LICENSURE FAQ's

1. Why do I have to submit verification if I am licensed? The state/province of....has the same requirements as yours, if not tougher. Isn't licensing enough to prove I'm qualified? As a psychologist, yes; but the goals for the National Register credential are somewhat different. The National Register credential goes beyond licensure and indicates that the psychologist has met special educational and experiential requirements related to health service provision. Although many jurisdictions have requirements for licensure eligibility similar to the requirements the of the National Register, the requirements do vary from state/province to state/province. In some instances, although the requirements appear to be the same, states/provinces will have alternative ways to be eligible for licensure which do not meet the National Register's requirements.

2. Do I have to be licensed in the state/province in which I'm residing before I apply for listing? No--but you must have an active psychology license issued by a state, provincial or territorial board of examiners.

3. If my state/province requires two years of postdoctoral supervised experience while you only require one, should I apply before I'm fully licensed?
No--you must have an active state/provincial license to apply for listing. You may save time by applying for both at the same time, since for both you will need to submit a transcript and supervisor forms. However, you cannot be accepted for the National Register credential without an active license.

4. Do licensed school psychologists qualify as Health Service Providers in Psychology? Yes, as long as the school psychologist is licensed at the doctoral and independent practice level by a state, provincial or territorial psychology board. School Psychologists who are licensed/certified by another board (e.g., State Board of Education or a school psychology licensing board) will not qualify, unless they are also licensed by the Psychology Board. Back to the Top

DOCTORAL DEGREE FAQ's

5. Does the doctoral program or internship have to be APA/CPA-accredited to be acceptable? No, we do not require that the doctoral program or internship be APA/CPA-accredited. However, APA/CPA-approval in most instances will ensure that the experiences or the program is acceptable. The National Register guidelines state that the doctoral program and internship must either be APA/CPA-approved or meet all of the guidelines.

6. Are APA/CPA accredited programs automatically acceptable? In most instances, APA/CPA-approval is sufficient to ensure that the doctoral program is acceptable. In the rare instances when the doctoral transcript seems to indicate that some of the guidelines were not met, (e.g., if the transcript shows substantially less than three years of full-time graduate study or there appears to be a lack of demonstration of foundation competence-see below) an applicant would be asked to provide further documentation even if the education and training was APA/CPA-approved. Please note that transcripts from doctoral programs including APA accredited, CPA accredited, and ASPPB/NR Designated programs are reviewed to ensure that the following core scientific foundations in psychology have been included in the program that you completed. If the Committee cannot identify these foundational areas after reviewing your doctoral transcript(s), then additional information will be requested from the program director or from you.

a. scientific and professional ethics and standards;
b. research design and methodology;
c. statistics;
d. psychometric theory;
e. biological bases of behavior (e.g., physiological psychology, comparative psychology, neuropsychology, sensation and perception, and psychopharmacology);
f. cognitive-affective bases of behavior (e.g., learning, thinking, motivation, and emotion);
g. social bases of behavior (e.g., social psychology, group processes, organizational and systems theory); and
h. individual differences (e.g., personality theory, human development, and abnormal psychology).

7. Is a program listed in Doctoral Psychology Programs Meeting Designation Criteria automatically acceptable?

-If a program is not listed, is it definitely not acceptable?
-What does the date in parentheses by the program indicate?
-How are programs completed before designation began (in 1981) evaluated?

Listing in the designation publication (online at www.nationalregister.org/designate.html) means that the general program has been reviewed and found to meet the guidelines. Therefore, if the program was designated at the time the applicant completed it, the applicant's transcript is simply reviewed to ensure that all of the required curriculum described in the doctoral degree guidelines have been covered by the individual's program. The date in parentheses refers to the date that the program was first designated. The program may have existed prior to the date of designation but not have been reviewed and accepted until the date indicated. Also, significant changes in a program, including name changes, will result in a program being considered "a new program " and the date then reflects the date of the change. Individuals who completed programs prior to their designation are asked to submit documentation that the program met all of the guidelines at the time they were completing it. If you completed the doctoral program several years ago and the program does not appear on the current designation list, please check with the National Register office. It is possible that the program is no longer designated but was when you completed it. A staff person can check back issues of the publication to determine if your program was formerly listed.

