An Association: A College - What's the Difference?

Professional Associations and Professional Colleges have different goals and activities.

A professional College has as its only goal to protect the public. A College controls entrance requirements for the profession, sets exams for those wishing to enter the profession, and sets standards for developing and maintaining professional knowledge. A College sets standards of practice and conduct, receives and acts on complaints from the public, and has the power to negatively consequence its members in various ways including removing the right to practice.

Membership in a College is obligatory to practice certain professions such as psychology, medicine, nursing, and dentistry; to use the title associated with that profession (e.g. “Psychological Associate”); and to perform certain acts, such as communicating a diagnosis of a mental disorder.

An Association has a different purpose. It acts in the interests of its members, who are usually members of a professional College. It advocates on their behalf. It provides services such as professional liability insurance. It creates professional development opportunities by organizing conferences and workshops. It supports its members in the pursuit of competent and ethical service to their clients.

Membership in an association is voluntary.

The regulatory body for the profession of psychology is the College of Psychologists of Ontario, www.cpo.on.ca.

Why should you join OAPA?

For more information about professional Colleges, see the website of the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council, www.hprac.org, which provides independent policy advice to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on matters related to the regulation of health professions in Ontario.