School Psychology, M.A./Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in School Psychology
NASP Approved Program
The school psychology M.A./CAGS program prepares students to help children succeed in school and to serve the needs of children and families. Emphasizing issues of diversity and social justice, the program also promotes professional practice by developing competent, socially conscious professionals capable of providing evidence-based services to children, individual schools and school districts, and school staff members who have an impact on the lives of children. The program emphasizes generalized evidence-based problem-solving skills, considered to be essential to mastering the diversity of roles associated with school psychology today and into the future. Applicants are expected to be committed to working on behalf of children and families, with an understanding and an appreciation of the various contexts of the multicultural, pluralistic society in which we live and that shapes children’s lives.
Program graduates will be able to address the psychological, emotional, academic, and behavioral needs of school-age children and adolescents, particularly as these issues compromise education. Students develop a range of knowledge and skills essential for the provision of psychological services in schools, including skills in assessment, consultation, counseling, and other school-based interventions through coursework and practicum and externship experiences.
The Master of Arts (M.A.) in School Psychology and the specialist-level Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in School Psychology comprise an integrated sequence of coursework, practicum, and externship experiences that prepares students to serve as school psychologists for public and private schools and for other community-based, human service settings. A total of 68 to 71 semester hours, including a 300-hour practicum and a 1,200-hour externship, are required. Graduates are eligible for certification as school psychologists in New Jersey. The program is dedicated to the principles of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), and it has adopted NASP’s Domains of School Psychology Training and Practice as the basis for the objectives of its training model.
The M.A./CAGS program has two levels: an M.A in School Psychology awarded upon completion of 32 to 35 credits, followed by the 36-credit certification level (CAGS) coursework. The M.A. program alone does not enable students to function as school psychologists; successful completion of the additional CAGS-level courses is required for students to satisfy the New Jersey Department of Education standards for certification.
Note: This three-year program requires fall, spring, and summer coursework. All coursework must be completed before the externship year. This is a full-time graduate program; no part-time completion option is available.
The seven courses in the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) sequence also completes the didactic component of the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA©) training. Those wishing to complete the requirements for the actual BCBA© certificate can do so by acquiring additional supervised ABA training experiences after completion of the School Psychology program.
The program is dedicated to the principles of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), and it has adopted the NASP’s Standards of School Psychology Graduate Education and Practice as the basis for the goals of its training model. The program structure and objectives, field placements, practicum, and externship experiences are based on these 10 standards of practice, articulated in Standards for Graduate Preparation of School Psychologists and adopted by the National Association of School Psychologists Delegate Assembly (2020).
These program goals, as noted in the 10 domains of practice, are to have its students develop expertise in:
Domain 1: Data-Based Decision-Making
Domain 2: Consultation and Collaboration
Domain 3: Academic Interventions and Instructional Supports
Domain 4: Mental and Behavioral Health Services and Interventions
Domain 5: School-Wide Practices to Promote Learning
Domain 6: Services to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools
Domain 7: Family, School, and Community Collaboration
Domain 8: Equitable Practices for Diverse Student Populations
Domain 9: Research and Evidence-Based Practice
Domain 10: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice
Visit https://www.nasponline.org/standards-and-certification/nasp-2020-professional-standards-adopted/ for a complete and detailed explanation of the 10 domains of the 2020 NASP Practice Model.
Requirements for Admission
Admission is contingent on the outcome of an interview with the program faculty. Candidates will be notified in writing as to their status.
Applicants for the M.A. in School Psychology must submit all application materials by March 31; applications received after this date will be considered based upon available space in the incoming cohort. The M.A. in School Psychology program begins during the fall semester.
- Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
- Minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; applicants with a GPA below 3.0 and special circumstances will be considered.
- A minimum of 15 credits in psychology that must include Introduction to Psychology, Abnormal Psychology/Psychopathology, Child/Adolescent/ Lifespan Development, either Statistics or Experimental Psychology (Research Methods), and 3 credits of psychology coursework of the applicant’s choice.
- Applicants with deficiencies may be required to register for appropriate undergraduate course(s) without graduate credit as a condition of their acceptance.
- Completed self-managed application packet (see below).
The completed self-managed application packet must include:
- A check or money order for $40 (nonrefundable) made payable to Georgian Court University.
- A completed graduate application form
- All M.A. in School Psychology applicants must include a personal statement with answers to the following questions: Why do you want to become a school psychologist?; What has influenced you to pursue a career in school psychology?; What experience do you have working with children and adolescents?; and How will this program help facilitate your professional goals?
