How to Become a Neuropsychologist: 3-Step Guide
Published on: July 28, 2026 | 7 minutes read
By: ĢƵ
Few areas of psychology ask you to understand the brain and the person at the same time.
A neuropsychologist may spend one part of the day evaluating memory changes after a stroke, and another helping determine whether attention difficulties stem from ADHD, a learning disorder, or a neurological condition. The work is one of the most specialized and intellectually demanding paths in the profession.
For many students, however, the bigger question is: How long does it take to become a neuropsychologist? While the journey requires significant education and supervised training, each stage builds on the one before it. This guide walks through the three major steps of becoming a neuropsychologist.
Key Takeaways
- Neuropsychology is a specialty within clinical psychology focused on the relationship between brain function and behavior. Practice requires a doctoral-level credential.
- The path typically takes 10 to 12 years of combined undergraduate, doctoral, internship, and postdoctoral training, with the doctoral program itself spanning roughly four to seven years, depending on the degree type.
- Prospective students choose between a PhD in Clinical Psychology (research-oriented, scholar-practitioner model) and a PsyD in Clinical Psychology (practice-oriented, hands-on clinical model), with both pathways supporting future neuropsychology specialization.
What Does a Neuropsychologist Do?
Clinical neuropsychology focuses on the relationship between the brain and behavior. Neuropsychologists assess, diagnose, and help treat cognitive, behavioral, and emotional changes that may result from neurological conditions, injuries, or developmental differences.
Their patients often include individuals living with:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Stroke
- Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
- Epilepsy
- ADHD
- Learning disorders
- Neurodevelopmental conditions
- Brain tumors and other neurological illnesses
Consider a patient who recently experienced a stroke and is struggling with memory, attention, and problem-solving. A neurologist may evaluate the medical aspects of the injury, while a neuropsychologist helps determine how those brain changes are affecting daily functioning, work performance, learning, and quality of life.
Importantly, neuropsychology is not a separate degree path. It is a specialty area within clinical psychology. That is why the journey begins not with a neuropsychology doctorate, but with a doctoral degree in clinical psychology that provides the foundation for advanced specialization later.
How to Become a Neuropsychologist in 3 Steps
The path to neuropsychology is longer than many psychology careers, but it is also highly structured.
#1 Build the Undergraduate Foundation
The first step toward answering, “How to become a neuropsychologist?” is earning a bachelor’s degree.
While psychology is the most common major, students also enter doctoral programs with backgrounds in neuroscience, biology, cognitive science, and other behavioral sciences. Successful doctoral applicants typically have research experience that demonstrates their ability to think scientifically and analyze data, which is often what admissions committees look for when evaluating readiness for graduate school.
Clinical exposure, through volunteer work, crisis hotlines, rehabilitation settings, research coordinator positions, or mental health support roles, can also strengthen your application to clinical psychology programs.
#2 Earn a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PhD or PsyD)
The doctoral degree is the central credential in the neuropsychology pathway.
Because neuropsychology is a specialty within clinical psychology, students first earn a doctorate in clinical psychology before pursuing advanced neuropsychology training. At this stage, most students choose between a PhD in Clinical Psychology or a PsyD in Clinical Psychology.[1] Students weighing this decision often ask, “How many years is a doctorate degree in psychology?” since the timeline differs depending on the path chosen.
The difference between these options lies primarily in training emphasis.
| PhD in Clinical Psychology | PsyD in Clinical Psychology | |
| Focus | Research + clinical practice | Clinical practice |
| Training Model | Scholar-practitioner | Practitioner-focused |
| Research | Extensive research and dissertation | Research-informed, less research-intensive |
| Best For | Research, academia, and hospital-based careers | Direct patient care, clinical settings |
| Program Length | 5–7 years | 4–6 years |
| Licensure Path | Can lead to psychologist licensure | Can lead to psychologist licensure |
What often matters more than the degree title itself is how students shape their training. A budding clinical neuropsychologist should aim to develop expertise in brain-behavior relationships through:
- Neuropsychological assessment coursework
- Cognitive and behavioral neuroscience research
- Practicum placements in hospitals or rehabilitation centers
- Work in memory disorder clinics or neurology settings
- Traumatic brain injury programs
The doctorate may feel like the biggest step in the process, but it is not the final one.
