How to Apply
Important: The button below will take you to University Admissions. Use the following advice to correctly identify your interest in this program.
Graduate School Application:
Complete Application to the UMSL Graduate School
As you progress through the application, be certain to select the following for select your degree...:
- Graduate Record Exam scores – verbal, quantitative, analytical writing at or above 50th percentile
- Three Letters of Recommendation
- Grade Point Average: Minimum of 3.0 on 4.0 scale
- Personal statement describing professional goals (not to exceed five double-spaced typed pages)
Complete Supplemental Assessments:
Candidates must complete and pass the
supplemental assessments
.
Personal interview with members of the school psychology faculty.
Coursework:
Minimum 60 hours consisting of psychological and educational foundations, assessment, and direct interventions. The program emphasizes prevention and early intervention of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional problems through consultation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and systems-level interventions. Prerequisite coursework in developmental psychology and statistics is required for admission.
Internships:
- 500-hours of supervised practicum
- Fulltime (1,400-hours) internship in schools for one academic year
Thank you for choosing UMSL!
Helping All Students Succeed Through Prevention and Early Intervention
A three-year, cohort-based program culminating in the degree, state certification, and the National Certified School Psychologist credential
School psychologists have specialized training in both psychology and education. They use their training and skills to team with educators, parents, and other mental health professionals to ensure that every child’s academic and social-emotional and behavioral needs are met in a safe, healthy, and supportive environment. School psychologists understand school systems, effective teaching, and successful learning. They provide educational and psychological services in schools that include various combinations of assessment, academic and behavior consultation, individual and group counseling, and development and evaluation of prevention and early intervention programs. School Psychology consistently has been ranked among the top 10 of all professions for many years. In addition to being an exciting and rewarding career, the field has highly favorable supply and demand ratios, as retirement rates have exceeded graduation rates in recent years. Consequently, the job prospects are excellent, especially for specialist level school psychologist practitioners and doctoral level university faculty.
School psychologist certification in Missouri and most other states requires completion of an Educational Specialist in School Psychology (Ed.S.) degree. The Ed.S. degree is a 60-hour, three-year, full time program that includes a yearlong internship. To work as a school psychologist, one must be certified by the state in which services are provided. In most states School Psychologist certification is granted by the state’s Department of Education and supports practice within school or educational settings. The provision of independent psychological services via private practice or community mental health agencies requires a doctoral degree in Clinical or Counseling Psychology and licensure by the State Board of Examiners in Psychology as a Psychologist. The UMSL Ed. S. in School Psychology degree has been a program of National Recognition with full NASP-Approval since 2009. Our current NASP-Approval is effective through Fall 2023.
Please scroll down to view the various program documents provided here including the Ed.S. curriculum, program FAQs, and the required Supplemental Application. For additional information regarding admission and degree requirements, please see the REQUIREMENTS tab below.
Suggested Resources
School Psychology Program’s 100th Graduate Blazes a Trail of Advocacy and Action
State conference Taps Graduate Student’s Expertise, Invites Her to Present- NASP-Approved: Program of National Recognition with full NASP-Approval through Fall 2023
- CAEP Accredited: Through Fall 2019
- Psychology 20
- Specialist 3
- Education Sciences and Professional Programs (ESPP) 33
- Fieldwork Included: Internship and/or Practicum 69
- School Psychologist Career Path Program 1
- DESE School Psychologist Certification 1
- Main Campus 124
- Educational Psychology 6
- School Psychology 5
- National Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) 1
- Certification 68
- Graduate 100
- Specialist 3
The Ed. S. in School Psychology degree program consists of 60 graduate semester hours that includes coursework in psychological and educational foundations, psychoeducational assessment, and direct and indirect service delivery. Prevention and early intervention of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional problems through consultation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and systems-level interventions are highlighted throughout the program. The Ed. S. degree is a small-cohort program consisting of 10-12 candidates per cohort that maximizes close relationships with faculty and field-based practitioners to develop professional skills and competencies.
Admission requirements include a 3.0 undergraduate GPA, current GRE General Test scores (Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing scores at or above the 50th percentile), three letters of recommendation, a personal statement describing personal goals (not to exceed five double-spaced typed pages) and a curriculum vita detailing relevant experience with children, adolescents, and families. Prerequisite coursework in the areas of Developmental Psychology, and Psychological Statistics is required for admission. Following initial screening, finalists will be invited for an on-campus interview with the School Psychology Program faculty and current Ed. S. candidates. All required application materials will be considered equally when making admission decisions. Applications are reviewed annually with a January 15 deadline. The program may review additional applications until all spaces in the cohort are filled.
Transfer credit may be granted for graduate coursework completed prior to entering the program, but strict limitations apply. The Ed. S. in School Psychology degree program involves a minimum of three years of intensive study. Though it is possible to complete the first year of the curriculum on a part-time basis, please note that practicum during the second year involves two days per week working in a school with a school psychologist, and internship is a yearlong fulltime supervised experience. Consequently, full-time study is recommended and preferred. Graduates of the program are immediately eligible for School Psychologist Certification from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Nationally Certified School Psychologist credential from the National Association of School Psychologists. As such, graduates from the program will meet or exceed certification requirements in the majority if not all states in the country.
Requirements
| ED PSY 6111 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| ED PSY 6115 | Personality and Social Development | 3 |
| ED PSY 6226 | Mental Health and Development of Children and Youth | 3 |
| ED PSY 6530 | Foundations of School Psychology | 3 |
| ED PSY 6532 | Psychoeducational Differences | 3 |
| ED PSY 6540 | Psychoeducational Interventions | 3 |
| ED PSY 6542 | Social-Emotional and Behavior Interventions | 3 |
| ED PSY 6545 | Consultation in Schools and Related Settings | 3 |
| ED PSY 6550 | Professional Issues in School Psychology | 3 |
| ED PSY 6590 | School Psychology Practicum I | 3 |
| ED PSY 6591 | School Psychology Practicum II | 3 |
| ED PSY 6598 | School Psychology Internship I | 3 |
| ED PSY 6599 | School Psychology Internship II | 3 |
| ED REM 6718 | Psychoeducational Assessment and Intervention | 3 |
| ED REM 6719 | Advanced Psychoeducational Assessment and Intervention | 3 |
| ED REM 6710 | Educational Research Methods and Design | 3 |
| ED REM 6730 | Educational Program Development and Evaluation | 3 |
| ED REM 6732 | Advanced Educational Program Development and Evaluation | 3 |
| CNS ED 6220 | Counseling Individuals with Disabilities | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Donald A. Gouwens, Psy.D.
Associate Department Chair
Dr. Gouwens has served as Department Chair since 2012 and Program Coordinator for the UMSL School Psychology Program since 2001. He is a certified School Psychologist and Licensed Psychologist in Missouri, a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, and is listed in the National Register of Health Service Psychologists. As a clinical faculty member, Dr....
Michael W. Bahr, Ph.D.
Associate Dean
Dr. Bahr earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Cardinal Glennon College and a Master of Education Degree in Counseling from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is a graduate of Indiana University's APA-accredited School Psychology Program, where he obtained the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Educational Psychology with Specialization in School Psycho...
