In this bulletin, we continue to focus on developing as a professional in the field of psychology with a discussion
of professional organizations (use this link to see previous bulletins focused on professional development:
http://ncumarketing.uberflip.com/i/1386671-ncupa-summer-bulletin-21/0?).
As a student at NCU, you are already involved in a scholarly community. However, it is also a good idea to
become involved in a variety of professional communities and organizations, including those you can continue
to participate in after you have completed your degree.
Most are probably already familiar with the American Psychological Association (APA): "APA is the leading
scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with more than 122,000
researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students as its members." (https://www.apa.org/about).
APA is a national organization that represents and advocates for the field of psychology and psychological
professionals across the U.S. Additionally, it offers a lot of resources and opportunities for the field, including
information about jobs and post-doctoral fellowships, professional publications for the field (journals and the
monthly APA Monitor), an annual professional meeting, and continuing education opportunities. If you are not
already a member, consider joining (https://www.apa.org/members/your-membership/graduate). There are
special membership rates for students.
Additionally, there are divisions within APA, such as Div. 38 Society for Health Psychology, which focuses on
specific disciplines within the field. An NCU part-time faculty member, Dr. Whinghter, was recently featured in
the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology's Member Spotlight:
https://www.siop.org/Research-Publications/Items-of-Interest/ArtMID/19366/ArticleID/5312/Member-
Spotlight-Jeanie-Whinghter
Finally, in addition to the national organizations like APA, there are regional and state psychological associations.
The benefits of these include that their meetings may be geographically closer and easier to get to than national
meetings, which could offer the opportunity to network and connect with professionals in your area.
Check out the list below for regional and state psychological associations:
https://www.apa.org/about/apa/organizations/regionals
https://www.apa.org/about/apa/organizations/associations
As always, the NCUPA welcomes your ideas or recommendations for professional development topics
(ncupa@ncu.edu).
NCUPA FOCUS ON
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Sherr y Rieder, PhD
3
NCUPA Fall Bulletin
