How To Become a Psychologist in Nebraska 2025

We'd like to offer an overview of how to become a psychologist in the State of Nebraska. There are many rewarding career opportunities in mental health, clinical psychology, school psychology, behavioral health, social work, and other psychology specializations.

The American Psychological Association (APA) and Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) have strict requirements for psychologist licensure, but the educational requirements are not overwhelming for motivated students. This article will give you the basic steps for how to become a psychologist in the shortest amount of time.

What Does a Psychologist Do?

Psychologists are experts on human behavior and have many academic and practitioner responsibilities. They treat patients with mental and behavioral disorders, prescribe medications, conduct empirical research, and serve in governmental regulatory roles at the federal, state, and local levels.

The educational requirements to become a psychologist include earning a bachelor's degree, completing a doctoral program, and proving expert competency by passing the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). The timetable for how long it takes to get a psychology degree could be up to 10 years in order to fulfill all these requirements. If you want to complete some of the coursework remotely (especially undergraduate classes), then consider enrolling in an accredited online psychology degree.

3 Steps To Become a Psychologist in Nebraska

The following is a three-step strategy for becoming a psychologist in Nebraska. It focuses on earning a four-year degree, then completing graduate programs, and finally obtaining a psychology license.

Step 1: Earn a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology

If you just graduated high school, the first step to becoming a psychologist is to earn a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) in the field of psychology. You don't always need to major in psychology to get it into graduate school, but it helps to have the psychology background for admissions purposes and to learn the basics of the discipline.

At this level, you can do most or all of the coursework remotely by enrolling in the fastest psychology degree online.

Step 2: Get a Graduate Degree in Psychology

Your next objective will be to earn at least a master's degree in the discipline � but there are far more advanced career opportunities for doctoral degree holders. The two terminal degrees are the Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Both allow graduates to sit for the EPPP, provided they acquire enough hours of supervised experience.

The list of graduate programs below includes some of the best PsyD programs and PhD programs in Nebraska. These typically require at least 60 hours of coursework, although the requirement varies depending on previous academic experience.

Step 3: Get Your Psychologist License

The fastest way to become a psychologist is to focus on the licensing requirements as early as possible while completing graduate school and finishing postdoctoral work. The Nebraska DHHS requires psychologists to pass a criminal background check and hold a doctoral degree. Psychologist assistants must possess at least a master's degree.

Full-time psychologists have experience requirements as well. You must complete at least one year of supervised postdoctoral experience for a permanent license, but candidates can also apply for a provisional license and out-of-state reciprocity before then.

What Are the Best Degrees for a Psychologist?

While master's degree holders can perform several tasks under the supervision of licensed psychologists, you will need a doctorate to do independent or private practice in Nebraska. Once you receive a permanent license, you can qualify for the highest-paying roles as a clinical therapist, mental health therapist, and substance abuse counselor. PhD and PsyD holders are the only psychologists who can prescribe medicine, according to Nebraska state law.

If you want to complete an entire doctoral degree, then you should also research the most affordable ways to attend school. For that, you can explore some of most affordable online psychology degrees, and complete your education from any location.

Top Psychology Degree Programs

Below is a list of five reputable and APA-accredited graduate degree programs in Nebraska. These train professionals in the practice of psychology and prepare graduates to sit for the EPPP.

1. University of Nebraska - Omaha

The Department of Psychology at the University of Nebraska - Omaha offers four graduate degrees:

• Master of Arts (MA)
• Master of Science (MS)
• Education Specialist Degree (EdS)
• PhD

The master's degree options allow you to specialize in important sub-fields, like developmental psychology and applied behavior analysis, whereas the doctoral programs focus on school psychology, neuroscience, and industrial-occupational psychology.

• Estimated tuition cost: $365.00 per credit hour (in-state); $878.00 per credit hour (out-of-state)
• Accreditation: APA

2. University of Nebraska - Kearney

The University of Nebraska - Kearney focuses exclusively on school psychology in its master's degree program. Prospective school psychologists can enter this program if they earn at least a 2.75 grade point average (GPA) and obtain solid recommendation letters. The goal of this program is to train psychologists and counselors in the best techniques for helping children ;~;succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally.''

• Estimated tuition cost: $452 per credit (in-state); $1,085 per credit hour (out-of-state)
• Accreditation: National Association of School Psychology (NASP)

3. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

The University of Nebraska - Lincoln offers master's degrees in several psychology sub-fields, such as developmental psychology, neuroscience and behavioral sciences, and clinical psychology. It also collaborates with Nebraska's law school to offer joint degrees for a master's and law degree. Most accepted students submit at least a 3.5 GPA and have undergraduate experience in quantitative methods.

• Estimated tuition cost: $341 per credit hour (in-state); $996 per credit hour (out-of-state)
• Accreditation: APA

4. Bellevue University

Bellevue University has a master's degree program, specializing in industrial-occupation (IO) psychology. This allows students to develop strong research skills in workplace psychology, including topics like employee selection and managing real-world organizational projects. Students can take courses in person or through an online training program, designed to last about two years.

• Estimated tuition cost: $680 per credit hour (in-state); $680 per credit hour (out-of-state)
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

5. Wayne State College

Wayne State College has a master's degree program for clinical mental health counseling. The program features 36 hours of core courses, 24 credit hours of focus-area electives (including one supervised practicum course), and flexible eight-week and 16-week sessions. The application process is free, and full-time students can complete the program within about two years.

• Estimated tuition cost: $252.40 per credit hour (in-state); $504.70 per credit hour (out-of-state)
• Accreditation: Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

Skills of a Psychologist

All of your education, internships, and postdoctoral training should prepare you to become a well-rounded professional in fields like counseling psychology, clinical psychology, or school psychology. This training teaches psychologists how to express empathy for their patients, methods for conducting sophisticated research, and time-management skills for a busy career in various challenging roles.

Careers and Job Outlook for Psychologists

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the labor market for psychologists is growing fast. The projected growth rate is about 7% between 2023 and 2033. Nebraska expects to see a solid expansion of jobs for school psychologists, clinical therapists, and other essential psychological services in the private and public sectors.

What Is the Average Salary of a Psychologist in Nebraska?

The BLS also reports an average salary of $94,310 for psychologists as of 2023. The higher salaries often belong to licensed psychologists with years of professional experience, especially in clinical psychology and other competitive sub-fields.

Explore Psychology Degrees

Learn.org welcomes you to utilize all our resources for online psychology degrees at every level. This helps you discover the most effective ways to earn a bachelor's degree, master's degree, doctoral degree, or professional licensure.