Generic Requirements

Eligibility for Specialty Certification

To attain board certification in a specialty, an applicant must meet the general and the specialty eligibility requirements which include:

A doctoral degree from a program in professional psychology which at the time the degree was granted was accredited by the APA, CPA, or was listed in the publication Doctoral Psychology Programs Meeting Designation Criteria. Applicants credentialed in the most recent directory of the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, the Canadian Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, or who hold the Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology (CPQ) from the ASPPB qualify as meeting the doctoral degree requirements.

Licensure or Certification: All ABPP candidates in the U.S., its territories or Canada must be licensed as a psychologist for independent practice in a jurisdiction in the U.S., its territories or Canada.
 

Note: Limited exceptions exist for prior to 1983 doctoral preparation, degrees granted outside the U.S. or Canada, formal retraining, and substantial equivalents to accreditation requirements. Applicants requesting review due to exceptions are completed by ABPP Central Office and the ABPP Standards Committee.