In Alberta, the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) is the regulatory body for the profession of psychology. Their requirements to become a registered psychologist in Alberta are:
- Successful completion of a minimum of a Master’s level degree from an approved Psychology program (which would have included a 200-600 hour practicum)
- Completed a minimum of 1600 hours of supervised hours in the practice of Psychology.
- Successful completion of the Examination of the Professional Practice of Psychology and passed the oral exam.
A registered provisional psychologist is a therapist who has completed a minimum Master’s level psychology or related degree and is practicing to become a registered psychologist. They must have completed a practicum placement of 200 to 600 hours of counseling in order to obtain their graduate degree. Once they’ve graduated, they can apply to become a registered provisional psychologist. They must also present a supervision plan to CAP as part of their application requirements.
Many registered provisional psychologists have significant experience, are of varying ages and can have areas of unique expertise or specialty.
It takes generally one or two years (or more) for a provisional psychologist to become a registered psychologist.
A senior psychologist has been registered and practicing for at least five years.