I am about to start my last semester in Nova Southeastern's BrainSMART M.S. in Brain-based teaching. I've really enjoyed the program, and I'm considering continuing my education to become a school psychologist. I have been surprised to see that many of the online programs in school psychology don't seem to lead to being able to work in a school as a school psychologist. Why do you think that is? From this forum, I heard about this program Graduate Study in School Psychology - Fort Hays State University. I like the price and the program looks good from their website. I would like to compare my options before making a decision, but I haven't been able to find any other online programs that lead to being eligible for licensure as a school psychologist. If you know of another online program that leads to being eligible for licensure, could you please post the link. Thanks! Michelle
Sorry, there ended up being a lot more links in my message than I had intended. Here's the link to the program I'm considering: Graduate Study in School Psychology - Fort Hays State University
I like what I've seen of the Fort Hays program. In school psychology, while the APA accredits doctorates as they also do in clinical and counseling, the specialist degree or equivalent – like a specialist certificate or an outsized master's – is also a common terminal degree, and programmatic approval from the National Association of School Psychologists also seems to be valued in the field. Capella University has a program in school psychology, using distance learning with short residencies and a 600-hour internship requirement. Capella's program held NASP approval with conditions from January 1, 2010 to August 1, 2013. As of this writing it isn't immediately clear from the Capella or NASP websites what status the Capella program holds now. Note the clauses about approval extending only to people who take a master's in school psychology then a specialist certificate in school psychology both from Capella. The NASP also has a program for national certification for individual school psychologists, NCSP. There's a pathway for non-NASP program graduates to become NCSP; it looks like Fort Hays, currently non-NASP, has built their school psychology program with this pathway in mind for their graduates. From the FHSU SP FAQ: "students complete a portfolio as part of the EdS program and this (in addition to Praxis-II scores) may be submitted to NASP to apply for national certification." For a very credible program from a major public university in Canada with the equivalent to RA, the University of Calgary has an MEd in School and Applied Child Psychology. Most coursework is done by distance learning. There are three shorter practicums, at least two of which can be completed with an approved provider in the student's local area. There's also a 1200-hour internship under the supervision of a psychologist. A full-time commitment to the internship is expected during the last year of the student's program.
also interested in school psych & nova Michelle, I am very interested in Nova's brain-based ed program and am leaning toward COSC for a bachelor's degree so it is good to hear from someone who has traveled that path. As for school psych, I searched high and low for distance learning programs but found nothing but Capella, which does not interest me. I think certain professions and the organizations/affiliations associated with them just take their time with embracing the distance learning process. There is a lot associated with governing any program, flooding the market, etc. I hope school psych will change over time. In some states, school psychs can work in private practice which is very appealing to me. I will check out the Fort Hays and University of Calgary programs.
Jonathan, Thank you for all of the information! The program in Calgary looks interesting. I am concerned that I wouldn't be able to get financial aid to cover the cost though. Is that correct since I'm a US citizen? Unfortunately I don't have the money set aside to pay upfront but am using financial aid to pay for my education. Raeofsunshine, About Charter Oak, I did not have a good experience there and wish that I had enrolled in Excelsior or TESC instead. I chose COSC because the customer service seemed the best before I enrolled, but when I had a series of problems with the capstone professor that I was assigned to, I found it very difficult to get help. Administrators either wouldn't respond at all, would wait several weeks to respond until important deadlines had passed, or just told me to contact someone else. Some students are assigned great professors for their capstone project and have a smooth experience, but if you're assigned a rotten one, there seems to be very little that you can do about it. I had problems with mine throughout the whole process and had to go through the complete appeal process. In the end, the committee did change my grade in my favor, but I found the experience very stressful and felt that someone else at the university should have been willing to help me sooner. I think that they thought I would just give up and move on since it was my last class and I had graduated. I regret the decision to go to Charter Oak and am embarrassed to have a degree from them. I would definitely recommend going to Excelsior or Thomas Edison instead. At least completing the bachelors degree allowed me to move on to my masters. I love the BrainSMART program at Nova. The material is very well designed, and the professors have been excellent. I like the way that the classes are small enough that I've gotten to know several of the students during the program and have even met a few for coffee in real life. I think that the BrainSMART degree is very valuable, but if you already know that you want to become a school psychologist, it would be shorter to start by enrolling in something like the Fort Hays program. You would earn a master's degree on the way to the Ed.S. If I decide to do it, I'll end up with two master's degrees, which is okay with me but not really necessary.
