APA accreditation in Canada ends in 2015

CoA will no longer accredit programs in Canada after Sept. 1, 2015, and most of the remaining Canadian programs will continue accredited status until that date. The phase-out process of accreditation involved a multiyear process during which the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) formulated its own standards and principles for professional psychology programs in that nation. As a means of continuing shared understanding of the core elements of quality upon which specialized accreditation is founded, APA and CPA signed the First Street Accord in 2012 establishing mutual recognition of each association’s accreditation systems. Although no reciprocal accreditation status is extended to individual programs, the accord confirms to the public and prospective students equivalency in accreditation activities of APA and CPA. Further, the accord reiterates this equivalency to state licensing boards and employers, communicating that graduates from both APA- and CPA-accredited programs have completed education and training meeting the shared definition of quality in professional psychology.