How To Become a Psychologist in Hawaii 2025

Psychologists focus on understanding and learning more about human behavior. They may work with patients in clinical settings or may work in research or academia.

All states require a license to practice psychology professionally, but the licensure requirements vary by state. If you're wondering how to become a psychologist in Hawaii, you'll need to follow a few steps and earn a doctoral degree. Keep reading to learn more about how to become a psychologist and the requirements in Hawaii.

What Does a Psychologist Do?

Psychologists are professionals who seek to understand human behavior and how people relate to each other. Their job duties may include:

• studying behavior and brain function
• identifying psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues and diagnosing disorders
• working with individuals to develop treatment plans for their conditions
• researching and identifying behavioral or emotional issues

The specific tasks a psychologist performs depend on whether they are primarily a researcher or work in a clinical setting. It also depends on their specialty. Common specialties for psychologists include:

• Clinical psychology: This branch of psychology focuses on assessing, diagnosing, and treating mental disorders.
• Counseling psychology: Counseling psychologists help people work through everyday stressors or particularly challenging times in their lives.
• School psychology: This field looks at psychology in educational settings and focuses on how to help students and schools succeed.
• Industrial-organizational psychology: I-O psychology is the psychology of workplace and employee behavior.
• Forensic psychology: This type of psychology looks at the psychology of the criminal justice and legal systems.
• Neuropsychology: Neuropsychology works to understand how damage or conditions in the brain influence behavior.

In Hawaii, as in most other states, to practice as a psychologist (as opposed to working solely in research or academia), you must have a license. The educational requirements to become a psychologist and how long it takes to get a psychology degree varies by field and your career goals.

6 Steps To Become a Psychologist in Hawaii

To become a licensed psychologist in Hawaii, you'll need to complete a doctoral program, participate in supervised experience, and pass a licensure exam. We've broken down the basic steps below.

Step 1: Earn a Bachelor's Degree

Before you can enter into a doctoral program, you need to complete a bachelor's degree. Bachelor's degrees are undergraduate degrees that take about four years to complete and are a requirement for entry into most graduate programs.

Many students who want to pursue a graduate degree in psychology choose to major in psychology for their undergrad program. This provides a solid foundation in psychology, and there are several accredited psychology programs online at the bachelor's level.

However, most graduate psychology programs do not require a specific undergraduate major. Choose something that aligns with the type of psychological services you want to provide.

Step 2: Consider a Master's Degree

Master's degrees are graduate degrees that usually take about two years of full-time study, although some schools offer accelerated psychology degrees online that allow you to finish faster. You may or may not want to complete a master's degree, depending on the doctoral program you're interested in.

Some doctoral degrees do not require a master's program, making them one of the fastest ways to become a psychologist. On the other hand, there are other types of mental health professionals, like counselors and marriage and family therapists, who only need master's degrees instead of doctorates.

Step 3: Complete a Doctoral Degree

To earn a psychology license in Hawaii, you need to have a doctorate degree in psychology. This is typically a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in psychology.

PhDs focus on both research and clinical practice, while PsyDs focus on clinical and counseling practice. Both can qualify you for licensure, if the program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) or approved by the Hawaii Board of Psychology.

Your doctoral program will include coursework on core psychological concepts, as well as your chosen field of psychology. You'll participate in research projects and hands-on experiences such as practicums and internships.

Step 4: Fulfill Supervised Experience

The licensure requirements for Hawaii also require two types of supervised experience � each at least a year long. The first is a pre-doctoral internship as part of your doctoral degree program, and the second is postdoctoral experience.

You must be under the supervision of a licensed psychologist, a psychologist who holds an American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), or someone who holds a doctoral degree and has had two years of postdoctoral experience.

Step 5: Take and Pass the EPPP

In most states, including Hawaii, psychology license applicants are required to take the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). This is a national exam developed and administered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB).

The EPPP tests your knowledge of psychology, intervention, and assessment. Applicants who live in Hawaii can take the exam at the testing center in Oahu.

Step 6: Obtain and Maintain Licensure

Once you've fulfilled the licensing requirements, you can finish applying for your credential. You'll need to submit the required documentation, pay the application fee, and pass a criminal background check.

To maintain your psychology licensure, you'll need to renew your license by June 30th of every even-numbered year. After your first renewal, you'll need to complete 18 continuing education (CE) hours during each two-year period. This CE must be through an approved source, like the APA or the Hawaii Psychological Association.

What Are the Best Degrees for a Psychologist?

To earn a psychologist license in Hawaii, you must have a doctoral degree. As a result, the best degree is either a PhD in psychology or a PsyD.

