Part II. Requirements for Licensure
18VAC125-20-40. General requirements for licensure.
Individuals licensed in one licensure category who wish to practice in another licensure category shall submit an application for the additional licensure category in which the licensee seeks to practice.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-103, 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3605 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR565-01-2 § 2.1, eff. June 22, 1988; amended, Virginia Register Volume 7, Issue 10, eff. March 13, 1991; Volume 9, Issue 7, eff. January 27, 1993; Volume 10, Issue 7, eff. January 27, 1994; Volume 13, Issue 21, eff. August 6, 1997; Volume 16, Issue 2, eff. November 10, 1999.
18VAC125-20-41. Requirements for licensure by examination.
A. Every applicant for licensure by examination shall:
1. Meet the education requirements prescribed in 18VAC125-20-54, 18VAC125-20-55, or 18VAC125-20-56 and the experience requirement prescribed in 18VAC125-20-65 as applicable for the particular license sought; and
2. Submit the following:
a. A completed application on forms provided by the board;
b. A completed residency agreement or documentation of having fulfilled the experience requirements of 18VAC125-20-65;
c. The application processing fee prescribed by the board;
d. Official transcripts documenting the graduate work completed and the degree awarded; transcripts previously submitted for registration of supervision do not have to be resubmitted unless additional coursework was subsequently obtained. Applicants who are graduates of institutions that are not regionally accredited shall submit documentation from an accrediting agency acceptable to the board that their education meets the requirements set forth in 18VAC125-20-54, 18VAC125-20-55, or 18VAC125-20-56;
e. A current report from the National Practitioner Data Bank; and
f. Verification of any other health or mental health professional license, certificate, or registration ever held in Virginia or another jurisdiction. The applicant shall not have surrendered a license, certificate, or registration while under investigation and shall have no unresolved action against a license, certificate, or registration.
B. In addition to fulfillment of the education and experience requirements, each applicant for licensure by examination must achieve a passing score on all parts of the Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology required at the time the applicant took the examination.
C. Every applicant shall attest to having read and agreed to comply with the current standards of practice and laws governing the practice of psychology in Virginia.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3605 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 16, Issue 2, eff. November 10, 1999; amended, Virginia Register Volume 26, Issue 4, eff. November 25, 2009; Volume 28, Issue 19, eff. June 20, 2012; Volume 29, Issue 25, eff. September 26, 2013; Volume 37, Issue 20, eff. June 23, 2021.
18VAC125-20-42. Prerequisites for licensure by endorsement.
Every applicant for licensure by endorsement shall submit:
1. A completed application;
2. The application processing fee prescribed by the board;
3. An attestation of having read and agreed to comply with the current Standards of Practice and laws governing the practice of psychology in Virginia;
4. Verification of all other health and mental health professional licenses, certificates, or registrations ever held in Virginia or any jurisdiction of the United States or Canada. In order to qualify for endorsement, the applicant shall not have surrendered a license, certificate, or registration while under investigation and shall have no unresolved action against a license, certificate, or registration;
5. A current report from the National Practitioner Data Bank; and
6. Further documentation of one of the following:
a. A current credential issued by the National Register of Health Service Psychologists;
b. Current diplomate status in good standing with the American Board of Professional Psychology in a category comparable to the one in which licensure is sought;
c. A Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology (CPQ) issued by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards;
d. Five years of active licensure in a category comparable to the one in which licensure is sought with at least 24 months of active practice within the last 60 months immediately preceding licensure application; or
e. If less than five years of active licensure or less than 24 months of active practice within the last 60 months, documentation of current psychologist licensure in good standing obtained by standards substantially equivalent to the education, experience, and examination requirements set forth in this chapter for the category in which licensure is sought as verified by a certified copy of the original application submitted directly from the out-of-state licensing agency or a copy of the regulations in effect at the time of initial licensure and the following: (1) Verification of a passing score on all parts of the Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology that were required at the time of original licensure; and (2) Official transcripts documenting the graduate work completed and the degree awarded in the category in which licensure is sought.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3605 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 16, Issue 2, eff. November 10, 1999; amended, Virginia Register Volume 26, Issue 4, eff. November 25, 2009; Volume 28, Issue 19, eff. June 20, 2012; Volume 29, Issue 25, eff. September 26, 2013; Volume 31, Issue 20, eff. July 16, 2015; Volume 37, Issue 20, eff. June 23, 2021.
