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What is accreditation?
Accreditation is both a status and a process. As a status, accreditation provides public notification that an institution or program meets standards of quality set forth by an accrediting agency. As a process, accreditation reflects the fact that in achieving recognition by the accrediting agency, the institution or program is committed to self-study and external review by one's peers in seeking not only to meet standards but to continuously seek ways in which to enhance the quality of education and training provided. Psychology's accrediting body, the Commission on Accreditation (CoA), publishes guidelines and procedures by which its accreditation process is carried out.
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What is the purpose of accreditation?
Accreditation is a process that assures the educational community and the general public that an institution or a program has clearly defined and appropriate objectives and maintains conditions under which their achievement can reasonably be expected. It encourages improvement through continuous self-study and review. It fosters excellence in postsecondary education through the development of principles and guidelines for assessing educational effectiveness.
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What is the difference between APA accreditation and institutional accreditation?
The APA Commission on Accreditation is a specialized/professional accreditor. This means that APA accreditation only extends to specific doctoral graduate programs, doctoral internships and postdoctoral residencies in health service psychology. The accredited status of one specific program does not extend to other programs in the same department or institution.
Other agencies accredit entire institutions. There are six such accrediting bodies in the United States. APA-accredited doctoral graduate programs must be housed in an institution that has accreditation. However, an institution may hold accreditation and not have any APA-accredited programs.
For more information on regional accrediting bodies, please visit their websites:
- Higher Learning Commission
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges
For further information about accreditation in general, please visit the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors.
National accreditation also covers entire institutions, and national accrediting agencies operate across the entire United States. Many of their accredited institutions are single-purpose (such as for education in technology) or faith-based.
See AlsoWhat Is a PsyD? [2024 Guide] -
Why are "degree mills" and "accreditation mills" harmful?
Degree mills (also known as diploma mills) are institutions that award academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study. Sometimes such institutions claim to be accredited by an accreditation mill — agencies that claim to be providers of accreditation and quality assurance without a proper basis (recognition by an external agency such as the U.S. Department of Education or the Council of Higher Education Accreditation). Both degree and accreditation mills mislead students and have harmful consequences. In the United States, such degrees may not be acknowledged by other institutions, employers, licensing boards, credentialing agencies and other groups. A program or institution’s “accreditation” from an accreditation mill can mislead students and the public about the quality of that program/institution. Thus, students may spend money and not receive a proper credential or a useable credential. More information about degree and accreditation mills can be found on the Council of Higher Education Accreditation website.
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Why is accreditation important?
Although graduating from an accredited program does not guarantee jobs or licensure for individuals, it may facilitate such achievement. It reflects the quality by which an educational institution or a program conducts its business. It speaks to a sense of public trust, as well as to professional quality.
As a student:Accreditation provides assurance that the program in which you are enrolled or are considering enrolling is engaged in continuous review and improvement of its quality, that it meets nationally endorsed standards in the profession, and that it is accountable for achieving what it sets out to do.
As a faculty member:Accreditation provides a formal process for ongoing evaluation and improvement of your program and faculty development outcomes, a process by which faculty, students, and administration can work together in advancing the educational institution's mission.
As a psychologist: Accreditation provides a forum in which educators and practitioners of psychology can exchange ideas on future needs of the profession and ways in which to best address these needs in professional education and training.
As a member of the public: Accreditation ensures public accountability of a program or an institution -- that it has the means and demonstrates the outcomes for its educational process that are consistent with its goals and objectives; in other words, that there is 'truth in advertising.'
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What are the different statuses of accreditation and what do they mean?
Find out more about the different statuses of accreditation here.
