West Virginia Psychology Education Overview

Psychology Licensure in West Virginia

The extremely beautiful state of West Virginia has a vast array of potential career paths for those human services professionals who have attained licensure in Psychology. Whether you want to work in private practice in Bozeman, or at a hospital in Great Falls you will find that there are a wide variety of professional niches you can operate in as a licensed psychologist. West Virginia has a population of just over 1.8 million people. While the population is spread out across the state there are a wide diversity of opportunities for those who are licensed to practice Psychology in West Virginia. A psychologist in West Virginia can expect to earn a mean yearly wage of $52,580 according to the BLS website1. For those who enjoy working with children, finding work in one of West Virginia’s 56+ School districts is an excellent idea2. If you enjoy a fast paced and highly stimulating environment with fellow professionals in a medical setting, then you may wish to seek employment with one of West Virginia’s 58+ major hospitals3. With so many options to choose from, you have an excellent great chance of finding a career that will match your personal temperament and skill set. Below you will find a step-by-step guide to help you in the process of earning your license to practice Psychology in West Virginia.

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Required Educational Background

Meeting the requirements to attain a licensure as a Psychologist in West Virginia will require discipline and perseverance on your part. Fortunately, the process of completing each of the steps for licensure will give you a great foundation to begin a lucrative and fulfilling psychology practice. You will need to earn both your Bachelor and Master of Psychology. To attain full licensure you need to continue your schooling and attain your doctorate of psychology which is required for licensure in West Virginia. Licensure for those holding a Master of Psychology is available in West Virginia as explained below.

Studying to earn your Bachelor of Psychology will give you tremendous insight into the field of psychology, while simultaneously giving you a degree that opens up a multitude of career opportunities in the human services sector. Even if you choose to not pursue full licensure you will have a valuable degree for your resume.

Master Level Licensure

Field Experience

• Complete an APA approved graduate program in Psychology
• Find a board approved supervisor and complete a Supervisor Contract with them
• Apply with the board for your gold card to become a Supervised Psychologist
• Once you have your gold card, you must then complete 5 years of supervised work experience
• Each year you must take 10 hours of continuing education requirements including 1.5 hours of ethics
• You must complete a mid-way evaluation 2.5 years into your supervised work experience

Examinations

• Pass the EPP with a score meeting the West Virginia minimum
• Pass the state administered oral exam

You can find more information about Master Level Licensure requirements here:

Doctoral Level Licensure

Once you have been awarded your Ph.D. in psychology from an APA approved school you will need to begin accumulating your required post-graduate hours of field experience.

Field Experience

To verify your field experience component, you will need to take the following actions:

• You will need to have completed 2 years of supervised work experience.
• You may complete one year in the form of an internship while studying for your doctorate.
• You will then need to apply for your license, have it approved and take your examinations as explained below.

You will want to familiarize yourself with the West Virginia specific rules and regulations for licensure. These laws change so it is good to make sure you have current information, you can find that information here:

Examination

Once you have completed your field experience you can apply to take the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP).

• Pass the EPPP with a score meeting the West Virginia minimum.
• Pass the West Virginia state administered oral exam.

You can find some helpful information about your EPPP here: