PhD - Doctor of Philosophy in School Psychology

The doctoral program in school psychology includes a five-year course of study with a year-long internship. Time to degree completion varies. Typical time to completion without a master’s degree is 6 to 7 years. Applicants who have earned bachelor’s, master’s, and specialist levels are considered for the program. The first two years of the PhD program roughly parallel the specialist program. Students without an advanced degree also typically earn a MS degree after the first year of the program. The doctoral program also yields school psychology certification and is designed to qualify graduates for licensure as a psychologist. Program Philosophy and Social Justice Statement The program is designed to prepare professional psychologists with educational expertise who can function in a variety of diverse, educationally-related settings. The program’s training model and philosophy espouse commitments to (a) diversity and social justice, (b) evidence-based practice, and (c) school-based practice. These views foster the conception of the school psychologist as broadly capable of conducting research and practicing effectively with clients, in addition to considering the ecological complexity in which the child exists. The assessment of children and adolescents as well as planning for interventions necessitates this broader conceptualization of childhood problems. The program integrates social justice perspectives throughout its training sequence and focuses on evidence-based practices in working with school-aged youth. The program emphasizes a balance between psychological and educational theory as well as applied practice. Training Model Our training model, pictured graphically here, consists of five domains that are interrelated and fully grounded in: (a) a commitment to social justice, (b) understanding that various systems affect children’s functioning (e.g., home; school; community), and (c) an advocacy role for psychologists working on behalf of children. Professional Conduct (Domain I) and InterpersSP_TrainingModel_Aug2013onal Competence (Domain II) are emphasized as core components of professional training that impact learning and practice related to professional practice, research competencies, and mastery of foundational knowledge. Within Domain I, the Program training model emphasizes the critical roles of developing a professional identity as a psychologist and a lifelong learner, understanding diversity, behaving ethically, exhibiting self-care, and committing to professional work behavior. Within Domain II, the Program training model emphasizes the goal to develop students’ interpersonal competence through fostering empathic behavior, engaging in appropriate interpersonal relationships, communicating effectively with others across various settings, and building awareness and commitment to interpersonal competence throughout students’ professional development. The arrows extending from the core reflect Program faculty and students’ beliefs that professional conduct and interpersonal competence impact all other aspects of professional training. Within Domain III (Professional Practice Competencies), the Program training model reflects a commitment to training students in delivery of professional services with strong evidentiary base. Within Domain III, the Program training model reflects its deep commitment to the scientist-practitioner model within respect to professional practice. Program training emphasizes evidence-based practices in four core professional activities: (a) assessment, (b) intervention, (c) consultation, and (d) supervision. Within Domain IV (Foundational Knowledge), the Program training model identifies foundational content that is critical for both professional practice and research.