#3 Complete Internship, Postdoctoral Training, and Board Certification
Like many healthcare specialties, neuropsychology requires advanced supervised training beyond the doctoral degree.
- The first step is the predoctoral internship. Completed during doctoral training, an APA-accredited internship typically lasts one full year and places students in real clinical environments under supervision. [2]
- After earning the doctorate and completing the internship, aspiring neuropsychologists typically pursue a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology. This stage is often considered the true specialty training period and is guided by the Houston Conference Guidelines.[3]
- Alongside specialty training comes licensure. Because neuropsychology is a specialty within clinical psychology, neuropsychologists must first become licensed psychologists. While requirements vary by state, licensure generally involves earning a doctoral degree, completing supervised training requirements, passing the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), and meeting additional state-specific standards.[4]
- Some neuropsychologists choose to pursue one additional credential after licensure: board certification. Offered through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) in Clinical Neuropsychology, board certification is considered the specialty’s recognized credential. The process typically involves credential review, practice sample evaluation, demonstrated competency, and an oral examination conducted by board-certified neuropsychologists.[5]
Taken together, the pathway is considerably long. Students often ask, “How long does it take to become a neuropsychologist?” From the beginning of undergraduate study through doctoral education, internship, postdoctoral fellowship, and licensure, many students spend roughly a decade or more working toward becoming a neuropsychologist.
Your Path Into Brain-Behavior Science Starts Here
Every memory test, rehabilitation plan, dementia evaluation, and brain injury assessment begins with the same question: What is happening in the brain, and how is it affecting this person’s life?
Neuropsychologists spend their careers answering that question. The path to this specialty is rigorous, but it can also give you a deeply meaningful career.
For students considering this field, the most important decision is often the doctoral program. At the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at ĢƵ, students can build a strong foundation through hands-on clinical training, faculty mentorship, and supervised real-world experience.
Where do psychologists work? For students interested in this field, the answer often includes hospitals, rehabilitation centers, memory clinics, research settings, or academic medicine. The skills developed during doctoral training will help prepare you for the opportunities ahead. Connect with an ĢƵ admissions counselor to discuss your goals and start mapping out your path toward neuropsychology.
Sources:
[1] Hokkanen, Laura, Fernando Barbosa, Amélie Ponchel, Marios Constantinou, Mary H. Kosmidis, Nataliya Varako, Erich Kasten, et al. “Clinical Neuropsychology as a specialist profession in European health care: Developing a benchmark for training standards and competencies using the Europsy model?” Frontiers in Psychology. October 6, 2020. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.559134. Accessed June 30, 2026.
[2] Gee, Dylan G., Kathryn A. DeYoung, Katie A. McLaughlin, Rachael M. Tillman, Deanna M. Barch, Erika E. Forbes, Robert F. Krueger, Timothy J. Strauman, Mariann R. Weierich, and Alexander J. Shackman. “Training the next generation of Clinical Psychological Scientists: A Data-Driven Call to Action.” Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. August 10, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081219-092500. Accessed June 30, 2026.
[3] Correia, Stephen, Anthony Y. Stringer, Peter Dodzik, Grace Mucci, Rebecca Ready, Ryan Van Patten, Lynette Abrams-Silva, et al. “Implementing the Minnesota Conference Guidelines in doctoral, internship, fellowship, and continuing education programs.” The Clinical Neuropsychologist. February 4, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1080/13854046.2026.2615109. Accessed June 30, 2026.
[4] APA. “State licensure and certification information for psychologists.” The American Psychological Association. January 1, 2026. https://www.apaservices.org/practice/ce/state/state-info. Accessed June 30, 2026.
[5] ABPP. “Specialty specific requirements.” American Board of Professional Psychology. Dec 11, 2024. https://abpp.org/application-information/learn-about-specialty-boards/clinical-neuropsychology/specialty-specific/. Accessed June 30, 2026.