Counseling and Psychology in Education-School Psychology (Ed.S.)

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Program Overview

Our nationally accredited Ed.S. school psychology program provides individualized, hands-on training for students who are committed to providing a full range of psychological services for children of all ages. Our small class sizes allow students to develop one-on-one relationships with the program faculty as they learn how to prevent or evaluate learning, emotional and behavioral problems, design and implement academic and behavioral interventions and collaborate with teachers, parents and other professionals. The program has been accredited by NASP since 2000. Learn more at https://www.usd.edu/Academics/Graduate-Programs/School-Psychology.

DELIVERY: On campus

Degree Requirements for Specialist in Counseling and Psychology in Education - School Psychology Specialization

Total 69 credit hours

School Psychology core 48 credit hours
Required supporting courses 21 credit hours

Program of Study

Trial term: 12 credit hours

COUN 786 - Pre-Practicum 1 to 3 cr (3 cr required)
SPSY 761 - Assessment of Intelligence 3 cr
SPSY 768 - Consultation 3 cr
SPSY 771 - Principles and Practice of School Psychology 3 cr

Program Trial Term

- All students in the School Psychology program must complete a trial term consisting of a minimum of twelve graduate credit hours. Students complete a preliminary essay toward the end of the trial term. Following the end of the trial term, students complete a preliminary interview with all program faculty. Successful passage of the preliminary essay, a grade of B or higher in SPSY 761 - Assessment of Intelligence , a rating of average or higher on a Professional Disposition Assessment and the maintenance of a grade point average of 3.0 allows the student to continue full admission status.

School Psychology Core for Ed.S.: 48 credit hours

SPSY 752 - Multiculturalism and Professional Issues 3 cr
SPSY 761 - Assessment of Intelligence 3 cr (3 cr required)
SPSY 768 - Consultation 3 cr
SPSY 771 - Principles and Practice of School Psychology 3 cr
SPSY 772 - Applied Neuropsychology and Interventions With School Aged Children 3 cr
SPSY 780 - Systems-Level Prevention, Crisis Intervention, and Family Services 3 cr
SPSY 782 - Instructional Strategies, Assessment, and Intervention 3 cr
SPSY 784 - Behavioral Collaboration and Intervention 3 cr
SPSY 788 - Research Problems/Projects 1 to 3 cr (1 cr required)
SPSY 795 - Practicum (C) 1 to 6 cr (6 cr required)
SPSY 850 - Psychopathology in K-12 Children 3 cr
SPSY 861 - Advanced Psychoeducational Assessment 3 cr
SPSY 866 - Personality and Behavior Assessment 3 cr
SPSY 894 - Internship 1-8 cr (8 cr required)

Required Courses in Supporting Area: 21 credit hours

COUN 761 - Counseling Theories & Socio-Cultural Foundations 3 cr
COUN 786 - Pre-Practicum 1 to 3 cr (3 cr required)
EDER 711 - Educational Assessments (C) 3 cr
EDER 761 - Graduate Research & Design (C) 3 cr
EDER 762 - Foundations of Statistics 3 cr
EPSY 741 - Cognitive Approaches to Educational Psychology 3 cr
EPSY 776 - Current Issues in Developmental Psychology 3 cr

Note

- Two consecutive academic years are required in-residence.

- Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or above throughout the program.

- A student may repeat only one of the following courses in which he/she obtained a “C” or below, and the failure to obtain a grade of “B” or better the second time may result in dismissal from the program. Students may appeal the decision for dismissal and make a request for exception with the School Psychology Committee (see School Psychology Student Handbook):

SPSY 761

SPSY 795

COUN 786

, SPSY 894

- Students must pass a comprehensive written and oral final examination.

- Students must take the Praxis II exam and obtain a passing score prior to graduation.

General Application Requirements

Completed application
$35 application fee
Official transcripts*
Letters of recommendation*
Statement of purpose
Resume/CV*

*Requirements for admission vary by program and may require different documentation and have different deadlines. This list is not all-inclusive, to view specific program requirements and submission deadlines, follow the “Admissions Information” hyperlink at the top of this page OR visit the specific program/dept. page found here: link.usd.edu/grad-catalog

Program Leading to Professional Licensure

Location Matters. This program allows only on-campus courses during the first semester and is designed to meet the educational requirements for a professional license or certification required for employment in South Dakota. If you intend to apply for licensure or certification outside of South Dakota upon completion of your program, please review and understand the licensure or certification requirements in that state. For more information, visit USD’s Licensure-Track Programs page for links to the USD program websites and state licensure board websites.

This program is authorized to offer supervised field study experiences (internship, externship, clinical, rotation, practicum, independent study, study away, etc.) in South Dakota. Please be aware that there may be some restrictions on your ability to engage in supervised field study outside of South Dakota. If you have questions regarding supervised field study, please contact a program representative.

Questions?

Division of Counseling and Psychology in Education
605-658-6623 | cpe@usd.edu | usd.edu/cpe

Graduate Admissions
605-658-6140 | gradadmissions@usd.edu | usd.edu/grad