Policies and Procedures

To ensure that each program we accredit meets a uniform standard, and that our accreditation process maintains uniformity and integrity, APA follows a number of rigorous policies and procedures. Browse our policies and procedures below to find out more about our standards, process and regulations.

Standards of Accreditation for Health Service Psychology and Accreditation Operating Procedures (SoA-AOP) 

Standards of Accreditation for Health Service Psychology (SoA) (PDF, 443KB)

Accreditation standards for doctoral, internship and postdoctoral residency programs


Accreditation Operating Procedures  (AOP) (PDF, 281KB)

Procedures that guide the accreditation process

Implementing Regulations (IRs)

  (Note: View in Acrobat Reader 9 or later) 


Click the links below to review each relevant section: 

Section A: Policies Governing Accreditation (PDF, 195KB) 


Section B: CoA Policy Statements – Philosophy, Values, and Responsibilities  (PDF, 179KB)


Section C: IRs related to the Standards of Accreditation (PDF, 1.6MB)

Section C is designed as a companion piece to the SoA, containing statements and policies that elucidate, interpret, and operationally define the accreditation criteria. 


Section D: IRs related to the Accreditation Operating Procedures (PDF, 654KB)

Section D is designed as a companion piece to the AOP, containing statements and policies that elucidate, interpret, and operationally define the accreditation procedures. 


Section E: Self-Governance and Regulation (PDF, 525KB)

Other Resources

Canadian Psychological Association and American Psychological Association Mutual Recognition: First Street Accord

  • To obtain a signed Business Associate Agreement with CoA, please contact the APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation at (202) 336-5979 or by email. You may also print a copy of CoA's Business Associate Agreement, complete the missing information and send a signed copy to the APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242.