APA accreditation reviews doctoral psychology programs, internships, residencies, and a growing list of master’s programs. Here is what it means, and how it differs from counseling accreditation like CACREP.
At a Glance
- APA stands for the American Psychological Association, and its Commission on Accreditation reviews doctoral psychology programs, internships, postdoctoral residencies, and a small number of master’s programs.
- APA does not accredit counseling programs in the LPC, LMHC, or LPCC, or similar master’s-level counselor sense. Those programs are accredited by CACREP, COAMFTE, or MPCAC.
- Counseling psychology is a recognized APA specialty area at the doctoral level. It is a distinct profession from “counselor.”
- Becoming a licensed psychologist typically requires a doctoral psychology program that is APA-accredited or accepted by the state psychology board as substantially equivalent, an APA-accredited internship or state-board-accepted equivalent supervised experience, the EPPP exam, postdoctoral supervised hours in most states, and a state-issued psychologist license.
- APA-accredited master’s accreditation (CoA-MPHSP) launched in 2021 and is small and growing. It is not the same as MPCAC.
- Verify APA accreditation through the official APA Accredited Programs directory.
What is APA Accreditation?
APA (American Psychological Association) accreditation is the status given to graduate-level programs dedicated to training and educating students in psychology. It covers four graduate-level domains: master’s degrees, doctoral programs, internships, and postdoctoral programs.
Within the APA, which is a broad professional organization centered around the professional excellence of clinical psychology and related fields, there exists an accrediting body, called the Commission on Accreditation (CoA). The CoA handles all accreditation matters within the APA.
Disclaimer about terms: In this article, APA refers to American Psychological Association accreditation, not the American Psychiatric Association, APA Style, APA format, or citation rules.
While the APA is primarily concerned with counseling and clinical psychology (both doctoral degrees), it recently began branching out into master’s programs in health service psychology. awarding its first accreditations in 2024. There are currently only five master’s programs accredited by the APA.
Doctoral programs are the bread and butter of APA accreditation, with 438 doctoral programs with accreditation. These programs include PhD’s and PsyD’s, and includes programs from all over the country.
In addition to accrediting specific degrees and programs, the APA also includes internship sites under its accreditation list, allowing prospective students to know which clinical sites follow the guidelines and requirements of the APA more generally.
Finally, many doctoral graduates go on to postdoctoral training in specialized areas. The APA maintains accreditation for postdoctoral programs as well.
Why APA Appears on a Counseling Site
If you are looking around at accrediting bodies and graduate programs, you might have noticed that some counseling sites list the APA or its accreditation, despite not maintaining any psychology doctoral programs. Without having proper context to the professional boundaries and therefore accreditation bodies, it may be confusing to encounter so many overlapping identifications.
Counseling Psychology, as a discipline, is recognized under the APA. But this does not mean that a specific counseling program is accredited by the APA. This is because the APA is much broader than its accreditation body, the CoA.
If you are interested in becoming a master’s-level clinician and are seeking an LPC, LMHC, or LPCC license, the accreditation boards you should be paying attention to are the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) or the Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC). If you are interested in the LMFT license, you should care about the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).
Is APA accreditation the same as CACREP
No. APA accreditation applies to doctoral psychology programs, internships, postdoctoral residencies, and a small number of master’s programs in health service psychology. CACREP accredits master’s and doctoral counseling programs that lead to the LPC, LMHC, or LPCC license. If your goal is a counselor license, CACREP is the body to track, not APA.
If, after all, you are looking to become a Licensed Psychologist (LP), then the APA accreditation is the goal.
Counselor vs Psychologist (The Core Distinction)
Since there are different accreditation bodies for counselors vs psychologists, surely there must be important distinctions between the two, right? Indeed, there are four primary differences between counselors and psychologists.
First
Let’s start with the obvious difference: the kind of degree. Counselors may have doctorate degrees. For example, a PhD in Counseling Psychology or Counseling Education. But the vast majority of counselors have Master’s degrees. On the other hand, psychologists must have a doctorate degree, either a PhD or PsyD. The degree path is longer and more academically rigorous to become a psychologist.
Second
Psychologists and counselors carry different professional licenses. There are a few variations on the counselor license depending on the state of practice, but generally, counselors are identified by an LPC or LMHC. Marriage and family therapists will carry a LMFT. A psychologist will be a Licensed Clinical Psychologist.
Third
Psychologists and counselors practice within different scopes and specialties. Counselors practice psychotherapy and counseling within the scope defined by each state. This typically includes individual and group therapy, assessment and diagnosis, and coordination of care. The scope of practice for psychologists is broader. It encompasses the same practices and includes, importantly, the capacity for psychological testing. This allows them to work more intensively with neuropsychological presentations and severe mental disorders. Additionally, in some states, they have recently gained the capacity to prescribe medications for psychiatric disorders.
