SPECIALIST IN EDUCATION: SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY
Become a future Hilltopper with Western Kentucky University's Ed.S. Program in School Psychology. Gain hands-on experience, culminating in a paid full-time internship. Accredited by NASP and part of WKU's CAEP-accredited Professional Education unit, the program hones skills in assessment, counseling, and crisis response. Be a problem solver with strong organizational and communication abilities. Your journey to becoming a skilled school psychologist starts here.
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Program Coordinator
- Assistant Professor, Ed.S. School Psychology Program Coordinator
- sarah.bonis@wku.edu
- GRH 3026
- 270-745-4414
Program At A Glance
Cohort-Model Learning Environment allowing students to take classes with the same small group of peers.
Hands-On Experiences: Early involvement in supervised, hands-on experiences in schools, the training clinic, and with families from the first semester.
Peer Mentorship Program: Upon admission, first-year students are paired with a second-year graduate student as a peer mentor, offering support and guidance during the transition to graduate school and WKU.
Work-Life Balance: School psychology offers a great career for work-life balance, including summers off and reasonable working hours throughout the year.
Post-Graduation Success: 100% of graduates secure employment post-graduation, with many having job offers secured several months before graduating.
What You'll Study
Foundations of School Psychology: An introduction to the history of school psychology, the role and function of the school psychologist, models of practice, and professional standards. Current trends and future directions will be explored.
Clinical Child Psychology Theory and Practice: For psychology or mental health profession students desiring to work with mental health problems in children and adolescents.
Practicum in Psychological Assessment: Supervised experience in the administration and interpretation of instruments and practices used in the assessment of intellectual abilities and learning problems in educational or clinical settings.
The school psychology graduate program at Western Kentucky University is an educational specialist degree. Students complete two years of full-time coursework along with several school- and clinic-based experiences, and a full-time, paid internship during the third year. The program prepares graduates to be problem solvers who use data-based decision making to help meet the particular need of each student and family, in each unique situation.
Students will gain skills in assessment and evaluation, individual and group counseling, consultation, crisis response, research, ethics, and more. School psychologists have well developed problem solving, organization, time-management, and interpersonal skills, and oral and written communication abilities.
The school psychology program is fully approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). In addition, the Ed.S. in School Psychology program is part of the Professional Education unit of WKU, which is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and Kentucky's Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB).
DURING THE PROGRAM
The school psychology program at WKU follows a cohort-model, which means you’ll take your classes with the same small group of peers with whom you were admitted to the program, roughly 10 students.
We strive to create a collaborative program culture. Once you are in the program, we want everyone to succeed and receive the support necessary to reach their goals.
Save money on tuition! Graduate students who already have an educator certification are eligible for the Educator Tuition Discount their first year and students who complete an internship in KY are eligible for the discount during their internship year.
Our graduate students get started with supervised, hands-on experiences in the schools, our training clinic, and with families beginning the very first semester. We know how important it is to practice the work you are learning in your classes.
Upon admission, first-year students are paired with a second-year graduate student as a peer mentor. This person serves as a resource and support to help ease the transition to graduate school and WKU.
AFTER GRADUATION
School psychology is a great career for creating work-life balance, including having summers off and reasonable working hours during the year.
100% of our graduates secure employment post-graduation, with most having their jobs secure several months prior to graduating.
School psychology is consistently rated as a top job by U.S. News and World Report. In 2023, it was ranked as #3 in Best Social Services Jobs and #18 in Best STEM jobs!
More Information
The Department of Psychology
Gary A. Ransdell Hall, Office 3012
1906 College Heights Blvd. #11030,
Bowling Green, KY 42101-1030
Additional Information
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