• Whereas individual practitioners of psychology are licensed, training programmes in professional psychology can be accredited.  The CPA accredits such training programmes but CPA does not accredit, register, license, or certify individuals to practice psychology in Canada.  The latter mandate falls under the purview of the provincial regulatory bodies. A listing of these provincial and territorial regulatory bodies can be found on our website here.
• It is the doctoral or internship programme (not its students) that must voluntarily apply for and undergo accreditation.  A student can claim to have graduated from an accredited programme, if the programme was accredited at the time of the student’s graduation.
• Accreditation is a voluntary process but allows doctoral and internship programmes to demonstrate that they have met a community standard of training.
• Although graduation from an accredited doctoral programme is not a requirement for registration as a psychologist  nor always a requirement of employers, it can be an advantage.  Applicants for registration or licensure who have graduated from accredited programmes often receive ‘fast-track’ credential reviews by regulatory bodies.  Furthermore, accredited programmes are encouraged to hire faculty and staff who themselves have graduated from either a CPA- or APA-accredited programme.
• The CPA accredits doctoral programmes and internships in professional areas of psychology. An up-to-date listing of all CPA-accredited programmes can be found on our website here.
• The CPA’s Accreditation Standards and Procedures for Doctoral Programmes and Internships in Professional Psychology is available in pdf format from the CPA website here.

• Accreditation Standards and Procedures for Doctoral Programmes and Internships in Professional Psychology, Fourth Revision, 2002
• Application Self Study for Accreditation of an Internship Training Programme in Clinical/Counselling/School Psychology by the Canadian Psychological Association
• Application Self Study for Accreditation of a Doctoral Training Programme in Clinical/Counselling/School Psychology by the Canadian Psychological Association
• Application Self Study for Accreditation of an Internship Training Programme in Clinical Neuropsychology by the Canadian Psychological Association
• Application Self Study for Accreditation of a Doctoral Training Programme in Clinical Neuropsychology by the Canadian Psychological Association
• Fee Schedule for Academic Year 2009-2010
• CPA Accredited Programmes

Other Resources

• Canadian Council of Professional Psychology Programs (CCPPP)
• Canadian Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology (CRHSPP)
• Interorganizational Council for Accreditation of Postdoctoral Residencies in Psychology (IOC)
• APA Accredited Programmes
• Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB)
• National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology (NR)
• Association of Psychology Postdoctoral & Internship Centers (APPIC)
• American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP)