ASPPB/National Register Designation Committee

Doctoral Psychology Programs Meeting Designation Criteria, 2006

This is the 26th edition (2006) of the list identifying doctoral programs in psychology that meet the "Guidelines for Defining 'Doctoral Degree in Psychology,'" which were developed at the 1977 National Conference on Education and Credentialing in Psychology. This is the 21st edition as a joint effort of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology (National Register).

• A program that is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and/or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) meets Criterion 1 of the "Guidelines" and is designated on that basis. 
• Programs reviewed by the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project requested program review and provided publicly available documentation that demonstrated that the programs meet Criteria 2-11.

There are 418 programs listed in this edition, 44 of which are doctoral programs that demonstrated adherence to Criteria 2-11 implemented by the ASPPB/National Register Designation Committee.  Each year new programs, one-third of the listed programs, and any submitted changes to designated programs are reviewed.

In addition to communications with university officials, department chairs, and program directors, the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project relies on information from university catalogs, program descriptions, brochures and other official materials (both published and online) submitted by the programs. The universities/professional submit information and update forms on new programs, changes in existing programs, organizational changes and other modifications to the listings.

National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology
1120 G St. NW, Ste 330
Washington, DC 20005

Phone: 202-783-7663
Fax: 202-347-0550
www.nationalregister.org

Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards
P.O. Box 241245
Montgomery, AL 36124-1245 

Phone: 334:832:4580
Fax:    334:269:6379
www.asppb.org

Development of the Designation Process

The National Register's designation of doctoral programs began in 1980.  The data which served as the basis for the development of the designation system included the following:

• a survey of all doctoral programs listed in the 1980 APA publication, Graduate Study in Psychology,
• communications with ASPPB and its member boards,
• contacts with the Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology (COGDOP),
• information from thousands of applications for the National Register credential including the transcripts of academic work from applicants,
• contacts with university faculty, administrators and program directors, and
• reference material from the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA) and the American Psychological Association (APA). 

ASPPB/National Register Combined Effort

At the annual ASPPB meeting in August 1985, the delegates approved a proposal presented by the ASPPB Executive Committee to participate in a shared designation effort with the National Register by building on the National Register's review process, associated database and annual designation publications from 1981 on. Similarly, the National Register's Board of Directors agreed to a joint project at a board meeting in June 1985.

ASPPB/National Register Designation Committee

Beginning in 1986, each organization has appointed three members to review the documentation on each program to determine whether the program meets the "Guidelines."

The members of the 2006 ASPPB/National Register Designation Committee [also known as the Joint Designation Committee (JDC)] and the parent body each person represents follow:

National Register	ASPPB
David Martin, Ph.D.	Charles Morgan, Ph.D., Chair
Susan Phillips, Ph.D.	David Nussbaum, Ph.D.
George Stricker, Ph.D.	Barbara Van Horne, M.B.A., Ph.D.

ASPPB/National Register Designation Appeals Committee

The ASPPB/National Register Designation Appeals Committee [also known as the Joint Designation Appeals Committee (JDAC)] reviews programs determined not to meet all of Criteria 2-11 of the "Guidelines" and which have appealed the decision within 30 days. The 2006 members of the JDAC are as follows:

• Linda Berg-Cross, Ph.D., Chair (National Register)
• David S. Hargrove, Ph.D. (National Register)
• Roberta Nutt, Ph.D. (ASPPB)

Identifying Designated Programs

An annual list of programs meeting the designation criteria has been published for each of the years since 1981, the year the National Register first published a designation list, and until the list was made available online. Users of these publications should note that the date first designated may not necessarily reflect the date that an earlier, perhaps differently titled or structured program at that institution may have been designated.

Given the frequency of changes in programs at educational institutions, readers are urged to refer to earlier editions of this publication if questions arise about a degree granted since 1981 and if the program is not listed in this edition. Please note also that an individual is considered a graduate of a designated program if the program was designated at the time the individual's degree was completed.

It should be noted that programs may be deleted from designation when requested documentation is not provided or when the documentation provided does not support that the current program meets the "Guidelines." However, because programs may reapply for designation after being deleted, it is sometimes helpful to check several editions of the publication to see if a program not listed in one edition had been designated previously or became designated later. State and provincial licensing boards and the National Register have these annual publications on file.

The review of all previously designated programs resulted in a substantially revised list beginning in 1991-92. At that time, the ASPPB and the National Register found it necessary to clarify the aims of the designation list, a resource to be used by ASPPB member boards and the National Register to facilitate the review of applications for licensing or credentialing.

Rather than serving as a list of all psychology doctoral programs whose graduates may be eligible for licensure, the list of designated programs is a means of identifying programs that have applied for review by the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project and meet either Criteria 2-11 or have applied for and received APA/CPA accreditation and thus meet Criterion 1. Hence the change in the title of the publication from Designated Doctoral Programs in Psychology to Doctoral Psychology Programs Meeting Designation Criteria.

The review of the programs on the basis of Criteria 2-11 does not in itself involve a determination of the educational quality of the program. In addition, students enrolled in designated programs are advised to ensure that the curriculum that they complete adheres to the designation criteria.

Designation as a Resource to ASPPB Member Boards

PROGRAM DESIGNATION IS NOT INTENDED TO SUBSTITUTE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL REVIEW OF APPLICANTS FOR LICENSURE.

This online publication expedites the review of the credentials of individuals seeking licensure as psychologists. It is important that students, faculty, licensing boards, and the courts understand that this process does not purport to substitute for the judgment of licensing authorities as to the ability of any program to qualify a candidate for licensure/ certification purposes or ensure that the program meets the jurisdiction's mandated curriculum requirements.

Requirements differ in the 62 ASPPB member jurisdictions. This is simply the effort of two organizations to provide a professional resource to various individuals and organizations. There is no requirement that any licensing board utilize this publication in any fashion, and no consumer or court should assume such.

A corollary source of information on doctoral programs in psychology whose graduates sit for the licensure examination is found in the ASPPB publication entitled Educational Reporting Service: EPPP Performance by Designated Doctoral Programs in Psychology. That publication provides aggregate data on the performance of graduates from doctoral programs on the Examination for the Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP). Information is provided on a yearly basis on each program that has had three or more candidates taking the examination. Students preparing to apply for graduate study may want to use this information as part of their review of a program being considered for graduate study.

Designation as a Resource to the National Register

The list of designated programs is used by the National Register to facilitate the application review process. In the absence of special circumstances and subject to review of transcripts, graduates of programs designated at the time of their graduation can expect their academic work and degrees to be acceptable in meeting one of the three basic requirements for the National Register Health Service Provider in Psychology credential, a doctoral degree in psychology. [The other two criteria for listing are: (a) licensure as a psychologist at the independent practice level and (b) two years of supervised experience in health service, in which one year is in an internship or an organized health service training program, and one year is at the postdoctoral level.]

Applicants to the National Register who are evaluated on an individual basis are as follows:

• applicants who earned their degrees from programs not listed at the time of their graduation and which may no longer exist ·
• applicants graduating from programs that preceded the designation list (prior to 1980)
• applicants who have earned their degrees from educational institutions outside of the United States and Canada

In any of these instances, the applicant will have to demonstrate on the basis of official university documentation that the program completed meets Criteria 2-11 of the "Guidelines."

Programs Applying for ASPPB/National Register Designation

Programs training students for professional practice should apply for designation as soon as possible in order to facilitate the review of those graduates' applications for licensure and for the National Register HSPP credential. Designated programs are not restricted to clinical, counseling, school or other applied areas of psychology. Many states and provinces have generic licensing laws, and many qualified applicants to the National Register have earned degrees in psychology from other programs that meet the guidelines (specifically, Criteria 2-11).

Fees

The designation application fee for university departments or professional schools with currently designated programs is $100 for the review of each additional program. The designation application fee for the review of the first program from university departments or professional schools is $500. Programs offered at geographically different locations are considered different programs and thus necessitate a separate application and fee for each location. If both a Psy.D and a Ph.D, are offered at one location, each will be considered separate programs and necessitate separate applications and fees.

In January 2000, an annual Internet hosting fee was instituted for each designated program maintained on the web site. The current $30 per program per year fee defrays the cost of making contact and other program information available to the public.

Update Forms for ASPPB/National Register Designated Programs and State/Provincial Boards

Although there is a rotating, three-year cycle of review for current programs, we encourage institutions and educational departments to electronically submit the revision/update/modification form and supporting documentation at any time there are changes to be made to the online profile. Similarly, we ask that state, provincial and territorial boards submit the revision/update/modification form at any time regarding programs that should be considered for designation or designated programs about which they have questions.

Also, state, provincial and territorial boards of examiners in psychology are given the opportunity to submit information on doctoral programs stemming from their experience in evaluating the transcripts of these graduates. This information is welcomed, because their experience serves as an important check on the review of doctoral programs by the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project.

Programs No Longer Accepting New Students

Once notified that programs are no longer accepting new students, the policy is to state for one year that this "Program is no longer admitting new students." After that, the program is dropped from designation. Individuals who matriculated for a degree in a designated program at the time that the program closes to new students are considered as having completed a designated program when they graduate. This list does not purport to include at this time all programs that meet the stated criteria. The programs listed are those which were known to the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project and from which information in support of meeting the criteria was made available, reviewed, and added to the online listing. There may be other programs that meet these criteria for which sufficient information was not available. There may also be programs that have applied earlier and were found not to meet the criteria. With revisions of the program that would allow those programs to demonstrate that they meet the criteria, those programs are urged to reapply.

Statement for Accurately Communicating Designation Status

It is recommended that schools and departments with designated programs use the following statement in catalogs, departmental brochures and other information to communicate their programs' designation status:

This program meets the "Guidelines for Defining 'Doctoral Degree in Psychology" as implemented by the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project. Therefore, a graduate of this designated program who decides to apply for licensing as a psychologist typically will meet the educational requirements for licensing. However, there are additional requirements that must be satisfied prior to being licensed as a psychologist. Please contact the state / provincial / territorial licensing board in the jurisdiction in which you plan to apply for exact information. Additional information including links to jurisdictions is available on the ASPPB's web site: www.asppb.org.

Once licensed, a graduate is eligible to apply for credentialing as a Health Service Provider in Psychology by the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. Graduation from designated program typically ensures that the program completed meets the educational requirements for the National Register credential. However, there are additional requirements that must be satisfied prior to being credentialed by the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology© and listed on the Online Searchable Database. Doctoral students may apply to have their credentials reviewed prior to licensure. For further information about the National Psychologist's Trainee Register and the National Register application process, consult the National Register's web site: www.nationalregister.org.

Conclusion

The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards and the Council for the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology are pleased that the ASPPB/National Register Designation project exists and serves the need of licensing and credentialing bodies. Both organizations agree that reviewing and determining which doctoral programs meet the designation criteria simultaneously serves the public and the profession.