American Psychological Association Fellows

Fellows shall be members of the association who are interested in the advancement of psychology as a science and as a profession. Fellow status is an honor bestowed upon APA members who have shown evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions or performance in the field of psychology. Fellow status requires that a person's work has had a national impact on the field of psychology beyond a local, state or regional level.

Fellow applicants, endorsers, and chairs

The Fellows Committee's recommendations are based on criteria established by the nominating division, if such criteria exist. In the absence of division criteria, established APA criteria are used.

Nominations to initial fellow status are made by APA divisions. Each nominee’s application materials are reviewed by the APA Fellows Committee, which has the responsibility of making recommendations on each case to the association’s Board of Directors and Council of Representatives.

Nominees/applicants, please check with your divisions fellows chair prior to starting an application to confirm the deadline for submitting an application to the divisions. You can find a list of Division Fellows Chairs here: https://www.apa.org/members/your-membership/fellows/apply.

Criteria for fellow status

• doctoral degree based in part on a psychological dissertation
• prior status as a member for at least one year, and nomination by a division to which the member belongs
• active engagement in the advancement of psychology
• five years of acceptable postdoctoral experience
• evidence of unusual and outstanding contribution or performance in the field of psychology