Advanced Educational Practice: School Psychology

Dr. Pamela Guess, Director and Academic Unit Leader
(423) 425-4175 or e-mail at Pamela-Guess@utc.edu

The concentration in school psychology is designed to produce graduates who meet requirements for licensure in school psychology from the Tennessee Department of Education; are prepared to utilize commonly accepted “best practices” in their work as school psychologists; and are prepared to provide leadership in their field to schools and other organizations serving children and adolescents.

Admission:

In addition to regular graduate admission requirements, students with bachelor’s degrees seeking admission to the concentration must:

1. Submit transcripts of all undergraduate work.
2. Submit scores on the Graduate Record Examination. GRE scores will be combined with undergraduate GPA to form an admissions index score. Students meeting or exceeding a minimum admissions index score of 1,000 will be considered for admission; however, it is noted that meeting admissions index criteria means the candidate will be considered but does not guarantee program admission.
3. Show evidence of having completed a minimum of 18 semester hours of undergraduate or graduate courses in psychology and/or education (with no grade below C) including 3 semester hours in general or introductory psychology, 3 semester hours in child/adolescent development, and 3 semester hours of characteristics of exceptional children.
4. Submit 3 letters of reference from professors and/or community professionals familiar with their academic and/or professional work.
5. Submit a personal statement describing his/her reasons for wishing to become a school psychologist.

In addition to other graduate admissions requirements, students with master’s degrees or higher seeking admission to the concentration must:

1. Submit transcripts of all graduate work. The Master’s degree must have been earned from a regionally accredited College or University.  Students with overall GPAs above 3.0 on all graduate work will be considered for admission.
2. Show evidence of having completed a minimum of 18 semester hours of undergraduate or graduate courses in psychology and/or education (with no grade below C) including 3 semester hours in general or introductory psychology, 3 semester hours in child/adolescent development, and 3 semester hours of characteristics of exceptional children.
3. Submit 3 letters of reference from professors and/or community professionals familiar with their academic and/or professional work.

Degree Requirements:

Students entering the concentration with a bachelor’s degree and no graduate courses applicable to degree requirements must:

• Complete the 66 semester hours listed under required courses with an overall GPA of at least 3.0. Complete all required courses with a grade of B or better.
• File a Program of Study during the first semester of graduate coursework listing all required core courses and any electives known at the time.
• Register for and complete a minimum of 18 semester hours during one calendar year. This requirement must be completed prior to enrollment in the first semester of internship (EPSY 650). Any exception to this requirement must receive written approval from the primary program faculty.
• Pass the comprehensive examination. The Praxis Exam in School Psychology will serve as the comprehensive examination and a student will be considered to have passed the exam when he/she achieves a score at least as high as that required by the Tennessee Department of Education for licensure in school psychology.
• Consistently demonstrate professional fitness for the field (including legal and ethical behavior, appropriate judgment, and effectiveness in interpersonal relations). It should be noted that students entering the concentration with a bachelor’s degree and no graduate courses applicable to degree requirements will not be able to complete their programs within a three year period unless they begin taking courses during the fall semester, take at least 3 courses each fall and spring semester, and take some courses during the summer terms following initial enrollment.
• File for and be admitted to candidacy for the Ed.S. degree. Students entering with a bachelor’s degree must apply for candidacy for the Ed.S. concentration in school psychology after meeting or completing the previous four bulleted points. To receive a positive recommendation for candidacy from the faculty, a student must: have no grade below B in EPSY 5040, 5160, 5360, 6140, and 6300 and be judged professionally fit for the field by the faculty. Students who do not receive a positive recommendation for candidacy will be reviewed for dismissal from the concentration, but will have all rights of appeal afforded by the UTC Graduate School.

Students entering the concentration with a master’s degree or higher must:

• Complete a minimum of 36 semester hours in program-approved courses, including EPSY 6350, EPSY 6400, and 12 semester hours of credit for internship (EPSY 6500 and 6550), with an overall graduate GPA of at least 3.0. Complete all required courses with a grade of B or better.
• File a Program of Study during the first semester of graduate coursework listing all required core courses and any electives known at the time.
• Register for and complete a minimum of 18 semester hours during one calendar year. This requirement must be completed prior to enrollment in the first semester of internship (EPSY 6500). Any exception to this requirement must receive written approval from the primary program faculty.
• Pass the comprehensive examination. The Praxis Exam in School Psychology will serve as the comprehensive exam-nation and a student will be considered to have passed the exam when he/she achieves a score at least as high as that required by the Tennessee Department of Education for licensure in school psychology.
• Consistently demonstrate professional fitness for the field including legal and ethical behavior, appropriate judgment, and effectiveness in interpersonal relations. It should be noted that all students, regardless of background, will be required to show evidence of graduate courses equivalent to all of the courses required by the concentration. Students entering with a master’s degree or higher will need to complete at least 36 semester hours and possibly as many as 66 semester hours to satisfy requirements for the concentration. Procedures for determining course requirements for students with prior graduate credit are described in the concentration’s Program Handbook for Faculty and Students. Contact Professor Guess for a copy of this Handbook.
• File for and be admitted to candidacy for the Ed.S. degree. Students entering with a master’s degree or higher must apply for candidacy for the Ed.S. concentration in school psychology after meeting or completing the previous four bulleted points. To receive a positive recommendation for candidacy from the faculty, a student must have no grade below B in required courses and be judged professionally fit for the field by the faculty. Students who do not receive a positive recommendation for candidacy will be reviewed for dismissal from the concentration, but will have the rights of appeal afforded by the UTC Graduate School.