The curriculum is organized into four areas: Psychological and Educational Foundations,
Psychoeducational Methods, Traineeship and Internship.
Psychological and Educational Foundations. Coursework covers the theoretical foundations of the science of human behavior and
the foundations of education. Psychological foundation areas include human development,
child and adolescent psychopathology, and psychological and educational research and
statistics. Educational foundation areas include exceptional children, multicultural
issues, academic intervention, and organization and operations of schools. This area
also includes professional ethics and the history and foundations of professional
school psychology.
Psychoeducational Methods. Characterized by a competency-based approach and emphasis on data-based decision-making,
coursework in this area involves the acquisition and application of professional knowledge
and skills needed to function successfully as a school psychologist. Courses cover
diverse models and methods of psychoeducational assessment, behavioral assessment
and intervention, counseling and mental health services, and consultation/indirect
services to schools and families.
Traineeship. In conjunction with psychoeducational methods courses, students complete a two day
per week, paid 450-hour traineeship in the schools during the second year of the program.
This experience includes close supervision by both faculty and field supervisors and
includes specific objectives that address school psychology competencies in such areas
as assessment, counseling, behavioral assessment and intervention, and consultation.
Internship. During the third year, students complete a paid 1200-hour supervised internship,
at least 600 hours of which must be in the schools. Internships in nearby diverse
rural, suburban, and urban settings allow students to practice and integrate the full
range of school psychological services under supervision of credentialed faculty and
field supervisors.
Students return to the university for faculty supervision and one advanced course
taken concurrently with internship each semester.
Interns and trainees are required to acquire malpractice insurance coverage at their
own expense.
Thus, four sequential levels of training (foundations, psychoeducational methods,
traineeship and internship) are provided. All psychoeducational methods courses and
most other courses are limited to no more than a 12:1 student-faculty ratio to assure
that the training experience is individualized and appropriately supervised.
