Earning a school psychology PhD takes a great deal of time. This degree is not the same as working as a child psychologist, which requires a PhD in adolescent and child psychology or simply standard psychology. To work in school psychology at the doctoral level, interested students must be admitted to a doctoral program with a school psychology focus. Such programs are offered at many universities.
It’s important to understand the professional reputation of different programs. Since many regions offer licensing to school psychologists, students must ascertain that schools carry the right type of professional recognition. In places like the US, any school considered should be approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), and possibly by the American Psychological Association (APA), though this second approval isn’t always necessary. In other countries, students should look for schools recognized by presiding professional or licensing organizations.
After choosing recognized schools, consideration of requirements to get into a school psychology PhD program becomes tantamount. Not all programs require a bachelor’s degree in psychology, but they’ll usually look for students to possess an undergraduate degree at minimum, and to have completed several psychology classes. Some required undergraduate classes could include basic psychology, child development, and abnormal psychology. Each school is likely to provide a list of specific courses students should take.
Most students have the best chance of admission with demonstration of strong grades, usually a 3.0 average at minimum, and high marks on standardized tests like the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Universities are also interested in the student’s recommendations and personal statement. Each school may weigh these elements differently. Some programs are extremely competitive, admitting only a few students per year, and others accept students with less proven skills. Applying to several schools can help increase chance of acceptance.
After applicants have been admitted into a school psychology PhD program, they’ll have significant work ahead to earn a degree. Most programs demand two to three years of course work, and a couple of years of required practicum. In addition, students must complete a dissertation on an original subject.
The addition of practicum tends to mean these doctorates can take a while to earn. The UC Berkeley school psychology PhD program cities statistics suggesting most of their students earn a degree in 5 years or less, but 27% of their students take six to seven years to get a degree, and over 20% spend more than seven years working on their degree. These figures align with many other reputed programs and demonstrate time commitment required.
Usually, students first complete their coursework, then begin work on their practicum, and ultimately start work on the dissertation. Faculty members must approve this original piece of scholarship before the student can graduate. In many regions, this is not the final step for someone who earns a school psychology PhD. They then must spend about 1500 hours more in supervised training to earn a license to practice.
