Graduate Studies

School Psychology

 

Admission Requirements: Master's Degree

 

Application Deadline: February 15 for Fall Semester, January 15 for International Applicants 

  1. Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution. No specific undergraduate major required, however, preparation must include nine semester hours of course work in psychology and one statistics course.
  2. 3.0 grade point average or at least 3.25 for the last 30 semester credits of graded course work.
  3. Completed Application for Admission to Graduate Study form.
  4. Undergraduate and other transcripts sent directly from the institution to the Graduate Studies Office.
  5. Non-refundable $20.00 fee for first-time applicants to Minnesota State University Moorhead.
  6. Combined score of 1,000 on the Verbal and Quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Only official scores are accepted; no more than five years old.
  7. Letter of intent specifying career goals and research interests.
  8. Three letters of recommendation. At least one letter should be from someone who can speak to the candidate’s academic skills. Forms available online.
  9. A personal or telephone interview is highly recommended. Interviews are to be done as part of the application process before the application deadline. It is up to the applicant to schedule the interview by contacting the Program Director.

 

Admission Requirements: The Specialist Degree

 

Students who have completed the M.S. in School Psychology from MSUM will be considered for admission to the Specialist degree program upon submission of the following:

 

  1. A completed "Application for Admission to Graduate Study" (submit to the Graduate Studies Office).
  2. A letter of interest and intent submitted to the Graduate Studies Office with a copy to the Coordinator of the School Psychology Program.

 

For applicants who have completed MSUM's Master's degree in School Psychology, admission decisions will be made by the School Psychology Coordinating Committee (SPCC) and will be based on results of the most recent yearly review of student progress and progress since that review (See School Psychology Student Handbook).

No student may be admitted prior to completion of the M.S. degree. MSUM students who begin taking Specialist degree classes prior to earning the M.S. degree are cautioned that no more than nine of the credits taken prior to admission to the Specialist degree may be counted toward that degree without prior approval by the SPCC.

Applicants who have not been enrolled in the MSUM School Psychology program must submit evidence of satisfactory completion of a substantially equivalent Master's degree. In addition, all of the requirements for admission to the Master's degree program, as described earlier, must be met. If the student is admitted directly to the Specialist degree program, any MSUM Master's degree requirements not met as part of the student's previous degree program must be completed as part of the Specialist degree program. For more information, contact the Program Coordinator.

 

Degree Requirements: Master's Degree

 

The program must be completed under Plan A with a thesis required.

 

  1. Minimum of 30 credits.
  2. Students who wish to transfer credits from other institutions or have taken courses before admission to the graduate program should refer to the Residence and Transfer of Credit section for further information.
  3. 3.0 grade point average required for courses submitted for the degree. A grade of B- is the minimum allowed in core school psychology classes and a C- is the minimum grade allowed in non-core classes.
  4. Written comprehensive examination.
  5. Thesis.
  6. Oral examination in defense of the thesis.

 

Detailed information on these requirements and department policies and procedures may be obtained from the School Psychology Graduate Program Coordinator. Further information on degree requirements may be found in General Degree Requirements.

 

Degree Requirements: Specialist Degree

 

Specialist degree completed under Plan B.

 

  1. Minimum of 30 credits (to total 61 for combined Master's and Specialist program).
  2. National School Psychology exam.
  3. 3.0 grade point average required for courses submitted for the degree. A grade of "B-" is the minimum allowed in core school psychology classes and a "C-" is the minimum grade allowed in non-core classes.
  4. Portfolio demonstrating mastery of program objectives.
  5. Final oral examination based on portfolio materials.
Detailed information on these requirements and department policies and procedures may be obtained from the School Psychology Graduate Program Coordinator. Further information on degree requirements may be found in "General Degree Requirements" at the front of the Graduate Bulletin

    

Course Requirements: Master's and Specialist Degrees

61 semester credits combined
(Courses not completed as part of the Master's Degree are completed for the Specialist Degree)

 

 Note:  Curriculum revisions are currently in process for University approval. The basic structure of the program will remain essentially the same. Revisions will update courses and will involve some course substitutions. The revised program will be posted when it has been approved.

December 2007

 

ED 603: Methods of Research (2)

PSY 601: Foundations of School Psychology (2)

PSY 620: Measurement Theory (2)

PSY 621: Assessment/Intervention I: Basic Processes (3)

PSY 622: Assessment/Intervention II: Special Populations (3)

PSY 632: Advanced Psychological Methodology (2)

PSY 641: Practicum in School Psychology I (1)

PSY 642: Practicum in School Psychology II (1)

PSY 699: Thesis in Psychology (4)

PSY 701: Issues in the Practice of School Psychology (2)

PSY 723: Assessment/Intervention III: Early Childhood (3)

PSY 724: Assessment/Intervention IV: Psychosocial Problems (4)

PSY 728: Systems Intervention (2)

PSY 744: Practicum in School Psychology III (1)

PSY 760: Internship in School Psychology (3)

PSY 611: Human Learning and Cognition (2)

PSY 613: Biopsychology (2)

PSY 615: Developmental Psychology (2)

PSY 617: Personality and Psychopathology (2)

PSY 619: Social Psychology (2)

CNSA 520: Basic Counseling Skills (3)

ED 664: Theory and Process of Consultation (2)

SPED 571: Behavior and Environment Management (3)

SPED 690: Seminar: Current Trends in Special Education (2)

SPED 513: Instructional Strategies (3)
OR SPED 556: Functional Curriculum Development/Inclusive Classroom (3)
OR SPED 575: Informal Assessment/Teaching Strategies: Students with Learning Disabilities (3)
OR SPED 578: Educational Interventions: Emotional/Behavioral Disorders (3)
OR an equivalent special education methods course approved by the Program Coordinator