SELF-STUDY INFORMATION

Self-Study Information

Accredited and applicant doctoral, internship, and postdoctoral residency programs submitting a self-study for full or contingent accreditation must complete an online self-study using the Commission on Accreditation (CoA) Portal while the self-study materials for accredited and applicant master’s programs must be submitted to the office digitally. Find out more about the self-study submission process below. Please contact the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation for additional information on the self-study process.
CoA Online Self-Study Preparation Sheets (Doctoral, Internship, and Postdoctoral Residency)
To assist in completion of the self-study, Narrative Preparation Sheets are provided that consist of all narrative content (for the doctoral, internship, and postdoctoral residency levels) in the Self-study Module. All required tables and other uploads are also provided for easy reference.

The Self-study Preparation Sheets, tables and uploads are provided to guide the writing process and allow access to the required information outside of the CoA Portal. However, please note that all self-studies must be submitted online via the CoA Portal.

Important note for applicant programs: applications for accreditation are reviewed in the order in which they are submitted. Depending on the number of applications received, the timeline for review may take several months. This timeline may be extended if CoA review is required prior to authorization of a site visit. Please note that authorization of a site visit is never guaranteed. Further, upon authorization of a visit the CoA cannot guarantee a specific timeframe for the site visit or final decision. For additional information about the review process/timeline for applicants, please contact the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation (OPCA).

Determining Which Self-Study Preparation Sheets to Use
Accredited Programs
Use the sheets that reflect the year your program is scheduled to be site visited. NOTE: The Program Director will receive an email alerting the program of its self-study due date and site visit cycle. Typically, this will be received in the first quarter of the prior year.

Applicant Programs
Contact the OPCA for guidance.

2026

CoA Digital Master’s Application Materials

Self-studies at the master’s level cannot be submitted through the portal. Please see the Master’s Accreditation page for more information on how to submit a self-study. Narrative Sheets, required tables, and other uploads that are required in a master’s program’s self-study have been provided below. Applicants should complete their self-studies using the linked templates then email the OPCA at programreview@apa.org indicating that they wish to submit their self-study.

2026


2026 Narrative Sheet for Master’s Programs  (DOCX, 139KB)


Standard I: Institutional and Program Context

Standard II: Aims, Competencies, Curriculum and Outcomes

Standard III: Students


Standard IV: Faculty

Item Link

2026

2026 Narrative Preparation Sheet for Doctoral Programs  

Text from Online Self-study Module in the CoA Portal.


Standard I: Institutional and Program Context


Standard II: Aims, Competencies, Curriculum and Outcomes


Standard III: Students


Standard IV: Faculty


2025


2025 Narrative Preparation Sheet for Doctoral Programs  (DOCX, 120KB)

Text from Online Self-study Module in the CoA Portal.


Standard I: Institutional and Program Context


Standard II: Aims, Competencies, Curriculum and Outcomes


Standard III: Students


Standard IV: Faculty

2026

2026 Narrative Preparation Sheet for Internship Programs 

Text from Online Self-Study Module in the CoA Portal.


Standard I: Institutional and Program Context


Standard II: Aims, Training, Competencies and Outcomes


Standard III: Interns


Standard IV: Supervisor/Faculty/Staff Leadership



2025


2025 Narrative Preparation Sheet for Internship Programs (DOCX, 109KB)

Text from Online Self-Study Module in the CoA Portal.


Standard I: Institutional and Program Context


Standard II: Aims, Training, Competencies and Outcomes


Standard III: Interns


Standard IV: Supervisor/Faculty/Staff Leadership

2026

2026 Narrative Preparation Sheet for Postdoctoral Residency Programs 

Text from Online Self-Study Module in the CoA Portal.


Standard I: Institutional and Program Context


Standard II: Aims, Competencies, Training, and Outcomes


Standard III: Residents 


Standard IV: Program Faculty/Staff


2025


2025 Narrative Preparation Sheet for Postdoctoral Residency Programs (DOCX, 117KB)

Text from Online Self-Study Module in the CoA Portal.


