Applying for APAC Accreditation

APAC is an independent quality and standards body for education and training in psychology and acts as the external accreditation authority for the psychology profession for the purposes of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 . Standards developed by APAC are approved by the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) in order that graduates of courses accredited by APAC and subsequently approved by the PsyBA are suitably qualified to warrant registration as a psychologist.

Accreditation is conducted by APAC and is a process of assessment of psychology education and training programs and of the higher education provider offering them against the APAC Standards. APAC considers accreditation as a process based on self- and peer-assessment for the purpose of publicly and openly assuring adequate standards of education for psychologists and the constant improvement of educational quality in the psychology discipline.

APAC welcomes applications from recognised higher education providers offering appropriate qualifications in psychology. While APAC considers it an important aspect of the accreditation process to work cooperatively with higher education providers during the development and application phases, we do request that education providers make themselves familiar with the information on this website (especially the overview of the accreditation process and the more detailed APAC Rules & Standards) before contacting APAC for advice.

Please note: College Course Approval is conducted by the Australian Psychological Society and consists of assessing specialist postgraduate courses against the APS College Course Approval Guidelines for Postgraduate Specialist Courses to determine if they meet the training requirements for membership of the relevant APS College. The relevant Guidelines and application materials are available from the APS website .

Information for Education Providers

• Education Providers are required to notify APAC of intended applications for accreditation before 30 October in the year prior to assessment, and to submit any applications for accreditation prior to 31 March of the year of assessment. Submissions after this date will, if accepted, incur a late fee and accreditation assessment may be postponed to the following year if it cannot be accommodated into APAC's work schedule.
  
  
  • Schedule of Fees and Example 2013 (148kb)  
  • Schdule of Fees and Example 2014  (158kb)
  • Notification of Intended Application 2013   (18kb)
  • APAC Application for Accreditation 2013    (165kb) (Note:  A separate application  for APS College Course Approval is not required)
  • Student:Staff Ratio Calculator Spreadsheet    (27kb)
  • Discontinued Programs Form  (17kb)
  • APAC Annual Update Form 2013  (82kb)

  When submittig an application for accreditation assessment which is likely to necessitate a site visit, the higher education provider should submit a proposed site visit agenda. In the case of a site visit in which postgraduate professional courses with specialist content are assessed, it should be noted that specialist content assessors should typically be scheduled for the last two days of the visit.

  • Site Visit Agenda Template  (50kb)

  Accredited education providers due for reaccreditation but with extraordinary reasons to request a postponement must do so before 1 October in the year prior to the expiry of their accreditation period. Applications for postponement must be in writing, must fully justify the request and must be signed by the Head of the School/Department or other senior officer. Postponements may be granted in exceptional circumstances at the sole discretion of APAC.

Information for Individuals with Australian Qualifications

APAC does not accept applications for accreditation from individuals. APAC only accepts applications from approved higher education providers offering programs of study in psychology. Enquiries about registration to practice as a psychologist in Australia for applicants with Australian qualifications should be directed in the first instance to the Psychology Board of Australia , which is the national registration authority.

Information for Individuals with Overseas Qualifications

Step 1:

If you have completed your qualifications outside Australia, the first step is to have your qualifications assessed for comparability to the Australian psychology education pathway (called an “assessment of psychology qualifications”). This first step in the assessment process is conducted by the Australian Psychological Society (APS). The APS is the government-contracted national assessing authority in Australia for the assessment of overseas academic qualifications in psychology for the purpose of migration or granting student VISAS. Details of the APS assessment process can be found on the APS website . The assessment of overseas comparability report be required by higher education providers when you apply to study an accredited psychology course in Australia and by the Psychology Board of Australia if you are an overseas trained psychologist seeking to apply for registration to practice in Australia.  

Step 2:

Overseas applicants for registration to practice as a psychologist in Australia who have completed step one should contact the Psychology Board of Australia about the process of applying for registration.