School Psychology (SPS)
Students enrolled in the MA degree program in School Psychology must pass a comprehensive exam. In the semester they plan to take the comprehensive exam, students register for this course so that their completion of the requirement can be recorded. This is a zero credit course that will be graded pass, indicating that student passed the exam, or fail, indicating that the student failed the exam. Students may repeat the course as needed.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of program director.
Students will develop an understanding of how children are typically taught to read in schools and the potential areas of difficulties for struggling readers. Students will understand the process of assessing and intervening with children in all aspects of literacy development, including phonemic awareness, word recognition, phonics, fluency, and phonological processing skills. The prevention of reading difficulties in children will be a major topic of the course.
The student will develop skills in the administration, scoring, interpretation and integration of various assessment instruments, including projective, objective, and observational procedures, of children and adolescents. The focus of the course will be the assessment of the social-emotional functioning of pupils. The development of report writing skills in the communication of evaluation results to parents/guardians and school personnel also will be stressed. Students who receive a grade below a B- must repeat the course. Lab fee.
Prerequisite(s): Matriculating school psychology graduate student as part of master's-level coursework.
An in-depth examination of the requirements and expectations of professional and ethical behavior as specified in the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Principles for Professional Ethics and the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s (BACB) Professional Disciplinary and Ethical Standards and Guidelines for Responsible Conduct for Behavior Analysts.
The multicultural course is designed to provide an introduction to some of the cultural, socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic variables that impact service delivery in school psychology. Students will develop an understanding and appreciation of cultural and ethnic differences among individuals, groups, and families. Students will enhance their ability to apply their knowledge in the area of multicultural issues to their personal lives as well as their professional work. The students will demonstrate competence in self-awareness, other awareness, cultural sensitivity, and an ability to access resources to provide more culturally appropriate services to children and families of color. Students will also show an ability to identify possible culturally relevant solutions to ethical conflicts/dilemmas. Students who receive a grade below a B- must repeat the course.
This introductory seminar course will introduce school psychology students to the practice of school psychology and best practices in providing school-based psychological services. Historical developments, best practices, and current trends in the profession will be discussed.
An in-depth examination of current theories, research and applications of development from the prenatal through adolescent periods.
An in-depth examination of current theories and research on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional developmental disorders.
The course will cover not only the range of crisis situations which school psychologists encounter in their work with children and adolescents in educational settings, but also the prevention of such events. Issues of school climate, school discipline, and the role of school psychologists in having an impact on these policies will be addressed. Crises covered will include system-wide crises such as school shootings, bomb threats, and natural disasters, and those posed to individual students such as bullying, physical abuse, and suicide. The course will also address methods of intervention within the school setting as well as the impact of trauma on children. Emphasis will be on those prevention practices and interventions which are demonstrated by the research literature to promote healing.
A research methods and introductory graduate statistics course that reviews the scientific method as it applies to behavioral and social sciences. Descriptive, correlational, quasi-experimental, and experimental research designs are reviewed. Inferential statistical techniques reviewed include ANOVA, Factorial ANOVA, regression, multiple regression, and nonparametric statistics. Program review and qualitative research design and analysis are introduced.
Investigate the behavior analytic techniques employed by behavior analysts to identify, operationally define, and assess behavioral excesses and deficits. Emphasis on count, frequency, rate, topography, latency, duration, magnitude, intensity, celeration, and reliability and validity of behavioral measures.
This course is designed for students to learn and practice interviewing and counseling skills, the intake interview process, suicide assessment, and how to conduct a mental status examination. Self-exploration and counselor self-development will also be addressed. Students who receive a grade below a B- must repeat the course.
The student will develop skills in the administration, scoring, interpretation, and communication of the results of the major individual intelligence tests. Other areas related to the assessment of the cognitive abilities of children, adolescents, and adults will be analyzed, including problems and issues in assessment and legal and ethical considerations. Students who receive a grade below a B- must repeat the course. Lab fee.
This first practicum course will introduce the concepts and skills of problem-solving models through indirect service delivery in the schools. Students will be placed in a school and receive 50 practicum hours upon successful completion of this course. The course is designed to produce consultation and organizational development skills, which will facilitate effective practice in working with instructional, administrative, and support staff to meet the academic, social, and behavioral needs of children in the schools. The course will emphasize communication skills; introduce various models of consultation, including systems-level consultation; produce an understanding of the stages of consultation, and focus on the importance of intervention design and ongoing assessment for progress.
Data-Based Decision Making III: Integrated Psychoeducational Assessment and Intervention reviews academic and cognitive norm-referenced assessment tools with an emphasis on using integrated, co-normed assessment systems. The integration of curriculum-based measures (CBMs) and observational tools into a complete assessment process is discussed. Intervention approaches for educational difficulties are surveyed, highlighting the link between assessment and specific intervention techniques.