Fourth
Each profession has its own national testing pathway reflecting their differences in education and training. Counselors will sit for the National Counseling Examination (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). Meanwhile, psychologists will sit for the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP).
| Psychologist | Counselor | |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | Doctorate degree (PhD or PsyD) | Master’s degree (MA or MS) |
| Accrediting Body | American Psychological Association (APA) | CACREP or MPCAC |
| Licensing Exam | EPPP | NCE or NCMHCE |
| Scope of Practice | Clinical work and psychological testing | Clinical work |
| Mobility Framework | PSYPACT | Counseling Compact |
How APA Accreditation Works
There are four steps a program must take along the APA accreditation process.
- The program must apply first through the CoA portal and await review from the staff.
- If the application is approved, the program must complete a self-study, which is a review done by the staff of the program to assess the present organization, education, and setting of the program.
- If the self-study is approved, the CoA will organize a team of professionals within the CoA to visit the site of the program. They will then write a review of the program and comment on the report. Following this, the program is placed on the agenda for program review.
- Finally, the CoA will review the report from the self-study and site visit, determine if it fits the requirements of the Standards of Accreditation (SoA).
A note on status: Sometimes, programs will have marketing language around APA accreditation that is not necessarily incorrect, but also is not entirely straightforward. For instance, “intent to apply” does not mean anything in APA terms, and does not reflect accreditation. However, “accredited, on contingency” and “full accreditation” are APA-accredited statuses. It is also important to verify inactive, withdrawn, probationary, or applicant status directly through the APA Accredited Programs directory rather than relying on potentially misleading or not updated information reflected on a program’s website. APA’s own accreditation directory will have the most reliable and up-to-date information.
APA’s Accreditation Areas
The American Psychological Association is a large organization with a rich history and sprawling geographical grasp. It should therefore surprise no one that they accredit more than just a single educational track. In fact, accredit four types of doctoral programs and have more recently begun expanding into master’s degrees.
The four doctoral programs currently accredited by the APA are the following:
- Clinical Psychology: The largest by program count, Clinical Psychology programs prepare students for working in clinical settings as well as engaging in research. Clinical psychologists often work in hospitals, agencies, or private practice.
- Counseling Psychology: Counseling Psychology programs are more oriented towards clinical work than research, with a specific focus on counseling and psychotherapy. Counseling psychologists often work in hospitals, agencies, or private practice.
- School Psychology: These programs provide specialized training and education in child and adolescent development and psychology, the schooling process, and educational processes relevant for clinical work. School psychologists work most often in school or university settings.
- Combined Programs: Combined programs allow for students to get trained in more than one specialization. For instance, school and counseling, or clinical and school.
APA has also approved a pathway for Master’s level degrees to become accredited to address the growing shortage of mental health professionals in the U.S. While it is operating under a different commission, the CoA-MPHSP (Commission of Accreditation, Master’s Programs in Health Service Psychology), this new track allows for programs to be accredited by the APA alongside doctoral degrees.
Note that, if a prospective student is interested in becoming a psychologist, there are differences in the two primary degrees granted (PhD and PsyD), but they both open the same pathway to licensure. While PhD programs are known to focus more on research and require more teaching responsibilities of their students and the PsyD are more clinical in nature, they cover the same areas of psychology. The important thing to look for is whether or not the program, whether it is PhD or PsyD, is APA accredited and if it trains in the specializations a student is looking for.
Counseling Psychology, Specifically
The APA accredits two doctoral programs which may seem similar from the outside: Counseling Psychology and Clinical Psychology. And history reflects these convergences, wherein clinical psychologists have historically practiced a good deal of counseling.
But in reality, there are some crucial differences between these kinds of training, and therefore, what kind of work these psychologists might do upon graduation.
The primary difference between the two is what aspects of mental health and psychology the emphasis is placed during the training. Counseling psychology programs train extensively in clinical work, but focus on a strengths-based, counseling approach. These approaches draw from Humanistic and related clinical orientations. On the other hand, clinical psychologists receive more training in pathology, severe mental disorders, and cognitive or behavioral orientations. Both programs provide training in assessment, but the clinical psychology tracks have more emphasis on psychological testing.
What does APA-accredited mean for counseling psychology programs?
APA-accredited means a doctoral counseling psychology program that meets the American Psychological Association’s Standards of Accreditation, as reviewed by its Commission on Accreditation. For applicants, it signals the program qualifies you for psychologist licensure in most states, an APA-accredited internship, and the EPPP exam. Counseling and clinical psychology share the same accreditation and licensure path.
