The Psi Chi National Office receives requests for information dealing with a variety of issues in psychology. Recently a person asked if there was any formal accreditation for undergraduate psychology programs. This question prompted me to think about what constitutes high quality undergraduate psychology programs and the contributions Psi Chi makes to enhance the quality of these programs.
     At the graduate level, one way to assess the quality of psychology programs is to determine if the program is accredited. For example, the American Psychological Association (APA) accredits doctoral programs in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, and combinations of these areas. APA also accredits predoctoral and postdoctoral internships. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredits master's and doctoral programs in counseling, counselor education, and student affairs. Although it does not accredit programs, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) does approve graduate programs in school psychology using a process similar to accreditation. To become accredited, a program must pass extensive reviews by an accreditation team. Receiving accreditation is an indication the program meets nationally recognized standards in education and training in the area (APA, 2005; CACREP, 2005). Graduation from accredited programs does not guarantee that graduates will get their professional license or get a job, but in some cases it could make it easier to do so.
     Unlike the accreditation process for graduate programs, however, there is no organization that accredits undergraduate psychology programs. In lieu of accreditation standards, many psychology departments use the APA (2002) document Undergraduate Psychology Major Learning Goals and Outcomes: A Report as a guide to what constitutes a high quality undergraduate psychology program. The document describes 10 goals for undergraduate psychology programs (see Table 1) along with suggested learning outcomes for each goal. [Webmaster note: The content found in the print version of Table 1 on page 8 of the Spring 2006 Eye on Psi Chi, especially the goals referenced in the following paragraph, can be found on pages 8 and 9 of this pdf file (468k) from APA.] The companion resource Assessment CyberGuide for Learning Goals and Outcomes in the Undergraduate Psychology Major (APA, n.d.) provides strategies for assessing the extent to which programs meet these goals. Many departments undertake extensive reviews of their psychology programs and revise them to meet as many of these goals as possible. I believe Psi Chi chapters can and do play a vital role in helping departments meet these goals.
     For example, Psi Chi chapters often invite speakers to the department to give presentations about the speakers' areas of research, current topics of interest in the discipline, the application of psychology to real life problems and issues, careers in psychology, or applying to psychology graduate programs. These programs help students expand their knowledge base (Goal 1), learn how psychological principles are applied in real life (Goal 4), examine their own behavior (Goal 9), and learn about psychology careers and graduate programs (Goal 10). Many Psi Chi chapters provide members with opportunities to conduct research, encourage members to apply for Psi Chi research grants and awards, host local or regional student research conferences, and/or bring students to regional or national psychology meetings to present their research. These activities help students develop their research (Goal 2), critical thinking (Goal 3), technological (Goal 6), and communication skills (Goal 7) as well as help them understand the values that underlie the discipline of psychology (Goal 5). Most Psi Chi chapters develop and implement community service projects that address local, regional, or national needs. Many of these projects provide opportunities for students to interact with community members and local agencies. These service projects provide opportunities for students to enhance their critical thinking skills (Goal 3), learn how psychology can address social needs (Goal 4), become socially responsible members of their community (Goal 5), learn more about other groups and other cultures (Goal 8), and develop their leadership skills (Goal 9). Finally, serving as Psi Chi chapter officers provides students with opportunities to enhance their critical thinking and problem solving skills (Goal 3), apply their knowledge of psychology to organizational issues (Goal 4), practice their communication skills (Goal 7), and develop their leadership skills (Goal 9).
     An active Psi Chi chapter is an important partner in helping a department achieve its educational goals. I urge Psi Chi advisors and officers to work within their departments to expand opportunities that will enhance the quality of their undergraduate and graduate programs.


References

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Assessment cyberguide for learning goals and outcomes in the undergraduate psychology major. Retrieved December 19, 2005, from http://www.apa.org/ed/guidehomepage.html

American Psychological Association. (2005). Frequently asked questions about accreditation in psychology. Retrieved December 15, 2005, from http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/accrfaq.html

American Psychological Association. (2002). Undergraduate psychology major learning goals and outcomes: A report. Retrieved December 15, 2005, from http://www.apa.org/ed/pcue/reports.html

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. (2005). FAQs. Retrieved December 15, 2005, from http://www.cacrep.org/FAQforStudents.html

Spring 2006 issue of Eye on Psi Chi (Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 8, 31), published by Psi Chi, The National Honor Society in Psychology (Chattanooga, TN). Copyright, 2006, Psi Chi, The National Honor Society in Psychology. All rights reserved.