School Psychology Handbook: Doctoral Program Requirements
The doctoral program yields a Ph.D. in Education with a specialization in School Psychology. Consisting of a minimum of 109 credit hours, the program is designed to be completed in five years, although students often prefer six years (i.e., completing their dissertation prior to the internship). In addition to being awarded the Ph.D. upon completion of all program requirements, students are awarded the Specialist Degree in School Psychology. Ph.D. requirements are presented below. This information is consistent with the Policy Guidelines for the Doctorate of Philosophy in Education developed by the faculty in the School of Education. Students should obtain a copy of the Policy Guidelines and make sure that their course of study conforms to the Guidelines.
Students who already have a Master/s or Specialist degree in school psychology may incorporate previous coursework into their Ph.D. studies. However, all course waivers and substitutions must be approved by the student’s advisor and the faculty of the school psychology program. Faculty may require demonstration of specific competencies prior to waiving courses (e.g., submission of a written psychoeducational evaluation or tape demonstrating counseling skills). Doctoral students who have already completed a 1,200 clock hour school-based internship may complete a predoctoral internship in a non-school setting (consisting of a minimum of 750 clock hours).
Doctoral Level Curriculum
Fall of Year 1
- EDUC 618: Special Services in the Schools
- EDUC 805: Proseminar I
- EDUC 856: Methods of Educational Research I (Quantitative)
- EDUC 840: Research Colloquium Series (1 credit)
Spring of Year 1
- EDUC 806: Proseminar II
- EDUC 850: Methods of Educational Research II (Qualitative)
- EDUC 840: Research Colloquium Series (1 credit)
- EDUC 679: Instructing Elementary/Middle Schoolers with Mild Disabilities
- EDUC 830: Consultation and Intervention: School Discipline
Proseminar Exam
Fall of Year 2
- EDUC 663: Counseling Skills Laboratory
- EDUC 817: Individual Intelligence Testing
- EDUC 744: Educational Assessment and Progress Monitoring
- EDUC 840: Research Colloquium Series (1 credit)
Winterim of Year 2
- EDUC 814: Psychological Assessment of Children
Spring of Year 2
- EDUC 671: Practicum in School Psychology
- EDUC 968: Supervised Research or Elective approved by advisor
- EDUC 812: Regression Methods in Education
- EDUC 840: Research Colloquium Series (1 credit)
- EDUC 870: Child Neuropsychology
Comprehensive Exam in School Psychology
Master's Degree Conferred
Fall of Year 3
- EDUC 671: Practicum in School Psychology
- EDUC 831: Advanced Counseling Techniques
- EDUC 813: Childhood Psychopathology
- EDUC 823: Learning and Development
Spring of Year 3
- EDUC 671: Practicum in School Psychology
- EDUC 841: Consultation and Intervention: Mental Health
- EDUC 968: Supervised Research
- EDUC 651: School-Based Family Issues and Intervention
Fall of Year 4
- EDUC 874: Multivariate Data Analysis in Education (or EDUC 865: Educational Measurement Theory)
- EDUC 968: Supervised Research or Elective
- EDUC 852: Methods of Educational Research III (Philosophical/Historical)
Spring of Year 4
- EDUC 968: Supervised Research
- EDUC 969: Doctoral Dissertation
- EDUC 832: Practicum in School Psychology (doctoral practicum)
- EDUC 842: Assessment of Special Populations
Fall of Year 5
- EDUC 888: Internship
- EDUC 969: Doctoral Dissertation
Spring of Year 5
- EDUC 888: Internship (1,500 clock hours)
- EDUC 969: Doctoral Dissertation
PRAXIS Exam in School Psychology
Ph.D. Conferred
Minimum GPA Requirement
Doctoral students must maintain a GPA of 3.5 in school psychology courses required of the Master's degree and Specialist Degree, and a GPA of 3.5 in additional doctoral-level courses. Students also must meet all other requirements of the Specialist Degree and the Ph.D. in Education, including the following Scholarly Apprenticeship Requirements.
Scholarly Apprenticeship Requirements
All Ph.D. students will submit evidence of the following accomplishments to the school psychology faculty, and a copy of the supporting documentation will be placed in their file in the School of Education Graduate Studies Office.
- Research experience to begin in student's first year and continue throughout the program. The School of Education will sponsor a yearly Research Forum or Research Conference to which all doctoral students must attend. Others, such as faculty, Masters students, and undergraduates seeking an honors degree are also invited to participate. All doctoral students participate according to the following schedule: first year students attend other students' presentations; second year students present a poster session; third year students present a paper; fourth year students serve as discussants on third year paper sessions in relevant topic areas.
- Required supervised teaching experience. Students will submit syllabi and course evaluations as evidence of their accomplishment.
- At least one paper submitted for publication to a peer-reviewed journal where the student is at least second author. The submitted article will serve as evidence of their accomplishment.
- Submission of a dissertation support grant (e.g., AERA/ Spencer/ CHEP) for their last year of study. A copy of the grant application will serve as evidence of the accomplishment.
- Presentation at a national conference in the student's area of expertise. A copy of the conference program will serve as evidence of the accomplishment.
Residency Requirement
All students must complete a full-time residency. For students in the Ph.D. program, the University requires that the doctoral program be completed within ten consecutive semesters for students admitted with a Master's degree and within fourteen consecutive semesters for students admitted without it. Full time study throughout the program is strongly encouraged. Students who can devote full time to their program should earn the doctorate within five years. For students entering the Ph.D. program who have already completed all requirements of the Specialist program, the first two years of study must be completed as a full-time student.
