Academicus International Scientific Journal Gabor Vasmatics info@academicus.edu.al mEDRA 1 1 20260725 01

06 10.7336/academicus.2026.34.09 https://academicus.edu.al/nr34/Academicus-MMXXVI-34-152-177.html 1 01 URL https://academicus.edu.al AA AA02 Academicus International Scientific Journal (official website) 2 01 URL https://academicus.edu.al/nr34/references/Academicus-MMXXVI-34-152-177.html AF AF05 References Link 3 01 URL https://academicus.edu.al/nr34/Academicus-MMXXVI-34-152-177.html AA AA03 Abstract 4 01 URL https://academicus.edu.al/nr34/Academicus-MMXXVI-34-152-177.pdf AD AD03 Full Text (PDF) 5 01 e-mail mailto:info@academicus.edu.al AG AG02 E-Commerce Printed Format (info@academicus.edu.al) 6 01 URL https://academicus.edu.al/images/covers/cover-34.jpg AA AA04 Front cover image 7 02 URL https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ AA AA14 Rights and Licences 8 02 URL https://plu.mx/plum/a/?doi=10.7336/academicus.2026.34.09 AF AF06 PlumX Metrix https://academicus.edu.al/nr34/Academicus-MMXXVI-34-152-177.html https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Academicus 01 Academicus International Scientific Journal AL 07 20793715 JB 07 23091088 JD 34 01 202601 10 152 177 26 1 A01 21 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0713-1305 Roksana Poçi Dr Department of Psychology, University of Elbasan “Aleksandër Xhuvani”, Albania 01 eng 20 undergraduate psychology education 20 higher education reform 20 Albania 20 ICUP 20 APA Guidelines 3.0 20 EuroPsy 20 curriculum models 01 Undergraduate psychology programs are increasingly expected to demonstrate coherence, accountability, and alignment with broader educational and professional standards. In contexts where national frameworks are absent, however, curricular development may be shaped by implicit and potentially incompatible educational logics. This paper examines this problem through the case of Albania, where undergraduate psychology programs have expanded rapidly without a shared framework to guide their purpose, structure, or outcomes. Adopting a qualitative and analytic comparative approach, the study analyzes three influential international models: the APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major (Version 3.0), the International Competences for Undergraduate Psychology (ICUP), and the EuroPsy framework, across six dimensions: internal architecture, educational philosophy, pedagogical philosophy, unit of concern, graduate role, and assessment logic. The analysis demonstrates that these frameworks embody distinct educational logics: performance, formation, and authorization, which carry different implications for curriculum design, graduate identity, and the distribution of responsibility within higher education systems. The paper argues that, in the absence of strong institutional and regulatory infrastructures, the question of framework alignment is not merely technical but conceptual and ethical. It concludes that making such alignment explicit is essential for ensuring coherence, accountability, and the development of graduates capable of functioning responsibly within transitional higher education contexts. 202601 2026 Academicus