Frequently Asked Questions

This is certainly the main question! But, it's a complicated one. And while credentials aren't enough to make you a psychologist, they are the first requirement. This includes that:

• You've taken certain courses and have a certain kind of degree.
• You've completed a certain number of credits at certain levels of education.
• Your courses were taught by the right kinds of instructors and comprised of the right number of hours.
• And more!

These are just some of the requirements (and there's a pretty good overview on the main page). But, you can see why we can't answer this question easily. Luckily, all of this information is in the Criteria for Evaluating Academic Credentials. Your best choice would be to read the whole thing closely.

Please see the Criteria for Evaluating Academic Credentials for information regarding programs that are acceptable under Pathways 3 and 4 (CAP Approved Programs). CAP does not have a list of acceptable degrees/programs or approved institutions for applying through Pathways 1 and 2.

Psychologists in Alberta must have a graduate degree in psychology or a graduate degree that is "substantially equivalent" to one in psychology. Substantial equivalency is outlined in Section 7 of the Criteria for Evaluating Academic Credentials (found here).

Furthermore, your degree must have been obtained from: 

• a government-authorized degree-granting institution of higher education in Canada.

OR

• an institution of higher education in the United States that is regionally accredited (by one of the following:
  • Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) (Formerly, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools).
  • New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) (Formerly, New England Association of Schools and Colleges). 
  • Higher Learning Commission (HLC) (Formerly, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools). 
  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). 
  • WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) (Formerly, Western Association of Schools and Colleges).
  • Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

OR

• a university outside of North America that has been authorized by an appropriate authority of that jurisdiction.

No. An acceptable degree (i.e., a graduate degree with a major in psychology or equivalent) must be obtained. Coursework taken outside of the graduate degree can be counted towards making up the required coursework, but an acceptable graduate degree must have been earned.

CAP requires a graduate degree in psychology (which can be either a master's or a doctoral degree). However, we also require a certain number of credits and courses (taught appropriately by qualified instructors). Thus, it is certainly possible to register with only a bachelor's degree and a PhD, but it would depend on the courses you have taken, and thus, on the nature of your PhD and bachelor's degree. See our Criteria if your PhD was purely research-based (3.8 specifically).

Yes, as long as your degree was obtained from:

• a government-authorized degree-granting institution of higher education in Canada, or
• a regionally accredited institution of higher education in the United States, or
• a university outside of North America that has been authorized by an appropriate authority of that jurisdiction.

Note that all relevant criteria must be met for courses and degrees to count, so your application will still be subject to those (e.g., instructor requirements, instructional hours (or equivalent) requirements, course content requirements).

Not strictly speaking, no. What you need is a certain number of psychology credits overall as well as to fulfill the foundational training requirements through certain coursework (see the requirement overview here). Many of these requirements are typically covered in an undergraduate psychology degree, although even some people with these degrees are still missing specific course requirements (e.g., a Biological Bases of Behaviour course).

The Credentials Evaluation Sub-Committee (CESC) will make a final determination, but you should be able to tell if a course can count by closely reviewing the Core Area requirements in general (criterion 8.1) and specific to each area (e.g., Ethics and Standards) as per criteria 8.1.1, 8.1.2, 8.1.3, and 8.1.4. The same is true for Substantive Content Area courses in terms of satisfying the general criteria (criterion 8.2) and the specific area requirements (e.g., Biological Bases of Behaviour) as per criteria 8.2.1, 8.2.2, 8.2.3, and 8.2.4.

Be sure to read the core definition of each Core and Substantive Content Area to make sure that your course corresponds. For example, as per 8.2.1, a Biological Bases of Behaviour course “must address biological influences on behaviour, affect, cognition and development”. Although the Criteria provides sample course content areas, your course may not meet the core definition. This is the mistake most made when fitting courses into various areas. (See the FAQs below as well.) 

Although an overview is included below, please read the requirements regarding Core Areas in the Criteria (see 8.1) as well as each specific area definition (see 8.1.1, 8.1.2, 8.1.3, 8.1.4). Pay particular attention to the CORE DEFINITION in each area below to ensure a good fit.

