Yes. Applicants who do not have a doctoral degree from an American Psychological Association-accredited program may demonstrate equivalency. Individualized exception reviews are available for those with degrees granted outside the United States or Canada, doctoral degrees granted prior to 1983, or applicants seeking to demonstrate equivalent doctoral degree and program requirements. The best way to discuss this process is to contact the American Board of Professional Psychology Central Office or the current ABPPSP National Chair of Examinations (NCE).
The first step is to consult the current version of the Examination Manual, available in the Document Library. This manual outlines the specific requirements for application. You may also contact the current ABPPSP National Chair of Examinations (NCE), listed on the Officers page.
ABPPSP welcomes your application and is pleased to provide support throughout the process. The current ABPPSP National Chair of Examinations can answer procedural questions, and the ABPPSP Mentoring Coordinator can provide guidance and support during the application process.
Mentorship is limited to advice regarding:
- The selection of work sample materials;
- The conformance of the Professional Self-Study Statement (PSSS) to required elements; and
- The conformance of the Practice Sample to technical requirements.
Permissible mentorship may also include sharing the mentor’s Practice Sample with the candidate; however, this is limited to the following sections: Professional Activities, Continuing Education, Ethical Base, Complex Relationships, Individual/Cultural Diversity, and Self-Assessment. The Scientific Base, Legal Base, Evidence-Based Practice, and Practice Standards sections of the PSSS must not be shared by the mentor.
Candidates who do not pass a practice sample review or oral examination may disclose their candidate status to an ABPPSP board-certified specialist to request mentoring for future attempts. This disclosure must also be reported to the National Chair of Examinations.
Applicants and candidates may not disclose to others that they are applicants or candidates for board certification through the ABPPSP and/or the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), including on a résumé, CV, or in any written or oral statement of qualifications.
Additionally, neither ABPPSP nor ABPP uses, authorizes, or recognizes the term “board eligible.” Applicants and candidates may not use this term to imply any relationship or status with either board, nor may they represent to any individual or organization that they have met the minimum requirements for applicant or candidate status.
Limited disclosure is permitted to family members or work colleagues when withholding such information could be harmful to a personal or professional relationship (e.g., informing a business partner when scheduling an oral examination or a spouse). However, such disclosure must not be used to imply a qualification that has not yet been attained.
Please review the Examination Manual to become familiar with the requirements for applying for board certification. Pages 4–6 of the manual outline the generic requirements for the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), while pages 6–8 describe the specific requirements for candidacy in the specialty of police and public safety psychology (ABPPSP).
Applicants must meet both ABPP and ABPPSP requirements to be approved for candidacy. Mentors may be requested only after an applicant has been approved for candidacy.
The National Chair of Examinations (NCE) reviews all applications for board certification candidacy in police and public safety psychology. Therefore, any questions regarding educational requirements, training experience, or continuing education credits should be directed to the ABPPSP National Chair of Examinations.
Questions about your practice sample should be directed to the ABPPSP National Chair of Examinations. As noted on page 12 of the examination manual, the Mentorship Coordinator can be contacted regarding your selection of work samples and can assist in ensuring that they accurately represent your primary practice domains. Furthermore, upon submission, the National Chair of Examinations will conduct a cursory review of your documents to ensure that they cover all required components outlined in the examination manual before they are assigned to a Practice Sample Review Panel.
The ABPPSP National Chair of Examinations and the Mentorship Coordinator are primary resources for candidates seeking support and guidance, as they can address general questions about submissions. While a mentor may be requested upon approval for candidacy, a candidate’s initial practice sample submission must be original work. Therefore, mentorship is most commonly requested after candidates have submitted their initial practice sample and have received either a ballot indicating Corrections or Clarifications Requested (CCR) or an acceptable rating, indicating approval to proceed to the oral examination phase.
The Mentor/Mentee Guidelines provide information about the purpose of mentoring, mentor requirements, limits of mentorship during the practice sample submission phase, parameters for mentorship during the oral examination phase, and the value of the mentoring experience. Mentors are not permitted to provide detailed feedback on a candidate’s initial practice sample submission; however, they may offer guidance on how to organize and approach the document and assist in the selection of work samples. While candidates may share portions of their practice sample with a mentor, the mentor must not review or provide feedback on the candidate’s Legal Base or Evidence/Science Base sections.
If you are interested in a mentor, please contact the Mentorship Coordinator. The Mentorship Coordinator will schedule a time to gather necessary information about your current stage in the process and your primary and/or secondary domains of practice before assigning a mentor, as this information will assist in identifying a mentor best suited to your needs.
If you have already identified a mentor and have spoken with them about serving in this role, please notify the Mentorship Coordinator. Upon notification of the mentor-mentee relationship, the Mentorship Coordinator will verify that the mentor has agreed to serve in this role, and both parties will be provided with a copy of the Mentor/Mentee Guidelines.
A mentor is not permitted to serve on a mentee’s Practice Sample Review Panel or Oral Examination Panel under any circumstances.