The School Psychology program is based on a collaborative, data-based, problem-solving model of training. The focus of the specialty is on the psycho-educational needs of children. The emphasis of the program is on training professionals who will work as specialists in School Psychology within public schools. The program strives to produce school psychological specialists who have high standards of ethical, professional conduct; to engage in empirically based and collaborative decision making as part of a multidisciplinary team; to develop a high level of competency in assessment, intervention and consultation; and to develop sensitivity to and respect for the uniqueness, dignity, culture and worth of each individual.
The School Psychology program at UHCL is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) at the specialist level of training. The program requires a minimum of 70 hours of coursework, 58 of which are exclusive of internship.
The School Psychology selection committee accepts a limited number of students into the program based on review and evaluation of the criteria required for application. These criteria include the application (application form; vitae/resume, essay, and 3 letters of reference sent to clinicalschool@uhcl.edu); official transcripts of all previous coursework; GPA of 3.25 or above for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work; statement of interest; and letters of reference from those familiar with your ability to succeed in graduate-level work. In addition, applicants must have successfully completed 12 hours of undergraduate Psychology coursework which must include a) Introductory Psychology, b) Child Psychology or Adolescent Psychology, c) Abnormal Psychology and d) an upper-level psychology course. These prerequisites may be waived for students who possess graduate degrees; in some cases, a similar course may substitute for a prerequisite.
Waivers and substitutions must be authorized by the associate dean who will consult with the student’s faculty adviser.
Internship
Students will be evaluated for readiness to begin internship by the School Psychology faculty upon completion of the practicum. Evaluation includes a feedback interview, if appropriate. The School Psychology program recognizes the internship as the culminating experience in specialty training. The internship consists of a minimum of 1,200 hours, 600 of which must be done in a school setting. The internship occurs during the final year of training and is designed to be accomplished in a school district on a full-time basis over a period of one academic year. Interns receive a stipend during this final year of training.
End-of-Program Evaluation
Students are required to take a graduate comprehensive examination upon successful completion of program requirements (minimum GPA of 3.00 and grades of B- or better in all coursework; grades of C+ or below are not acceptable toward the degree). The comprehensive examination has been designated to be the National Certification Examination in School Psychology (Praxis II). This is a nationally standardized examination designed to assess the entry-level knowledge and skills that might be expected of a specialist-level school psychologist. This exam should be taken the semester prior to internship placement. For graduation, students must obtain the NCSP criterion (pass) score. In addition to the national examination, each student must also submit a portfolio documenting competency in each of the NASP domains of practice. The portfolio is submitted a few months prior to graduation. Additional information regarding this requirement is provided in the School Psychology Program Handbook.
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