School Psychology, Ed.S.

843-953-5320
www.citadel.edu/root/psychology

Dr. Timothy A. Hanchon: tim.hanchon@citadel.edu

Mission Statement

The mission of the Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) program in School Psychology is to prepare students to become scientist- practitioners. This model sees the school psychologist as a data-based problem solver at the individual, group, and systems levels. The concept includes the interaction of the student in the classroom, the school system, the family, and the community. The Ed.S. degree emphasizes application of psychological principles, knowledge, and skills in relating to the process and problems of education. The program is approved by the South Carolina Department of Education, and graduates are eligible for certification at the School Psychologist Level II in South Carolina. The program is also approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP, 2003).

Admission Requirements

Admission to the School Psychology Program is based on a competitive review of application materials.

Completion of the online graduate application along with the non-refundable application fee.
Submission of an official transcript of the baccalaureate degree directly from each accredited college or university and transcripts from all postgraduate institutions attended. Minimum requirements for consideration include an overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (or graduate grade point average of 3.0)
Submission of a completed Admissions Questionnaire.
Submission of two letters of recommendation.

Application Deadline

The Admissions Committee will consider complete applications for the program on the following date:

Admission Term:	Materials Due:
Summer/Fall	February 15

Program Requirements

The Ed.S. degree in School Psychology consists of 72 semester hours with four interacting components.

Graduate Requirement (Non-Credit Bearing)

LDRS 500 - Introduction to Principled Leadership

Core Courses

Focus on psychological foundations with emphasis on the role, functions, and scope of the profession of school psychology (24 hours).

PSYC 500 - Human Growth and Development Credit Hours: 3
PSYC 501 - Principles of Behavior and Cognitive Change Credit Hours: 3
PSYC 508 - Counseling and Personalities Theories Credit Hours: 3
PSYC 512 - Foundations of School Psychology: Ethics, Roles, & Law Credit Hours: 3
PSYC 523 - Applied Statistics and Psychometrics Credit Hours: 3
PSYC 525 - Basic Counseling Techniques Credit Hours: 3
PSYC 527 - Child Psychopathology & Treatment Credit Hours: 3
PSYC 561 - Cultural Issues in Psychological Practice Credit Hours: 3

Advanced Courses

Applied courses with emphasis on the knowledge and skills more specific to educational settings (33 hours)

*Course taught in conjunction with Practicum in Consultation and Intervention. Students are required to complete a consultation and/or intervention project within the context of their practicum placement.

PSYC 502 - Psychological and Educational Exceptionalities: Children and Adolescents Credit Hours: 3
PSYC 503 - Objective Assessment Credit Hours: 3
PSYC 504 - Special Techniques in Assessment Credit Hours: 3
PSYC 505 - Personality, Social, and Emotional Assessment Credit Hours: 3
PSYC 602 - Social and Biological Basis of Child and Adolescent Behavior Credit Hours: 3
PSYC 605 - System Theory and Consultation: Prevention and Intervention Credit Hours: 3 *
PSYC 606 - Academic Interventions Credit Hours: 3 *
PSYC 607 - Behavioral and Emotional Interventions Credit Hours: 3 *
PSYC 608 - Advanced Counseling Techniques for School Psychologists Credit Hours: 3 *
PSYC 612 - Reading Assessment and Intervention: A Neuropsychological Perspective Credit Hours: 3 *
PSYC 620 - Contemporary Issues in School Psychology Credit Hours: 3

Data-Based Problem Solving

Courses critical to functioning as a data-based problem-solver which provide supervised, hands-on training in assessment and intervention skills within school settings (12 hours)

Prerequisite: Students cannot begin this block of courses until they have officially been admitted into the School Psychology Program and completed all prerequisites.

*NOTE: PSYC 615 /PSYC 617 & PSYC 616 /PSYC 618 are co-requisites

PSYC 615 - Practicum in School Psychology: I and II Credit Hours: 2
PSYC 616 - Practicum in School Psychology: I and II Credit Hours: 2
PSYC 617 - Practicum in Consultation and Intervention: I and II Credit Hours: 1
PSYC 618 - Practicum in Consultation and Intervention: I and II Credit Hours: 1
PSYC 621 - Internship in School Psychology: I and II Credit Hours: 3
PSYC 622 - Internship in School Psychology: I and II Credit Hours: 3

Scientist Practitioner

Experience as a scientist practitioner in gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data (three hours)

PSYC 545 - Graduate Research Design and Evaluation Credit Hours: 3 (Must be completed prior to award of the MA)

Students in the School Psychology program who successfully complete the 72 semester hours and other Program requirements (see School Psychology Program Handbook) are awarded the Ed.S. degree. Students must complete all course requirements within a 4-year period from the date of initial enrollment. Internship requirements must be completed within 2 years of the completion of course work or 6 years from date of initial enrollment. Students may apply for a Master of Arts in Psychology degree after completion of 39 semester hours from the School Psychology Program of Studies.

No more than 8 hours of graduate credit taken as a non-degree- seeking student will be applied toward program requirements.

Field-Based Placement Requirements

School Psychology students must complete all course work before being eligible for a placement in an internship setting. Students are required to spend a minimum of 1200 clock hours in a supervised internship placement and complete all internship requirements within 2 years.

To meet South Carolina certification requirements, students who plan to complete an internship must apply through the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDOE) for an internship certificate. To meet these requirements, internship candidates must submit an Application for Internship, Teacher Certification Application, SCDOE required fees, a copy of their social security card, and fingerprints for FBI/SLED background check to the Internship Coordinator of School Psychology for submission to the South Carolina Office of Educator Certification.

Other field-based experiences may require a criminal background check prior to field placement.

Program Sequence

PSYC 503 , PSYC 504 , PSYC 505 , and PSYC 615 /PSYC 616 must be taken in the prescribed sequence, with each course building on the preceding one incrementally. The intervention courses (PSYC 605 , PSYC 606 , PSYC 607 , PSYC 608 , PSYC 612 , and PSYC 617 /PSYC 618 ) must be taken concurrently with PSYC 615 - Practicum in School Psychology: I and II /PSYC 616 - Practicum in School Psychology: I and II to allow for further practical experience in developing consultation and intervention skills within the schools. Please note that ALL full-time school psychology students must be enrolled in PSYC 503 and PSYC 512 during their first Fall semester in order to avoid an extension of their course work by one year.

Total Credit Hours: 72

Attendance Policy

The Catalog of The Citadel Graduate College delineates a general policy regarding class attendance. Students are expected to be familiar with this general attendance policy.

The graduate program in School Psychology is, by its nature, an applied practitioner program leading to an anticipated passing score on the PRAXIS II School Psychology subject test and certification as a Level II School Psychologist in South Carolina. A number of the courses are designed to facilitate the acquisition of hands-on experiences with various diagnostic, evaluation, and intervention techniques where skill acquisition is based on instructor demonstrations and modeling, guided individual and group practice and participation by the student, role playing, and group activities, such as simulations, that build the necessary foundations for the acquisition of the basic skills necessary to the practice of the profession of School Psychology. In these courses, a strict absence policy has been adopted to ensure that learning experiences are not compromised. Specifically, courses that fall under this absence policy are as follows: PSYC 503 , PSYC 504 , PSYC 505 , PSYC 512 , PSYC 612 , PSYC 615 /PSYC 616 , PSYC 617 /PSYC 618 , PSYC 605 , PSYC 606 , PSYC 607 , PSYC 608 , PSYC 621 , and PSYC 622 . Students enrolled in these classes are advised to consult their syllabus and instructor for more specific details.