21 NCAC 54 .1803. LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST

(a)  Licensure for the level of licensed psychologist requires a doctoral degree based on a planned and directed program of studies in psychology from an institution of higher education.  The applicant's doctoral program, hereinafter referred to as "program," shall be one which was 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 publicly identified and labeled as a psychology program; such a program shall specify in pertinent institutional catalogues its intent to educate and train psychologists to engage in the activities which constitute the practice of psychology as defined in G.S. 90-270.2(8).

(2)           The program shall maintain authority and primary responsibility for the core and specialty areas whether or not the program crosses administrative lines.

(3)           The program shall have an identifiable body of students in residence at the institution who are matriculated in that program for a degree.

(4)           There shall be an identifiable full-time psychology faculty in residence at the institution, sufficient in size and breadth to carry out its responsibilities, employed by and providing instruction at the home 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, major 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 an identifiable curriculum track or tracks wherein course sequences are outlined.

(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 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 at the institution.

(8)           The program shall include practicum, internship, field experiences, or laboratory training appropriate to the area of specialty and the practice of psychology; this experience shall be supervised by a 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/practicum and thesis/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 which does not meet the definition of an "institution of higher education" as defined by G.S. 90-270.2(5).

(10)         The program shall include demonstrated competency in the four substantive content areas identified in this Subparagraph; this shall be met through a minimum of three semester (five quarter or four trimester) hours in each of these content areas:

(A)          biological bases of behavior (e.g., physiological psychology, comparative psychology, neuropsychology, sensation and perception, psychopharmacology);

(B)          cognitive-affective bases of behavior (e.g., cognition, memory, learning, thinking, motivation, emotion);

(C)          social bases of behavior (e.g., social psychology, group processes, organizational and systems theory, cultural and ethnic bases, sex roles);

(D)          individual differences (e.g., 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/practicum and thesis/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 specified course content, as defined by Subparagraphs (a)(9) and (a)(10) of this Rule, to meet the minimum educational requirements to apply for licensure.  The aforementioned course work shall be completed at an institution of higher education, as defined by G.S. 90-270.2(5), 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 aforementioned course work may be completed in a formal re-specialization program in psychology, which shall be reported on an official transcript.  The institution of higher education which permits a student to take additional course work shall be construed as being responsible only for the specific course work taken at that institution and not for the student's entire course of study, unless the student's entire graduate program was completed at that institution.  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, as specified in Subparagraphs (a)(9) and (a)(10) of this Rule, exclusive of credits for internship/practicum and thesis/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. 90-270.9; 90-270.11(a);

Eff. June 1, 1988;

Amended Eff. July 1, 2009; July 1, 1997; October 1, 1991; March 1, 1989.