How To Become a Psychologist in North Dakota 2025

If you live in North Dakota and are thinking about a career in psychology, you may be wondering what it's going to take. In particular, you're curious about how to become a psychologist in terms of the educational requirements you'll need to meet.

Keep reading as we look at how to become a psychologist and the specific requirements in North Dakota. We'll provide a step-by-step process you can follow, discuss schools with psychology degree programs, and answer common questions you may have.

What Does a Psychologist Do?

A psychologist is a mental health professional with advanced training in research, testing methods, and psychotherapy (talk therapy). Psychologists use these methods to diagnose and treat conditions ranging from life and relationship challenges to trauma and mental disorders.

Psychologists commonly work in mental health facilities, government agencies, and their own private practices. They conduct talk therapy and testing sessions with patients to determine underlying causes and coping strategies for various challenges.

For those wondering how long it takes to get a psychology degree, the answer depends on the type of degree you're pursuing. Licensed psychologists must hold a doctoral degree, which requires lower levels of education as well. In general, psychologists can expect to spend anywhere from eight to 12 years meeting the requirements for licensure.

5 Steps To Become a Psychologist in North Dakota

There are several educational requirements to become a psychologist in North Dakota. Let's take a look at the step-by-step process you can follow to earn your psychology license in the state.

Step 1: Earn a Bachelor's Degree

After graduating high school, the first thing you need to do is earn a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. You could choose to major in psychology or a related field, such as sociology or counseling.

Many schools offer accredited online psychology degrees to give students a flexible option. Whether you study online or on-campus, your psychology program will provide foundational coursework in human behavior and thought processes while helping you fulfill general education requirements.

Most bachelor's degree programs consist of at least 120 credits and take about four years of full-time study to complete. Pursuing an accelerated psychology degree online can help you speed up the process, making it possible to graduate within three years or less.

Step 2: Earn a Master's Degree (Optional)

The fastest way to become a psychologist is to skip this step, as many doctoral programs are designed as post-bachelor's programs rather than post-master's. However, there can be benefits to earning a master's degree.

If you majored in a field other than psychology, getting a master's degree in psychology can help you better prepare for the rigors of a doctoral program. It also provides opportunities to explore psychology specializations, such as school psychology and clinical psychology.

A master's degree program also provides advanced credentials for various career paths in counseling and mental health. This makes it possible for you to gain work experience in fields related to psychology as you progress toward your psychologist license.

Most master's programs take two to three years to complete, though accelerated options can be completed in as little as one year.

Step 3: Earn a Doctoral Degree

Doctoral degree programs are required for licensure and should ideally be accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). Two options are available: the Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in psychology.

There are no accredited PsyD programs online or in person in North Dakota. The available PhD programs provide a more research-focused education, preparing students for a wide range of psychologist careers.

Doctoral psychology programs typically take about four to seven years to complete but may be longer or shorter, depending on individualized study plans. Students are encouraged to pursue the most affordable online psychology degrees to help them graduate on a budget.

Step 4: Complete an Initial Application and Gain Supervised Experience

To begin the licensing process, you'll need to submit an initial application and an application fee of $450 to the North Dakota State Board of Psychologist Examiners (NDSBPE). With this application, you'll include your plan for gaining supervised experience and a Notification of Supervision Relationship form.

Then, you'll need to gain 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience within two years. Up to 1,500 hours must be gained as part of a predoctoral or doctoral internship, while the other 1,500 can come from either predoctoral or postdoctoral opportunities.

Step 5: Complete All Licensing Requirements

After your initial application has been reviewed and you have completed all supervised experience requirements, you will complete a Psychology Licensure Universal System (PLUS) application and submit a $200 fee. The NDSBPE will review this application and then approve you to sit for your licensing examinations.

You will first complete the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). This computerized test consists of 225 questions that cover topics relating to general psychology practice.

You'll also complete an oral examination that tests your knowledge of North Dakota state laws and regulations related to psychology practice. If the NDSBPE determines you pass this exam, it will issue you your psychology license.

What Are the Best Degrees for a Psychologist?

Students can pursue psychology degrees at every level. Associate and bachelor's degrees commonly lead to entry-level human service careers but do not fulfill licensure requirements.

