Becoming a licensed psychologist in Georgia requires a doctoral degree, thousands of hours of supervised clinical experience, and two licensing exams. The full path from undergraduate studies to independent practice typically takes 10 to 14 years, depending on the program and how quickly you complete your post-doctoral training. Here’s what each stage looks like and what you’ll need at every step.
Earn a Doctoral Degree in Psychology
Georgia requires a doctoral degree for licensure as a psychologist. You can pursue either a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) or a Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology). A Ph.D. program emphasizes research alongside clinical training and typically takes five to seven years after your bachelor’s degree. A Psy.D. program focuses more heavily on clinical practice and often takes four to six years. Both paths qualify you for licensure, but the day-to-day experience in each program differs significantly.
Your doctoral program should be accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) or a similar recognized accrediting body. Attending an accredited program matters because the Georgia Board of Examiners of Psychologists evaluates your education as part of the licensing process, and accreditation signals that your coursework and training meet professional standards. Programs without proper accreditation can create complications or delays when you apply for your license.
Most doctoral programs require a bachelor’s degree for admission, and many prefer or require a master’s degree first. If you enter a program with only a bachelor’s, the program typically incorporates master’s-level coursework into the first two years. Core graduate coursework covers areas like psychopathology, research methods, statistics, cognitive and behavioral science, ethics, and assessment techniques. You’ll also complete a dissertation for a Ph.D. or a doctoral project for a Psy.D.
Complete a 2,000-Hour Predoctoral Internship
Near the end of your doctoral program, you’ll complete a one-year, full-time internship totaling 2,000 hours. This is a predoctoral internship, meaning you do it before you receive your degree. Most students apply through the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) match system, which pairs applicants with training sites across the country in a process similar to medical residency matching.
Internship sites include hospitals, community mental health centers, VA medical centers, university counseling centers, and correctional facilities. During this year, you work directly with clients under the supervision of licensed psychologists, building the clinical skills you’ll use independently after licensure. Competition for APA-accredited internship slots is significant, so strong clinical evaluations and research experience from your doctoral program improve your chances of matching with a preferred site.
Earn 1,500 Post-Doctoral Supervised Hours
After completing your doctorate, Georgia requires an additional 1,500 hours of supervised training before you can apply for full licensure. This post-doctoral experience is completed under the direct supervision of a licensed psychologist and typically takes about one year of full-time work, though it can stretch longer if you work part-time.
During this phase, you may hold a provisional license from the Georgia Board, which allows you to practice under supervision while accumulating your hours. The provisional license costs $100 on top of the standard application fee. Your supervisor must be licensed in Georgia and will need to document your hours and attest to your competence when you apply for full licensure.
Finding a strong post-doctoral position matters for more than just checking a licensing box. The clinical population you work with, the supervision style, and the setting all shape the kind of psychologist you become. Many post-doctoral positions are at the same types of facilities that host predoctoral interns, and some offer a pathway to a permanent staff position after you earn your license.
Pass the EPPP and Jurisprudence Exam
Georgia requires you to pass two exams before receiving your full license. You must pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) first, then sit for the Georgia Psychology Jurisprudence Examination.
The EPPP is a national standardized test covering eight content areas: biological bases of behavior, cognitive-affective bases of behavior, social and multicultural bases of behavior, growth and lifespan development, assessment and diagnosis, treatment and intervention, research methods and statistics, and ethical and legal foundations. The exam is administered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), and you pay the exam fee directly to the testing vendor rather than to the Georgia Board. Many candidates spend several months studying, and commercial prep courses are widely available.
Once you pass the EPPP, you can register for the Georgia Jurisprudence Examination. This is a closed-book, computer-based test that covers Georgia-specific laws and rules governing psychology practice. You need a scaled score of 70 to pass. The exam includes 47 items spread across five content areas:
- Professional relationships (14 items): multiple relationships, informed consent, sexual misconduct laws, supervisory relationships, continuity of care, and third-party service requests.
- Licensure and regulations (13 items): license requirements, unlicensed practice, use of title, renewal and reinstatement, reporting child abuse, advertising rules, and disciplinary actions.
- Competence (9 items): practicing within your area of expertise, continuing education, recognizing impairment, and electronic service delivery.
- Assessment (6 items): informed consent for testing, user qualifications, test security, and forensic assessment.
- Privacy and confidentiality (5 items): privileged communication, limits of confidentiality, recordings, and use of confidential information in research.
You cannot bring any reference materials into the jurisprudence exam, so you’ll want to study Georgia’s psychology practice act and the Board’s rules thoroughly beforehand.
Apply for Your Georgia License
Once you’ve completed your education, supervised hours, and both exams, you submit your application to the Georgia Board of Examiners of Psychologists. The application initiation and registration fee is $110. All application and processing fees are non-refundable, so make sure your materials are complete before submitting.
Your application package will include verification of your doctoral degree, documentation of your supervised hours (both predoctoral and post-doctoral), passing scores for both exams, and a background check. The Board reviews applications on a rolling basis, and processing times can vary. Keeping organized records of your supervision logs throughout training saves significant time at this stage.
If you’re already licensed in another state, Georgia offers a licensure-by-endorsement pathway. You can also apply through the ASPPB’s PLUS Application Program, which streamlines credential verification for psychologists moving between states. The PLUS fee is paid directly to ASPPB rather than to the Georgia Board.
Maintain Your License
After earning your license, Georgia requires ongoing continuing education to keep it active. You’ll need to renew your license on the Board’s schedule and demonstrate that you’ve completed the required continuing education hours during each renewal period. The specific number of hours and approved topics are set by the Board and can change, so check with the Georgia Board of Examiners of Psychologists when your renewal period approaches.
Realistic Timeline and Cost Expectations
Here’s a rough timeline from start to finish. Four years for a bachelor’s degree, five to seven years for a doctoral program (which includes the one-year predoctoral internship), and roughly one year for post-doctoral supervised hours. That puts most people at 10 to 12 years of education and training before they hold a full license.
The costs add up substantially. Doctoral programs range from relatively affordable at public universities to over $200,000 at private institutions. Some Ph.D. programs, particularly research-focused ones at major universities, offer tuition waivers and stipends, which can reduce or eliminate tuition costs. Psy.D. programs are less likely to offer full funding. Beyond tuition, budget for exam fees (paid to testing vendors), the $110 Georgia application fee, and any costs associated with your background check. Many predoctoral internships and post-doctoral positions pay a modest salary, typically enough to cover basic living expenses but not enough to make significant loan payments.
Despite the long road, Georgia’s licensed psychologists work across a wide range of settings: private practices, hospitals, schools, corporate consulting, forensic evaluations, and research institutions. The license opens doors to independent practice, which means you can diagnose, treat, and assess clients without another professional’s oversight.