Educational Psychology/School Psychology

 

The doctoral level School Psychology program subscribes to the Scientist-Practitioner model and prepares individuals to work as psychologists in schools and other educational settings, to engage in research, to pursue clinical work in schools or other clinical settings, and to pursue academic teaching posts.  Individuals completing this option may be eligible to apply to sit for the Illinois Clinical Psychology licensing examination.

In addition to the doctoral level coursework described below, students must complete all coursework required for School Psychology certification.  Please see the graduate catalog for additional information about the School Psychology professional training program and certification requirements.

Course Requirements

Each doctoral student is required to take doctoral core courses and research and dissertation courses.  These required courses and their semester hour commitments are listed below.  This common core represents areas of knowledge which the graduate faculty considers essential for all doctoral candidates in education.  In addition to the core and research requirements, students will complete three types of course requirements specific to the program: the Educational Psychology/School Psychology core, internships, and minor areas of concentration.

 

Doctoral Course RequirementsSemester Hours

 

Doctoral Core              6

Research/Dissertation   21

School Psychology Core           14-15

Internship/School Psychology*    6

Internship/Educational Psychology*         3

Minor Concentration     12-13

 

Total Degree Requirements       63

 

*Please see Internship section below for a description of the two internships.

 

Educational Psychology/School Psychology

Doctoral Core              SH

 

EPD662A        Doctoral Seminar I:

History and Systems of Psychology       2

EPD662B        Doctoral Seminar I:

Views of Self and Self Development      2

EPD662C        Doctoral Seminar I:

Views of Relationships and Relational Development       2

EPD662D        Doctoral Seminar I:

Views of Community and Community Development       2

EPD663A        Doctoral Seminar II:

Prevention Models and Community Development          1

 

EPD663B        Doctoral Seminar II:

Prevention Models and Relational

Development    1

EPD663C        Doctoral Seminar II:

Prevention Models and Individual

Development    1

EPD664           Advanced Practicum in

Educational Psychology            1-3

 

Minor Concentration

 

Students take six semester hours in each of two minor concentrations, such as Neuropsychology, Human Development, Special Education, Reading and Language, or Curriculum and Social Inquiry.  These minor concentrations are designed to provide breadth of knowledge in areas relevant to School Psychology.  The minor concentration in neuropsychology is intended to provide school psychologists with sufficient breadth and depth to conduct neuropsychological assessment and to function as liaisons between medical and school professionals.  It is not intended to qualify school psychologists as neuropsychologists.

 

Internship

 

The internship experience is composed of two parts and requires a total of 9 semester hours. Of the 9 hours, 6 must be taken as part of the year-long School Psychology supervised internship in a school setting. This part of the internship must meet all state certification internship requirements.

An additional 3 hours of internship may include research, clinical or teaching experiences. Together with his of her program advisor, the student develops an additional internship experience designed to meet the student’s professional and educational goals. The student can choose any Educational Psychology faculty member with whom to complete the internship. The student should contact the faculty member to discuss the specific internship and complete an internship proposal form. The faculty member will submit the proposal to the Program Director of the Educational Psychology Doctoral Program for approval.

 

Relation to Educational Specialist Program

 

The Educational Psychology/School Psychology Doctoral Program may be reduced by up to 33 semester hours if a student has completed an Ed.S. degree in School Psychology at National-Louis University. Reduction of doctoral program requirements must be approved by the student’s advisor, the director of the student’s doctoral program, and the Director of Doctoral Programs