In most states, you will need a degree from an accredited psychology program to be granted a license to practice.
There are several psychology program accrediting bodies, most focusing on a specific specialty or degree level. The American Psychology Association (APA), for example, is the largest psychology accrediting body in the U.S. It focuses on accreditation of doctoral programs in clinical, counseling, and school psychology, as well as predoctoral internship and postdoctoral residency programs in those fields.
Other bodies focus on accrediting master’s degrees in counseling (CACREP), master’s and doctoral degrees in marriage and family therapy (COAMFTE), and clinical pastoral education (ACPE). This is just a sampling of the many active psychology accrediting bodies.
Because it is so important that your degree program is accredited by the body focused on that field, we provide accreditation information in our degree program listings. Additionally, we highlight doctoral programs that meet the designating criteria of the joint Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB )/National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology (NR). Graduates of designated programs typically meet the training requirements for licensing.