Selected topics of recent interest within the applied and research areas of school psychology, clinical-child psychology, and/or educational psychology. Topics will vary from year to year. The course is open to graduate students with permission from the course instructor. The course may be repeated when different topics are offered.
The externship is a 1,200-hour experience in the public schools (two consecutive 600-hour semesters). The externship provides the opportunity for students to refine assessment, counseling, and intervention skills, and it is structured to meet the requirements for certification as a school psychologist by the New Jersey State Department of Education. Supervision will be provided on site by certified school psychologists as well as by the university supervisor of externs. Students who receive a grade below a B- must repeat the course.
Prerequisite(s): completion of all coursework.
The externship is a 1,200-hour experience in the public schools (two consecutive 600-hour semesters). The externship provides the opportunity for students to refine assessment, counseling, and intervention skills, and it is structured to meet the requirements for certification as a school psychologist by the New Jersey State Department of Education. Supervision will be provided on site by certified school psychologists as well as by the university supervisor of externs. Students who receive a grade below a B- must repeat the course.
Prerequisite(s): completion of all coursework.
Students should register for this course if they are completing the required hours for the externship experience. Repeatable for up to 6 credits. May be offered for 1-3 credits.
This course will introduce the student to neuroanatomy and to central nervous system structure, organization, and function. Students will gain an understanding of the principle of the neurological mediation of behavior, particularly as it pertains to children with disabilities as defined by the New Jersey administrative code vis-á-vis special education.
Building on the skills learned in SPS5100, students will explore various counseling theories in depth and perform skills associated with multiple counseling techniques. Counseling theories reviewed include: CBT, REBT, play therapy, solution-focused therapy, reality therapy, and Adlerian therapy. Students will apply techniques to actual clients in practice counseling sessions with supervision. Diagnostic assessment and intervention will also be discussed.
Prerequisite(s): SPS6100.
This second practicum course requires students to be in the schools for 150 hours throughout the semester. This advanced practicum course provides opportunities for skill development in all areas of the practice of school psychology, including cognitive and social/emotional assessment, consultation and problem-solving through intervention, and group and individual counseling with school-age children.
Examine the elements of behavior change and procedures to accomplish behavior increases, decreases, generalization, and maintenance in educational settings. Emphasis on reinforcement, schedules of reinforcement, extinction, and alternate treatment procedures.
Study the factors that influence program development, including system and family variables, implementation of programs with treatment integrity, and the supervision and management of behavior change agents. Emphasis is on doing so in educational settings. Pre/
Students enrolled in the Psy.D. degree program must pass their dissertation proposal defense. In the semester they plan to defend their dissertation proposal, students register for this course so that their completion of the requirement can be recorded. This is a zero-credit course that will be graded pass, indicating that student passed the defense, or not completed, indicating that the student did not pass the defense. Students may repeat the course as needed.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of Program Director.
Students enrolled in the Psy.D. degree program must pass their doctoral oral qualifying exam which is administered in conjunction with their dissertation proposal defense. In the semester they plan to defend their dissertation proposal, students register for this course so that their completion of the requirement can be recorded. This is a zero credit course that will be graded pass, indicating that student passed the oral qualifying exam, or not completed, indicating that the student did not pass the oral qualifying exam. Students may repeat the course as needed.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of Program Director.
Students enrolled in the Psy.D. degree program must pass their dissertation defense. In the semester they plan to defend their dissertation, students register for this course so that their completion of the requirement can be recorded. This is a zero credit course that will be graded pass, indicating that student passed the defense, or not completed, indicating that the student did not pass the defense. Students may repeat the course as needed.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of Program Director.
Students enrolled in the Psy.D. degree program must make all required revisions to their dissertation and successfully submit it in required form to the GCU library. In the semester they plan to defend their dissertation, students register for this course so that their completion of the requirement can be recorded. This is a zero credit course that will be graded as completed, indicating that student submitted the final document to the library, or not completed, indicating that the student did not submit the dissertation to the library. Students may repeat the course as needed.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of Program Director.
A survey of the major theoretical systems in psychology, focusing on the scientific foundations of the field related to human development as well as the development of professional practice in the 20th and 21st centuries.
The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of the various psychological theories of personality. This course will review psychoanalytic, humanistic, biological, behavioral, cognitive, trait and skill, and interactionist theories and will review major theorists such as Freud, Jung, Adler, Horney, Erikson, Skinner, and others as appropriate.
A broad overview of the methodologies, research findings, and theories within social psychology and industrial/organizational psychology will be offered to provide an understanding of the basic scientific approach to the social world that psychologists can utilize in both clinical work and in research.
The student will learn the major theories, issues, and areas of research in cognitive development. An emphasis will be made on the application of these concepts to education, learning, and academic skills development. The course will cover theoretical frameworks for the study of cognitive development, including information processing theory. Specific areas of cognitive development, such as problem solving, critical thinking, and memory will be discussed, as well as the application of cognitive development theory to the classroom setting and instruction.