There are also mental health services and human services roles you can do with a master's degree. For example, a degree in counseling or social work can lead to licensure in those fields.

Top Psychology Degree Programs

A handful of colleges and universities in Hawaii offer psychology programs. We've featured some of the best PsyD programs and PhDs in psychology below.

1. University of Hawaii at Manoa

The University of Hawaii at Manoa is a public research institution in Honolulu. It offers an APA-accredited PhD in clinical psychology.

This program focuses on developing, testing, and applying psychological theories, principles, processes, and methods to address mental health challenges. Graduates are prepared to use psychological clinical science to help individuals of all backgrounds.

• Estimated tuition cost: $15,600 per year (in-state); $33,648 per year (out-of-state)
• Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WASCUC) and APA

2. Chaminade University of Honolulu

At Chaminade University of Honolulu, students will find a PsyD in clinical psychology. The APA-accredited program prepares students for both contemporary and emerging roles in the practice of professional psychology.

This private Catholic school is located in Honolulu. It's home to the largest psychological assessment library in Hawaii and offers scholarships to help students pay for their degrees.

• Estimated tuition cost: $26,880 per year (in-state and out-of-state)
• Accreditation: WASCUC and APA

3. Hawaii Pacific University

Hawaii Pacific University also offers an APA-accredited PsyD in clinical psychology. HPU is a private university in Honolulu.

The program prepares graduates to address the growing mental health needs of communities with cutting-edge, evidence-based approaches. It offers unique training in Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, and Asian-American mental health.

• Estimated tuition cost: $21,140 per year (in-state and out-of-state)
• Accreditation: WASCUC and APA

Other Psychology Degrees

Hawaii is a small state, so it's not surprising that there are only a few APA-accredited institutions on the islands. We've featured a few other accredited programs from the closest states to provide more options.

4. University of Alaska Anchorage

The PhD in clinical-community psychology at the University of Alaska Anchorage integrates clinical, community, and cultural psychology with a focus on rural, indigenous issues. Through combining clinical and community psychology, the program promotes contextually grounded and culturally appropriate research, evaluation, prevention, clinical service, community work, and social action.

UAA, located in Anchorage, AK, is a public institution. Its clinical-community psychology PhD is approved for licensure in the state of Hawaii.

• Estimated tuition cost: $9,234 per year (in-state); $19,422 per year (out-of-state)
• Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

5. University of California, Los Angeles

The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research institution. It offers one of the largest APA-accredited PhD in clinical psychology programs in the nation.

The goal of the program is to develop leading clinical scientists whose skills and knowledge will have a substantial impact on the field of psychology and the lives of those in need. Other non-licensure PhDs in psychology are available at UCLA.

• Estimated tuition cost: $12,762 per year (in-state); $27,864 per year (out-of-state)
• Accreditation: WASCUC and APA

Skills of a Psychologist

As you move through your education, you'll develop important knowledge of psychological concepts, clinical practice, and research methods. You'll also develop your soft skills, such as:

• analytical and critical thinking skills
• communication skills
• compassion and patience
• integrity and confidentiality
• interpersonal and observational skills
• problem-solving skills

These soft skills are key for all types of psychologists, whether you're working in educational psychology, social psychology, psychotherapy, or something in between. Your hands-on experiences will help you further develop these skills.

Careers and Job Outlook for Psychologists

Nationwide, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects jobs for psychologists to increase by 7% by 2033. Some jobs in Hawaii are expected to see an increase as well, but it depends on the field.

Jobs for clinical and counseling psychologists in Hawaii should increase by 11% over the same time frame. Data is not available for school psychologists or industrial-organizational psychologists in the state. However, other types of psychologists, such as neuropsychologists, are expected to see a decrease of 5%.

What Is the Average Salary of a Psychologist in Hawaii?

Data for psychologist salaries in Hawaii is very limited; O*Net only provides information for clinical and counseling psychologists.

Counseling and clinical psychologists in Hawaii earn a median annual salary of $108,840 per year � higher than the national median of $95,830 per year. Wages are highest in the Kahului-Wailuku area of Maui, at a median of $116,050 per year. Those on Kauai and in less populated parts of Hawaii have a median annual salary of $97,700.

To help maximize your salary, try to keep your costs low while in school. Look for some of the most affordable online psychology degrees and take advantage of financial aid opportunities.

Explore Psychology Degrees

Find the perfect psychology degree by exploring the options featured on Learn.org. Reach out to individual schools to learn more about how they can help you achieve your career goals.