If you are considering applying to graduate school in psychology, you may have heard people talk about the accreditation status of different programs. The goals of this article are to: (1) provide you with some general information about the accreditation of educational programs and institutions in the United States, and (2) explain how accreditation relates to graduate study in psychology.
Introduction to accreditation
Accreditation is both a status and a process. As a status, accreditation notifies the public that an institution or program meets standards of quality set forth by an accrediting agency. As a process, accreditation reflects that the institution or program is committed to self-study and external peer review as a way to enhance the quality of education and training provided. Accreditation assures the educational community and public that a program or institution has objectives which are clearly defined and appropriate while maintaining conditions under which their achievement can reasonably be expected.
APA accreditation
The APA Commission on Accreditation (CoA) is the primary programmatic accreditor in the United States for professional education and training in psychology. CoA is comprised of at least 32 professionals appointed by multiple councils to represent a broad range of experience and perspective, including scientists, those engaged in psychology education and training, practitioners, graduate students, and the general public.
The APA CoA accredits doctoral graduate programs [e.g., Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)] in health service psychology in the United States and its territories. Health service psychology includes clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, and programs offering combinations of two or more of these areas. If you are interested in applying for a doctoral degree in other areas of psychology (e.g., developmental psychology, social psychology), you will need to use different criteria to evaluate programs.
It's important to note that APA accreditation is granted to a specific program, not to an entire department or institution. In other words, if a psychology department offers doctoral degrees in school psychology and clinical psychology, each program would seek, and be evaluated for, accreditation independently. The accreditation status of one program does not extend to other programs.
Students in health service psychology doctoral programs complete internships as part of their required training. The APA CoA also accredits these doctoral level internship programs. Programs are located at a variety of institutions such as universities, hospitals, independent practices, veterans’ administrations, and more.
After students receive their doctorate in health service psychology, they may pursue a postdoctoral residency. Postdoctoral residency programs provide education and training in preparation for professional practice at an advanced level of competency in traditional and specialty practice areas of psychology. Postdoctoral residency programs in certain specialty areas may be accredited by APA CoA. The specific specialty practice areas that currently meet the guidelines to be included in the scope of accreditation areas include behavioral and cognitive psychology, clinical child psychology, clinical health psychology, clinical neuropsychology, couple and family psychology, forensic psychology, geropsychology, rehabilitation psychology, serious mental illness psychology, group psychology and group psychotherapy, and police and public safety psychology.
The APA CoA is recognized as such by both the U. S. Department of Education as well as the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The Department of Education recognizes individual accrediting bodies to ensure that academic programs, colleges, and universities are up to standard through accreditation, while CHEA is a private, nonprofit national organization that coordinates accreditation activity in the United States.
Why is accreditation important?
APA accreditation demonstrates that a program has met APA CoA’s Standards of Accreditation, which prepares graduates to provide evidence-based, psychological services successfully and ethically.
Graduating from an APA-accredited program:
- Provides an educational and scientific foundation on which to build a career in psychology, since accredited programs provide instruction in competencies identified by the profession
- May help graduates qualify for employment opportunities in settings that require the completion of an accredited program
- Institutions (e.g., colleges and universities, federal government agencies) set their own criteria as to whether the psychologists they hire must be licensed
- May facilitate licensure eligibility in states that require licensure candidates to have a degree from an APA-accredited doctoral program
- In the United States, each state makes its own laws regarding the educational requirements for licensure of psychologists. For more information, please check with the licensing body in the state(s) in which you intend to practice (visit the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) websiteopens in new window for more information.)
How can I find accredited programs?
If you would like to know which health service psychology programs are accredited, the APA CoA provides a directory of APA-accredited programs via the search tool on APA-Accredited Programs as well as annual lists (for the last 3 years) and meeting decisions (from the three most recent meetings). The APA CoA also maintains lists of programs that have applied for accreditation, programs that have sought intent to apply status, and programs that have withdrawn from accreditation for one calendar year after the effective date of the decision.
The APA CoA is working towards accrediting master’s degree programs in health service psychology, comprising clinical, counseling, and school psychology programs and combinations of these areas. This focus on health services psychology at the master’s level addresses changesopens in new window in the field of psychology accreditation and the increased demand from the public for psychological services. Currently, the CoA is working to develop practices for accreditation review, finalize implementing regulations related to the Accreditation Operating Procedures, and implement an initial accreditation review. Information about the seven master’s programs that have applied for accreditation can be found on the APA Accreditation website.
If you have questions about accreditation, please feel free to contact the APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation via email or via phone at (202) 336-5979.
About the author
Elizabeth Inyang is the lead management specialist with APA’s Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation. Focusing on the processes and services side of APA accreditation, she works to serve the communications, policy analysis, and research needs of the department. Elizabeth graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a bachelor’s in family science and Georgetown University with a master’s in health systems administration. Based in the Washington DC metropolitan area, she has experience in consulting, research, and project management.
