It takes years of training and supervised experience to become a licensed psychologist. Here's how to begin your academic journey if you live in Kansas.
We invite you to learn how to become a psychologist in Kansas and enjoy plenty of career opportunities in school psychology, clinical psychology, mental health therapy, family therapy, and several other related fields. While the qualifications for psychology licensure take some time to complete, they are well worth it for those who desire to serve in highly compensated psychology specializations. This article will introduce you to the basic steps on how to become a psychologist in Kansas.
What Does a Psychologist Do?
Psychologists are responsible for treating patients with mental health and behavioral disorders in various settings. This includes pediatric and school psychology for children, counseling and clinical support for adults, and many other specialized duties. Other psychologists lead research studies in various psychological topics, ranging from neuroscience and substance abuse to clinical psychology and social work.
There are various educational requirements to become a psychologist, depending on your desired career path. The minimum education is a bachelor's degree, but many advanced psychologists possess either a master's degree or doctoral-level education. If you just graduated high school and want to begin your career, research how long it takes to get a psychology degree in your state, as well as for your specialization.
Kansas residents have plenty of degree options to choose from institutions accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). There are also accredited online psychology degrees, which allow you to complete coursework from any remote location.
<h2 id="section---3StepsToBecomeAPsychologistInKansas">3 Steps To Become a Psychologist in Kansas</h2><p>Consider these three steps to fulfill the licensure requirements for Kansas psychologists. This section covers the processes of attending a four-year college, getting into graduate programs, completing the state's work experience requirements, and passing the Examination for Professional Practice in psychology (EPPP).
</p><h3 id="section---Step1GoToCollege">Step 1: Go to College</h3><p>You must begin the path to obtaining a psychologist license by completing a four-year degree. This is where you learn the fundamentals of the field at an accredited institution.
</p><p>If you know you want to pursue a doctorate later, consider completing your bachelor's degree as fast as possible through an accelerated three-year program. Learn.org has several resources to help you find the <a href="https://learn.org/articles/fastest_online_psychology_degree_programs.html">fastest psychology degree online</a>.
</p><h3 id="section---Step2GetAGraduateDegree">Step 2: Get a Graduate Degree</h3><p>Graduate-level education is mandatory for almost every form of private practice. You can meet some job requirements with just a master's degree, but clinical practice normally involves earning either a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Most doctoral programs require face-to-face learning, but there are a growing number of <a href="https://learn.org/articles/online_psyd_programs.html">accredited PsyD programs online</a>, which could help you if you wish to finish your education while working full time.
</p><h3 id="section---Step3GetLicensed">Step 3: Get Licensed</h3><p>Finally, once you've completed doctoral education, you should focus on fulfilling the remaining licensing requirements. The <a href="https://www.ksbsrb.ks.gov/professions/psychologists">Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB)</a> publishes specific guidelines on how to get a license, including how to obtain out-of-state reciprocity.
</p><p>Licensure requires you to possess a doctoral degree, one year of pre-doctoral internship experience, an additional year of supervised work experience, and a passing score of 500 on the EPPP. Then, you can complete the online licensure application and pay the application fees for the psychology license.
</p><h2 id="section---WhatAreTheBestDegreesForAPsychologist">What Are the Best Degrees for a Psychologist?</h2><p>The best degrees for a psychologist depend on which roles you wish to pursue after graduation. Clinical psychology positions, which are quite competitive, require a PsyD or PhD, along with significant postdoctoral clinical experience. Other jobs, such as school psychologists, may only require master's level education.
</p><p>Since your academic training may take several years and require a substantial financial investment, we recommend identifying the <a href="https://learn.org/articles/affordable_online_degrees_psychology.html">cheapest online psychology degree</a> options for your bachelor's degree. It's also important to strive to qualify for financial aid and scholarships in both undergraduate and graduate school.
</p><h2 id="section---TopPsychologyDegreePrograms">Top Psychology Degree Programs</h2><p>These are some of the top psychology degree programs in Kansas. This list includes PhD and master's degree options from affordable universities.
