School Psychology

The Specialist degree meets the academic requirements recognized by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychology (TSBEP) for Licensed School Psychology (LSP) for work within the state of Texas. Additionally, the Program is nationally recognized by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and is fully approved by NASP, the National Association of School Psychologists. This accreditation and approval status is important because it affords students the ability to apply for National Certification in School Psychology (NCSP) upon graduation – a credential used by 34 states as part of their standard for certification! Individuals who meet training requirements for the NCSP generally meet and often exceed the training requirements for initial credentialing in ALL states with few exceptions.

SHSU is a terrific place to complete your professional training. The program boasts five core faculty, and three are dedicated faculty to our specialist program. We offer an increasing variety of rural and suburban sites in which students complete their field-based training and practical experiences. You will gain experience in the field from your very first semester, providing you with a solid foundation for internship and beyond!

The SSP Program is based on the philosophy of integrating scientific inquiry and service delivery through the use of data-based intervention and performance-based assessment. The paradigm assumes that the specialist in school psychology is engaged in problem-solving and collaborates with all involved parties in empirically-based decision-making. As candidates in the Program, you will be encouraged to relate research associated with psychology and education in an effort to advance social/emotional and cognitive accomplishments in school-aged young people. Human diversity and individual differences necessitate a variety of interventions to address the many influences which affect students and their performances. Specialists in school psychology should be effective problem-solvers who use appropriate data-gathering procedures to assist various systems associated with students, including the individual students themselves, families, teachers, administrators, districts, and communities.