18VAC125-20-43. Requirements for licensure as a school psychologist-limited.
A. Every applicant for licensure as a school psychologist-limited shall submit to the board:
1. A copy of a current license issued by the Board of Education showing an endorsement in psychology.
2. An official transcript showing completion of a master's degree in psychology.
3. A completed Employment Verification Form of current employment by a school system under the Virginia Department of Education.
4. The application fee.
B. At the time of licensure renewal, school psychologists-limited shall be required to submit an updated Employment Verification Form if there has been a change in school district in which the licensee is currently employed.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 17, Issue 12, eff. March 28, 2001; amended, Virginia Register Volume 28, Issue 19, eff. June 20, 2012.
18VAC125-20-50. (Repealed.)
Historical Notes
Derived from VR565-01-2 § 2.2, eff. June 22, 1988; amended, Virginia Register Volume 7, Issue 10, eff. March 13, 1991; Volume 9, Issue 7, eff. January 27, 1993; Volume 10, Issue 7, eff. January 27, 1994; Volume 13, Issue 21, eff. August 6, 1997; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 16, Issue 2, eff. November 10, 1999.
18VAC125-20-51. (Repealed.)
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 13, Issue 21, eff. August 6, 1997; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 16, Issue 2, eff. November 10, 1999.
18VAC125-20-54. Education requirements for clinical psychologists.
A. Beginning June 23, 2028, an applicant shall hold a doctorate in clinical, counseling, or school psychology from a professional psychology program in a regionally accredited university that was accredited at the time the applicant graduated from the program by the APA, CPA, or an accrediting body acceptable to the board. Graduates of programs that are not within the United States or Canada shall provide documentation from an acceptable credential evaluation service that provides information verifying that the program is substantially equivalent to an APA-accredited program.
B. Prior to June 23, 2028, an applicant shall either hold a doctorate from an accredited program, as specified in subsection A of this section, or shall hold a doctorate from a professional psychology program that documents that the program offers education and training that prepares individuals for the practice of clinical psychology as defined in § 54.1-3600 of the Code of Virginia and meets the following criteria:
1. The program is within an institution of higher education accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or publicly recognized by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada as a member in good standing. Graduates of programs that are not within the United States or Canada must provide documentation from an acceptable credential evaluation service that provides information that allows the board to determine if the program meets the requirements set forth in this chapter.
2. The program shall be recognizable as an organized entity within the institution.
3. The program shall be an integrated, organized sequence of study with an identifiable psychology faculty and a psychologist directly responsible for the program and shall have an identifiable body of students who are matriculated in that program for a degree. The faculty shall be accessible to students and provide them with guidance and supervision. The faculty shall provide appropriate professional role models and engage in actions that promote the student's acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies consistent with the program's training goals.
4. The program shall encompass a minimum of three academic years of full-time graduate study or the equivalent thereof.
5. The program shall include a general core curriculum containing a minimum of three or more graduate semester hours or five or more graduate quarter hours in each of the following substantive content areas:
a. Biological bases of behavior (e.g., physiological psychology, comparative psychology, neuropsychology, sensation and perception, health psychology, pharmacology, neuroanatomy).
b. Cognitive-affective bases of behavior (e.g., learning theory, cognition, motivation, emotion).
c. Social bases of behavior (e.g., social psychology, group processes, organizational and systems theory, community and preventive psychology, multicultural issues).
d. Psychological measurement.
e. Research methodology.
f. Techniques of data analysis.
g. Professional standards and ethics.
6. The program shall include a minimum of three or more graduate semester credit hours or five or more graduate quarter hours in each of the following clinical psychology content areas:
a. Individual differences in behavior (e.g., personality theory, cultural difference and diversity).
b. Human development (e.g., child, adolescent, geriatric psychology).
c. Dysfunctional behavior, abnormal behavior, or psychopathology.
d. Theories and methods of intellectual assessment and diagnosis.
e. Theories and methods of personality assessment and diagnosis, including its practical application.
f. Effective interventions and evaluating the efficacy of interventions.
