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A school psychologist uses his or her knowledge of the human mind and behavior to treat children and adolescents in a school setting. Some school psychologists specialize in research or areas such as educational testing. This page will show you what you need to know about becoming a school psychologist.
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A school psychologist uses his or her knowledge of the human mind and behavior to treat children and adolescents in a school setting. Some school psychologists specialize in research or areas such as educational testing. This page will show you what you need to know about becoming a school psychologist.
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Introduction
- School psychologists begin their studies in college, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. Although state laws vary, school psychologists generally need to be licensed by a state board of psychology as well as a state board of education. To be licensed, the candidate will usually need to earn a graduate degree specializing in school psychology after completing their bachelor's degree.
Step 1: Earn a Bachelor's Degree
- Some graduate programs require applicants to have completed an undergraduate psychology major, but others prefer a diverse background that might include biological, physical, and social sciences as well as courses in statistics and mathematics and basic psychology.
- If you are interested in school psychology, you may also want to consider taking coursework in child development and education. Toward the end of college, students must sit for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and apply to graduate schools.
Step 2: Attend Graduate School
- The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) requires that you receive a master's, specialist, or doctoral degree in school psychology in order to be certified. You have a number of programs to choose from: there are approximately 200 colleges and universities in the United States that offer programs in school psychology. Most of the programs include both classroom and supervised field work as part of the training.
Step 3: Consider Board Certification
- In order to be board-certified as a school psychologist, the candidate must complete extra requirements in addition to those that were needed for NASP certification:
- Must complete an American Psychological Association (APA)-accredited doctoral program that includes course work and experience in the following areas of school psychology:
- Consultation
- Assessment
- Intervention
- Supervision
- Ethical professional practice
- Must complete 1,500 hours of internship in school psychology, spread over 12-24 months, that includes at least one hour a week of face-to-face supervision by a board-certified school psychologist.
- Must have three years of experience, including one year of post-doctoral work, in school psychology that includes at least one hour a week of face-to-face supervision by a board-certified school psychologist, or completion of an APA-accredited residency in school psychology.
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