After the doctoral degree, whichever one chooses, the APA accreditation is the same, and the path to licensure is the same. The difference is only in the emphasis during the training and the likely environment of work after graduation. If you are looking to do counseling work at the doctoral level, and are not overly interested in psychological testing and assessment, then a degree in counseling psychology might be most appropriate for you, with its strengths-and-development-focused clinical training. If you are interested in the idea of research and assessment, clinical psychology might be more appropriate for you.
The APA Master’s Accreditation (CoA-MPHSP)
As mentioned above, a more recent addition to the APA accreditation process has been included: the Commission on Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Health Service Psychology (CoA-MPHSP). Established in 2021 with the first program being accredited in 2024, this route serves to address the growing shortage of psychological professionals in the field to address the rising demand of the public. This CoA is different from the doctoral CoA, but both are under the umbrella of the APA. As of now, the CoA-MPHSP has accredited just five programs. Because it is a new accreditation body with few schools officially accredited, a prospective student might encounter some additional difficulties in finding a school that fits their needs and geographical radius.
These master’s programs prepare students for entry-level clinical and research positions, as well as put students on the path to licensure such as Licensed Psychological Associate. The licenses vary by state.
This pathway may sound similar to the accreditation process of Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC), and there is certainly some overlap. One important difference is that MPCAC is an independent accreditation board, while the CoA-MPHSP is a branch of the APA. The MPCAC also accredits master’s programs across both counseling and psychology fields, while the CoA-MPHSP is limited only to psychology.
Benefits, Licensure Impact, and Real Career Outcomes
If there are plenty of psychology doctoral programs in the U.S. without APA accreditation, why go for the accreditation? This is an understandable question. There are some very important benefits to consider when looking into APA accreditation and if it is the route best suited for your professional goals. Let’s highlight some of the main benefits to pursuing an APA-accredited psychology degree.
First
It tells your future employers and colleagues that your education maintained a certain standard equivalent to many other psychology programs in the nation. This puts you on the same playing field in a very competitive educational and career path, especially if you are looking to work in academia as a professor or researcher. It is essentially a verification for the external audience that your educational background is respectable and reliable.
Second
If clinical work is your goal after school, you will need to become licensed in the state in which you work and live. And states tend to value or prefer certain accreditations. APA is one of those accreditations. Because of its reliability and consistency providing high quality education over many years, state licensing boards have come to view an APA accreditation as a stamp of professionalism and educational excellence, making your path to clinical licensure less obstacle-prone.
Third
An APA-accredited degree (and associated clinical license) makes it easier to move between state lines. The PSYPACT, the organization which handles interstate licensure transitions, prefers psychologists to have attended an APA accredited school. The reasoning makes sense: standardized clinical practice across state lines should reflect standardized education and training.
State Licensure Realities (Systemic Treatment)
The following is the step-by-step process to acquire APA-accredited licensure:
- Attend an APA-accredited program (or a program accepted by the state licensing board if APA is unavailable).
- Complete APA-accredited internship (or APPIC-member where APA-accredited is unavailable).
- Take and pass the EPPP exam (administered by ASPPB).
- Complete postdoctoral supervision hours (in most states this is required; some states are moving or have moved to eliminate this requirement). For instance, in Maryland, an additional 1750 hours is needed in supervised postdoctoral training. On the other hand, West Virginia has no postdoctoral requirement.
- Complete the state-specific jurisprudence exam.
- Submit paperwork, exams, and hours, and acquire the Licensed Psychologist.
PSYPACT and Mobility (Brief)
Many professional organizations in our modern world have embraced the idea of interstate reciprocity on a higher level than in the past, and psychology is no exception. The Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) was introduced to streamline the movement of licensed psychological work from one state to another via telehealth and temporary in-person services. There is a large and growing number of states and jurisdictions fully participating in the PSYPACT.
Federal Employment (Concrete Example)
For many people, the federal government is a steady, stable, and prestigious place to advance in one’s chosen career. Luckily for psychologists, the government (particularly the Veterans Administration, or VA) hires psychologists from APA-accredited programs. The standard is GS-0180, and represents a legitimate path for graduates of APA-accredited programs to gain federal employment.
How to Verify APA Accreditation Yourself
Sometimes, marketing language can get in the way of getting clear information about the program you are looking into. Thankfully, the APA prioritizes clarity on their own databases, making it easy and simple for prospective students to get up-to-date information regarding the program they are looking at. There are three places to go to get this information verified:
- The APA website has a directory of programs and their accreditation status. The website can be found here: [insert website link]. You can filter by program type and geographical region.
- APA Standards of Accreditation (SoA) is the organization that maintains what is needed to be accredited. Therefore, this would be an excellent resource in manually verifying a program’s accreditation status.
