C-26, r. 219 - Regulation respecting diploma and training equivalence standards for the issue of a permit by the Ordre des psychologues du Québec

Updated to 1 October 2024

This document has official status.

chapter C-26, r. 219

Regulation respecting diploma and training equivalence standards for the issue of a permit by the Ordre des psychologues du Québec

Professional Code

(chapter C-26, s. 93, pars. c and c.1).

DIVISION I GENERAL

1. The secretary of the Ordre des psychologues du Québec must forward a copy of this Regulation to a candidate who, for the purpose of obtaining a permit from the Order, applies to have a diploma issued by an educational institution outside Québec or training recognized as equivalent.

In this Regulation,

“credit” means the quantitative value assigned to the activities of a student as part of a university practical training or research program; if the activity is a formal course, one credit represents 15 hours of teaching and 30 hours of personal work;

“diploma equivalence” means recognition by the Order that a diploma issued by an educational institution outside Québec certifies that a candidate’s level of knowledge and skills is equivalent to the level attained by the holder of a diploma recognized by a regulation of the Government, made pursuant to the first paragraph of section 184 of the Professional Code (chapter C-26), as giving access to the permit issued by the Order;

“internship” means an activity allowing a student to assimilate knowledge and apply recognized methods to diverse groups and problems in a professional working environment under the supervision of at least one psychologist having a minimum of 2 years of practical experience if he or she holds a doctorate or a minimum of 6 years of practical experience if he or she holds a master’s degree, in the field in which the internship is being served, or under the supervision of at least one professional working in psychology whose expertise and experience the committee referred to in section 10 considers to be equivalent to that of a psychologist having the same minimum qualifications;

“training equivalence” means recognition by the Order that a candidate’s training has enabled him or her to attain a level of knowledge and skills equivalent to the level attained by the holder of a diploma recognized by a regulation of the Government, made pursuant to the first paragraph of section 184 of the Professional Code, as giving access to the permit issued by the Order;

“training period” means an activity allowing a student to become familiar with the practice of the profession of psychologist with a variety of client groups, including children, adolescents, adults and elderly persons, and the use of various methods of evaluation and treatment (individual, group and community) under the supervision of at least one psychologist having a minimum of 2 years of practical experience if he or she holds a doctorate or a minimum of 6 years of practical experience if he or she holds a master’s degree, in the field in which the training period is undertaken, or under the supervision of at least one professional working in psychology or in a related field whose expertise and experience the committee referred to in section 10 considers to be equivalent to that of a psychologist having the same minimum qualifications.

O.C. 56-2007, s. 1.

DIVISION II DIPLOMA EQUIVALENCE STANDARDS

2. A candidate who holds a diploma issued by a university-level educational institution outside Québec is granted a diploma equivalence if he or she can demonstrate that:

(1)  the diploma in psychology was obtained upon completion of a university program in psychology of a level equivalent to that of a program in psychology leading to one of the diplomas in psychology recognized as giving access to the permit issued by the Order.

The programs of studies must include a minimum of 45 credits in courses and research and a minimum of 2,300 hours of supervised practical training (700 hours in training periods and 1,600 hours of internship, for a total of 51 credits) apportioned so as to allow acquisition of the following professional skills considered to be necessary for the practice of psychology:

i.  interpersonal relationships: a minimum of 3 credits;

ii.  psychological evaluation and diagnosis: a minimum of 500 hours of practical training and 9 credits in evaluation methods and in psychopathology or dysfunction;

iii.  treatment: a minimum of 500 hours of practical training and 9 credits of which a minimum of 3 are in the treatment of individuals, 3 in the treatment of systems (couple, family, group, organizations, etc.) and 3 optional credits in treatment;

iv.  research: a minimum of 6 credits in research processes and methods;

v.  ethics and professional conduct: a minimum of 3 credits;

vi.  consultation and supervision: a minimum of 200 hours of practical training including at least 50 hours in consultation and 50 hours in supervision and a minimum of 3 credits in consultation and supervision;

vii.  independent research activity (assignments, dissertations, essays or theses) for a minimum of 12 credits;

(2)  he or she was admitted to the program having previously completed a minimum of 42 credits in courses covering the scientific foundations of psychology, apportioned as follows:

i.  biological bases of behaviour, a minimum of 6 credits;

ii.  cognitive and affective bases of behaviour: a minimum of 6 credits;

iii.  social and cultural bases of behaviour: a minimum of 6 credits;

iv.  developmental psychology: a minimum of 6 credits;

v.  history and systems in psychology: a minimum of 3 credits;

vi.  psychometrics: a minimum of 3 credits;

vii.  research methods: a minimum of 3 credits;

viii.  data analysis: a minimum of 3 credits;

ix.  personality: a minimum of 3 credits;

x.  psychopathology: a minimum of 3 credits.

