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May 30, 2018

APA Site Visit to PsyD Program

We are in the process of seeking accreditation from APA for our PsyD Program.   Doctoral programs may seek "accredited, on contingency" status prior to seeking full accreditation.   Doctoral programs seeking "accredited, on contingency" status must be reviewed, which involves submission of a self-study and a site visit.   "Accredited, on contingecy" is granted to a program when the program demonstrates initial evidence of education quality consistent with the Standards of Accreditation for Health Service Psychology (SoA) and the capacity to meet all accreditation standards in the designated time frame (within 5 years of being granted "contingent" accreditation). Students who complete a program that is recognized as “accredited, on contingency” effective before their graduation date will have completed an APA accredited program.   On March 5th and 6th of this year, the PsyD Program in Clinical/School Psychology had the privilege of a visit from the APA (American Psychological Association).   Three site reviewers were on campus to review our program and to evaluate it for accreditation on contingency.

The APA Commission on Accreditation (CoA) accredits doctoral programs in clinical, counseling, and school psychology, as well as predoctoral internship and postdoctoral residency training programs.  Susan Zlotlow, PhD, director of APA’s accreditation office, explains that accreditation “serves as a quality-control guide for students. For example, students can expect APA-accredited programs will offer organized, sequential training curricula and qualified faculty in adequate numbers."  Accreditation gives students a measure of assurance that they can get a return on their educational investment. In many states, graduating from an APA-accredited school is required for licensure. Graduating from an APA-accredited school will also open more opportunities for jobs and for membership in professional organizations.  

Overall, the site team reported that the program appears to be consistent with its self-study, students are pleased with the program, and their students and future graduates will provide a valuable resource to the community and the field of psychology. They also noted that the program appears to meet a strategic need in our area. The program is well-established in training for school psychology and continues to develop the clinical training aspect of the program. The site visit suggested that the program and its students are meeting, and very often exceeding, expected levels of competency.   The reviewers noted that the PsyD program demonstrates the commitment to the training of psychologists to meet local, regional, and national needs. The APA Commission on Accreditation will meet in July to make its final decision on accreditation status.