Master's degrees can lead to more advanced careers in social work, counseling, and behavioral science, but again, they do not allow candidates to pursue psychology licensure.

Those hoping to earn a state license in psychology must earn a doctoral degree. With this in mind, a PsyD or PhD in psychology is generally considered the best type of degree for psychologists.

Top Psychology Degree Programs

There are a couple of schools in North Dakota that offer graduate programs in psychology. Let's take a closer look at each of these universities and the psychology programs they offer.

1. University of North Dakota

The University of North Dakota is located in Grand Forks, ND. It offers one of the top schools of psychology in the state and offers several degree programs, including an online master's in forensic psychology.

Students in the APA-accredited doctoral program can choose between specializations in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and general/experimental psychology. All of these programs are available as on-campus PhD degrees.

• Estimated tuition cost: $11,963 (in-state); $17,944 (out-of-state)
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

2. North Dakota State University

North Dakota State University is a public school in Fargo, ND. Learners at this school can pursue a post-bachelor's or post-master's PhD in psychology, with the option to earn a Master of Science degree in the process.

Students in the program gain teaching and research experience while completing advanced coursework. The program features a mentorship model, where students work with mentors to complete self-directed learning opportunities.

• Estimated tuition cost: $7,585 (in-state); $11,377 (out-of-state)
• Accreditation: HLC

Other Psychology Degrees

Students can also attend out-of-state schools to earn psychology degrees at the master's and doctoral levels. Let's look at some top schools to consider in the states surrounding North Dakota.

University of South Dakota

The University of South Dakota is located in Vermillion, SD. It features a high-ranking graduate program in psychology designed to culminate in a PhD degree.

Students can choose to specialize in human factors or clinical psychology and can opt to pursue terminal master's degrees in either specialization if desired. Doctoral students can earn combined degrees in psychology and law to pursue specialized career options.

• Estimated tuition cost: $6,123 (in-state); $11,773 (out-of-state)
• Accreditation: HLC

University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota is in Minneapolis, MN. It offers an APA-accredited psychology program with seven specializations and a five-year funding guarantee for all students.

Specializations include industrial-organizational psychology, social psychology, and quantitative/psychometric methods. Mentored research opportunities help students develop the skills needed to pursue rewarding careers and shape the field of psychology.

• Estimated tuition cost: $19,980 (in-state); $31,212 (out-of-state)
• Accreditation: HLC

University of Montana

The University of Montana is a public school in Missoula, MT. It offers a PhD in psychology with specializations in school, clinical, and experimental psychology.

Students in these programs choose the area of emphasis that most closely aligns with their career goals. All programs are research-intensive to prepare students for roles in academic, research, and more.

• Estimated tuition cost: $7,451 (in-state); $34,451 (out-of-state)
• Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

Skills of a Psychologist

Psychologists are highly skilled professionals, and their skill set often comprises a range of subtle, soft skills that help them succeed. These soft skills may include:

• empathy
• compassion
• communication
• integrity
• patience
• mental and emotional stability
• problem-solving

Psychologists must also have strong research skills and a commitment to lifelong learning through ongoing research and continuing education requirements. They must be skilled at conducting evaluations and assessments to read all of the clues a patient may be exhibiting.

Careers and Job Outlook for Psychologists

Psychologists in North Dakota can pursue a variety of specific career paths depending on their chosen specialization. Some specific job titles include:

• clinical psychologist
• counseling psychologist
• school psychologist

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), North Dakota employs just under 200 licensed psychologists. Around 160 of these are clinical and counseling psychologists, while the rest hold uncategorized psychology positions.

What Is the Average Salary of a Psychologist in North Dakota?

In North Dakota, clinical and counseling psychologists earn an average yearly salary of $88,500. This is slightly below the national average for all psychologists, which is $94,310 per year.

That said, other psychologists in the state earn higher average salaries. The average mean salary for uncategorized psychologists in North Dakota, according to the BLS, is 109,430 per year.

Explore Psychology Degrees

If you're ready to begin meeting the requirements to earn your psychologist license, explore the schools featured on Learn.org. Contact any of the schools for more information on their programs and to find the right one for you.