Others may know better but School Psychologist is a licensed profession, right? Maybe some programs don't qualify for licensure due to their curriculum or number of credits. I know that there's a Masters of Counseling program in my area and their grads don't qualify for licensure because it's only a 30 credit program. These grads then are less desirable to employers.
That's definitely something to consider, Kizmet. It also makes me wonder if a program not labeled specifically as a "school psychology" degree might still meet the requirements for licensure. If so, a more generally titled degree might also give me more flexibility if at some point in the future I wanted or needed to work someplace other than a school. I'll have to look into it.
School counselors used to be called guidance counselors. I'm not sure when the name changed, but it is a little confusing. It is not uncommon for school counselors to also have a professional counseling credential, which qualifies them for work outside the school system. School psychology is a different field with different requirements, and there are less programs - b&m or online - that lead to credentials in school psych. The NASP is the go-to for school psych programs.
Thank you for your feedback on both COSC and Nova. I heard mostly good reviews of COSC. I considered COSC because I was actually interested in a couple of the programs so I wanted to take classes - not just test out. But the classes I am interested in are hardly available! So I am just accumulating credits in a low-cost (for me) self-paced degree program, which I hope to transfer to a degree program that actually works for me. Which brings me to Nova. I am so glad to get to hear from someone in their brain-based ed program. I notice many of the Nova students and alums were already certified before beginning the program, and I suspect they needed a master's degree but not necessarily one with teacher certification. The subject matter is really interesting and the fact that it can be done in 12 months is a huge plus. Do you think that program would be good preparation for adult education or teaching college-level reading or maybe academic strategies?
@ Jonathan, you have cleared up a lot of confusion I had previously about school psychology degrees. I thought if it wasn't on the NASP list, then it would not lead to a career in school psych. That is the case with some other professions, but I was wrong about school psych. After reading your post, I reread the language on the NASP website and I see now that you just need to meet the requirements. Are there other programs besides Calgary & Fort Hays that you know of that I should be looking into to compare/contrast? Any down side to completing a degree in Canada if the student is in the US? Thanks so much for the clarification!
@ Michelle, I have thought about school psych but I believe it is too big an undertaking for someone who is not completely sure and committed to it. If more states allowed private practice at the master's and specialist levels, that would be different. I am still considering social work or postsecondary reading/literacy. Social work because you can do private practice. However, getting a clinical certification takes quite some time and I would still need to get trained in whatever programs and areas I want to specialize in - like autism, literacy, special needs, etc.
It is a great interest in Nova's brain based educational programs. It is the best option to get good learning information about School of psychologist and Nova. You need also get the help of web to get more tips about the topic of Psycho logic and continue your education to build up school of Psychologist.
There are a number of different types of degrees in relation to psychology. This is why many programs will not allow for being a psychologist in a school. Most students face specific problems psychologically that are related to dealing with the stresses of schooling and moving into the work force. Many schools look for specific types of education because of this and want psychologists that specialize in helping students to cope with these specific stresses and demands. There are the demands placed on students by parents, expectations from peers, demands on time from school, expectations for performance, and countless other areas that cause problems for students that most people in the work force and other adults simply do not have to deal with. This is why most schools look for specific types of education and degrees before they hire a school psychologist.
I wanted to update this thread. I did decide to apply to fort hays, and I am signed up to start classes in January.
University of Alabama The University of Alabama is starting a new blended program this fall for an EdS in School Psychology: EdS in Educational Psychology - Bama By Distance Some of the limitations of the program are that there are 4 weekends on campus each year and admission requirements include, "Alabama Class A teacher certification or equivalent in psychometry."
EWU | Educational Specialist in School Psychology Respecialization (EdS) (Online) I found another program. This is for students who already have a master's degree in education or psychology. It does require an on campus visit for 3 1/2 days in the fall in Spokane, Washington. I'm not sure if that's the first fall or every fall. The academic portion of the program can be completed in 2 or 3 years. The website lists out of state graduate tuition at $846 per credit hour. With 104 hours, that's about $90K, which is way out of my price range. But, I also saw under special program tuition, "School Psychology Online Program $382.00," so I'm going to contact them to see if that's for in-state or out of state.
