School Psychology, M.Ed.

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The professional in school psychology is educated in the major disciplines of education and psychology. He or she is equipped to undertake and manage processes and problems related to the education and development of children within schools. A major portion of his or her training concerns the interaction of the child with the social institution of the school. Because of this special orientation, the school psychologist must be well grounded in the philosophy and methods of education and must achieve a high level of understanding of the psychological processes such as learning, personality, and social competence.

Program Objectives

The school psychologist is an applied psychologist who brings skills, instrumentation, and techniques to bear on learning and behavioral problems in the school setting. He or she must be prepared to:

• Intervene constructively when acute and chronic behavior problems occur.
• Consult effectively with change agents in the child’s life (i.e., parents, administrators, teachers).
• Participate in the assessment of individual learning problems.
• Participate in education program planning and management.
• Provide information to promote effective use of the resources of agencies outside the school setting.
• Design and carry out action and situational research requiring knowledge of the school and of the learner in interaction in such a setting.

Program Academic Regulations

The M.Ed. major in School Psychology requires a minimum of 36 semester hours with a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00.

This program is an integrated component of the combined Master’s/Ed.S. program in School Psychology and is taken concurrently with the Ed.S. program. This program does not lead to certification in the state of Georgia. The Master of Education degree in School Psychology is prerequisite to the Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) degree with a major in School Psychology.

The master’s degree is ideally completed in four consecutive academic terms, commencing fall term. There are two major training thrusts in the School Psychology program. The training first provides a knowledge base about schools, instructional methods, research methods, learning, and developmental issues. Secondly, application skills are developed in the area of cognitive and achievement assessment as well as interviewing. Skills in both teacher and parent consultation are developed.

The M.Ed./Ed.S. School Psychology program is not designed for part-time students. Each semester students are expected to enroll in 12-14 semester credits. Students may distribute their coursework to a maximum of four years rather than the usual three. However, they must maintain continuous enrollment of at least 9 credits per semester during this period (i.e., full time enrollment). The usual period of study in the M.Ed./Ed.S School Psychology program including internship, is three years. Some coursework can be completed during the summers. Under highly unusual circumstances (e.g., medical emergencies) the program faculty will consider requests to extend completion of the program beyond 4 years. Under unusual circumstances, students can apply for a one year leave of absence from the program. Should a student drop out of the program prior to completion, reapplication for admission is necessary. There is no guarantee the student will be readmitted to the program. If a student deviates from a normal schedule, then there is the possibility that the course may not be available in semesters other than those which they are scheduled.

All school psychology students must complete CPS 6040 , CPS 7490 , CPS 7495 , CPS 7510 , CPS 7515 , CPS 7520 , CPS 7570 , CPS 8440 , and CPS 8570  with grades of “B” or higher. A grade lower than “B” requires repetition of the course. Students cannot repeat a course more than once. Unless otherwise indicated, students may not register for any other CPS course until they have completed CPS 6040  with a grade of “B” or higher. For School Psychology students to be eligible to register for the CPS 7662 - Applied Practice I: School Psychology , they must have completed the following courses: CPS 6040 , CPS 6150 , CPS 6410 , CPS 7490 , CPS 7495 , CPS 7510 , CPS 7515 , CPS 7520 , and CPS 8440 .

All master’s students must meet a comprehensive exam requirement to graduate from the School Psychology program. All school psychology students must pass the Praxis II Assessment in school psychology and their test scores must be reported to Georgia State University prior to graduation.

Students seeking certification from the State of Georgia Professional Standards Commission are required to pass the GACE Program Admission Assessment Assessment (or provide an exemption) and GACE Content Assessment in School Psychology.

Evaluation of a student’s performance is continuous and involves consideration of the student’s academic performance as well as the student’s performance in laboratory, applied practice, and internship classes. A student may be dropped from a course, the program, or both if the welfare of the student’s clientele or prospective clientele or the functioning of a school or agency is, in the judgment of the CPS faculty, in jeopardy as a result of the student’s behavior. Students in this program are expected to follow the latest version of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Principles for Professional Ethics.

Departmental Endorsement Policy

The Department of Counseling and Psychological Services requires that program faculty endorsement be given only for the program for which the graduate students have been prepared.