SPECIALIST DEGREE

FAQs about School Psychology

I don't know much about school psychology. What do school psychologists do?
School psychologists are the mental health professionals in schools. They consult with teachers, administrators and parents about children who are having academic or behavioral problems, set up behavioral or academic interventions, and conduct psychological assessments. Some also engage in individual or group counseling with children and adolescents, conduct research, or conduct in-service training. School psychologists are members of the school's multidisciplinary team where they work with other professionals to solve problems.

Tell me about your school psychology program. How long is it? What kind of courses do the students take?
Our school psychology program is a 62 hour specialist degree program that is approved by the State of Michigan. Full-time students complete the program in two and a half and part-time students take three and a half years. The courses can be divided into several different areas. One group of courses deal with psychological assessment and diagnosis; another group covers various kinds of interventions, such as consultation and behavior modification. Others are professional courses where students learn about school psychology, the current issues facing the field, ethics and the law. Most importantly, there is a practicum and an internship.

What do students do during their practicum and internships?
Both practicum and internship allow students to practice the skills they have been learning and to acquire new skills. Our students do their practicum at the University Psychology Clinic here on the Outer Drive Campus.. They conduct psychological assessments, and consult with parents and teachers. All of this, of course, is done under the close supervision of a faculty member. Students complete a 1200 clock hour internship. 600 of those hours must be in a school and the other 600 may be either in a school or a mental health setting, such as a hospital.

With their field-based supervisors, students develop a plan for their internship. The plan sets down the goals they wish to accomplish and the activities necessary to achieve those goals. Generally, students want to increase their skills in psychological assessment and interventions, gain expertise in participating in multidisciplinary teams, and learn about schools and how they function. However, students can also work on goals that may be unique to them. For example, a student may wish to develop skills in working with pre-school children and their parents.

What are your students like?
Our students are a pretty diverse group in terms of background and education. Some are straight out of undergraduate school, typically with a bachelor's degree in psychology and some volunteer experience with children or adolescents. Others are regular education or special education teachers who want to continue working in the schools, but want to change what they do in their school system. Still others are making career changes into school psychology from other fields, e.g. social work. The students are similar in that they tend to have GPA's above 3.0 and to have had a minimum of 15 hours of psychology. In addition, many of our students have had previous experiences working with children in other settings.

Where could I get more information on your school psychology program and on school psychology in general?
To learn about the School Psychology Program at the University of Detroit Mercy, you can send an e-mail to coddinsm@Udmercy.edu or you can snail mail to the following: Graduate Admissions-, University of Detroit Mercy , 4001 West McNichols Detroit, Michigan 48221.

Related Links

School Psychology Specialist Description
Admissions Information
Program Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions