February 2017 Update
The Interim Certification Council (ICC) writes this letter to keep you informed about upcoming changes related to AASP's certification program. As per our last communication to the membership, you know that we have been working diligently to transition to a new certification program. As a reminder, in that initial communication, we wanted AASP members to be aware of three essential timelines: (a) applications to the new CC-AASP Certification Program will be accepted starting October 1, 2017; (b) applicants whose materials have been formally reviewed (i.e., paid the fee and have received a formal letter) by the Certification Review Committee will have until September 1, 2017 to submit requested documentation for any outstanding certification requirements (e.g., coursework, mentored experience hours); and (c) the Certification Review Committee would not accept or review any new applications to the original certification program for the February 1, 2017, June 1, 2017, or September 1, 2017 application deadlines. Rather, all new applications for certification will be accepted into the new CC-AASP Certification Program (see a above) and reviewed according to the new certification guidelines. Since this communication to the membership, we have also tackled three additional issues.
Nominating Committee. We have established a Certification Council Nominating Committee of Vanessa Shannon, Duncan Simpson, and Robin Vealey who have been tasked with developing a list of nominees for consideration as members of the permanent Certification Council (4 members who are also CC-AASP and one community member). The goal is to have nominees in place by the end of March. Joan Duda and Bart Lerner will be working with the Certification Council Nominating Committee to identify nominees from the Fellows to be considered for membership on the permanent Certification Council (4 Fellows who are also CC-AASP).
Certification Exam. In consultation with a psychometrician, and directly related to the Job Task Analysis (JTA), a 100-item exam has been developed and we are in the final stages of having a passing score determined.
Educational requirements for new certification. The minimum requirements that candidates must meet to sit for the exam are still being finalized. However, after much discussion, the ICC is proposing the following minimum eligibility requirements. Degree: Applicants must have earned a master’s or doctoral degree from a regionally-accredited institution of higher education (or non U.S. equivalent) in an area clearly related to sport science or psychology. In terms of Coursework: Applicants must have completed coursework/educational experiences for university credit to fulfill each of the required knowledge areas of Sport Psychology Professional Ethics and Standards*; Sport Psychology*; Sport Science; Psychopathology; Helping Relationships*; Research Methods and Statistics*; Diversity and Culture* (effective June 1, 2018); and Psychological Foundations of Behavior. A minimum of one course/educational experience is required for each of the knowledge areas. Graduate-level credit must be completed in the knowledge areas designated with an asterisk (*). Undergraduate-level credit also can be used to fulfill the knowledge area requirements, but must be designated as upper-division (i.e., junior/senior level) by the university. Pass/fail courses are not eligible (unless documentation provided indicates coursework/educational experience was not offered for a grade). A single course/educational experience cannot be used to fulfill more than one knowledge area. More specific information about these requirements will be forthcoming.
We are still working on the details of Mentored experience, Residency requirements, and Recertification requirements.
Finally, we understand that members may have questions regarding the new CC-AASP Certification Program and the information contained herein. This is an enormous undertaking and a significant transition for our organization. The ICC will strive to send out monthly updates about the new certification program. Please feel free to contact members of the ICC at any time to discuss the new certification program using the contact information below.
