These requirements must be met for an application to be considered by a specialty board for review. Specialty boards may have additional requirements in addition to the Generic Requirements.
DOCTORAL DEGREE REQUIREMENT:
Doctoral Degree (PhD, PsyD, EdD) earned in the United States, U.S. Territories, or Canada must be from a regionally accredited institution and meet the following:
1. Doctoral Degree Granted in 2018 or later:
The doctoral degree program must have been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA) or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) at the time the degree was granted.
2. Doctoral Degree Granted before 2018:
If the doctoral degree program was APA or CPA-accredited, it is deemed acceptable.
If the doctoral degree program was listed in the Joint Designation Program listing of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) / National Register (NR), it is deemed acceptable.
All others must complete the ABPP Standards Committee Doctoral Degree Program Review Form and must have included at least one full-time academic year of residency or the equivalent. The ABPP Standards Committee will make the determination of acceptability of the degree program.
INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENT:
Predoctoral Internships completed in the United States, U.S. Territories, or Canada:
1. Internship completed in 2020 or later:
The internship program must have been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA) or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) at the time of completion of the internship.
Exceptions: Individuals who submit their initial application to ABPP before 2027 and complete their internship before 2026 will be considered if the internship was a member internship of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) or if the ABPP Standards Committee reviews the completed ABPP Standards Committee Internship Review Form and determines the internship to be acceptable.
2. Internship completed before 2020:
If the Internship program was APA or CPA-accredited, or was an APPIC member internship, it is deemed acceptable.
All others must complete the ABPP Standards Committee Internship Review Form. The ABPP Standards Committee will determine the acceptability of the internship.
LICENSURE REQUIREMENT:
All ABPP candidates in the U.S., U.S. Territories, or Canada must be licensed as a psychologist for independent practice at the doctoral level in a jurisdiction in the U.S., U.S. Territories, or Canada.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS:
Individuals whose training, education, and/or license is from outside of the U.S., U.S. Territories, or Canada should contact the ABPP Central Office for additional information prior to applying.