Requirements

The MSU School Psychology doctoral program typically consists of five to six years of academic coursework and research training beyond the bachelor’s degree, including an accumulated 1,100 hours of practicum experience in applied settings and a year-long, full-time internship (2,000 hours). These experiences support our scientist-practitioner model of training.

Please see our Ph.D. Program Handbook to view a typical five-year training sequence. Details about these and other doctoral program requirements including practicum, internship, the comprehensive exam, and research requirements can be found in this document as well.

Transfer credits: To grant recognition for relevant coursework previously completed at the graduate level, the School Psychology Program allows the waiver of certain required courses. Course credits earned in regionally accredited graduate institutions are eligible for waiver purposes and are discussed on a case-by-case basis. Students are encouraged to discuss the possibility of course waivers with potential advisors prior to and following admission. Program faculty and/or the MSU faculty teaching the course, in conjunction with the school psychology Program Director, will decide on the acceptability of such courses.

Students are required to complete approximately 90 credit hours of coursework pertaining to our eleven Program Aims (see course listing below):

Research (15 Credits)
1. CEP 932 Quantitative Methods in Educational Research I (3 credits)
2. – Or three (3) additional credits in Statistics/Research Inquiry if 932 is waived
3. CEP 933 Quantitative Methods in Educational Research II (3 credits)
4. CEP 934 Multivariate Methods in Educational Research (4 credits)
5. CEP 968 Research Methods in Counseling and School Psychology (3 credits)
6. CEP 995 Research Practicum/Apprenticeship (3 credits)
Ethical and Legal Standards (3 credits)
1. CEP 963 Ethics in Counseling and School Psychology (3 credits)
Individual and Cultural Diversity (9 Credits)
1. CEP 885 Behavior Disorders in Children (3 credits)
2. CEP 903 Cognitive Development Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
3. CEP 904 Social-Emotional Development Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
4. CEP 910 Current Issues in Motivation and Learning (3 credits)
5. CEP 919 Current Research and Issues in School Psychology (3 credits)
6. CEP 972 Biological Bases of Behavior (3 credits)
Professional Values, Attitudes, and Behaviors (15 credits)
1. CEP 884 Roles and Functions of School Psychology (3 credits)
2. CEP 894K Internship in School Psychology – 3rd Year Fall (3 credits)
3. CEP 894K Internship in School Psychology – 3rd Year Spring (3 credits)
4. CEP 982 Seminar in CEPSE (3 credits)
5. CEP 994K Internship in PhD School Psychology – Summer (1 credits)
6. CEP 994K Internship in PhD School Psychology – Fall (1 credits)
7. CEP 994K Internship in PhD School Psychology – Spring (1 credits)
Communication and Interpersonal Skills (6 credits)
1. CEP 893K Practicum in School Psychology – 2nd Year Fall (3 credits)
2. CEP 893K Practicum in School Psychology – 2nd Year Spring (3 credits)
Assessment (6 credits)
1. CEP 880 Cognitive Assessment (3 credits)
2. CEP 881 Social and Emotional Assessment and Intervention (3 credits)
Intervention (9 credits)
1. CEP 886 Psychoeducational Assessment and Intervention I (3 credits)
2. CEP 918 School-Based Psychological Interventions (3 credits)
3. CEP 888 Theories of Child Psychotherapy (3 credits)
Supervision (3 credits)
1. CEP 993K Advanced Practicum in PhD School Psychology (3 credits)
Consultation and Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary Skills (3 credits)
1. CEP 889 Consultation in School Psychology (3 credits)
Internship
1. Participate in the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) national match and complete a 2000-hour Internship in Psychology at an APPIC-approved internship site and at least 3 credits in CEP 994K Internship in PhD School Psychology, for supervision purposes, during the time of the internship. All doctoral students must complete a 2,000 hour internship (CEP 994K) before their degree can be conferred on their official transcript.
Dissertation (24 Credits)
1. Successful completion and defense of the dissertation. Students may not earn more than 30 credits in CEP 999 Doctoral Dissertation Research, of which 24 credits are required. One of these credits must be taken during the semester in which you graduate.

Total: 90 credit hours

Program Aims and Competencies with Training Elements and Outcomes

The tables below display expected competencies for doctoral students, categorized by the nine Program Aims. These competencies correspond with mandatory training elements (e.g., coursework, practicum/ internship experiences, research development and dissemination) and the minimum level of achievement needed to demonstrate acquisition of each competency.