The APA Commission on Accreditation (CoA) is seeking master’s degree programs in health service psychology (HSP) practice areas (i.e., clinical, counseling, school, or a combination thereof). Applicant programs seeking APA CoA accreditation must fall under the health service psychology (HSP) practice areas specified in IR C-2 Mopens in new window.
The CoA is taking a phased approach to implementation by allowing a set number of programs to apply by a given deadline. The first six complete applications (i.e., full self-study and application fee) submitted by August 1, 2025 will begin the accreditation review process (see AOP-Mopens in new window Section 6-8) at the fall 2025 CoA meeting. An additional six applications received by May 1, 2026 will begin the accreditation review process at the summer 2026 CoA meeting. Applicants will enter the queue for CoA review once both the self-study and application fee are submitted. Future submission dates will be announced in 2026. Applicants will be listed on the accreditation website as they are received. Once the cap of programs has been reached, the CoA will not accept additional applications until additional submission dates have been formally announced.
Please note that the timeline for accreditation varies based on multiple factors. Please contact the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditationopens in new window for more information.
Programs interested in seeking accreditation at the master’s level are strongly encouraged to attend the full day master’s self-study training that will be offered on April 25, 2025. The Commission will host the following virtual self-study training via Zoom:
Preparing an APA Accreditation Program Self-Study
April 25, 2025
10 a.m.–4 p.m. (Eastern)
This training is designed to provide guidance on preparing a self-study based on the Standards of Accreditation for Master’s Programs (SoA-M) and what to expect during a site visit. Specifically, this training will provide a comprehensive review of Standard II of the SoA-M and address key aspects of the other standards of the SoA-M. To get the most out of the training, attendees with limited knowledge of the APA-CoA's accreditation of master’s programs are strongly encouraged to review the SoA-M prior to the day of the training. Additional details will be provided at the time of registration. There are no fees to attend this training. CE credits will not be provided.
