What is APPIC?

Students who are enrolled in the early stages of graduate training or even undergraduate training will often hear the term APPIC. It is an important part of becoming a professional psychologist, yet many new students are unaware to what this term refers. Very simply, APPIC is a matching process for post-doctoral students to find an internship or fellowship upon graduation. The Matching Process is currently a dual phase process that allows students to find the most appropriate match to suit their needs.

What Does APPIC Stand For?

APPIC stands for the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers.

What Is APPIC?

APPIC is the centralized location for graduate students to apply for postdoctoral positions, fellowships and internships. By having one centralized place for applications, students can apply to a number of applicable positions with one simple application process. Students can choose their specific area of specialization and find a position that will help them gather the postgraduate school training they need to thrive in the field.

How Does The APPIC Application System Work

Students will be required to fill out the APPIC application online. In Phase I of the Matching Process, applicants and academic institutions will be required to submit Rank Order Lists for their institution and a matching process will be carried out using the Rank Order Lists. The results of Phase I are distributed at this point and students who receive a Phase I match will begin their placement. For students who do not find a Match during Phase I will continue to Phase II. Programs with available positions, including positions left from the first Phase, offer positions to applicants in Phase II. The same application that was used in the first Phase will be used again in Phase II. Applicants and programs will submit new Rank Order Lists for the second Phase. A second matching process will be carried out using those Rank Order Lists, and the results of Phase II of the Match will then be distributed.

What is the Goal of the APPIC Matching Process?

The overall goal of this process is to give graduates a centralized location to find the very best post-doctoral training opportunity available. They can find a position that matches their degree, their area of specialization in graduate training and their ultimate career goals. This process also allows the locations offering positions to find the best candidates for their needs.

What Do I Need To Know To Complete The Matching Process?

APPIC Matching applicants must pay a fee of $110 to register for the Match. They will also be required to pay a fee for unlimited use of the APPIC Directory Online. This fee is just $20 for students who are enrolled in doctoral programs that are APPIC Associates or $50 for students from non-Associate programs. Typically the online application is available beginning in July and must be submit by the beginning of December. Specific dates for each year can be found here. Traditionally the matching process begins in February and it completed by the end of the month.