1. Ethics & Standards (see 8.1.1):
   • 3 semester credits at the graduate level
   • taught by an instructor with a graduate degree in psychology
   • taught by a registered psychologist (BEGINNING JAN 1, 2026)
   • based on the Canadian of American Code of Ethics for Psychologists (CPA or APA)
   • including professional standards and guidelines for the practice of psychology
2. Research Design & Methodology (see 8.1.2):
   • 3 semester credits at the graduate level
   • taught by an instructor with a social sciences degree
   • CORE DEFINITION: substantially addresses research design, methodology, and interpretation of research findings applicable to the discipline and practice of psychology
   • including at least one of the following: research methods, research design, appropriate analytical methods, or criteria for critical appraisal and utilization of research
3. Psychological Assessment & Evaluation (see 8.1.3):
   • 3 semester credits at the graduate level
   • taught by a registered psychologist with a graduate degree in psychology
   • CORE DEFINITION: substantially addresses theory, concepts (reliability, validity, standardization, norms, client diversity), the use of formal psychological assessment instruments, AND techniques for the measurement of characteristics of individuals, groups, or systems
   • including at least one of the following: assessment models; tests for the measurement of characteristics of individuals including coverage of psychometric theory and concepts and the adaptation of these tests for use with special populations; techniques other than tests for the measurement of characteristics of individuals; utilization of various classification systems for diagnosing client functioning
4. Psychological Intervention & Consultation (see 8.1.4):
   • 3 semester credits at the graduate level
   • taught by a registered psychologist with a graduate degree in psychology
   • CORE DEFINITION: substantially addresses theory, techniques, and practices to promote, restore, sustain, and/or enhance positive functioning and a sense of well-being in clients.
   • including at least one of the following: theories/practice of intervention; matching treatment techniques/interventions for specific concerns, clients, or populations; psychological interventions and models designed to address larger system functioning; consultation models of intervention; theories/practice of career development and counselling; practica in areas of the practice of psychology

Note that a common mistake involves thinking that an example of what a course might include is sufficient for a course to fit in an area. However, the course must conform to and fulfill the CORE DEFINITION.

Although an overview is included below, please read the requirements regarding Substantive Content Areas in the Criteria (see 8.2) as well as each specific area definition (see 8.2.1, 8.2.2, 8.2.3, 8.2.4). Pay particular attention to the CORE DEFINITION in each area below to ensure a good fit.

1. Biological Bases of Behaviour (see 8.2.1):
   • 3 semester credits at the senior undergraduate (see 8.2 for explanation) or graduate level
   • taught by an instructor with a graduate degree in psychology
   • CORE DEFINITION: must address biological influences on behaviour, affect, cognition, and development.
   • must be substantially (at least 85%) in Biological Psychology including at least one of the following: physiological correlates/determinants of behaviour and affect; brain and behaviour including biological psychology, psychophysiology, and neuropsychology; basic psychopharmacology; genetic transmission and its effect on the relationship between the Central Nervous System and behaviour; relationship of stress to biological and psychological functioning, with substantial emphasis on the mechanisms of biology in various stress-related functions.
2. Cognitive/Affective Bases of Behaviour (see 8.2.2):
   • 3 semester credits at the senior undergraduate or graduate level
   • taught by an instructor with a graduate degree in psychology
   • CORE DEFINITION: must address cognitive and affective influences on each other, on behaviour and on development.
   • must be substantially (at least 85%) in Cognitive/Affective Psychology including at least one of the following: cognitive science; theories of motivation; theories of emotions.
3. Social Bases of Behaviour (see 8.2.3):
   • 3 semester credits at the senior undergraduate or graduate level
   • taught by an instructor with a graduate degree in psychology
   • CORE DEFINITION: must address social influences on behaviour, affect, cognition, and development.
   • must be substantially (at least 85%) in Social Psychology including at least one of the following: social interaction; group dynamics, social influences, and organizational structures; environmental/ecological psychology; psychological theories of cultural identity development, acculturation and impact of oppression; within group and between group differences in psychosocial development based on multicultural and multiethinc diversity.
4. Psychology of the Individual (see 8.2.4):
   • 3 semester credits at the senior undergraduate or graduate level
   • taught by an instructor with a graduate degree in psychology
   • CORE DEFINITION: must address the range and diversity of normal and abnormal human functioning and development.
   • must be substantially (at least 85%) in Psychology of the Individual including at least one of the following: psychological growth and development from conception through old age; risk factors that predict an atypical developmental course; psychopathology and abnormal development; psychological support programs and prevention strategies to reduce risk factors, to increase emotional and behavioural resilience, competence of individuals; life-event changes that can alter the normal course of development; theories of development; how psychological development is influence by the organism-environment interaction over time; theories of personality that describe behaviour and the etiology of atypical behaviour; any psychology topic that is based on a combination of biological, cognitive, emotional, and social bases of behaviour that shows the diverse expressions and behaviours of individuals.

