OBTAINING A LICENSE

ASPPB/National Register Joint Designation

Doctoral Psychology Programs Meeting Designation Criteria

Programs that are designated have been reviewed by the ASPPB/National Register Designation Committee and have been found to meet the Designation Criteria. Therefore, graduates of designated programs typically will meet the educational requirements for licensing.

Designation as a Resource to ASPPB Member Boards

The ASPPB/National Register Designation Project expedites the review of the credentials of individuals seeking licensure as psychologists. It is important that students, faculty, licensing boards, and the courts understand that this process does not purport to substitute for the judgment of licensing authorities as to the ability of any program to qualify a candidate for licensure/certification purposes or ensure that the program meets the jurisdiction's mandated curriculum requirements.

Requirements differ in the 64 ASPPB member jurisdictions. This is simply the effort of two organizations to provide a professional resource to various individuals and organizations. Program designation is not intended to substitute for the individual review of applicants for licensure. There is no requirement that any licensing board utilize this publication in any fashion, and no consumer or court should assume such.

Psychology Licensing Exam Scores by Doctoral Program
includes pass rate data

A corollary source of information on doctoral programs in psychology whose graduates sit for the licensure examination is found in the ASPPB publication Psychology Licensing Exam Scores by Doctoral Program. This publication contains self-report information on EPPP candidates who tested over the past five years and includes pass rate data.  Only doctoral programs that are APA/CPA accredited or have met ASPPB/National Register Joint Designation criteria are listed individually by name in the table.  Data for individual programs are shown only when there are 3 or more graduates in the five-year period.  The pass rates included are based on the ASPPB recommended passing score of 500 for independent practice.

Designation of Doctoral Programs Meeting Criteria

There are two primary avenues for designation. 1. Programs that are accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) are recognized as meeting the definition of a professional psychology program. 2. Programs can apply to be considered for designation. These programs must meet the criteria established in the Guidelines for Defining a Doctoral Degree in Psychology.

There is a rotating, three-year cycle of review for current programs. Institutions and educational departments are encouraged to electronically submit the revision/update/ modification form and supporting documentation at any time there are changes to be made to the online profile. Similarly, state, provincial and territorial boards are asked to submit the revision/update/modification form at any time regarding programs that should be considered for designation or designated programs about which they have questions or concerns stemming from their experience in evaluating the transcripts of these graduates. This information is welcomed, because their experience serves as an important check on the review of doctoral programs by the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project.

Rather than serving as a list of all psychology doctoral programs whose graduates may be eligible for licensure, the list of designated programs is a means of identifying programs that have applied for review by the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project and meet either Criteria 2-11 or have applied for and received APA/CPA accreditation and thus meet Criterion 1.

The review of all previously designated programs resulted in a substantially revised list beginning in 1991-92. At that time, the ASPPB and the National Register found it necessary to clarify the aims of the designation list, a resource to be used by ASPPB member boards and the National Register to facilitate the review of applications for licensing or credentialing. This led to the change in the title of the publication from Designated Doctoral Programs in Psychology to Doctoral Psychology Programs Meeting Designation Criteria.

Application for designation involves an extensive paper review. In addition to communications with university officials, department chairs, and program directors, the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project relies on information from university catalogs, program descriptions, brochures and other official materials (both published and on-line) submitted by programs.

The review of the programs on the basis of Criteria 2-11 does not in itself involve a determination of the educational quality of the program. Nor does it assure that all students graduated from designated programs have completed the curriculum that adheres to the designation criteria.

Identifying Designated Programs

An annual list of programs meeting the designation criteria has been published for each year since 1981, when the National Register first published a designation list, until the list was made available online. Users of these publications should note that the date first designated may not necessarily reflect the date that an earlier, perhaps differently titled or structured program at that institution may have been designated.

Given the frequency of changes in programs at educational institutions, readers are urged to refer to earlier editions of this publication if questions arise about a degree granted since 1981 and if the program is not currently listed online. Please note also that an individual is considered a graduate of a designated program if the program was designated at the time the individual's degree was completed.

It should be noted that programs may be deleted from designation when requested documentation is not provided or when the documentation provided does not support that the current program meets the Guidelines. However, because programs may reapply for designation after being deleted, it is sometimes helpful to check several editions of the publication to see if a program not listed in one edition had been designated previously or became designated later. State and provincial licensing boards have been sent these annual publications.

History of the ASPPB/National Register Combined Effort

At the annual ASPPB meeting in August 1985, the delegates approved a proposal presented by the ASPPB Executive Committee to participate in a shared designation effort with the National Register by building on the National Register's review process, associated database and annual designation publications from 1981 on. Similarly, the National Register's Board of Directors agreed to a joint project at a board meeting in June 1985.

The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards and the Council for the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology are pleased that the ASPPB/National Register Designation project exists and serves the need of licensing and credentialing bodies. Both organizations agree that reviewing and determining which doctoral programs meet the designation criteria simultaneously serves the public and the profession.

ASPPB/National Register Designation Committee

Beginning in 1986, each organization has appointed three members to review the documentation on each program to determine whether the program meets the Guidelines.

ASPPB/National Register Designation Appeals Committee

The ASPPB/National Register Designation Appeals Committee [also known as the Joint Designation Appeals Committee (JDAC)] reviews programs determined not to meet all of Criteria 2-11 of the Guidelines and which have appealed the decision within 30 days.

 

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