Educational Requirements, Section 337.021, RSMo

PURPOSE: This rule interprets and clarifies section 337.021, RSMo. (1) A person applying for licensure as a psychologist pursuant to section 337.021, RSMo shall be governed by this rule in force and effect on August 28, 1989. (2) The phrase “a program of studies whose content was primarily psychological” as used in sections 337.020 and 337.021, RSMo shall be defined as any one (1) of the following: (A) An educational program which has been approved, including provisional approval, by the Education and Training Board of the American Psychological Association, or its successor, or jointly designated by the Council for the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology and the American Association of State Psychology Boards, or its successor, at the time the applicant obtained the degree; or (B) A graduate training program is as follows: 1. An integrated, organized sequence of study, the purpose of which is to educate and train people to be a professional psychologist; 2. Core course work in the basic areas of psychology and course work, and training in preparation for the professional practice of psychology, as defined in section 337.015.3. and 4., RSMo shall include at least one (1), three (3) semester-hour graduate credit course or a combination of graduate credit courses totaling three (3) semester-hours or five (5) quarter-hours in each of the following areas: A. The biological bases of behavior, such as courses in sensation and perception, psychophysiological psychology and psychopharmacology, brain and behavior; B. The cognitive-affective bases of behavior, such as courses in learning, thinking, motivation, emotion, and cognitive psychology; C. The social bases of behavior, such as courses in the psychology of interpersonal relationships, group processes, social psychology, organizational theory, systems theory, group dynamics and role theory, and family systems theory; D. Individual differences, such as courses in personality theory, human development, abnormal psychology, developmental psychology, child psychology, adolescent psychology, psychology of aging, psychopathology, and theories of personality; and E. The scientific methods and procedures of understanding, predicting and influencing human behavior, such as courses in statistics, experimental design, psychometrics, individual testing, group testing, research design, and methodology; 3. Each course must be an in-depth study solely devoted to a particular core area. No core area credit will be given for a course which contains only components or some aspects of a core area; 4. A course will be counted only once in granting credit for a core area; 5. No core course credit will be given for practicums, workshops, continuing education, applied courses, experiential courses, readings courses, independent studies, or correspondence courses; 6. Credit will be given for seminar courses only if the applicant is awarded a grade for the course and provides substantiation through course descriptions in official school catalogs, course syllabi, bulletins or other like means, or through written documentation from a school official that the course was an in-depth study of a particular core area and that the course included lectures and discussions concerning a wide range of the key topics in that core area; 7. Titles of course work on official transcripts which are not self-explanatory must be substantiated through course descriptions in official school catalogs, course syllabi, bulletins or other like means, or through written documentation from a school official; 8. The committee will not count undergraduate level courses taken by an applicant as meeting any academic requirements unless the applicant’s official graduate transcript clearly shows that the course was awarded graduate credit by the school or that a competency examination was successfully passed in that particular core area and is clearly shown on the transcript; 9. The committee will not accept course work for which an applicant received a failing or incomplete grade or for which no credit was given as indicated on the official transcript; 10. In evaluating transcripts, the committee shall consider one quarter (1/4) hour of academic credit as two-thirds (2/3) of a semester-hour; 11. An appropriate program of study also shall include graduate course work and supervised practical training in rendering services to individuals, groups, and organizations in preparation for the professional practice of psychology as defined in section 337.015.2. and 4., RSMo; 12. The applicant shall provide official transcripts and any other supporting evidence necessary to document the fact that these educational requirements have been met. The applicant has the burden of demonstrating that the academic course work and training constituted a program of study whose content was primarily psychological. A final determination of whether the program of study which formed the basis of the applicant’s degree was primarily psychological is within the discretion of the department; 13. An applicant who has been denied licensure as a result of inadequate educational experience and wishes to make up academic deficiencies and to obtain prior approval from the committee of the applicant’s proposed plan for completing the deficiencies may submit a proposed plan for completing the academic requirements to the committee for its evaluation. Upon satisfactory completion of these deficiencies, the applicant shall reapply for licensure, submit the application fee, and file with the committee an official transcript or verification from the academic registrar’s office or other like school official that the academic deficiencies have been completed; 14. The committee will review an applicant’s educational credentials upon receipt of official educational transcripts received directly from the universities and upon payment of the fee for prior educational review; and 15. The committee will review an applicant’s proposed plan for obtaining an appropriate educational degree or course work, or both, upon receipt of the photocopies of official school documents, such as course syllabi or catalog descriptions of course work and degree programs, and upon payment of the fee for prior educational review. AUTHORITY: section 337.050.5, RSMo Supp. 2020.* This rule was originally filed as 4 CSR 235-3.011. This rule previously filed as 4 CSR 235-2.001. Original rule filed Jan. 14, 1981, effective June 11, 1981. Amended: Filed Oct. 4, 1988, effective Dec. 29, 1988. Amended: Filed Feb. 4, 1992, effective Dec. 3, 1992. Moved to 20 CSR 2235-2.001, effective Aug. 28, 2006. Amended: Filed Feb. 4, 2021, effective July 30, 2021. *Original authority: 337.050, RSMo 1977, amended 1981, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2020.