Standard I: Institutional and Program Context


Standard II: Aims, Competencies, Training, and Outcomes


Standard III: Residents


Standard IV: Program Faculty/Staff

Self-Study FAQs

  • How does a program begin its accreditation self-study?

    Accredited programs are assigned a self-study due date in the winter of the year before that in which their next site visit is scheduled. Once the program is informed of that due date, the self-study will open in the CoA Portal. Doctoral, internship, and postdoctoral residency programs applying for initial accreditation must first register in the Portal. Once that registration is confirmed by the Office, the online self-study opens and the program can begin crafting responses to the focused questions and completing the required tables. Master’s programs applying for initial accreditation should use the self-study forms for master’s programs listed above and contact the OPCA indicating that they wish to submit their completed self-study.

  • Can the self-study be submitted via hardcopy?

    Self-studies at the doctoral, internship, and postdoctoral residency level are to be submitted online in the CoA Portal. Applicant programs seeking initial accreditation must first register on the CoA Portal in order to have the self-study made available for completion.

    Self-studies at the master’s level cannot be submitted through the portal. Programs should complete their self-studies using the templates linked above then email the OPCA at programreview@apa.org indicating that they wish to submit their self-study. For more information on the application process, please see the Master’s Accreditation page.

    Note: The application to declare “Intent to Apply” must be submitted via email. See APA Accreditation Process for more information.

  • How long should a program be operating before it applies for accreditation?

    Programs without proximal and distal outcome data can apply for contingent accreditation. See Implementing Regulations (IRs) C-28 M, C-29 D, C-26 I, and C-22 P for details on contingent accreditation for each level of training. Programs are eligible to apply for full accreditation when they can provide both proximal and distal outcome data consistent with the requirements of the relevant data Implementing Regulation (IRs C-18 M, C-18 D, IR C-16 I, IR C-16 P).

  • How many students must be enrolled in a program in order to apply for accreditation?

    For a master’s program to apply for “accredited, on contingency” status, it must have enrolled a minimum of two years of student cohorts, one of which must be engaged in clinical experience training. For a doctoral program to apply for “accredited, on contingency” status, it must have enrolled a minimum of two student cohorts, one of which must be engaged in practicum training. Internship programs may apply for “accredited, on contingency” status when they can ensure that at least 2 interns will be on site at the time of the site visit. Postdoctoral residencies may apply for “accredited, on contingency” status when they can ensure that at least one resident will be on site at the time of the site visit.

  • Can the self-study instructions be accessed outside of the CoA Portal?

    Yes. Narrative preparation sheets are available on the commission's website for programs to use as they draft responses to the focused questions and complete the required tables. Programs should use the narrative preparation sheets for the year during which they will be site visited. This means that accredited programs assigned self-study due dates prior to September 1 should use the current year’s narrative preparation sheets. Accredited programs assigned a self-study due date of September 1 or later should use the upcoming year’s narrative preparation sheets.

  • What approvals are required for self-study submission?

    For master’s and doctoral programs, the CoA requires that a department-level administrator (e.g., department chair or dean) and the president/institutional director provide countersignatures prior to self-study submission. At the master’s level, the countersignature process included in the transmittal document. Internships and postdoctoral programs must secure a countersignature from the president/institutional director. The countersignature indicates that those parties with authority over the program have approved the contents of the self-study, and the signature of the president/institutional director serves as an invitation for the CoA to conduct a site visit. These parties will also receive copies of the CoA decision letter. See the FAQ about the countersignature process. (PDF, 386KB)

  • How soon should we submit the self-study to ensure that we have our site visit by a particular date?

    The office cannot predict whether or how soon a site visit will be granted. Applications for accreditation are reviewed in the order in which they are submitted. Depending on the number of applications received, the timeline for review may take several months. Please note that authorization of a site visit is never guaranteed. Further, upon authorization of a visit the CoA cannot guarantee a specific timeframe for the site visit or final decision.

  • If an applicant program receives accreditation, what will be the initial date of accreditation?

    The initial date of accreditation (for applicant programs that become accredited) will be the final day of the site visit preceding the CoA’s final accreditation decision. Students/trainees completing the program after the initial date of accreditation are considered to have completed an APA accredited program.

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