There are two possible reasons why you ended up on this page: the first, is that you are an undergraduate student in psychology looking for more information regarding how to find a psychology graduate program that matches your interests; the second is that you already have post-graduate education in psychology, and you are now in the position where you need to find out more about continuing your formal education, or you need to find out exactly where to go from here – how to become a practitioner.

You might, of course, have a completely different set of questions. You might be wondering whether your current education will allow you to practice as a psychologist in BC, or you might just be curious.

In any case, we hope you will find what you were looking for. If you are still left with questions, please feel free to contact us.

The Canadian Psychological Association also has a number of free resources  available through their website.

Accredited Programs

If you are planning to later practice as a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia, your first step should be to figure out what the requirements for registration are.

Psychologists’ registration is handled differently in every Canadian province; in British Columbia, the regulatory body for psychologists is the College of Psychologists of BC. The College sets the requirements that will then impact whether you will be allowed to practice as a psychologist or not. The details can be found in the Registration Requirements.

BCPA is not in charge of program accreditation. To find out whether the program or schools you are interested in are accredited, please check the list of CPA-accredited programs, and the list of APA-accredited schools and programs. Please be advised that these lists and the Registration Requirements are subject to change.

If you have additional questions regarding accreditation, please contact CPA or APA directly. If you have questions regarding the registration process, and the Registration Requirements, please consult the College’s applicant information. BCPA is not responsible for making any decisions regarding the registration and regulation of psychologists.

From school to practice

If you are close to the end of your studies, you might have many questions about what is next, and what your career opportunities as a graduate in psychology might be.

If you are interested in finding out more about a career in psychology, join BCPA as a Student Affiliate, and visit our Career Corner. The Career Corner is a place where we will post articles and resources regarding psychological careers, and where you will be able to ask questions and interact with students and psychologists who are members of the Association. You can also get an idea of the kind of jobs being offered through our job portal. Again, this resource is fully accessible only to BCPA Student Affiliates.

If you are still in the stages of planning your career in psychology, you might also find Planning a Career in Psychology [pdf], a CPA publication, to be a useful resource.

If you are looking for an internship, you might find this internship workbook [pdf] useful .

Continuing your Education

The BC Psychological Association offers a variety of Continuing Education workshops and courses that will help you update or enhance your skills and your knowledge of psychology. For more information about BCPA Continuing Education, please visit our CE listing. We also list courses and training opportunities from other providers.