C. Applicants shall submit documentation of having successfully completed practicum experiences involving assessment, diagnosis, and psychological interventions. The practicum experiences shall include a minimum of nine graduate semester hours or 15 or more graduate quarter hours or equivalent in appropriate settings to ensure a wide range of supervised training and educational experiences.
D. An applicant shall graduate from an educational program in clinical, counseling, or school psychology that includes an appropriate emphasis on and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of persons with moderate to severe mental disorders.
E. Candidates for clinical psychologist licensure shall have successfully completed an internship in a program that is either accredited by APA or CPA, is a member of APPIC or the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards/National Register of Health Service Psychologists, or that meets equivalent standards. If the internship was obtained in an educational program outside of the United States or Canada, a credentialing service approved by the board shall verify equivalency to an internship in an APA-accredited program.
F. An applicant for a clinical license may fulfill the residency requirement of 1,500 hours, or some part thereof, as required for licensure in 18VAC125-20-65, in the doctoral practicum supervised experience, which occurs prior to the internship, and that meets the following standards:
1. The supervised professional experience shall be part of an organized sequence of training within the applicant's doctoral program that meets the criteria specified in this section.
2. The supervised experience shall include face-to-face direct client services, service-related activities, and supporting activities.
a. "Face-to-face direct client services" means treatment or intervention, assessment, and interviewing of clients.
b. "Service-related activities" means scoring, reporting or treatment note writing, and consultation related to face-to-face direct services.
c. "Supporting activities" means time spent under supervision of face-to-face direct services and service-related activities provided on site or in the trainee's academic department, as well as didactic experiences, such as laboratories or seminars, directly related to such services or activities.
3. In order for pre-doctoral practicum hours to fulfill all or part of the residency requirement, the following shall apply:
a. Not less than one-quarter of the hours shall be spent in providing face-to-face direct client services;
b. Not less than one-half of the hours shall be in a combination of face-to-face direct service hours and hours spent in service-related activities; and
c. The remainder of the hours may be spent in a combination of face-to-face direct services, service-related activities, and supporting activities.
4. A minimum of one hour of individual face-to-face supervision shall be provided for every eight hours of supervised professional experience spent in direct client contact and service-related activities.
5. Two hours of group supervision with up to five practicum students may be substituted for one hour of individual supervision. In no case shall the hours of individual supervision be less than one-half of the total hours of supervision.
6. The hours of pre-doctoral supervised experience reported by an applicant shall be certified by the program's director of clinical training on a form provided by the board.
7. If the supervised experience hours completed in a series of practicum experiences do not total 1,500 hours or if a candidate is deficient in any of the categories of hours, a candidate shall fulfill the remainder of the hours by meeting requirements specified in 18VAC125-20-65.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3605 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 16, Issue 2, eff. November 10, 1999; amended, Virginia Register Volume 28, Issue 19, eff. June 20, 2012; Volume 29, Issue 25, eff. September 26, 2013; Volume 37, Issue 20, eff. June 23, 2021; Volume 40, Issue 24, eff. August 29, 2024.
18VAC125-20-55. Education requirements for applied psychologists.
A. The applicant shall hold a doctorate from a professional psychology program from a regionally accredited university that meets the following criteria:
1. The program is within an institution of higher education accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or publicly recognized by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada as a member in good standing. Graduates of programs that are not within the United States or Canada must provide documentation from a credential evaluation service acceptable to the board that demonstrates that the program meets the requirements set forth in this chapter.
2. The program shall be recognizable as an organized entity within the institution.
3. The program shall be an integrated, organized sequence of study with an identifiable psychology faculty and a psychologist directly responsible for the program and shall have an identifiable body of students who are matriculated in that program for a degree. The faculty shall be accessible to students and provide them with guidance and supervision. The faculty shall provide appropriate professional role models and engage in actions that promote the student's acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies consistent with the program's training goals.