8. What is the difference between APA/CPA-approval and Designation? APA/CPA approval requires an extensive, in-depth review of the program, including site visits, in which the quality of the program as well as its meeting certain standards is evaluated. Designation is strictly a review of official institutional documentation that demonstrates the program meets the doctoral degree guidelines as a psychology program. APA/CPA-approval applies only to the practice areas of clinical, counseling, school and professional-scientific programs. Designation can include any psychology program as long as it meets all of the guidelines.

9. Does listing in the APA's Graduate Study in Psychology mean that a program is acceptable? No--listing in the Graduate Study in Psychology tells you only that the program considers itself able to educate and train psychologists. It is a voluntary description provided by the program and does not involve an evaluation of the program by certain standards for acceptability.

10. May I fax you a copy of my transcript? No. You must arrange to have an Official Transcript of your doctoral degree sent directly to the National Register from the granting institution. In addition, if you completed graduate coursework in psychology (e.g., a master's degree) at another regionally accredited institution, please request that the institution forward an official transcript to the National Register (unless all that coursework is reflected on your doctoral transcript).
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INTERNSHIP FAQ's

11. Is a predoctoral internship required? No--an internship or organized training program meeting the National Register's guidelines is required. However, there is no stipulation regarding whether it is completed predoctorally or postdoctorally, although most individuals complete the training predoctorally as part of the doctoral program.

12. Does the internship have to be part of the doctoral program? No--the internship does not have to be part of or approved by the doctoral program, but must meet the current guidelines regardless of when it is completed.

13. Who should sign the Internship Confirmation Form? Since my supervisor is no longer at the site, can I have the psychiatrist who is head of the clinic complete the form? It is important that a psychologist involved with the training program complete the form. Usually, the primary supervisor or the director of training signs the form. If the experience took place a number of years ago and the supervisors are no longer at the site of the internship, it is possible for the current director of training to complete the form based on records.

14. Can I submit the state/province forms I submitted for licensure instead of yours since both have the same information? To maintain a fair, uniform review process we require that our forms be submitted unless it is virtually impossible for the supervisors to complete the forms (i.e., they are deceased or cannot be located after a diligent search). Consult the National Register database, the APA, or the relevant state psychological association to locate your supervisor(s) and/or the list of licensed psychologists in the residential state of the supervisor(s).

15. Will internships listed in APPIC (Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers) be acceptable? In most instances the internships listed in APPIC will be acceptable. However, if information on the application or confirmation form indicates that some of the guidelines may not be met, further information or clarification will be requested.

16. Do you accept internships completed in school settings (or private practice, etc.)? It is possible for an internship in a school setting or, less frequently, private practice settings to be acceptable. Our focus is on the nature of the training rather than on the site at which the training took place. Regardless of where the training was completed, it will be necessary for documentation to be submitted describing how the training meets our internship guidelines.

17. I was the only intern. Does that mean I am ineligible? Please note that the guidelines require that there be two or more interns at the site. However, because of budget cuts and last minute cancellations, occasionally individuals become the only intern at the site. In those instances, we suggest that arrangements be made for the intern to have weekly scheduled meetings and activities with interns from other sites in the same geographic area. The requirement of two interns makes it clear that there is a training environment. If an applicant was the only intern at the site, then it becomes necessary for the applicant to demonstrate how a training environment was maintained and what arrangements were made for the applicant to interact with and effect a collegial relationship with other individuals going through doctoral level training.

18. My training was completed in 19-- before many internships were established or required and before your guidelines were written. Does my extensive supervision, which satisfied licensure requirements, in place of an internship qualify me for listing? All applicants to the National Register must meet all of the requirements for listing regardless of when their training took place or what other credentials they may possess. Since there is no stipulation about when the training program takes place, it is possible for individuals to complete an internship at any time in order to meet our criteria for listing.

19. Since I earned my doctoral degree a number of years ago before they required an internship and have been working in the field for quite a while, can I complete an internship now to qualify for listing? Yes--see #18.

20. Since my university training director was actually in charge of the internship, should that person complete the confirmation form? No--we prefer that the on-site psychologist supervisor or director of training complete the internship confirmation form(s) since the signer is attesting to the extent and intent of the training.

