21 NCAC 54 .1803 LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST
(a) Licensure for the level of licensed psychologist shall require a doctoral degree in psychology from an institution of higher education. The doctoral program shall be accredited by the American Psychological Association or the Canadian Psychological Association at the time of the individual's graduation from the program, or one which meets all of the following requirements:
(1) The program shall be identified and labeled a psychology program. The program shall specify in institutional catalogues its purpose to educate and train students to engage in the activities that constitute the practice of psychology as defined in G.S. 90-270.136(8).
(2) The program shall maintain authority and primary responsibility for the core and specialty areas.
(3) The program shall have a body of students in residence at the physical campus of the institution who are matriculated in that program for a degree.
(4) There shall be a full-time psychology faculty in residence at the physical campus of the institution, sufficient in size and breadth to carry out its responsibilities, employed by and providing instruction at the physical campus of the institution.
(5) There shall be a psychologist responsible for the applicant's program either as the administrative head of the program, or as the advisor, professor, or committee chair for the individual applicant's program.
(6) The program shall be an integrated, organized sequence of study in psychology as demonstrated by a curriculum track or tracks wherein course sequences and course content are described in institutional catalogues, departmental handbooks, or other institutional publications.
(7) The program shall encompass the equivalent of a minimum of three academic years of full-time graduate study, two years of which are at the institution from which the degree is granted, and one year of which is in residence at the institution from which the degree is granted. Residence requires in person interaction with psychology faculty and other matriculated psychology students. One year's residence is defined as 30 semester (45 quarter or 40 trimester) hours taken on a full-time or part-time basis in person at the physical campus of the institution over the course of one year.
(8) The program shall include practicum, internship, field experiences, or laboratory training related to the area of specialty and the practice of psychology. This experience shall be supervised by a licensed psychologist.
(9) Except as provided in Paragraph (b) of this Rule, the program of study shall include a minimum of 60 semester (90 quarter or 80 trimester) hours of graduate study in standard psychology courses, exclusive of credits for internship or practicum and thesis or dissertation, including instruction in scientific and professional ethics and standards, research design and methodology, statistics and psychometrics, and the specialty area. No credit shall be allowed for audited courses or courses taken at an institution that does not meet the definition of an "institution of higher education" as defined by G.S. 90-270.136(5).
(10) The program shall include a minimum of three semester (five quarter or four trimester) hours of coursework in each of these content areas:
(A) biological bases of behavior, such as, physiological psychology, comparative psychology, neuropsychology, sensation and perception, psychopharmacology;
(B) cognitive-affective bases of behavior, such as, cognition, memory, learning, thinking, motivation, emotion;
(C) social bases of behavior, such as, social psychology, group processes, organizational and systems theory, cultural and ethnic bases, sex roles; and
(D) individual differences, such as, personality theory, human development, abnormal psychology, individual differences.
(b) If an individual's degree program did not include a minimum of 60 semester (90 quarter or 80 trimester) hours in standard psychology courses, as specified in Subparagraphs (a)(9) and (a)(10) of this Rule, but included a minimum of 54 semester (81 quarter or 72 trimester) hours of graduate study in standard psychology courses, as specified in Subparagraphs (a)(9) and (a)(10) of this Rule, exclusive of credits for internship or practicum and thesis or dissertation, the individual shall be allowed to take, and must pass with a grade of "B" or above, additional graduate level course work to meet the hourly requirement specified in Subparagraphs (a)(9) and (a)(10) of this Rule. The individual shall complete , standard psychology courses, as defined by Subparagraphs (a)(9) and (a)(10) of this Rule, to meet the minimum educational requirements to apply for licensure. The course work shall be completed at an institution of higher education in a graduate psychology program in the same specialty area as the degree program completed by the individual and shall be reported on an official transcript. Alternately, the course work may be completed in a formal re-specialization program in psychology at an institution of higher education as defined in G.S. 90-270.136(5), which shall be reported on an official transcript. A formal re-specialization program in psychology means a program in which individuals already holding a doctoral degree in psychology complete additional education and training in order to change their specialist area of study. Re-specialization programs involve coursework in a health service psychology field, including clinical, counseling, school or combinations of these areas. Respecialization programs also include education in profession-wide competencies, such as, ethics, assessment, intervention; experiential education such as practicum; and a one-year internship. The individual shall provide a certificate of completion of a respecialization program, issued by the program. No credit shall be accepted by the Board for audited courses. This additional graduate level course work shall not duplicate course work taken by the individual in his or her degree program or prior to admittance to his or her degree program.
(c) If an individual's degree program did not include a minimum of 54 semester (81 quarter or 72 trimester) hours of graduate study in standard psychology courses, exclusive of credits for internship or practicum and thesis or dissertation, the individual shall not be allowed to obtain additional hours at a post-graduate level to meet the hourly requirements in Subparagraphs (a)(9) and (a)(10).
History Note: Authority G.S. 90-270.143; 90-270.145(a);
Eff. June 1, 1988;
Amended Eff. July 1, 2009; July 1, 1997; October 1, 1991; March 1, 1989;
Readopted Eff. April 1, 2020;
Amended Eff. August 1, 2021.