Predoctoral Internship

Steps to becoming a neuropsychologist in the United States. Required steps include graduating from high school, obtaining a bachelor’s degree, obtaining a doctoral degree like a PhD, PsyD, or EdD, completing a postdoctoral fellowship, and licensure. Optional steps include obtaining an associate’s degree, taking a gap year, and board certification. You are on the step predoctoral internship, which is part of obtaining a doctoral degree.

Predoctoral Internship

The final year of a doctoral psychology program is a required formal internship, which is one year of full-time work at a new institution, separate from your graduate program. During your internship year, you primarily focus on refining clinical skills in addition to a smaller degree of time spent in other academic experiences (e.g., seminars and research). 

During internship, you can both fill in gaps in your general clinical psychology training (e.g., through “minor rotations”) while also delving further into clinical neuropsychology (e.g., through “major rotations”). Applying to APA-accredited internship programs is strongly recommended, and you can find internship programs with a neuropsychology emphasis here. 

Resources for Current Grad Students:

Watch this KnowNeuropsychology video to learn about preparing for internship (and postdoc)!

KnowNeuropsychology is a great, free resource to learn more about the field. You can watch webinars on their website about neuroanatomy, clinical disorders, professional development, clinical practice, and research. 

To learn about additional steps in becoming a neuropsychologist, click below:

Bachelor's Degree
Associate's Degree
Doctoral Degree
Gap Year(s)
Postdoctoral Fellowship
Licensure & Boards
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