- Sealed and signed envelopes containing official transcripts of each undergraduate and graduate institution the applicant has attended. If the official seal has been broken, the transcript is considered to be unofficial and cannot be accepted for use toward the application. Official transcripts electronically transmitted directly from the Office of the Registrar of each institution will be accepted in lieu of a paper copy.
- All M.A. in School Psychology applicants must submit at least one letter of recommendation, preferably from a faculty member familiar with the applicant's academic performance. Applicants who have graduated more than five years prior to their date of application may submit letters from certified or licensed mental health or educational professionals in lieu of a letter from a faculty member.
Accepted students will receive a health form that must be completed and submitted to the Office of Health Services.
Applicants who hold a master’s degree in school psychology from another college/university and who wish to apply for the CAGS-level only may do so; however, only applicants with degrees earned within five years of the application will be considered. Applications will also be reviewed by the program director and by school psychology faculty to determine the comparability of training and coursework between programs. This review may result in students being required to complete additional master’s-level coursework that is congruent with the GCU school psychology program to ensure that the applicant is eligible for certification as a school psychologist in New Jersey. It is the applicant’s responsibility to submit all necessary information to establish equivalence. These materials, at the discretion of the program director, may include course descriptions, syllabi, student work such as papers, and class notes.
Master of Arts in School Psychology
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| SPS5401 | Sem in Child & Adolescent Development | 3.0 |
| ABA503 | Experimental Analysis of Behavior 1 | 3.0 |
| SPS5402 | Seminar: Psychopathology of Childhood | 3.0 |
| SPS5190 | Sem in Psych Services in the Schools | 1.0 |
| SPS5302 | Appraisal of the Individual | 1.0 |
| Credits | 11.0 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SPS5406 | School Crisis Prevention & Intervention | 3.0 |
| SPS5104 | Data-BasdDec-MkingI:Beh&Soc/EmoAss&Intrv | 3.0 |
| SPS5110 | Multicultural Issues in Sch Psych | 3.0 |
| SPS5910 | Beh Assessment in Edu & Comm Settings 1 | 3.0 |
| Credits | 12.0 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| SPS5105 | Sem in Ethical Conduct for Sch Psych 1 | 3.0 |
| SPS5102 | Asmnt & Intvntn of Reading Difficulties | 3.0 |
| SPS5700 | Statistics & Research Design I | 3.0 |
| ABA504 | Philosophy of Behaviorism 1, 2 | 3.0 |
| Credits | 12.0 | |
| Total Credits | 35.0 | |
- 1
Indicates coursework that is part of the 18- to 21-credit ABA sequence.
- 2
Elective; necessary for BCBA© credential
Note: At the completion of these 32 to 35 credits, students will sit for the comprehensive examination. With a passing score, students receive their M.A. in School Psychology and are eligible to move on to advanced-level coursework.
Minimum levels of performance are outlined in the School Psychology program handbook. Students are evaluated and expected to maintain expected levels of performance in their academic coursework, field placements, and professional characteristics. Failure to maintain minimum levels of performance across any of these areas may lead to dismissal from the program. The program handbook is available on the program website and the program BlackBoard site.
Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS)
| Second Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| SPS6100 | Introduction to Counseling Skills | 3.0 |
| SPS6103 | Data-BasdDec-MkingII:CogAsmnt&Intvntn | 3.0 |
| SPS6106 | Prac I: Consultation & Collaboration | 3.0 |
| SPS6911 | Beh Interventions in Edu & Comm Settings 1 | 3.0 |
| Credits | 12.0 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SPS6109 | Data-BasdDec-MkingIII:PsychoEdAsmnt&Intv | 3.0 |
| SPS6405 | Sem Adv Counseling withi Children & Adol | 3.0 |
| SPS6801 | Practicum II: Advanced Practice | 3.0 |
| SPS6912 | Adv Beh Chng Procdr in Edu&Comm Settings 1 | 3.0 |
| Credits | 12.0 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| SPS6403 | Neuro Basis of Educational Disorders | 3.0 |
| ABA502 | Measurement & Experimental Design 1 | 3.0 |
| Credits | 6.0 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SPS6200 | Externship I | 3.0 |
| Credits | 3.0 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SPS6202 | Externship II | 3.0 |
| Credits | 3.0 | |
| Total Credits | 36.0 | |
- 1
Indicates coursework that is part of the 18- to 21-credit ABA sequence.
Minimum levels of performance are outlined in the School Psychology program handbook. Students are evaluated and expected to maintain expected levels of performance in their academic coursework, field placements, and professional characteristics. Failure to maintain minimum levels of performance across any of these areas may lead to dismissal from the program. The program handbook is available on the program website and the program BlackBoard site.