Match Agreements & Policies
Each applicant and training site must accept the terms of the Match Agreements when they register to participate in the Match.
| Applicant Agreement | Internship Site Agreement |
As stipulated in the Match Agreements, all internship programs and applicants that register to participate in the Match must abide by all APPIC Policies, including the APPIC Match Policies, and the Schedule of Dates of the Match.
The rules related to eligibility requirements and Match participation are summarized below.
Eligibility Requirements
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Applicants
Eligibility to Participate in the Match
To be eligible to register for the Match, internship applicants must be enrolled in an eligible doctoral program in Health Service Psychology or Professional Psychology that is an APPIC Doctoral Program Associate (DPA), and have permission from their Director of Clinical Training (DCT) to apply for internships. While an applicant must be matriculating through an eligible doctoral program, there is no requirement to be registered or paying tuition for any particular semester in order to be eligible to participate in the Match.
Note: Applicants who are not from a DPA program may not register for the Match, and may not apply to any APPIC-member internship programs during either Phase of the Match.
In addition, an applicant's doctoral program has the authority to determine the applicant's eligibility for participation in the Match and Post-Match Vacancy Service, and which training sites an applicant is permitted to apply to, rank, and attend. Applicants who wish to consult with APPIC about their eligibility may use the "Informal Problem Consultation" process (see appic.org for more information).
Any eligible applicant seeking an appointment beginning after June 1, 2026 to a psychology internship program that participates in the Match must register to participate in the Match. Applicants who have registered for the Match must immediately notify all internship sites to which they have applied in the event of any substantive change to: (i) the applicant's standing with their doctoral program (e.g., disciplinary action, being put on probation, failing a practicum); (ii) the information provided in the application materials (e.g., professional conduct items), or (iii) the applicant's eligibility to apply to or attend an internship.
Eligibility to Participate in the Post-Match Vacancy Service (PMVS)
Applicants from doctoral programs that are APPIC DPAs and who are not matched to a position in either Phase of the Match may participate in the PMVS. In addition, applicants from non-DPA programs that are listed as "PMVS only" in the List of Eligible Doctoral Programs may also participate in the PMVS. "PMVS-only" doctoral programs must be approved by APPIC in accordance with the APPIC Policy on Doctoral Program Associates.
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Internship Programs
All APPIC-member internship programs that have positions available and are eligible to participate according to APPIC Policies must participate in the Match.
Internship sites that are not members of APPIC cannot participate in the APPIC Match or Post-Match Vacancy Service. Training Sites must become either Full or Provisional Members of APPIC in order to register for and participate in the APPIC Match and/or the Post-Match Vacancy Service.
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Doctoral Programs
Only doctoral programs that are APPIC Doctoral Program Associates (DPA) may send students into the Match. To be a DPA a doctoral program must either be accredited by an eligible accrediting organization as defined by APPIC's Policy on DPAs, or must have been granted an initial accreditation site visit by such an organization. In addition, the program must be accepted as a DPA by APPIC and must pay the annual DPA fee to APPIC.
Doctoral Programs that are not DPAs may be able to have their applicants participate in the Post-Match Vacancy Service (PMVS) if the doctoral program is approved by APPIC in accordance with the APPIC Policy on Doctoral Program Associates. Programs approved by APPIC only for the PMVS will not be accepted as a DPA and will not have to pay a fee to APPIC.
The List of Eligible Doctoral Programs indicates those doctoral programs that are currently DPAs, as well as programs that are not DPAs but whose students will be eligible to participate in the PMVS.
Rules of Participation
Internship sites must offer in Phase I of the Match all psychology internship positions available at the internship site, and offer in Phase II of the Match all positions left unfilled in Phase I of the Match, in accordance with APPIC Match Policies. Internship sites may not offer any positions for which funding and resources are not assured.
Internship sites may not require a commitment from any applicant, and may not offer appointment to any applicant, prior to the release of the results for Phase I of the Match. Furthermore, internship sites may not require a commitment from any applicant, and may not offer appointment to any applicant, for any positions that are not offered in Phase I of the Match or that are offered in Phase I but not filled, prior to the release of the results for Phase II of the Match.
Similarly, applicants may not make any commitment to or contract with any internship site registered for the Match prior to the release of the results of Phase I of the Match. Furthermore, applicants who do not obtain a position in Phase I of the Match, may not make any commitment to or contract with any internship site registered for the Match prior to the release of the results of Phase II of the Match.
If an applicant chooses to accept a position at an internship site that is not registered for the Match, or decides not to participate in the Match for any other reason, the applicant must withdraw from the Match, and must not submit a Rank Order List for the Match.
Internship sites and applicants are free to contact each other and to communicate about matters that do not involve the sharing of ranking information. Internship sites may voluntarily choose to inform applicants as to whether or not the applicants remain under consideration for admission (e.g., whether or not the applicant will be ranked), but are not obliged to do so. Internship sites must never request ranking information from any applicant, and applicants must never request ranking information from any program. Furthermore, prior to the release of the Phase II Match results, internship sites must not disclose to any applicant the position of any applicant on their Rank Order List(s) for either Phase of the Match, and applicants must not disclose to any internship site any information about their rankings for either Phase of the Match.
The Rank Order Lists submitted by each internship program and applicant for each Phase of the Match are the sole determinants of their respective order of preferences for that Phase of the Match.
The Match results constitute a binding agreement between the applicant, the internship program, and APPIC. A internship site must hire all applicants matched with the internship site, and the applicant must accept the offer and attend the internship site. APPIC may, in its sole discretion, release and applicant and/or the internship site from the Match commitment with APPIC when APPIC determines that exceptional circumstances or reasonable cause warrant such release.
APPIC is responsible for enforcing this Agreement, and violations of the rules or terms of agreement may result in a formal complaint submitted to APPIC. The APPIC Board may pursue all available remedies, including barring applicants and internship sites from participating in future APPIC Matching Programs. Furthermore, violations may result in disciplinary action, legal action, or penalties imposed against the violator by APPIC and/or other Match participants.