- From a higher level perspective, the APA Commission on Accreditation is a programmatic accreditor that is CHEA-recognized and USDE-recognized. They also maintain a directory: [insert website link].
It is also important to remember that psychology licensing is state-specific, and each state has its own board. So it is crucial to also verify with the state’s licensing board to verify accreditation status of the programs within the state that you are looking to study and practice psychology in.
Although most programs, and the history of psychology doctoral education, are “brick and mortar,” meaning they are in-person from the first day through postdoctoral training, online or hybrid programs are of increasing popularity. Since these programs are new, they may not be accredited yet. As the APA navigates how to accredit online/hybrid programs, it is especially important to make sure they are accredited through the APA.
Last note on verifying accreditation: make sure to parse out and understand the language used by the program and the official directories. For instance, “intent to apply” does not mean the program is fully accredited. “Accredited, on contingency” and “full accreditation” statuses are the ones to look for. And the program needs to be one of these statuses upon the student’s graduation date. As such, prospective students should also keep in mind to track important dates for each program: expiration date, renewal date, probationary status, and so on. All of this will help the student make an informed decision about the program of their choice.
Questions to Ask a Program Before You Enroll
So let’s say you have narrowed your search down to a few programs. You have verified status, looking into specialties and degrees, and found ones which make sense for your professional goals. What next? It is easy, and important, to call the programs directly and speak with a representative to ask more specific questions to get confirmation which may not be delivered clearly on websites or directories. Here are some useful questions to ask by category:
Accreditation Status
- Is the doctoral program currently APA-accredited, and what are the accreditation start and next-review dates?
- What is the program’s exact APA accreditation status: full accreditation, accredited on contingency, intent to apply, probationary, inactive, withdrawn, or another status?
- Which APA area is the doctoral program accredited under: clinical, counseling, school, or combined?
Internship and Licensure Pathway
- What percentage of recent graduates matched to APA-accredited internships?
- Does the program support students in securing APA-accredited internships, APPIC-member internships, or both?
- Where do recent graduates obtain licensure, and have any encountered state-specific barriers?
Graduate Outcomes
- What percentage of recent graduates passed the EPPP on the first attempt?
Online, Hybrid, or Distance-Education Details
- If the program includes online, hybrid, or distance-education components, which parts are online, which parts require in-person attendance, and how does the program support internship placement and state licensure planning?
Master’s-Track
- For master’s-track inquiries only: Is the master’s program accredited by CoA-MPHSP, MPCAC, or neither, and which licensure pathways does it support?
FAQ
No. APA accreditation is specifically for psychology doctorate programs and now some master’s psychology programs. CACREP accreditation oversees master’s programs in counseling.
Kind of. The APA accredits a doctorate degree in Counseling Psychology. Most of the time, when people think of counseling programs, they are thinking of master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The doctorate in Counseling Psychology will be a slightly different, more in-depth training in the field of counseling.
Again, kind of. Both approach mental health from a holistic perspective, both are trained in treating all kinds of mental health disorders, and both work from a primarily humanistic, person-centered approach. The differences are the depth with which the material is taught and the psychological testing which is taught in Counseling Psychology.
Doctoral programs in Counseling Psychology which are APA-accredited means they follow the necessary requirements to be accredited by the American Psychological Association.
Yes. Increasingly, master’s programs are being accredited by APA. The specific branch is called the Commission on Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Health Service Psychology (CoA-MPHSP).
The Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) is an accreditation body which accredits only master’s programs, but ones whose emphasis is on the scientific practice and research of psychology. The APA accredits primarily doctoral programs with a growing overlap with the MPCAC when it comes to accrediting master’s programs which emphasize scientific psychology.
Yes. There are a few accrediting bodies when it comes to psychology internships. The APA is the one which is most important to becoming a licensed psychologist. Another common body is called Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), which maintains a membership log of internships. This does not inherently qualify these programs as APA-accredited, although the overlap is common. Students should verify accreditation status regardless of APPIC membership. The same goes for the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) accreditation. There is often overlap with the APA, but not necessarily.
You can check on the APA accreditation directory or call and ask the program representatives directly.
Conclusion
The American Psychological Association (APA) wears many hats as an accreditation body in the field of psychology: accreditor of doctoral psychology programs, internships, residencies, and a growing set of master’s programs in Health Service Psychology, in addition to being a large and prestigious professional organization.
APA accreditation matters immensely for prospective psychologists and psychological professionals, and not so much for counseling professionals. There are many subfields within the practice of psychology and mental health, and they all have their own regulations, ethics, practices, and accreditation bodies. Thankfully, all of these accreditation bodies and the states with which they are in maintain clear and updated directories for students to make informed decisions about their future education and career.