Specialist Program (Psy.S.) in School Psychology

Program Description

Approved by the Florida Department of Education (DOE) and designed to meet the National Association of School Psychologist (NASP) Standards for Training Programs in School Psychology, the Specialist Program in School Psychology prepares graduate to work as professional practitioners to help children and youth succeed academically, socially and behaviorally. Our program was developed in response to the state and national critical shortage of school psychologist and the increased public attention being paid to the important role that school psychologist play in addressing daunting challenges such as school violence, academic achievement of diverse students, etc.

The School Psychology Program consist of 79 credit hours that span three years of coursework (including practica) and a full-time, one year internship. The curriculum is designed to meet the current educational requirements for the DOE certification specialization in school psychology (Rule 6A-04311) and for licensure in school psychology under Chapter 490, Florida Statues. Students benefit from the expertise of four full-time faculty whose primary interests are in the field of school psychology, 30 other full-time faculty members that include nationally reowned professionals, and several core part-time and adjunct faculty that work as practioners or administrators in the schools. Students also enjoy the benefits of a diverse student body, hands on training and research opportunities in a variety of areas.

Who should enroll?

The specialist program is open to individuals with a bachelor's or master's degree in psychology, education, counseling, guidance, or related field who demonstrate the scholastic ability and interpersonal skills to be an effective psychological practitioner in the schools.

Graduate students or graduates of clinical or counseling psychology doctoral programs or school psychology programs may request to take courses as a non-degree-seeking student. Requests will be accommodated, as space is available.

Enrollment is limited. As such, prospective students are advised to apply at the earliest possible date.

There are some required courses (eg Social and Cultural Bases of Assessment & Counseling) that may require some personal disclosures by the student as part of the course requirements. Other courses may require a deeper level of ongoing self-disclosure as part of the class process.

Required Courses:

General Required Courses:
PSY 700	Learning and Human Development	3 Credits
PSY 710	Psychology of Exceptional and At-Risk Children	3 Credits
PSY 715	Child and Adolescent Psychopathology	3 Credits
PSY 720	Biological Bases of Behavior	3 Credits
PSY 735	Organization and Operation of Schools	3 Credits
PSY 750	Counseling Theories and Techniques	3 Credits
PSY 770	Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues for School Psychologists	3 Credits
Assessment Required Courses:
PSY 765	Applied Behavioral Assessment	3 Credits
PSY 780	Psychoeducational Assessment	3 Credits
PSY 782	Assessment: Intelligence Testing I with Lab	4 Credits
PSY 784	Assessment: Intelligence Testing II	3 Credits
PSY 786	Projective/Objective Personality Assessment	3 Credits
PSY 788	Assessment of Low Incidence Populations	3 Credits
PSY 790	Assessment of Young Children Birth to 5 Years	3 Credits
PSY 792	Integrated Report	3 Credits
Intervention Required Courses:
PSY 705	Social and Cultural Bases of Assessment and Counseling	3 Credits
PSY 730	Instructional Strategies for Students with Diverse Needs	3 Credits
PSY 755	School Consultation Skills	3 Credits
PSY 760	Contemporary Clinical Interventions for the School Psychologists	3 Credits
PSY 775	Theories & Research in Reading Instruction, Assessment, and Intervention	3 Credits
Methodology and Research Required Courses:
PSY 740	Educational Statistics	3 Credits
PSY 745	Research Design	3 Credits
Practicum and Internship Required Courses:
PSY 800	Practicum in School Psychology School Based	3 Credits
PSY 805	Practicum in School Psychology Clinic Based	3 Credits
PSY 810	Internship in School Psychology	6 Credits

Total Credits: 79