§ 34-26-65 — Psychology Program Requirements

The degree program of the applicant shall meet all of the following requirements:
(1) The program shall be publicly identified and clearly labeled as a psychology program.
(2) The program shall maintain clear authority and primary responsibility for the core and concentration 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 the program for degree purposes.
(4) The program shall have an identifiable full-time psychology faculty in residence at the institution, sufficient in size and breadth to carry out the responsibilities of the program, and employed by and providing instruction at the main campus of the institution.
(5) There shall be a psychologist responsible for the program as the administrative head of the program, the advisor, a major professor, or the committee chair.
(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 two academic years, at least one of which shall be one academic year of full-time graduate study in student residence at the institution from which the degree is granted. Residence requires interaction with psychology faculty and other matriculated psychology students. A one year residency shall consist of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours taken on a full-time or part-time basis at the institution.
(8) The program shall include practica or other field experience appropriate to the area of specialty and practice as a psychological technician. This experience shall satisfy all of the following criteria:
a. The experience shall be a planned or directed program of training in psychology, in contrast to on-the-job training, and shall have provided the trainee with a planned and directed sequence of training integrated with the educational program in which the trainee is enrolled. The training shall be planned by the faculty of the program rather than by the trainee.
b. The training site shall have a clearly designated and licensed psychologist who is responsible for the integrity and quality of the training program.
c. The training shall last a minimum of six months and consist of at least 500 hours of supervised training. At least 50 percent of the training shall be spent in direct contact with patients or clients.
d. The training program shall have a written program description detailing the functioning of the program and shall be approved by the psychology program of the trainee before training occurs.
e. The training site staff shall provide a minimum of one hour per five hours of client contact of face-to-face, primarily individual, regularly scheduled supervision, overseeing the training experience.
f. Supervision may be provided in part by psychiatrists, social workers, or other related professionals qualified by the training site. At least 60 percent of the supervision shall be provided by a licensed psychologist.
g. A person enrolled in a training program shall be designated as a practicum student, or any other designation which clearly indicates training status.
(9) a. The program shall include a minimum of 45 semester hours or 68 quarter hours of graduate study in standard psychology courses, including courses drawn from academic psychology, such as social, experimental, physiological, developmental, history and systems, and statistics and research design.
1. Of the required semester or quarter hours, not more than six semester or nine quarter hours shall be credited for practicum and not more than six semester or nine quarter hours shall be credited for thesis.
2. No credit shall be allowed for audited courses or courses taken at an institution which is not a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
b. An applicant whose credentials have been approved by the board for examination at the licensed psychologist level may be issued a license as a psychological technician if the applicant fails an examination at the licensed psychologist level but passes the examination at the licensed psychological technician level. To receive this license, the applicant shall file all required application materials with the board for licensure at the psychological technician level.

Legislative History

(Act 98-146, p. 230, §4; Act 2016-416, §1.)