Prospective school psychologists may feel overwhelmed when navigating the process of applying for graduate programs in school psychology. However, knowing some basics ahead of time may allow for a smooth transition into an outstanding career choice.
Choosing the Degree
Once you have decided that school psychology is the right career for you, the first step in the journey to becoming a school psychologist involves obtaining a graduate degree from a school psychology training program. There are two types of degrees in the field. Both allow for practice as a school psychologist.
- Specialist-level Degree (Minimum of 60 semester hours of coursework including internship):
- considered the entry-level degree in school psychology, this degree typically provides a pathway for practice in schools and other related educational settings.
- While some “specialist-level” programs may actually offer a Master’s degree whereas others offer a specialist degree (e.g., EdS, PsyS), the “specialist-level degree program” describes the credit hours, internship, and rigor of the program rather than the degree issued.
- The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) lists all approved or accredited programs at the specialist-level and doctoral-level.
- Doctoral Degree (Minimum of 90 semester hours of coursework including internship):
- provides a pathway for practice in schools and other related educational settings, and often provides a pathway for independent/private practice and employment in clinics, hospitals, and/or research/academic settings.
- The APA lists all programs accredited at the Doctoral Level in School Psychology and Combined Doctoral Programs (In School, Clinical, or Counseling Psychology).
NASP provides a chart outlining the differences among degrees in school psychology (PDF).
Researching Graduate Programs
The next big step is deciding which graduate program(s) to apply to. NASP provides a Graduate Program Database that can serve as a good starting point for researching different programs, including information on enrollment, student outcomes, faculty, and financial aid. Many different factors might contribute to the decision of which schools to apply to and can include:
- The geographic location of the program
- Whether the program is approved or accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists and/or accredited by the American Psychological Association
- The program’s training philosophy/experiences provided to students
- Research interests of program faculty and fit with personal interests
- Financial assistance provided to students
It is critical to select the best graduate program for you!
Many people will get in touch with graduate programs before they apply, to see how the particular graduate program fits with their short term (completing graduate school) and long term (work/career plans after finishing graduate school) plans. Most graduate programs are happy to provide information about their programs and discuss how enrollment in their program might fit into your short term and long-term goals. Don’t feel nervous to reach out to individual graduate programs! Getting in touch with the director of the program(s) you are interested in prior to application deadlines is a good idea! Similarly, you might consider reaching out to another faculty member in the program if they hold research or clinical practice expertise in an area(s) you are interested in.
Click here to find faculty interested in diversity, social justice, and/or multicultural research and practice.
The Application Process
Although programs vary in their application requirements, most typically require the submission of:
1) Undergraduate Transcripts
2) Letters of reference (typically at least 3),
3) Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, and
4) A Personal statement outlining one’s interest in obtaining a school psychology degree from that particular program.
Most programs also require an interview with program faculty, and sometimes current students of the program, as part of the applicant selection process. Programs may set deadlines for applications as early as November or December for enrollment the following Fall, whereas others may have a rolling admissions process; therefore, prospective students should start the research process as early as possible. Further useful information is also provided for students by the American Psychological Association regarding Applying to Graduate School. If you’re interested in comparing admissions information for school psychology programs side-by-side, APA offers Grad Study Online, a database of nearly 1500 masters and doctoral programs at more than 400 schools and departments of psychology in the United States and Canada. You can review information on program descriptions, admission requirements, application information, financial aid deadlines, and fees.
School Psychology Graduate Training Requirements
Most school psychology programs involve academic coursework as well as structured practica (also known as externship) and internship experiences. Additionally, some training programs have additional research requirements.
Coursework: Required courses are typically offered in the areas of psychological and educational assessment, academic and social-emotional-behavioral intervention, counseling skills, consultation, research/statistics, ethics and law, and school-wide or system-level issues (e.g., school crisis prevention, preparedness, and response).
Practica/Externship: Since school psychology is an applied field, opportunities are offered to students to practice the skills they are learning in the classroom through supervised practicum experiences completed out in the schools and/or in other settings (e.g., university training clinics, hospitals, etc.). Supervision is typically provided on site as well as through university faculty.
Internship: The internship represents the culminating, immersive, and integrated training experience completed as part a school psychology graduate training program. This is a supervised experience ranging anywhere from 1200 – 2000 hours that is completed in the final year of training (typically the third year in a specialist training program and the fifth year in a doctoral training program). Although the school psychology internship is typically completed in a school setting, opportunities for placement in other clinical settings (e.g., hospitals) are sometimes possible if arranged with the training program.
Research requirements: Some programs also require the completion of a written research requirement in completion of the degree. This typically exists as a thesis/research project at the specialist level or a dissertation/clinical research project at the doctoral level.
Further Requirements for Practice
Once a graduate degree in school psychology has been awarded, certification/licensure must also be obtained in order to practice as a school psychologist. Although licensure laws sometimes vary by state, many graduates must take the School Psychologist Praxis Test to obtain certification for practice in the schools or the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) to obtain licensure for practice as a psychologist at the doctoral level. Notably, no US states or territories currently require a doctoral degree to work as a school psychologist.