4. The program shall encompass a minimum of three academic years of full-time graduate study or the equivalent thereof.
5. The program shall include a general core curriculum containing a minimum of three or more graduate semester hours or five or more graduate quarter hours in each of the following substantive content areas:
a. Biological bases of behavior (e.g., physiological psychology, comparative psychology, neuropsychology, sensation and perception, health psychology, pharmacology, neuroanatomy).
b. Cognitive-affective bases of behavior (e.g., learning theory, cognition, motivation, emotion).
c. Social bases of behavior (e.g., social psychology, group processes, organizational and systems theory, community and preventive psychology, multicultural issues).
d. Psychological measurement.
e. Research methodology.
f. Techniques of data analysis.
g. Professional standards and ethics.
B. Demonstration of competence in applied psychology shall be met by including a minimum of at least 18 semester hours or 30 quarter hours in a concentrated program of study in an identified area of psychology, for example, developmental, social, cognitive, motivation, applied behavioral analysis, industrial/organizational, human factors, personnel selection and evaluation, program planning and evaluation, teaching, research or consultation.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3605 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 16, Issue 2, eff. November 10, 1999; amended, Virginia Register Volume 37, Issue 20, eff. June 23, 2021.
18VAC125-20-56. Education requirements for school psychologists.
A. The applicant shall hold at least a master's degree in school psychology, with a minimum of at least 60 semester credit hours or 90 quarter hours, from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting agency, which was accredited by the APA or CAEP or was approved by NASP, or shall meet the requirements of subsection B of this section.
B. If the applicant does not hold a master's degree in school psychology from a program accredited by the APA or CAEP or approved by NASP, the applicant shall have a master's degree from a psychology program that offers education and training to prepare individuals for the practice of school psychology as defined in § 54.1-3600 of the Code of Virginia and that meets the following criteria:
1. The program is within an institution of higher education accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or publicly recognized by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada as a member in good standing. Graduates of programs that are not within the United States or Canada must provide documentation from a credential evaluation service acceptable to the board that demonstrates that the program meets the requirements set forth in this chapter.
2. The program shall be recognizable as an organized entity within the institution.
3. The program shall be an integrated, organized sequence of study with an identifiable psychology faculty and a psychologist directly responsible for the program and shall have an identifiable body of students who are matriculated in that program for a degree. The faculty shall be accessible to students and provide them with guidance and supervision. The faculty shall provide appropriate professional role models and engage in actions that promote the student's acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies consistent with the program's training goals.
4. The program shall encompass a minimum of two academic years of full-time graduate study or the equivalent thereof.
5. The program shall include a general core curriculum containing a minimum of three or more graduate semester hours or five or more graduate quarter hours in each of the following substantive content areas:
a. Psychological foundations (e.g., biological bases of behavior, human learning, social and cultural bases of behavior, child and adolescent development, individual differences).
b. Educational foundations (e.g., instructional design, organization and operation of schools).
c. Interventions/problem-solving (e.g., assessment, direct interventions, both individual and group, indirect interventions).
d. Statistics and research methodologies (e.g., research and evaluation methods, statistics, measurement).
e. Professional school psychology (e.g., history and foundations of school psychology, legal and ethical issues, professional issues and standards, alternative models for the delivery of school psychological services, emergent technologies, roles and functions of the school psychologist).
6. The program shall be committed to practicum experiences that shall include:
a. Orientation to the educational process;
b. Assessment for intervention;
c. Direct intervention, including counseling and behavior management; and
d. Indirect intervention, including consultation.
C. Candidates for school psychologist licensure shall have successfully completed an internship in a program accredited by APA or CAEP, or approved by NASP, or is a member of APPIC or one that meets equivalent standards.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3605 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 16, Issue 2, eff. November 10, 1999; amended, Virginia Register Volume 37, Issue 20, eff. June 23, 2021.
18VAC125-20-60. (Repealed.)
Historical Notes
Derived from VR565-01-2 § 2.3, eff. June 22, 1988; amended, Virginia Register Volume 7, Issue 10, eff. March 13, 1991; Volume 9, Issue 7, eff. January 27, 1993; Volume 10, Issue 7, eff. January 27, 1994; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 16, Issue 2, eff. November 10, 1999.