Note that a common mistake involves thinking that an example of what a course might include is sufficient for a course to fit in an area. However, the course must conform to and fulfill the CORE DEFINITION.

No, the content of a course must substantially (at least 85%) cover the content detailed in the Criteria for Evaluating Academic Credentials in order to satisfy a given criterion (Core or Substantive Content Area). Several courses may cover aspects of the criterion, but the content may not be substantial enough in a single course to warrant approval. The equivalent of three semester credits must minimally cover 36 hours of focused instruction on the subject matter.

A senior undegraduate course is typically a 200-level or higher course. However, this depends on the numbering system of the institution. Or, if an institution doesn't use a numbering system, the course must not be introductory in nature and must have a least one relevant course pre-requisite. This is outlined under 8.2 in the Criteria.

Indeed! One of the ways that CAP tries to ensure adequate and appropriate training of psychologists is by requiring that certain instructors teach them. You can find this information in our Criteria, but in brief: 

3.3 requires that all courses approved by CAP be taught by instructors with graduate degrees in psychology. 

3.3.1 requires that certain courses also be taught by licensed psychologists (Interventions & Consultation courses; Assessment & Evaluation courses, and Ethics & Standards courses*).

*For Ethics & Standards courses, this requirement begins on January 1, 2026 for courses taken at any time.

No. To fulfill 3.3.1, where applicable, the instructor must have the word "psychologist" in their title. You can usually look up instructors (or anyone) in the directory managed by the regulator in each jurisdiction. A list of Canadian and American regulators, including links to member directories is here. Be sure to know the difference between an association (typically non-regulatory) and a licensing board or college. 

First: instructional hours are generally hours in a course where an instructor is directly teaching or leading students through activities. For online/asynchronous courses, these are designed to be equivalent (e.g., the student is watching videos or reading lecture material to a 36-hour-equivalent). Note that these credits and instructional hours do not include learning hours. In other words, students spend time completing assignments, reading course materials, and studying outside the classroom and these hours are not calculated as part of the 36 instructional hours. 

Most Canadian institutions use semester credits which indicate 12 instructional hours per credit meaning that a 3 semester credit course is comprised of 36 hours of instruction. Some institutions calculate credits differently and include learning hours within their credits. This means that a course might be granted more than 3 semester credits despite only containing 36 or fewer instructional hours. Where this happens, the CESC will adjust the credits awarded to you by your institution and/or by your WES/IQAS evaluation. The CESC awards credits based on 3 semester credits being equivalent to 36 hours of instruction. For example, if a course involves 24 hours of instruction, we would award 2 semester credits even if your institution awarded 3 or 4 or 7. If a course involves 9 hours of instruction, we would award 0.75 semester credits. We simply do the math.

If you have a degree from an institution outside of North America, in particular, the CESC may adjust your credits. This is because of the commonality of different crediting systems elsewhere. These adjustments also underline the importance of us receiving clear course information in order to determine fair equivalence to our Criteria and to typical programming in our jurisdiction. 

