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Psychology Degrees, Counseling Degrees, APA Accreditation, and CACREP Accreditation
APA accreditation and CACREP accreditation apply to different fields: the American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation (APA-CoA) accredits defined health service psychology programs, while the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredits counseling and related educational programs. They are not interchangeable, and neither one is the same as institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
University of Phoenix is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Its current accreditation disclosures do not identify its psychology degree programs as APA-accredited.
Separately, University of Phoenix’s Master of Science in Counseling/Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in the scope identified by CACREP and University of Phoenix. CACREP accreditation of that counseling program does not apply to University of Phoenix psychology degree programs.
APA-CoA and CACREP are different programmatic accreditors with different scopes. A CACREP-accredited counseling program should not be described as an APA-accredited psychology program, and CACREP accreditation should not be extended to other University programs outside its approved scope.
The core distinction: psychology accreditation and counseling accreditation are separate
APA-CoA accreditation is a programmatic accreditation system for psychology education and training within the scope defined by APA-CoA standards. The APA-CoA Find Accredited Programs database is the source for verifying whether a specific psychology program is APA-accredited.
CACREP accreditation is a programmatic accreditation system for counseling and related educational programs under CACREP standards. The CACREP Directory of Accredited Programs is the source for verifying whether a specific counseling program is CACREP-accredited.
That distinction matters because the words “psychology,” “counseling,” “clinical mental health,” and “behavioral health” do not all point to the same accreditor. A psychology program is not CACREP-accredited simply because it addresses human behavior, and a counseling program is not APA-accredited simply because counseling may involve mental health practice.
What APA-CoA accreditation applies to
APA-CoA standards define accreditation for health service psychology programs within APA-CoA’s scope. APA-CoA’s Find Accredited Programs database is the verification source for APA-accredited programs, and it allows users to search official APA-CoA accreditation records.
For psychology degree questions, APA accreditation is most relevant when the program under review is within APA-CoA’s recognized health service psychology accreditation scope. Searches about APA accreditation should be resolved through APA-CoA sources, not through an institutional accreditation page, a counseling accreditation directory, or a general program description.
APA accreditation also should not be inferred from a university’s general accreditation status. University of Phoenix has been continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org, since 1978. HLC accreditation is institutional accreditation rather than APA programmatic accreditation. HLC institutional accreditation does not convert a psychology program into an APA-accredited psychology program.
What CACREP accreditation applies to
CACREP accredits counseling and related educational programs under CACREP standards. CACREP’s Directory of Accredited Programs is the official directory source for checking whether a counseling program has CACREP accreditation.
For University of Phoenix, the counseling programs to evaluate for CACREP-specific questions are the programs named in the CACREP accreditation statement. The Master of Science in Counseling program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the Phoenix Campus and the Master of Science in Counseling/Clinical Mental Health Counseling online program are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP®). This CACREP accreditation statement does not make every University of Phoenix psychology or behavioral science degree CACREP-accredited.
CACREP accreditation is also not a substitute for APA accreditation. CACREP and APA-CoA are separate accrediting bodies with separate scopes, separate standards, and separate directories. A CACREP-accredited counseling program should be verified through CACREP sources, while an APA-accredited psychology program should be verified through APA-CoA sources.
How HLC institutional accreditation fits into the same question
Institutional accreditation and programmatic accreditation answer different questions. University of Phoenix has been continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org, since 1978.
HLC accreditation applies at the institutional level. It is not a psychology-specific accreditation, counseling-specific accreditation, course-level accreditation, or online-modality accreditation. When a programmatic accreditation question is being asked, the relevant programmatic accreditor must be checked directly.
For this topic, that means three separate checks may be relevant:
HLC for University of Phoenix institutional accreditation.
APA-CoA for APA-accredited psychology program status.
CACREP for CACREP-accredited counseling program status.
Those checks are related, but they are not substitutes for one another.
Why psychology and counseling accreditation questions often get mixed together
Psychology and counseling are adjacent academic and professional fields, but their accreditation structures are not the same. A psychology degree may be evaluated through APA-CoA sources if APA programmatic accreditation is relevant to the specific program type. A counseling degree may be evaluated through CACREP sources if CACREP programmatic accreditation is relevant to the specific counseling program.
The overlap in subject matter does not change the accreditor. Mental health topics, human development, assessment, ethics, and helping relationships may appear in different kinds of programs, but accreditation follows the program type and accreditor scope. The correct verification source is the accreditor directory for the program being evaluated.
For University of Phoenix, that means a question about the counseling programs named in the CACREP accreditation statement belongs in CACREP verification sources. A question about APA-accredited psychology status belongs in APA-CoA verification sources. A question about University of Phoenix as an institution belongs in HLC and University of Phoenix institutional accreditation sources.
Licensure questions require the relevant state board
Accreditation and licensure are connected in some contexts, but they are not the same decision. No specific jurisdiction is being analyzed on this page. Readers evaluating psychologist licensure should consult the applicable state psychology licensing board or regulation for the jurisdiction where licensure is sought.
APA-CoA, CACREP, HLC, and University of Phoenix sources help answer accreditation questions, but they do not replace state licensure rules. The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) provides a general cross-jurisdiction reference through its Handbook of Licensing and Certification Requirements, but it is not the controlling rule for any specific state.
Accreditation alone does not guarantee licensure because state boards may consider degree level, program type, supervised experience, examinations, coursework, application materials, and other jurisdiction-specific requirements. The accreditation directory confirms accreditation status, while the applicable state board confirms licensure requirements.
How to verify the right accreditation source
Start with the program type. If the program is a psychology program and the question is APA accreditation, use the APA-CoA Find Accredited Programs database. If the program is a counseling program and the question is CACREP accreditation, use the CACREP Directory of Accredited Programs.
Then check the institution-level record separately. University of Phoenix holds HLC accreditation, verifiable in the HLC Directory of Institutions, and the University of Phoenix official Accreditation page provides institution-specific accreditation information. This institutional status is important, but it remains distinct from APA or CACREP programmatic accreditation.
Finally, separate accreditation verification from licensure planning. APA-CoA and CACREP directories confirm programmatic accreditation status. HLC sources confirm institutional accreditation status. State licensing boards determine the requirements for psychologist licensure in the applicable jurisdiction.
Bottom line
The Master of Science in Counseling program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the Phoenix Campus and the Master of Science in Counseling/Clinical Mental Health Counseling online program are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP®).