Graduate Admissions Office: Doctor of Philosophy in School Psychology


Educational Specialist in School Psychology

College of Education Department of Educational and Psychological Studies Graduate Program Director : Graduate Program Advisor : Dr. Philip Lazarus Department’s Phone Number : (305) 348-2725 Department’s FAX Number : (305) 348-4125 For More Information, go to Program's web site Department of Educational and Psychological Studies web site << Go Back		Brief Description of the Program: Our program is dedicated to training school psychologists for the challenges involved in working in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural urban environment. Personally, we have found that school psychology offers many opportunities and rewards. School psychologists are involved in psychological assessment, counseling, consulting, program development, in-service, crisis intervention and other related activities. Job opportunities are currently favorable at both the state and national level. The profession is an exciting and dynamic one. It requires commitment, competence and compassion.
The program requires a minimum 80 semester hours of credit and three years of graduate study. The competencies to be demonstrated by the student completing the program include: Full range psychoeducational assessment. Educational, behavioral, and affective intervention. Counseling and crisis intervention. In-service and staff development. Consultation Program development and evaluation Research The course-work in the program is distributed across the following six core competency areas: Professional School Psychology. Psychological Foundations. Educational Foundations. Psychoeducational Assessment, Direct Interventions and Indirect Interventions Statistics and Research Methodologies Applied Professional Practice The program follows a competency-based model where students are evaluated on specific skills at each step of the program. Students are enrolled in both content oriented courses and clinical coursed during their program of studies. As part of the clinical and assessment courses, students are required to engage in a minimum of 256 hours of practica experiences which must be completed prior to the internship. The clinical courses in psycho-educational assessment require a great deal of individual effort and students need to budget their time accordingly.
Application Requirements: Grade point average: A minimum of 3.0 or better for the last two years of undergraduate work is a minimum requirement. If the applicant already possesses a masters degree then the grade point average of this degree will also be considered, or Graduate Record Examination total score of 1000 or better based on the verbal and quantitative sections. Quality of written recommendations: The committee has not prepared explicit criteria for evaluating written references. However, a recommendation would be considered marginal if the candidate were recommended with reservations. A recommendation would be considered inappropriate if it spoke of personal characteristics unrelated to the area in which the student is applying. A recommendation would be considered poor if a negative recommendation came from faculty member who had knowledge of the candidates work or ability as a potential graduate student. Evidence of related educational background and experiences: Three years of professional experience working with children and/or adolescents is strongly preferred. Evidence of an applicants clarity in presenting their ideas and thoughts on the autobiographical sketch. Willingness to commit oneself to the time (including time for field experiences) necessary for training. Evidence of professionalism and maturity. Leadership skills Additional Requirements for International Students: