Specialist in School Psychology (S.S.P.)
Website: https://twu.edu/psychology-philosophy/graduate-programs/school-psychology/specialist-program/
The TWU Specialist in School Psychology (S.S.P) degree provides specialized training in the cognitive, social-emotional, and behavioral development of children and youth. Emphasis is placed on training students in the assessment of learning, behavioral, and emotional difficulties; consultation with teachers and parents; and intervention with academic, social, emotional, and behavioral problems.
The Specialist in School Psychology Program incorporates the state requirements for licensure as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) and the national training standards for certification as a National Certified School Psychologist (NCSP). The Specialist in School Psychology program requires 60+ semester hours and an internship among its requirements for graduation. The SSP program is accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists through February 1, 2028.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Collaborate with others in a multi-disciplinary team to address issues or problems, such as presenting information or teaching other methods to work with those with psychological difficulties.
- Formulate goals for a team or individual.
- Articulate and defend position to others based on a systematic process.
- Produce compelling scientific writing to be disseminated to other professionals as well as non-experts in a comprehensive yet comprehensible manner.
- Organize and integrate large quantities of quantitative and qualitative data to develop meaningful conclusions.
- Discriminate between relevant and irrelevant information and data.
- Recommend appropriate courses of action to other professionals and non-experts on how to handle specific difficulties
Admissions
All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.
This academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours Required
62 semester credit hours (SCH).
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | TCCN | SCHs | |
| PSY 5423 | Cognitive Assessment | 3 | |
| PSY 5533 | Evidence-Based Intervention: Academic | 3 | |
| PSY 5803 & PSY 6931 | Introduction to School Psychology and Practicum in Applied Psychology | 4 | |
| SCHs | 10 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| PSY 5463 | Academic Assessment | 3 | |
| PSY 6444 | Theory and Practice of Counseling with Children and Adolescents | 4 | |
| PSY 6703 & PSY 6931 | Direct Behavioral Interventions and Practicum in Applied Psychology | 4 | |
| SCHs | 11 | ||
| Summer | TCCN | ||
| PSY 5473 | Social-Emotional Assessment of Children | 3 | |
| PSY 6423 | Psychopathology and Exceptionalities in Childhood and Adolescence | 3 | |
| PSY 6773 | Advanced Multicultural Psychology | 3 | |
| SCHs | 9 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | TCCN | ||
| PSY 5923 | Supervised Practicum ( School I ) | 3 | |
| PSY 6104 | Cognition and Emotion | 4 | |
| PSY 6853 | Supervision and Consultation Psychology | 3 | |
| SCHs | 10 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| PSY 5304 | Advanced Psychological Statistics I | 4 | |
| PSY 5923 | Supervised Practicum ( School II ) | 3 | |
| PSY 6233 | Preschool Assessment (including Autism) | 3 | |
| SCHs | 10 | ||
| Summer | TCCN | ||
| PSY 5853 | Seminar in School Psychology | 3 | |
| PSY 6673 | Therapeutic and Crisis Interventions for Children and Adolescents | 3 | |
| SCHs | 6 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | TCCN | ||
| PSY 6933 | Internship in Psychology | 3 | |
| SCHs | 3 | ||
| Spring | TCCN | ||
| PSY 6933 | Internship in Psychology | 3 | |
| SCHs | 3 | ||
| Total SCHs: | 62 | ||
Internship
School Psychology students are required to complete at least one academic year of supervised internship experience consisting of a minimum of 1200 clock hours, at least 600 hours of which must be in a school setting. The student will consult with the Internship Coordinator in order to arrange for appropriate placement. The internship cannot begin until the student has completed all coursework and passed the Exemplars Review.
Special Requirements
Students in the Specialist program must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale. If a grade less than a B is earned in any course, the student is required to repeat the course and meet with the student’s faculty advisor. In courses where students earn a grade of CR (e.g., practicum and internship courses), any grade other than a CR is considered failing and will be treated in the same manner as when a student earns a grade less than a B in other courses.) If a second grade less than a B/CR is earned, the student will again be required to retake the course and meet with the advisor, and this second low grade will require meeting with the School Psychology Program Committee, who will develop a remediation plan. If a third grade less than a B/CR is earned, the student will be dismissed from the program.
Comprehensive Examination
The capstone evaluation is the internship portfolio, which consists of items that interns complete during the internship year. Successful completion of internship is dependent upon the successful completion of the internship portfolio as well as other evaluation procedures (e.g., supervisor evaluation, etc.).
