An applicant is qualified to take the examination to be licensed when the applicant has met the following criteria:

1. Applicants for licensure shall possess a doctoral degree in psychology from an institution of higher education. The degree shall be obtained from a recognized program of graduate study in psychology as defined by the rules and regulations of the Board. Applicants for licensure who graduated before January 1, 1997, shall have completed a doctoral program in psychology that meets recognized acceptable professional standards as determined by the Board. Applicants for licensure who graduated on or after January 1, 1997, shall have completed a doctoral program in psychology that is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). In areas where no accreditation exists, applicants for licensure shall have completed a doctoral program in psychology that meets recognized acceptable professional standards as determined by the Board. When a new specialty of professional psychology is recognized as being within the accreditation scope of the APA, doctoral programs within that specialty will be afforded a transition period of eight (8) years from their first class of students to the time of their accreditation. During that transition period, graduates of such programs may sit for licensure examination whether or not the program has been accredited. This also applies to new doctoral programs of specialties previously recognized within the scope of APA accreditation. Applicants trained in institutions outside the United States shall meet requirements established by the Board;

2. For admission to the licensure examination, applicants shall demonstrate that they have completed two (2) years of supervised professional experience, one (1) year of which shall be postdoctoral. In accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the Board, applicants may be allowed to sit for examination during the applicant's second year of experience. The criteria for appropriate supervision shall be in accordance with regulations which shall be promulgated by the Board. Postdoctoral experience shall be compatible with the knowledge and skills acquired during formal doctoral or postdoctoral education in accordance with professional requirements and relevant to the intended area of practice; and

3. Applicants shall be required to show that they have not been convicted of a criminal offense that bears directly on the fitness of the individual to be licensed. Each applicant shall submit to a national criminal history record check, as defined in Section 150.9 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The costs associated with the national criminal history record check shall be paid by the applicant.

Added by Laws 1965, c. 347, § 12, emerg. eff. June 28, 1965. Amended by Laws 1984, c. 34, § 3, operative July 1, 1984; Laws 1991, c. 144, § 8, eff. July 1, 1991; Laws 2016, c. 169, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 2016; Laws 2019, c. 363, § 50, eff. Nov. 1, 2019.