Specialised Certificate
The Standards
The general aim of the certificate is to formulate standards that apply to European psychologists working in the field of W&O psychology to guarantee a certain level of expertise and competence. Such standards concern the learning activities as well as the competences acquired by W&O psychologists during on-the-job learning, in professional practice. Thus, it combines an input model with an output model.
Input requirements: They specify the volume of learning activities and education that each W&O psychologist is required to have attended after the academic degree. Such volume amounts to 90 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System), of which 60 ECTS devoted to learning activities and 30 ECTS to applied research or assessment/intervention. a
Output requirements: In order to practice in the field of W&O psychology, the psychologist must have acquired certain competences beyond what was learned during the academic study. Psychologists aiming to practice in the W&O field, for instance, should be competent in analyzing clients´ goals, making the appropriate kinds of assessments, developing required instruments, planning and carrying out appropriate interventions, and so on. The possession of these competencies has to be demonstrated by showing at least 3 years of supervised (or coached) practice and a certain amount of supervision, or of coaching or mentoring. Click here to see the excerpt of proposal reporting the requirements for the W&O Specialist Certificate.
A pilot test, or experimental garden, was run in order to test the criteria developed for the W&O Psychology Specialist Certificate. The pilot test was run during 2012 and 2013. It was coordinated by the EAWOP task force, that, following EuroPsy terminology, was named Provisional Specialist European Awarding Committee (P-SEAC) for W&O Psychology. The test was conducted in five European countries: Finland, Italy, Norway, Spain and United Kingdom. Click here to read the details of the pilot test and the reports of the countries involved in the pilot test.
The pilot test demonstrated the feasibility of the EuroPsy Specialist Certificate in W&O psychology. It also raised interest in EuroPsy within the community of the European W&O practitioners, generated awareness of the difficulties and challenges, and identified many useful practical points.
Specialised Certificate-Actual Status (next page)
