Psychology Department Accredited by the Turkish Psychological Association

The undergraduate program of the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, has been accredited by the Turkish Psychological Association - Psychology Programs Accreditation Unit for the period 23.03.2017-22.03.2022.
 

What Is Accreditation?

Accreditation means the confirmation, by a higher body related to a given purpose/duty/service, that an institution or organization is fit for the purpose/duty/service it represents, assessed within the framework of the minimum standards related to that purpose/duty/service. In academic contexts, it means "the process of securing the minimum standards of achievement and quality required for a department or program to achieve the objectives it has set for itself and/or that are expected of it." Accreditation, which is very widespread in Western countries, emerged in the context of "quality assurance" practices. When the various professional fields that have a place in social life are considered, it is observed that the authority to accredit programs at educational institutions training professionals for these fields is generally given to professional accreditation bodies related to that profession.

As regards the accreditation of psychology education in Türkiye, following an application made in 2008 with the Psychology Undergraduate Education Accreditation Handbook, this authority was granted to the Turkish Psychological Association for two years by the Council of Higher Education with the official letter dated 31.08.2010 and numbered B.30.0.ABB.00.00.00.30b. Subsequently, with the official letter dated 14.11.2013 and numbered 2013.13.1307, the validity of this authority was extended until 26.08.2015.

History of TPA Accreditation

Until it obtained the authority to accredit psychology undergraduate programs in Türkiye, the Turkish Psychological Association made significant contributions to psychology education through articles on international accreditation processes and total quality management published in its bulletins and journals (1994), participation in international congresses on accreditation (1995), research on the quality of psychology education (1997, 2001), continuing education courses, textbooks and supplementary books, conventions (2001, 2005), and the Psychology Undergraduate Education Accreditation and Standards (PLESA) Board it established (2006), building a remarkable body of experience as a professional organization closely engaged with psychology education in Türkiye. For this reason, on 9 March 2013 the Turkish Psychological Association was also authorized by the European Federation of Psychologists' Associations (EFPA) to assess the eligibility for the European Certificate in Psychology of psychologists who received their degrees from psychology departments in Türkiye and have worked under supervision for a certain period.

Based on the accreditation authority it received from the Council of Higher Education in 2010, the Psychology Accreditation Unit of the Turkish Psychological Association has so far accredited the psychology undergraduate programs of 10 university psychology departments.