21. If my internship was completed at several different sites, should each supervisor complete an Internship Confirmation Form? If the sites were entirely separate with different training directors and required separate applications for acceptance to the training, then yes, we should receive forms from each site. However, if the different sites were part of rotations under the auspices of one training director and training program, then only one form needs to be submitted.

22. Since my internship was completed as part of my APA/CPA-approved doctoral program, why are you questioning it? Doesn't that mean the internship would meet your guidelines? The fact that the doctoral program was APA/CPA-approved does not mean that the internship is automatically acceptable. Some individuals have mistakenly assumed that the APA/CPA-approval of the doctoral program means that the internship is APA/CPA-approved as well. The APA/CPA-approval of doctoral programs and internships are two separate processes, and, likewise, the National Register's evaluation of the doctoral program and internship is done separately.

23. Why is my internship being questioned when I know several people who have been accepted for listing who completed the same internship? It is possible for two individuals to be at the same site but have very different training experiences, supervisors, etc. even during the same time period. For this reason, each applicant's education and training are evaluated on an individual basis, and each application is evaluated based upon the documentation submitted by the individual applicant. Secondly, the other individuals' internship may have been questioned also. Nonetheless, if you can provide the names of these individuals, we will pull their file for comparison.

24. Are APA/CPA accredited internships automatically acceptable? In most instances, APA/CPA-approval is sufficient to ensure that the internship program is acceptable. In the rare instances when the Internship Confirmation Form seems to indicate that some of the guidelines were not met, (e.g., the supervisor is a licensed psychologist, but not from an acceptable program) an applicant would be asked to provide further documentation even if the training was APA/CPA-approved. Please be sure to accurately list the name, location and dates of your internship so NR staff can properly identify your program and its accreditation status.

25. Will my internship be acceptable if it was not APA/CPA accredited or APPIC listed? It is possible for an internship that is not APA/CPA accredited or APPIC listed to be acceptable. However, if your internship was not APA or CPA accredited or listed in the APPIC directory when you completed your internship, it will be necessary to obtain official documentation describing how the training meets the National Register internship guidelines. Your internship training director and/or primary supervisor should submit a brochure or an official written statement describing the goals and context of the training program when they submit the completed Internship Confirmation Form, and should provide more detail regarding the qualifications of psychologists on site and number of doctoral interns that year.

26. If my internship was not APA accredited or APPIC listed, but was listed in the CAPIC directory, will that help the review of my application? Yes, that will be very helpful during the review of your internship program. Please be sure to send a copy of the internship description from the CAPIC directory contemporaneous to the time period that you completed your internship.
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POSTDOCTORAL YEAR FAQ's

27. Is a formal postdoctoral organized training program required? A formal postdoctoral training experience is not required, although it may be acceptable for fulfilling the postdoctoral requirement. Our requirement is that you work in direct health service provision and receive a minimum of one hour per week of formally scheduled, individual supervision for the work you are doing in direct health services.

28. I completed all other degree requirements five years before my dissertation was defended. Can I use the supervised work in direct services during those five years to meet your postdoctoral requirement? We do not accept any supervised time prior to your having completed all degree requirements, even if it takes a number of years for you to complete and defend the dissertation.

29. My degree requirements were completed in August but the degree was not awarded until January. Can the supervised hours from August be counted toward the postdoctoral 1500 hours? Yes--as soon as you officially complete all degree requirements, including a successful defense of your dissertation, you can begin accumulating the postdoctoral hours, even if the formal awarding of the degree will not occur for several months. We must receive official documentation from the university of when the requirements were completed.

30. Do I have to work a calendar year under supervision to meet the postdoctoral requirement? If you are working full-time (37 1/2 to 40 hours per week) in direct service provision, you will be able to accumulate the required 1,500 hours in about 10 months. You do not have to complete a full calendar year if you have acquired the necessary hours.

31. Part of my duties include research and supervising others. Can this time be included in the postdoctoral hours? Research, teaching, and consulting about general issues are not considered direct health service activities. Only the activities that directly concern specific patients, including planning, testing, treatment and consultation concerning a patient should comprise the postdoctoral hours. However, a small percent of time can be spent in research and the year will still qualify.