18VAC125-20-65. Residency.
A. Candidates for clinical or school psychologist licensure shall have successfully completed a residency consisting of a minimum of 1,500 hours of supervised experience in the delivery of clinical or school psychology services acceptable to the board.
1. For clinical psychology candidates, the hours of supervised practicum experiences in a doctoral program may be counted toward the residency hours, as specified in 18VAC125-20-54. Hours acquired during the required internship shall not be counted toward the 1,500 residency hours. If the supervised experience hours completed in a practicum do not total 1,500 hours or if a candidate is deficient in any of the categories of hours, a candidate may fulfill the remainder of the hours by meeting requirements specified in subsection B of this section.
2. School psychologist candidates shall complete all the residency requirements after receipt of their final school psychology degree.
B. Residency requirements.
1. Candidates for clinical or school psychologist licensure shall have successfully completed a residency consisting of a minimum of 1,500 hours in a period of not less than 12 months and not to exceed three years of supervised experience in the delivery of clinical or school psychology services acceptable to the board, or the applicant may request approval to extend a residency if there were extenuating circumstances that precluded completion within three years.
2. Supervised experience obtained in Virginia without prior written board approval will not be accepted toward licensure. Candidates shall not begin the residency until after completion of the required degree as set forth in 18VAC125-20-54 or 18VAC125-20-56.
3. In order to have the residency accepted for licensure, an individual who proposes to obtain supervised post-degree experience in Virginia shall register with the board prior to the onset of such supervision by submission of:
a. A supervisory contract along with the application package;
b. The registration of supervision fee set forth in 18VAC125-20-30; and
c. An official transcript documenting completion of educational requirements as set forth in 18VAC125-20-54 or 18VAC125-20-56 as applicable.
4. If board approval was required for supervised experience obtained in another United States jurisdiction or Canada in which residency hours were obtained, a candidate shall provide evidence of board approval from such jurisdiction.
5. There shall be a minimum of two hours of individual supervision per 40 hours of supervised experience. Group supervision of up to five residents may be substituted for one of the two hours on the basis that two hours of group supervision equals one hour of individual supervision, but in no case shall the resident receive less than one hour of individual supervision per 40 hours.
6. Supervision shall be provided by a psychologist who holds a current, unrestricted license in the jurisdiction in which supervision is being provided and who is licensed to practice in the licensure category in which the resident is seeking licensure; however, a resident seeking licensure as a school psychologist may be supervised by a clinical psychologist.
7. The supervisor shall not provide supervision for activities beyond the supervisor's demonstrable areas of competence nor for activities for which the applicant has not had appropriate education and training.
8. The supervising psychologist shall maintain records of supervision performed and shall regularly review and co-sign case notes written by the supervised resident during the residency period. At the end of the residency training period, the supervisor shall submit to the board a written evaluation of the applicant's performance.
9. The board may consider special requests in the event that the regulations create an undue burden in regard to geography or disability that limits the resident's access to qualified supervisors.
C. Residents shall not refer to or identify themselves as clinical psychologists or school psychologists, independently solicit clients, bill directly for services, or in any way represent themselves as licensed psychologists. Notwithstanding, this does not preclude supervisors or employing institutions from billing for the services of an appropriately identified resident. During the residency period, residents shall use their names, the initials of their degree, and the title "Resident in Psychology" in the licensure category in which licensure is sought.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3605 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 16, Issue 2, eff. November 10, 1999; amended, Virginia Register Volume 28, Issue 19, eff. June 20, 2012; Volume 29, Issue 25, eff. September 26, 2013; Volume 37, Issue 20, eff. June 23, 2021; Volume 40, Issue 24, eff. August 29, 2024.
18VAC125-20-70. (Repealed.)
Historical Notes
Derived from VR565-01-2 § 2.4, eff. June 22, 1988; amended, Virginia Register Volume 7, Issue 10, eff. March 13, 1991; Volume 9, Issue 7, eff. January 27, 1993; Volume 10, Issue 7, eff. January 27, 1994; repealed Virginia Register Volume 16, Issue 2, eff. November 10, 1999.