‑8.3). (regulations.justia.com)

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5. Examinations required for LP licensure

Once degree and supervised experience requirements are met (or in some cases while supervised practice continues), you must complete the examination sequence.

5.1 National Examination: EPPP

West Virginia uses the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards as its written exam (17CSR3 §17‑3‑14.1).

• The Board's doctoral guidance sets the passing score at 500 or greater.
• Supervised‑Psychologists must take the EPPP at least once during their first 12 months in that status.
• Doctoral candidates must pass within 2 years and may take it at most 5 times in that period. Anyone who does not pass in time loses eligibility and must stop practicing and stop using the Supervised‑Psychologist title (17CSR3 §17‑3‑14.3).

The current rules do not include a separate jurisprudence exam for psychologists; West Virginia law, rules and ethics are covered in the oral exam.

5.2 Oral examination by the Board

In addition to the EPPP, West Virginia requires an oral examination conducted by the Board (17CSR3 §17‑3‑14.4 to 14.13):

• The oral exam is designed to evaluate:
  • Ethics and legal knowledge,
  • Professional competence and judgment,
  • Pertinent West Virginia law,
  • Your ability to limit practice to areas in which you have been trained and supervised.
• You bring at least three work samples, a demonstrable competency form and, if you are still supervised, a final report of supervision. These set your approved scope of independent practice.
• Passing requires a pass vote from at least 60% of the examining Board members. The Board may continue an exam for up to a year; failing it ends eligibility for supervised or independent practice in West Virginia.

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6. How the pieces fit together for a typical doctoral applicant (LP track)

Putting the requirements into a practical sequence, a typical doctoral‑level applicant aiming for LP licensure in West Virginia would:

1. Complete an APA‑approved or Board‑equivalent doctoral program in psychology (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) that meets West Virginia’s curricular expectations. (regulations.justia.com)

2. Complete an acceptable predoctoral internship that meets all of the following:

   • At least 1,800 total internship hours.
   • At least 500 hours of direct client (or agency/organization) contact.
   • Supervision of at least 2 hours/week of individual supervision and 2 hours/week of additional learning activities, typically over a full‑time year completed within 24 months. (regulations.justia.com)

3. Apply to the Board for supervision status and/or waiver of the additional supervision year:

   • If you have a full 1,800‑hour internship, you may request that the Board waive the statutory “one year of Board‑approved supervised experience” based on that internship.
   • If you did not reach 1,800 internship hours or had no internship, you must complete one or two years (respectively) of Board‑approved supervised experience, under the supervision structure described above. (regulations.justia.com)

4. Work under supervision as a “Supervised‑Psychologist” (if required), complying with:

   • The 1:20 supervision ratio (1 hour individual supervision per 20 hours clinical practice, minimum 1 hour/week).
   • Face‑to‑face, private supervision at least every two weeks.
   • Supervisor countersigning reports.
   • Quarterly supervision reports to the Board. (regulations.justia.com)

5. Pass the EPPP (score of 500 or greater, within 2 years and 5 attempts).

6. Pass the Board’s oral examination.

7. Receive full licensure as a psychologist from the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists, authorizing independent practice within your Board‑approved scope.

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7. Hour summary in plain terms

In the Board’s own structure:

• Predoctoral internship (mandatory for doctoral applicants)

  • 1,800 hours of supervised predoctoral internship in the practice of psychology. (code.wvlegislature.gov)
  • Of those, at least 500 hours must be direct client contact. (regulations.justia.com)
  • Internship includes weekly individual and group/learning supervision at specified minimums.

• Additional supervised experience (post‑degree), if required

  • If you have the full 1,800‑hour internship:
    • You may have the statutory “one year” of supervised experience waived (though you still practice under supervision until fully licensed).
  • If you have <1,800 internship hours:
    • 1 year of Board‑approved supervised experience is required.
  • If you have no internship:
    • 2 years of Board‑approved supervised experience are required. (regulations.justia.com)

These post‑degree supervised periods are measured in years (12 work months, prorated for part‑time) rather than a fixed additional hour count like “1,500 postdoctoral hours.”

In other words, West Virginia’s current model for doctoral‑level psychologist licensure is built around:

• 1,800 predoctoral internship hours with a 500‑hour direct contact minimum, plus
• Zero, one, or two years of Board‑approved supervised experience, depending on the completeness of that internship, all under tightly defined supervision ratios and titles.