Member Login
Search
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Linkedin-in Youtube

Credential Evaluation

The first step  in getting registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) is having your academic credentials reviewed by the Credentials Evaluation Sub-Commitee (CESC). CESC assess whether your courses and degrees meet the academic requirements laid out in CAP’s Criteria for Evaluating Academic Credentials, and, when applicable, the Criteria for Evaluating Doctoral Credentials. What are the requirements?

  1. Degrees have to come from authorized/accredited schools.
  2. A minimum of 60 (thesis-based graduate programs) or 72 (non-thesis-based graduate programs) completed semester credits of psychology coursework. Of those credits, 30 (thesis-based graduate programs) or 36 (non-thesis based graduate programs) must be at the graduate level. 
  3. Completed 3 semester credits (usually 1 course) in each core area in your grad studies: ethics, research methods, assessment, and intervention. There are specific requirements to ensure that the courses you took truly fulfill CAP’s requirements, particularly in terms of the content covered in the courses. 
  4. Completed 3 semester credits (usually 1 course)  in each substantive content area courses. Many people fulfill these at the senior undergraduate level, but graduate courses can count as well. The four areas are:
    • Biological Bases of Behaviour 
    • Cognitive/Affective Bases of Behaviour 
    • Social Bases of Behaviour 
    • Psychology of the Individual 

4 Pathways of Academic Credential Evaluation

Applicants who completed a graduate degree in psychology from a Government Authorized/Accredited Institution. The degree must contain the word “Psychology” or “Psychological” in the title of the degree of the transcript. The applicant’s credentials will be evaluated under the regular psychology pathway.

Applicants who completed a graduate degree in an area other than psychology. If the graduate degree/transcript does not contain the words “Psychology” or “Psychological” in the title, the applicant may apply to have their credentials evaluated under the substantial equivalency pathway.

Applicants who have completed a CPA or APA accredited Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology, Counselling Psychology, or School Psychology. Programs accredited by CPA or APA are subjected to strict content criteria and therefore applicants in this pathway do not have to complete the course-by-course evaluation. 

Applicants who completed Master’s and Doctoral degrees in various areas in psychology listed under Appendix A in the Criteria for Evaluating Academic Credentials. These programs are assessed by the University Program Approval Committee (UPAC) and therefore applicants who hold degrees from these CAP Approved Programs do not have to complete the course-by-course evaluation.

Some people struggle with completing the substantive core area section of their academic credential review so here are some tips:

  1. Your course syllabus should outline content that matches up quite well with the content CAP outlines. Cross-reference with your syllabus and read each content area closely.
  1. If you completed a CAP approved program after the specific approval dates, your program will submit the names of graduates who are eligible to apply through the CAP approved programs pathway (Pathway 4) directly to CAP and you will not need to individually evaluate each course you have taken. Your university will ensure your courses meet the criteria.
  1. Sometimes it is hard to tell the substantive areas apart (Biological vs Cognitive/Affective Bases). For example, people will falsely attribute a cognitive science course that focuses on different brain functions as fulfilling the Biological category, when really it seems to fit better in the Cognitive area. Again, read all of the substantive course area details, and they will get easier to tell apart.
  1. It is not enough to find key words in an area (e.g., “gender” or “family systems”) and think your course is therefore going to fulfill that category. Don’t forget about the main content focus of each area.
  1. CAP has a helpful FAQ page about the academic credential review process on their website.

How does this credential review actually work (as of the time this page was written)?

  1. You create an account via the MyCAP Login and complete the online Application for Evaluation of Academic Credentials. For more information about each step of the process, go to CAP’s website.
  1. There are 4 different pathways for the academic credential review process: “regular psychology pathway,” “substantial equivalency pathway,” “CPA/APA approved Doctoral pathway,” and “CAP approved programs pathway.” These pathways are explained in greater detail in CAP’s Criteria for Evaluating Academic Credentials Select the correct pathway when completing the online application.
  1. Submit your completed application including sending transcripts and supporting documentation digitally to credentials@cap.ab.ca or mailed to CAP’s Edmonton office.
  1. Pay the application fee. Your application will not be processed until the application fee has been paid in full. For more information on the application fee cost, please see CAP’s fee schedule page.
  1. After you send in the application, you wait. The specific committee (comprised of volunteers) that evaluates credentials meets 8 times a year. In order to have your credentials reviewed at the next available meeting, you must submit everything prior to the next deadline date listed on CAP’s website. The approximate timeline to receive a decision is between 10-14 weeks.
  1. If your credentials get approved, you are ready to move on to the next step: finding a supervisor. Connect with PAA staff via paa@paa-ab.ca to gain access to the list of psychologists willing to supervise provisional psychologists. You will also gain access to the “Application for Registration as a Provisional Psychologist” and the “Hours of Supervised (Evaluated) Practice Form” in the MyCAP Login portal. You have 1 year to register a provisional psychologist after having your academic credentials evaluated. After 1 year, you will have to re-apply to have your academic credentials evaluated and pay another application fee. 
  1. If your credentials do not get approved, something was likely missing. You might need to take another course, or sometimes a degree altogether doesn’t qualify. It will all depend on the feedback you receive from CAP.  CAP has more information about next steps under the “Application Stages, Reviews, & Outcomes” section of their FAQ page

*If you have any questions about this process, please redirect them to CAP via credentials@cap.ab.ca. PAA is not involved in the academic credential review process.

Psychologists' Association of Alberta

Quick Links

Follow Us

Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Linkedin-in Youtube

© Copyright 2025 Psychologists’ Association of Alberta.

Website by Fabled Solutions