Question: Why did APPIC revise the policy?

In 2013, as a part of our commitment to quality training, the APPIC Board implemented its Policy on Doctoral Program Associates, and in 2015 APPIC specified that to be eligible to send students into the internship match, a doctoral program must be accredited by an eligible accrediting organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (for programs in the U.S.) or by the Canadian Psychological Association.

In June 2016, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) adopted new qualification standards that broadened the scope of recognized accrediting bodies beyond those recognized by APPIC.

As a Federal Agency that has congressional oversight, the VA must ensure a pathway to allow students from all programs eligible per the VA qualification standards to participate in VA internship and postdoctoral training. In 2017, the VA began pursuing options for an independent, VA-specific match that would result in a two-match system, potentially as early as the 2018-2019 Match cycle.

In our judgement, a two-match system would have profound negative consequences to students, internship programs, and the field more broadly. For the wellbeing of the training community, the APPIC Board developed a policy revision to avert these potentially far-reaching and harmful repercussions. Accordingly, the APPIC Board has adopted a mission-driven change to its Policy on Doctoral Program Associates to maintain the cohesion of the training community by affording preservation of a single match. A call for comments took place in Spring of 2018 and the APPIC Board revised and voted to approve the language in the revised policy on May 21, 2018.

Question: What changed in the policy?

The policy revision pertains to a change in the definition of an “eligible accrediting organization.” A doctoral program accredited by an accrediting organization recognized by an Approved Government Agency is now eligible for Doctoral Program Associate (DPA) status with APPIC, provided that other DPA eligibility requirements are met.

Question: What are the current eligible accrediting organizations?

As of May 2018, the eligible accrediting organizations are American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation (APA), the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), and the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS).

Question: Will this policy change affect how my internship program evaluates applicants?

As in the past, each internship program determines applicant eligibility criteria and assesses the fit of applicants for the program. It continues to be acceptable for internships to utilize doctoral program accreditation status as an eligibility criterion or a predictor of anticipated fit, should the internship wish to do so.

Question: I am a Director of Clinical Training at a doctoral program that is a current DPA. We are considering changing our accreditation status. How will that impact our DPA status?

All doctoral programs with current DPA status remain eligible to send students into the Match. If a current DPA becomes accredited by an eligible accrediting organization in addition to the one it was accredited by when awarded DPA status, DPA status remains unchanged. If a current DPA loses or relinquishes the accreditation status under which they became a DPA and will be solely accredited by a different eligible accrediting organization, that program must notify APPIC and submit a copy of the official documentation of their program’s accreditation by their eligible accrediting organization.

Question: Will there be any changes with the AAPI and the APPIC Directory Online to reflect this policy change? How about with National Matching Services (NMS)?

The AAPI currently allows applicants to designate whether their doctoral program is accredited by APA or CPA. There is not currently an option to designate dual accreditation (e.g., APA and PCSAS) or sole accreditation by PCSAS. Similarly, the Directory Online currently allows a doctoral program to designate its APA or CPA accreditation status. APPIC is collaborating with its vendors to establish a timeframe for updating the AAPI and the Directory Online. National Matching Services will ensure that the Match system is able to accommodate all eligible programs/students. It is possible that these various changes may not be implemented prior to the 2018-2019 application season.

Frequently Asked Questions (November 2015) 

The APPIC Board of Directors has received inquiries requesting clarification of the revised policies for Doctoral Program Associates (DPA) status and eligibility for doctoral programs to enroll their students in the Match process. The Board offers the following clarifications:

Question: Does a currently non-accredited doctoral program have sufficient time to either obtain accreditation or to schedule their site visit?

The APPIC Board reviewed this question with a variety of stakeholders prior to the initial implementation of this policy in May of 2013, and concluded that existing, non-accredited doctoral programs should be able to attain accreditation from an eligible accrediting body in time for their students to be eligible to participate in the APPIC Match. The APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation and CPA Accreditation Panel are both available to answer specific questions and to provide information about the accreditation process, and current, non-accredited programs are encouraged to contact them with any questions or concerns.

Question: Will new doctoral programs be able to enroll their students in the Match process if not accredited by the 2018 APPIC Match?

The only doctoral programs that will be allowed to send their students into the APPIC Match are those that are either accredited or have been granted a site visit by an eligible accrediting body, as described in the policy. Newly-emerging doctoral programs that seek to enroll students into the APPIC Match should consult with the appropriate eligible accrediting body about the required steps for accreditation.

Question: Will students in re-specialization programs be allowed to participate in the APPIC Match and be eligible for internships?

Students participating in re-specialization programs in professional psychology sponsored by accredited doctoral programs (or doctoral programs that have been granted a site visit, as described in the policy above) will be eligible to participate in the APPIC Match.

Question: Is the revision of the DPA and Match eligibility criteria meant to address the internship imbalance by reducing the number of programs that can enroll students in the Match?

The issue of revising the eligibility criteria for participation in the APPIC Match has been part of a recurring discussion among the members of the Council of Chairs of Training Councils (CCTC).  APPIC, APAGS, APA, and the various participating training councils discussed these changes in the context of quality assurance within the profession, the important role that APA- and CPA-accreditation plays in that process for the public, and the increasing focus on systematic review procedures for educational and training outcomes of the professional workforce in the emerging healthcare marketplace. These revisions were not directly resulting from the separate discussions about the imbalance, which is seen as a product of multiple forces that both impinge upon and contribute to the challenges within the psychology training and education community. The APPIC Board participated in these discussions with the desire to establish internship programs that are available to all eligible candidates as well as the expectation that psychology affirm its commitment to quality training and education. As such, the revised policies were carefully developed and reviewed with the training councils and APAGS prior to their formal approval and implementation.