</p><h3 id="section---1.UniversityOfKansas">1. University of Kansas</h3><p>The University of Kansas offers a PhD program for in-depth study in one of three areas: clinical psychology, brain behavior and quantitative science, or social psychology. If you already hold a master's degree, then you can apply up to 30 hours toward this doctoral program. The university also offers multiple opportunities for graduate school funding, such as graduate teaching assistantships, outside fellowships, and university fellowships.
</p><ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $12,284 (in-state); $30,614 (out-of-state)
</li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> APA
</li></ul><h3 id="section---2.KansasStateUniversity">2. Kansas State University</h3><p>Kansas State University has a PhD program and a non-terminal master's degree option. The latter lets you begin your graduate education in industrial-occupational (IO) psychology by taking courses both in-person and online. The PhD program permits students to gain expertise in one of four competencies: behavioral neuroscience, IO psychology, cognitive science, and social personalities.
</p><ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $8,141 (in-state); $19,523 (out-of-state)
</li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> APA
</li></ul><h3 id="section---3.WashburnUniversity">3. Washburn University</h3><p>Washburn University offers face-to-face training through its Master of Arts (MA) in clinical psychology degree. It features a 60-credit-hour curriculum of core courses, clinical courses, practicum experience, internships, and a thesis project. Master's students can expect to interact with clinical patients by their second year and many graduates use this degree as a stepping stone toward future doctoral enrollment.
</p><ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $485 per credit hour (in-state); $925 per credit hour (out-of-state)
</li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> APA
</li></ul><h3 id="section---4.EmporiaStateUniversity">4. Emporia State University</h3><p>Emporia State University offers three master's degree options, including an online version of its Master of Science (MS) in psychology concentrating on educational psychology. The university promotes the online degree option as a terrific fit for working educators who wish to complete the 30-credit-hour program on a part-time basis. Admissions are competitive, however, and Emporia State requires a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 for acceptance.
</p><ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $272.80 per credit hour (in-state); $848.55 per credit hour (out-of-state)
</li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> Kansas State Department of Education
</li></ul><h3 id="section---5.FortHaysStateUniversity">5. Fort Hays State University</h3><p>Fort Hays State University offers a master's degree with a clinical psychology concentration, which students can complete on campus, 100% online, or in a hybrid format. This program only admits students in the fall, offers flexible online education, and provides solid training in mental health therapy. It's also one of the more affordable degree options, considering the university only charges $348.78 per credit hour for this 62-hour program.
</p><ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $348.78 per credit hour (in-state); $348.78 per credit hour (out-of-state)
</li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
</li></ul><h2 id="section---SkillsOfAPsychologist">Skills of a Psychologist</h2><p>Psychologists treat patients who suffer from a range of difficult traumas, disorders, and diseases. Therefore, it's essential for them to develop empathy, compassion, and concern for their patients' well-being. This is especially true of clinical psychologists, who treat patients face-to-face while also needing great attention to detail and critical thinking skills as they decide treatment protocols and administer medications.
</p><p>The <a href="https://learn.org/articles/how_fast_can_i_become_psychologist.html">fastest way to become a psychologist</a> is to master all the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities of professional psychology. This will be a primary focus for your graduate-level training, student work experience, and other licensing requirements.
</p><h2 id="section---CareersAndJobOutlookForPsychologists">Careers and Job Outlook for Psychologists</h2><p>Psychologists can look forward to solid career potential for the foreseeable future. That's because many Kansas communities continue to experience shortages in psychological professionals.
</p><p>According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), this career field should see a 7% job growth from 2023 to 2033. The fastest-growing areas include school psychology, behavioral psychology, and clinical psychology.
</p><h2 id="section---WhatIsTheAverageSalaryOfAPsychologistInKansas">What Is the Average Salary of a Psychologist in Kansas?</h2><p>The BLS also shows terrific salary prospects for psychologists. As of 2023, the average salary was $94,310 per year or $45.34 per hour. This means that all those years of education and building work experience yield terrific results once you have the chance to earn a six-figure salary in a stimulating career field.
</p><h2 id="section---ExplorePsychologyDegrees">Explore Psychology Degrees</h2><p>We invite you to check out the rest of Learn.org to discover all bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctoral programs, professional licensure, and more. Make our website your top resource for finding any academic credential for the field of psychology.</p>