General psychology credits obtained by course challenge will be accepted toward the total psychology credit requirement, provided the credits are granted by the issuing institution prior to the commencement of the registration process (including an evaluation of your academic credentials). Course credits at the graduate or undergraduate level obtained by course challenge to satisfy deficiencies in the Core or Substantive Content Areas will not be accepted.

No. An independent study course is a course that a student and instructor collaborate to create, based on the student’s specific interests. 

Self-paced distance learning courses are not the same as independent study courses. The CESC can evaluate the syllabi and instructors’ credentials to determine the admissibility of these courses.

This is uncommon. If your academic institution has a limited number of graduation dates per year and your degree conferral will not appear on your official transcript until after your graduation date, you can apply once you have completed all degree requirements. However, you will need to have your academic institution send an official letter, along with your most up-to-date official transcript(s), confirming that you have completed all of the degree requirements in your graduate program (this includes the completion of the thesis/ dissertation, project, and/or practicum) and when conferral will take place. The letter should come from the Chair of the Department or Head of the Faculty and must be emailed to CAP (credentials@cap.ab.ca) by the academic institution.

A degree completed but not conferred means all requirements have been met for the degree.

No. The minimum degree required to apply is a master's degree, so you must complete all degree requirements (including thesis, project, and/or practicum) before applying to CAP.

CAP requires that all official transcripts and application documents be emailed to CAP directly from the academic institution. We do not accept transcripts provided by applicants.

Yes. Ensure that your application is complete by the deadline date so that it may be reviewed during the next committe review period. The committee cannot review an incomplete application except in rare circumstances (and this is not advised). The onus is on the applicant to ensure that official transcripts have been requested in time to meet CAP’s posted deadline dates. CAP is not responsible for delayed transcripts.

CAP retains official transcripts and other documents received for a period of one year, regardless of if a completed application has been received. If an application still has not been received after a year of us retaining these documents, we will delete them.

Yes. If your transcripts are in a language other than English, they must be translated into English by a certified translator, and notarized.

(While French is an official language of Canada, English is the operating language of CAP and all documents in members’ registration files need to be readable by all administrative staff and applicable committee members.)

You must request official transcripts from all of the institutions at which you completed the courses listed in your application. That is, an official transcript is required from the institution at which you originally completed the course, even if you later received transfer credit for that course from another institution. Furthermore, when you fill out the application form, you must indicate the instituion at which you took the course originally, not where you received transfer credit. If required, instructor credentials and syllabi would also need to come from the original host institution.

Not necessarily. You will generally need to request official course outlines/syllabi for those courses that do not have “psychology” in the prefix or title and/or do not appear to be from a program of psychology. Otherwise, the application reviewers often ask for further information about courses that are unfamiliar or unclear (such as having unclear titles or being from institutions with which the CESC is less familiar).

You can have your institutions submit syllabi for any courses where you want to ensure fit with our Criteria. Otherwise, you will receive a request from CAP for these documents and your application will take longer to review. Please note that in general, we require syllabi for all courses completed outside Canada and for all courses completed in non-psychology faculties/programs.

Not necessarily. You will generally need to request instructor information for courses that do not have "psychology" in the prefix or title and/or do not appear to be from a program of psychology. We also request this information in almost all cases with graduate level courses, and with courses from institutions that are unfamiliar to us or where little assurance exists that instructors consistently fulfill criteria 3.3 and 3.3.1 (having a graduate degree in psychology and being a registered psychologist, where applicable).

You can have your institutions submit instructor credentials for any courses where you want to ensure fit with our Criteria. Otherwise, you will receive a request from CAP for these documents and your application will take longer to review. Please note that in general, we require instructor credentials for all courses completed outside Canada.

These documents must come directly from the academic institution. Course outlines/syllabi must be from the year and term you took the course and should have sufficient information for us to evaluate the course content and instructional hours.

Instructor credential information must clearly outline what courses were taught to you by what instructor and must include the degrees earned and licensure/registration status of the instructors. CAP has prepared a form that your institution should fill out to provide us with instructor credential information, also available on our website here (under the Course Instructor Credentials section).