An in-depth examination of current psychological and psychiatric disorders as described in the DSM-5 and ICD-10. This course prepares graduate students for advanced diagnostic evaluation and treatment of psychological and psychiatric disorders, which are expected of advanced graduate students with special emphasis on children, adolescents, and young adults. 3 credits.
An overview of neuroanatomy and how its function and dysfunction impact everyday life. Emphasis will be placed on the role of neuroanatomy in mental health functioning along with neuropsychological assessment and psychopharmacology.
This third practicum course will continue the skill development of students in the areas of indirect service delivery and systems-level interventions in the schools. Students will be placed in a school for one day per week throughout the semester and receive 120 practicum hours upon the successful completion of this course. The course is designed to produce organizational development skills, which will facilitate effective practice in working with instructional, administrative, and support staff to meet the academic, social, and behavioral needs of children in the schools. The course will focus on building skills in the assessment of systems-level issues, the development of interventions/programs based on assessments, and the evaluation of interventions/programs within the school setting.
The student will develop skills in the supervision of psychological services to psychologists and other mental health professionals with a specific emphasis on the supervision of counseling services. Various methods of supporting supervisees and providing effective administration of psychological services in school and other mental health settings will be explored.
Advanced statistical topics such as RM-ANOVA, ANCOVA, MANOVA, MANCOVA, and advanced forms of regression will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on the utility of each technique to analyze data in both research and applied venues using appropriate research designs. The ability to effectively use statistical software will also be reviewed.
This course explores advanced topics in statistics and research methodology with an emphasis on statistical and methodological techniques focusing on degree of relationship (e.g., multiple regression), prediction of group membership (e.g., logistic regression), and structure (e.g., factor analysis). Additional topics may include qualitative research, mixed model research designs, single subject research designs and data analysis, and psychometrics. Students will evaluate the utility of each technique to frame research questions and analyze data for both basic and applied research questions. The course will emphasize the effective use of statistical software to analyze data as well as the interpretation of the data analysis.
This course will review major research areas within the field of professional psychology with a special emphasis on school psychology-related topics. This course will also review the expectations and procedures for appropriate development of a doctoral dissertation in professional psychology. Students will use the information gained in this course to develop their dissertation topic area.
This course, along with SPS7900 and SPS7901, is part of the capstone sequence of the School Psychology doctoral program. Student are required to generate an original piece of scholarship that contributes to the field of school psychology. This scholarship proposal must be successfully approved via a formal dissertation proposal defense before the graduate student may advance to SPS7900. Students are required to take 3 credits of dissertation in the fall and spring semesters before their internship year. This is an hours arranged and pass/fail course.
This course is required of all students who have not successfully defended their dissertation proposal before enrolling in SPS7900. This course will allow doctoral students to continue their dissertation research, working alongside their faculty dissertation committee chairperson. Students must also register for this course every fall and spring semester after completing SPS7901 until they have successfully defended their dissertation. This is an hours arranged and pass/fail course.
This culminating experience consists of a full-time, full-year, 1,500-hour internship experience, divided into semesters with each semester consisting of up to 750 hours. Students wishing to pursue licensure for the independent practice of psychology will complete a minimum of 1,750 hours. A minimum of 600 hours of this experience must be completed in a Pre-K-12 school setting if the student is not already a certified school psychologist. Students placed in Pre-K-12 school settings must be supervised by a certified school psychologist. Students placed in non-educational settings must be supervised by a licensed psychologist. The university supervisor conducts a minimum of one site visit per semester. During the internship, students are expected to go beyond the range of services they provided during their masters- or specialist-level externship. Internship-specific practice requirements will be dependent on the intern’s placement (e.g., school, pediatric hospital, psychological services clinic, etc.) and will be detailed in the intern’s contract with their field placement supervisor. Repeatable for up to 8 credits. May be offered for 1-4 credits.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
Continuation of the culminating experience which consists of the second half of the full-time, full-year, 1,500-hour internship experience, divided into semesters with each semester consisting of up to 750 hours. Students wishing to pursue licensure for the independent practice of psychology will complete a minimum of 1,750 hours. A minimum of 600 hours of this experience must be completed in a Pre-K-12 school setting if the student is not already a certified school psychologist. Students placed in Pre-K-12 school settings must be supervised by a certified school psychologist. Students placed in non-educational settings must be supervised by a licensed psychologist. The university supervisor conducts a minimum of one site visit per semester. During the internship, students are expected to go beyond the range of services they provided during their masters- or specialist-level externship. Internship-specific practice requirements will be dependent on the intern’s placement (e.g., school, pediatric hospital, psychological services clinic, etc.) and will be detailed in the intern’s contract with their field placement supervisor. Repeatable for up to 8 credits. May be offered for 1-4 credits.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.