O.C. 56-2007, s. 2.

3. Despite section 2, if the diploma for which an equivalence application is made was obtained more than 5 years before the application and, considering the developments in the profession, the knowledge certified by the diploma no longer corresponds to the knowledge currently being taught, the candidate is granted a training equivalence pursuant to section 4 if the candidate has attained the required level of knowledge and skills since obtaining his or her diploma.

O.C. 56-2007, s. 3.

DIVISION III TRAINING EQUIVALENCE STANDARDS

4. A candidate is granted a training equivalence if the candidate demonstrates having a level of knowledge and skills equivalent to the level attained by the holder of a diploma recognized by a regulation of the Government, made pursuant to the first paragraph of section 184 of the Professional Code (chapter C-26), as giving access to a permit issued by the Order.

In assessing the training equivalence of a candidate, all the following factors are taken into account:

(1)  the nature and length of work experience in psychology;

(2)  the nature and content of the courses taken and the results obtained;

(3)  the nature and content of work experience and other continuing education or professional development activities;

(4)  the total number of years of education;

(5)  the fact that the candidate has obtained one or more diplomas in Québec or elsewhere.

O.C. 56-2007, s. 4.

DIVISION IV TRAINING EQUIVALENCE RECOGNITION PROCEDURE

5. A candidate who wishes to have a diploma or training equivalence recognized must provide the secretary with the following documents, which are required to support the candidate’s application, together with the application processing fees payable under paragraph 8 of section 86.0.1 of the Professional Code (chapter C-26):

(1)  the candidate’s academic record, including the official transcript, a description of courses taken and the number of hours or credits for each course;

(2)  a copy of any diploma obtained, certified true by the educational institution;

(3)  an official attestation from the university-level educational institution that issued the diploma confirming that the internships and training periods have been successfully completed;

(4)  an official attestation of participation in any other training period or training activity, a description of the activities in the training period or training activity including the number of hours, the number of hours of supervision and the qualifications of the supervisor; and

(5)  an official attestation and a description of relevant work experience, including a description of the duties and responsibilities assumed, the number of hours of work with or without supervision and the qualifications of the immediate manager or, if applicable, the immediate supervisor.

O.C. 56-2007, s. 5.

6. Documents in a language other than French or English submitted in support of an application for diploma or training equivalence must be accompanied by a French or English translation certified by the translator.

O.C. 56-2007, s. 6.

7. As regards diplomas obtained outside Québec, the secretary may require a candidate to obtain a comparative evaluation of studies outside Québec, issued by the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles.

O.C. 56-2007, s. 7.

8. The secretary must send the documents referred to in section 5 to the committee formed by the board of directors under paragraph 2 of section 86.0.1 of the Professional Code (chapter C-26) to study diploma or training equivalence applications and make an appropriate recommendation.

For the purposes of the recommendation, the committee may require the applicant to successfully undergo an interview, pass an examination or do both.

O.C. 56-2007, s. 8.

9. At the first meeting following the date of receipt of the recommendation, the executive committee must decide, in accordance with this Regulation, whether it will grant a diploma or training equivalence and inform the candidate in writing within 30 days of its decision.

If the executive committee refuses to grant or decides to partially grant a diploma or training equivalence, it must so inform the candidate in writing and indicate the programs of study or any complementary training, training periods or examinations to be successfully completed within the allotted time to enable the candidate to be granted the equivalence.

O.C. 56-2007, s. 9.

10. A candidate who is informed of the executive committee’s decision not to grant or to partially grant the equivalence may apply to the secretary in writing, with reasons, for a review of the decision within 30 days of receiving it.

The decision must be reviewed within 90 days of receipt of the application by a committee formed by the board of directors under paragraph 2 of section 86.0.1 of the Professional Code (chapter C-26), made up of persons other than members of the executive committee or the committee referred to in section 8. Before disposing of the review application, the committee must allow the candidate to make submissions.

A candidate who wishes to be present to make submissions must inform the secretary at least 5 days before the date scheduled for the meeting. The candidate may, however, send written submissions to the secretary at any time before the date scheduled for the meeting.

The decision of the committee is final and must be sent to the candidate in writing within 30 days following the date of the meeting.

O.C. 56-2007, s. 10.

11. This Regulation replaces the Regulation regarding standards for equivalence of diplomas and training for the issue of a permit by the Ordre professionnel des psychologues du Québec (O.C. 133-2001, 01-02-21).

Despite the foregoing, a diploma or training equivalence application duly completed and received with payment of the applicable fees before 1 March 2007 is evaluated in accordance with the Regulation being replaced.

O.C. 56-2007, s. 11.

12. (Omitted).

O.C. 56-2007, s. 12.

REFERENCES

O.C. 56-2007, 2007 G.O. 2, 961

S.Q. 2008, c. 11, s. 212