We would encourage you to work with them to have this information (or equivalent) sent to us, otherwise your application may be denied simply because of there being insufficient information.

Ultimately, you may request that we evaluate your application despite missing information. Note that if this results in a denial (as is often the case with missing information), you will only have 4 months to provide any further information or your application will be closed. If it is closed, to have another review, you will have to re-apply and pay the application fee again.

An incomplete application almost always means that there is information missing that we need in order to render a decision on a course, degree, or otherwise. Thus, not having this information can make an evaluation impossible because we can't tell if some part of your application has fulfilled our Criteria. If we were to evaluate an application with insufficient information, our main option for any course or component missing information is to assign 0 credits or deny a degree credential. Sometimes an applicant reaches significant barriers in terms of what their relevant institutions will provide to us and will ask for an evaluation despite missing information. These applications are more likely to end in a denial, but this pathway is open to applicants as long as they understand the consequences of applying and receiving a denial decision. It is still not advised.

As per CAP Bylaws (found here), internationally educated applicants applying for registration in Alberta must provide evidence of English language proficiency. But note that:

• Internationally educated applicants are exempt from taking the English language proficiency testing if: their highest degree was obtained in English OR they have a high school diploma or a minimum of two years of undergraduate education (in any field) in English.

All other internationally educated applicants must have taken and submit along with their Application the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) academic version. To demonstrate proficiency, applicants must have achieved a minimum score of 7.0 in each component or obtain similar results on another assessment tool deemed substantially equivalent by the Registrar.

You should expect to hear within 90 business days from the submission deadline. Your letter will be emailed to you. Some letters are sent quicker than others because of complexity (i.e., approval letters tend to be faster than more complex decisions requiring more extensive application review and explanations) and also because of an application's place in line (i.e., we process over 100 applications per review period, on average, and preparing decision letters happens sequentially, not concurrently).

For more information on the application review stages and timelines, see here.

The three outcomes are:

• Approved
  • You have fulfilled CAP's academic credentials requirements. You may now apply for registration as a registered provisional psychologist.
• Deferred
  • You have nearly fulfilled CAP's academic credentials requirements (but for a deficiency of 6 or fewer credits). You must fulfill deficiencies in your application to be granted full approval. Once you present fulfillment of these deficiences to CAP (within the year alloted), your credentials will be approved. Then you may apply for registration as a registered provisional psychologist.
• Denied
  • You have not fulfilled CAP's academic credentials requirements, based on your application. You may seek further evaluation of what you already submitted (see relevant FAQ below) or apply again in the future.
  • You have not provided sufficient information or required documents to allow us to complete an evaluation. You may have your academic institutions or the relevant organizatons provide additional information for re-evaluation of your application within four months from the date of the decision letter.

All of these outcomes are governed by specific deadlines and requirements. Read your decision letter closely, and see the related four questions below this question.

Congratulations! Now you may move on to applying for status as a registered provisional psychologist. See our Registration webpage for information about this.

Remember: you only have a year for your credentials approval to remain valid! If it expires, you'll have to start the process again.

Your decision letter will tell you what requirements are outstanding in your application (i.e., the deficiencies in your application). For example, you may be missing credits in the Social Bases of Behaviour area or in the Psychological Assessment & Evaluation area. You have two main options for pursuing approval of your application: re-evaluation of existing courses or re-evaluation of new courses.

Re-Evaluation of Existing Courses: You may wish to have courses that you've already taken looked at by the CESC to determine if they can fulfill the outstanding requirement(s). This would only be the case if you provided new information about courses already included in your application (such as syllabi, instructor credentials, or transcripts) that might change the original decision. Or, you might add courses to your application that you had previously left out but were complete at the time of the application. In order to pursue this kind of re-evaluation, you MUST request a re-evaluation within 4 months of your decision letter date. As soon as possible, you must also have your institution (or related organization) provide relevant supporting documentation to make a re-evaluation possible. If a re-evaluation request is not made within 4 months, no re-evaluation of existing courses will be permitted.

