About APA Accreditation

APA accreditation assures the public that a program has clearly defined training aims that meet professional and scientific standards that support the successful, ethical, and skillful delivery of psychological service.

The APA Commission on Accreditation (APA-CoA) is the primary programmatic accreditor in the United States for professional education and training in psychology. As such, it accredits programs, not institutions or individuals. APA-CoA accredits master’s and doctoral graduate programs in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology and combinations of these areas. The Commission also accredits doctoral internships in the aforementioned areas, as well as postdoctoral residencies in traditional (clinical, counseling, school) or specialty areas of health service psychology. 


APA accreditation is voluntary, and there are five accredited master’s programs, 438 accredited doctoral programs, 706 accredited internship programs, and 170 accredited postdoctoral residency programs.

ED Recognition 

APA-CoA is recognized by the US Department of Education (ED) for the pre-accreditation and accreditation in the United States of doctoral programs in clinical, counseling, school and combined professional-scientific psychology; doctoral internship programs in health service psychology; and postdoctoral residency programs in health service psychology; and the pre-accreditation in the United States of doctoral internship programs in health service psychology; and postdoctoral residency programs in health service psychology. 

CHEA Recognition 

APA-CoA is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), for the pre-accreditation and accreditation in the United States of master’s and doctoral programs in clinical, counseling, school psychology, and combinations of two or more of these practice areas; doctoral internship programs in health service psychology; and postdoctoral residency programs in health service psychology. CHEA is a private, nonprofit national organization that coordinates accreditation activity in the United States. CHEA represents more than 8,000 colleges and universities and 80 national, institutional and specialized accreditors.

Accreditation Scope

A black and white drawing of a certificate with a seal.

Doctoral Programs

APA accredits doctoral graduate programs in clinical, counseling and school psychology, and programs offering combinations of two or more of these areas. The primary professional degrees offered are the PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) and PsyD (Doctor of Psychology). Accredited doctoral programs provide broad and general training in scientific psychology and in the foundations of practice and prepare students for the practice of professional psychology.
A black and white drawing of a briefcase with three lines on it.

Doctoral Internships

APA accredits internship programs in health service psychology that are a required component of doctoral training. 
A magnifying glass is looking at a piece of paper.

Postdoctoral Residencies

APA accredits postdoctoral residency programs that provide education and training in preparation for professional practice at an advanced level of competency in traditional and specialty practice areas of psychology.
ACCREDITED MASTER’S PROGRAMS
ACCREDITED DOCTORAL GRADUATE PROGRAMS
ACCREDITED INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS
ACCREDITED POSDOCTORAL RESIDENCY PROGRAMS

Related Pages

A man is writing on a whiteboard in front of a group of people.

Programs Applying for Initial Accreditation

About APA Commission on Accreditation
A person is pressing a button with a green check mark on it.

Programs Seeking Intent to Apply Status

Why APA Accreditation Matters
A black and white photo of a pencil erasing a piece of paper.