Licensed Psychologist · Massachusetts · regulated by Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists · medium confidence
| Degree | Doctoral degree from a program in psychology (ASPPB/NR-designated or APA CoA-accredited, and meeting 251 CMR 3.03(2) criteria) |
|---|---|
| Internship | One full-time year = ≥1,600 clock hours in 10–36 months; ≥1 h supervision per 16 hours incl. ≥1 h/week individual |
| Supervised experience | 2 years = ≥3,200 clock hours within 60 consecutive months; at least one year before the doctoral degree |
| Pre-doctoral hours | Yes: advanced practica (after 2 graduate years) and internship count; at least one year must be predoctoral |
| Postdoc required? | No |
| Credential during the postdoc | none (trainee titles such as resident or fellow; no provisional license found) |
| Exams | National examination in psychology (scaled score 500; rule does not name it, EPPP implied) and Massachusetts jurisprudence examination |
| EPPP-2 | not adopted (251 CMR 3.08 names a national exam 'determined by the Board', no EPPP-2) |
| PSYPACT | not member (Massachusetts absent from psypact.gov final legislation list, 2026-09-25) |
Supervision during the postdoc
- Supervision: Post-internship experience: ≥1 h supervision per 16 hours of work, incl. ≥1 h/week individual; supervisor on premises
- Who may supervise: Licensed psychologist or one clearly eligible for licensure (board-certified psychiatrist presumed eligible); on staff of or consultant to the site
- Minimum time: Each training experience ≥4 months at ≥16 hours/week; internship year ≥10 months
- Time limit: 3,200 hours within 60 consecutive calendar months
Related credentials
- Specialty or health-service credential: Health Service Provider certification: 3,200 hours of supervised health service experience within 60 months, incl. 800 direct client hours and one year in a health service training program
Can you be supervised remotely in Massachusetts?
Yes. Required supervision can be done entirely by live video, with no in-person minimum.
- Video supervision: Rule: weekly face-to-face supervision with the supervisor on the premises while the trainee serves clients. Board policy (Oct 13, 2023) reads 'face to face' as including secure HIPAA-compliant videoconferencing and 'on premises' as the supervisor being ready and available with access to the clinic's records, so remote supervision of teletherapy counts.
- Phone only: not allowed (policy names videoconferencing only)
- Supervisor licensed in Massachusetts? other: licensed psychologist or one 'clearly eligible for licensure'; board policy says supervisors must be licensed psychologists, with HSP if in Massachusetts
- Supervisor credential: HSP certification when supervising in Massachusetts (board policy)
- Supervisee cap: face-to-face group contacts ≤3 trainees
- Board approval first: none found (signed supervisor statement at application)
- If you live outside Massachusetts: Policy: supervisors and trainees must follow the laws of other jurisdictions where services are rendered or patients are located
The client’s location decides which state’s rules apply. This is not legal advice; confirm with the board before building a program. Compare every state on the remote-supervision map.
In the board’s own words
“shall mean not less than 3200 clock hours, which have been completed within 60 consecutive calendar months” — 251 CMR 3.04(5)✓ matched in the source
“at least one year of which was before his receiving the doctoral degree” — M.G.L. c. 112 §119(c)✓ matched in the source
“Internship experience of one year full time shall fulfill a total of one year of supervised experience towards licensure if it is at least 1600 clock hours” — 251 CMR 3.04(8)(a)✓ matched in the source
“the applicant must receive a minimum of one hour of supervision for each 16 hours of work, including at least one hour per week of individual supervision” — 251 CMR 3.04(8)(b)✓ matched in the source
“The supervisor shall be on the premises where the trainee renders service during the time such service is rendered.” — 251 CMR 3.05(2)(f)✓ matched in the source
“The applicant must also pass the Massachusetts Jurisprudence examination.” — 251 CMR 3.08(2)✓ matched in the source
“the passing score on the national examination in psychology shall be a scaled score of 500 or higher” — 251 CMR 3.08(3)(d)✓ matched in the source
“not less than 3200 clock hours which have been completed within 60 consecutive calendar months, 800 clock hours of which were spent providing health services directly to clients” — 251 CMR 3.06(4)(a)✓ matched in the source
“have contact through an acceptable, secure, HIPAA compliant videoconferencing platform.” — Psychology Board Policy on Supervision and Teletherapy (Oct 13, 2023)✓ matched in the source
“The supervisor shall be on the premises where the trainee renders service during the time such service is rendered.” — 251 CMR 3.05(2)(f)✓ matched in the source
“the supervisor is ready and available to consult with, or otherwise assist, the trainee at the time psychological services are rendered” — Psychology Board Policy on Supervision and Teletherapy (Oct 13, 2023)✓ matched in the source
“contacts between the supervisor and the individual trainee or groups of not more than three such persons” — 251 CMR 3.05(2)(c)✓ matched in the source
4 more quotes are in the state explorer.
Other licenses in Massachusetts
- LMHC (professional counselor)
- LMFT (marriage and family therapist)
- LICSW (clinical social worker)
- All Massachusetts licenses · every state
Sources
- 251 CMR 3.00 Registration of Psychologists (Mass. Register #1546, 4/25/2025), official mass.gov PDF via Wayback Machine capture 2025-12-06
- 251 CMR 3.00 regulation page on mass.gov (live site blocked, 403)
- M.G.L. c. 112 §119 Psychologists; application for license
- M.G.L. c. 112 §120 Examination of applicants; health service provider certification
- PSYPACT: Final PSYPACT Legislation (state list)
- Psychology Board Policies: Policy on Supervision and Teletherapy (Oct 13, 2023); Unlicensed Persons Accumulating Supervised Clinical Hours (rendered 2026-09-25)
Checked against Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.