Re-Evaluation of New Courses: If you complete new courses after receiving your decision letter in order to fulfill a deficiency in your application, you will have ONE YEAR from the date of your decision letter to request a re-evaluation and supply relevant documentation to us. As above, you must have your institution send transcripts, instructor credentials, and syllabi, where relevant, directly to CAP. See other FAQs about how to have this information sent.

If no requests for re-evaluation or no relevant documents are received within the allotted time frames, your application will be closed and your deferral will expire.

Please note that you can request a review (i.e., appeal) within 30 days of the date of the decision. Read about this in the FAQ below ("appeal process") and here.

If your academic credentials were denied, you have two options for further pursuit of approval: re-evaluation or re-application.

Re-Evaluation: In this case, you would be asking for the CESC to further evaluate courses and/or degrees that you had already submitted. The only way for this to work is to submit additional information that the CESC does not yet have (such as syllabi, instructor information, or similar). You MUST request a re-evaluation within 4 months of your decision letter date. As soon as possible, you must also have your institution (or related organization) provide relevant supporting documentation to make a re-evaluation possible. If a re-evaluation request is not made within 4 months, no re-evaluation of existing courses will be permitted and your application will be closed. Please note that you may not submit any documentation related to courses you have newly taken since the denial decision letter (that would require a re-application).

Re-Application: You may wish to re-apply to have your academic credentials evaluated at any time in the future. This would include submitting a new application alongside a new fee. You would also re-submit required documents. Your application would be treated as a new application without any reference to your original application.

Please note that you can request a review (i.e., appeal) within 30 days of the date of the decision. Read about this in the FAQ below ("appeal process") and here.

No. Only once you receive written notification that your academic credentials have been approved will you have access in the MyCAP portal to submit your Application for Registration as a Provisional Psychologist and Hours of Supervised (Evaluated) Practice Form.

No. Your credentials must be fully approved for you to apply for registration.

Yes, there are two options:

1. Re-Evaluation: The Credentials Evaluation Sub-Committee (CESC) can re-evaluate your application if you provide new information (such as syllabi, instructor credentials, or similar). No additional fee is required, but you must request a re-evaluation and have documents submitted in the 4 months after your decision letter date. Otherwise, this pathway is not an option. When your documents and request have been received, your application will be re-evaluated in the next available CESC review period.
2. Registration Review ("Appeal"): This process is separate from the CESC and involves a review by a sub-panel of CAP Council (CAP's highest internal governing body). This sub-panel reviews the CESC decision to ensure procedural compliance. To engage in this process, you must request a registration review within 30 days of your decision letter date. Your written appeal must be addressed to the Registrar and must set out reasons why your application decision should change. The appeal panel will only review information/documents that were already received and reviewed by the CESC (i.e., you cannot submit new documentation to change the outcome of your evaluation as you can in a re-evaluation, as above). There is a fee for this review. For more information, see "Registration Review" here. 
   • Please note that if your application is re-evaluated (as above), you will be provided with a new decision letter. You will have 30 days from that decision letter date to request a registration review. In other words, you can request a re-evaluation first and, depending on the outcome, still request a registration review later (if within 30 days of your updated decision letter).

The approval of your academic credentials is valid for a period of one year from the date of the decision letter. After the year passes, your approval expires. If you are still interested in pursuing registration, you must newly apply to have your academic credentials evaluated. This will involve compliance with the Criteria for Evaluating Academic Credentials in place at the time of your current application, meaning that the outcome of your evaluation may change if the Criteria have changed.

Once your doctoral credential has been reviewed and CAP has notified you of the approval, you will be authorized to use the title “doctor” or the abbreviation “Dr.” “Ph.D.” “Ed.D.” or “Psy.D.” (as relevant) in connection with the practice of psychology in Alberta. Some specifications on your use of this title may be included in this approval.

No, all of your academic credentials (including your doctoral degree) will be evaluated at the same time.

You must submit an Application for Evaluation of Doctoral Credentials (found here) along with your CFTA application (found here).

As a CAP-registered psychologist or registered provisional psychologist, you must submit an Application for Evaluation of Doctoral Credentials (found here).