Latest News About Australian Psychology Accreditation Council

Updated 2026-05-10 10:02

I don’t have real-time access right now, but here’s the latest I can share based on public information up to early 2026.

APAC (Australian Psychology Accreditation Council) is the independent body appointed under NRAS to develop and review accreditation standards for psychology programs in Australia, under the oversight of PsyBA and Ahpra [APAC About Us; APAC governance pages]. This remains the primary accrediting authority for psychology education in Australia [APAC About Us].
In 2025 there was significant activity around aligning APAC standards with the Psychology Board of Australia’s (PsyBA) competencies and Code of Conduct, including a 2025 alignment standards review with timelines around draft updates and stakeholder consultation, culminating in revised standards intended to take effect after final PsyBA approval in late 2025 or early 2026 [APAC FAQ excerpt, 2025 alignment notes; PsyBA communications].
The APS and related bodies have historically engaged in the accreditation process, with consultation papers and responses discussing the role of APAC and the NRAS framework; these documents reflect ongoing reform discussions rather than a complete overhaul of APAC’s authority [APS submissions; PsyBA consultation papers].
APAC continues to accredit programs across Australia (and some Australian programs abroad) and maintains a register of assessors to support program evaluations, under an agreement with Ahpra and reporting to PsyBA [APAC About Us].

Would you like a concise update with specific dates and the current status of the 2025 alignment standards and their implementation timeline, or a briefing focused on how the changes might affect psychology programs you’re interested in (e.g., admission or accreditation timelines for a particular university)? If you want, I can compile the most current, organization-specific details you need from reliable sources.

Cited sources:

APAC About Us (APAC) [APAC About Us]
APAC FAQ (2025 alignment process) [FAQ excerpt]
Psychology Board of Australia communications on 2025 alignment and competencies [PsyBA communications]
APS submissions and advocacy materials on accreditation (context for APAC discussions) [APS submissions]

Sources

Psychology Board of Australia - July 2025

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

www.psychologyboard.gov.au

Frequently asked questions - APAC

First Draft Standards Developed 5 May 2025 Public Consultation (Round Two) Opens 6 June 2025 Public Consultation (Round Two) Closes August 2025 Final Draft of the Revised Accreditation Standards October 2025 Final PsyBA Approval of Revised Accreditation Standards 1 December 2025 Revised Accreditation Standards Take Effect … How will the new standards affect psychology programs? The Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) have released new Professional Competencies for Psychologists and Code of...

www.psychologycouncil.org.au

Consultation paper on review of accreditation arrangements

The APS believes that APAC should be reappointed as the accrediting authority for the psychology profession for the next triennium on the basis of the two central arguments. 1. APAC has competently met the NRAS requirements under its existing structure APAC was initially assigned the accreditation function for the psychology profession for … through major input to accreditation from psychology educators and the profession. On the basis of these two arguments, the APS strongly supports the...

www.psychologyboard.gov.au

APS response to the Ahpra Review of accreditation ...

The APS is dedicated to advancing the discipline and profession of psychology for the benefit of members and the communities they serve. We aim to increase the impact of psychology on public policy for the benefit of all sectors of the community and be responsive to community needs and advocate for community wellbeing.

psychology.org.au

About us - the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council | APAC

The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) Ltd is an independent quality and standards organisation. We develop and review the standards for accreditation of psychology programs of study and are appointed by the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) as the higher education accreditation authority for the psychology profession. APAC accredits more than 1000 programs of study across 44 higher education providers including Australian university programs delivered in Malaysia, Dubai,...

apac.au