Specialist in School Psychology

The specialist in School Psychology (S.S.P.) is a 60-hour, NASP-approved (National Association of School Psychologist) program offering training in the field of psychology with an emphasis on the educational setting.  The S.S.P. program provides students with hands-on experiences, preparing them for work in assessing academic, behavioral and emotional difficulties, developing plans to help children with these problems, and consulting with parents, teachers and administrators to assure that children's difficulties improve.  Upon completion of course work and a ten-month supervised internship, graduates will apply to the Texas State  Board of Examiners of Psychologists (TSBEP) for licensure as a Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) and the National School Psychology Certification Board for national certification.  

The Specialist degree in school psychology will allow graduates to help children and adolescents succeed academically, socially, behaviorally and emotionally.  Students learn to collaborate with educators, parents and other professionals to create safe, healthy and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school and the community for all students.  School psychology is a career that makes a difference.  

Degree Requirements

The Specialist in School Psychology is a three-year, 60-hour program.  Full-time residency (9 semester hours) is required for first-year students.  Within the program, each graduate will complete 6 semester hours (600 clock hours) of practicum and 1,200 hours of internship time.  

Course Requirements for the Specialist in School Psychology are: 

1. Psychology core (48 hours)

PSYC 608 School Psychology: Organization, Operations and Ethics

PSYC 612 Clinical Research Mehtods

PSYC 624 Social and Cultural Bases of Behavior

PSYC 642 Cognitive Assessment

PSYC 644 Child and Adolescent Therapy

PSYC 645 Child and Adolescent Assessment

PSYC 646 Child and Adolescent Development

PSYC 647 Child and Adolescent Psychopathology

PSYC 649 Behavioral Interventions

PSYC 657 Multivariate Statistics

PSYC 668 Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience

PSYC 669 Human Learning and Cognition

PSYC 676 Prevention, Intervention and Advocacy in School Psychology

PSYC 683 School Consultation

PSYC 685 Issues in Education of Exceptional Children

SPED 577 Teaching Students with High Incident Disabilities

2. Practicum (6 hours) PSYC 690, 694

3. Internship (6 hours)

PSYC 695 School Psychology Internship

4. Elective (optional) (6 hours: PSYC 699 Thesis)

5. Comprehensive exam

For more information of the school psychology program, contact Dr. Jennifer Shewmaker at jws02b@acu.edu or 325-674-2381.