32. If an hour per week of supervision is required, will a half hour per week be acceptable if I am only working 15 hours per week in direct services? No, regardless of whether you are working full-time or just a few hours per week in direct health service provision, our requirement is at least one hour per week of individual supervision.

33. Can I have two different supervisors: on alternate weeks? for two halves of the total postdoctoral experience? Yes, it is also possible to have two supervisors on alternate weeks or two different supervisors for two halves of the total experience.

34. Will any licensed psychologist be an acceptable supervisor? It is important to check before you begin being supervised that your supervisor has been appropriately trained and experienced in addition to being licensed. Since licensing is generic in some states/provinces, licensure alone does not guarantee that a psychologist is an appropriate supervisor in terms of having been trained as a health service provider. In addition, if the supervisor is a graduate of a program that is not regionally accredited, that supervisor does not meet our requirements. Hopefully there were other supervisors who provided supervision.

35. Can I have a psychiatrist or social worker supervise me? Yes--it is possible to have a psychiatrist or social worker supervise you for the postdoctoral year. If you do, however, we ask that you submit a vita for that individual as we do not have the resources for checking on the credentials of professionals outside of psychology. Like a psychologist supervisor, the psychiatrist or social worker should have training in direct health service delivery, be senior to you in experience (e.g., board certified), and have experience relevant to the experience for which you are being supervised.

It is important to keep in mind that half (1,500 hours) of the required 3,000 hours of direct service experience must be supervised by an appropriately qualified psychologist.

36. I completed my 2,000-hour internship postdoctorally; since you only require a 1,500-hour internship, can the other 500 hours be used toward the 1,500-hour postdoctoral requirement? No--you may not use a portion of what was formally arranged to be part of your internship to fulfill postdoctoral hours, even if the internship was more than 1,500 and was completed postdoctorally. Our requirement is "an internship of at least 1,500 hours," not to be confused with "at least 1,500 hours of an internship."

37. While completing my postdoctoral internship I also worked part-time under supervision. Can I use those hours towards fulfilling the postdoctoral requirement? We do not allow internship and postdoctoral hours to be completed simultaneously. Each experience should be completed at a separate time. However, we have allowed individuals to complete an internship after the postdoctoral year. This has occurred when an individual has completed training not meeting our internship guidelines, has done a postdoctoral supervised experience, and then completed an internship to meet our credentialing standards.

38. Since I actually work 60 hours per week, can I complete the postdoctoral 1,500 hours in 25 weeks? We do not accept hours beyond 40 hours per week for either the internship or the postdoctoral supervised experience.

39. Is it okay to pay my postdoctoral supervisor for supervision? Yes. As long as all requirements are met. The National Register guidelines do not stipulate anything about payment for postdoctoral supervision.

40. Is it okay for my supervisor to be located at another site? Yes, as long as you meet face to face for at least one hour per week of formal individual supervision. If supervision is provided through a distance format, the details of that would have to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

41. My supervisor is deceased and there is no one else who can complete my form. Should I forget about applying? No - we can help. Typically the site has employment records with which the experience can be documented. Once we have official information from the site, we need information on the supervisor's credentials at the time of supervision. Often the name of the supervisor has been previously documented for licensure. Therefore, if all possibilities of locating the supervisor have been exhausted or if the supervisor is known to be deceased, we have accepted other forms, particularly from state/provincial licensing boards, that will document the information we need. Although we uniformly require documentation of all experiences used for meeting our requirements, it is very rare for an individual to be denied the National Register credential solely on the basis of not being able to provide verification of having completed the necessary experiences. If you have any other questions, please contact Kim Haynes at applications@nationalregister.org.

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"SENIOR SECTION" FAQ's We want to encourage psychologists who completed their education and supervised experience many years ago to apply for the National Register credential. Although it may at first seem a difficult task to acquire verification of your experience because of relocation, deaths, etc. of supervisors, a thorough reading of the information above should assure you that we are more than willing to help you locate supervisors, or find possible alternatives in difficult cases (see #41). As well, although a formal internship may not have been required during your training, you still may have completed an organized training program which would fulfill our guidelines. You may also complete an internship postdoctorally, even after your other required postdoctoral supervised experience, if need be. It is important to note that it is possible for you to be approved for listing although you completed your training many years ago. Please request an application and we will be happy to assist you in any way towards expediting the credential review procedure.

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