Doctor of Philosophy in School Psychology
The School Psychology Doctoral Program at TWU embraces a scientist-practitioner model of training in which practice, theory, and research are integrated. A balanced emphasis is placed on developing professional competencies necessary for functioning in various applied practice settings, such as school systems, mental health and child guidance centers, medical centers and hospitals, independent clinical practice, and in academic or research positions in institutions of higher education. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines Health Service Psychology as the integration of psychological science and practice in order to facilitate human development and functioning. Health Service Psychologists are prepared to work in diverse settings. The Texas Woman’s University School Psychology Doctoral Program prepares health service psychologists across the diverse practice areas of school psychology.
Our program strives to provide broad and general training in the science and practice of school psychology within the broader definition of health service psychology. The theoretical philosophy of the program is grounded in an integration of the biopsychosocial perspective in combination with the application of a data-based problem-solving approach. The biopsychosocial perspective posits that biological, psychological, and social factors play a significant role in an individual’s functioning. The biological system emphasizes genetics, diseases, anatomical and structural components of the individual. The psychological system incorporates developmental factors, personality, and motivation of the individual. The social system includes cultural background, environmental, and familial influences. This comprehensive perspective encompasses and integrates the variety of systems that are influential in the lives of children and posits that each component system affects and is affected by all other systems.
The biopsychosocial perspective is complemented by a data-based, problem-solving framework for the practice of school psychology. Problem-solving methods are consistent with the experimental tradition in psychology where the problem is defined, directly measured, interventions are designed based on the measurement data, and progress on the intervention is monitored and revisions occur as needed. Additionally, problem-solving is viewed as a collaborative process involving the child, family, and professionals representing various education and community institutions. TWU’s School Psychology Doctoral Program assumes that the functions of a school psychologist involve problem-solving whether service or research-oriented, and that problem solving will be most effective when approached from a data-based framework supported by a biopsychosocial perspective. The broad overall aim of this program is to produce school psychologists who can employ scientific knowledge and methods of problem-solving in the delivery of direct or indirect services to children, families, schools, and communities. It is our intent to produce competent, skillful, ethical school psychologists who integrate the principles of scientific inquiry into service delivery functions with respect for diversity and individual differences.
In order to achieve these broad philosophical goals and translate them into marketable, workplace-practitioner skills, the School Psychology doctoral program has been designed to be sequential, with foundational skills developed first; cumulative, with skills building upon previously learned skills and knowledge; and increasingly complex, wherein knowledge must be integrated and applied. The program has been designed to prepare students with entry-level skills required for internship and to provide the foundation for post-doctoral experiences to further their skills. Thus, all students take a core set of courses covering the foundations of psychology, then specialized coursework in the field of school psychology with experiential activities in practice-oriented settings, culminating in the capstone experiences of dissertation and internship.
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."
- Communicate with persons inside and outside the organization. Graduates are trained to be effective communicators in both written and verbal formats.
- Plan, organize, and prioritize work. Graduates are trained to be effective leaders and managers, making effective decisions and solving problems as they arise.
- Analyze quantitative and qualitative data. Graduates are trained in research methodology allowing them to be able to analyze data in a variety of formats.
Admissions
All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.
The 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
The minimum number of semester credit hours required for the doctoral program depends upon the individual degree program. The applicant should contact the director of the appropriate doctoral program for details. In general, students entering with a bachelor’s degree will complete 109 semester credit hours.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Required Research Courses | ||
| PSY 5304 | Advanced Psychological Statistics I | 4 |
| PSY 5353 | Research Design | 3 |
| PSY 6204 | Advanced Psychological Statistics II | 4 |
| PSY 6961 | Research Team (to be taken one time) | 1 |
| PSY 6983 | Dissertation | 3 |
| PSY 6993 | Dissertation | 3 |
| Psychological Foundations | ||
| PSY 6104 | Cognition and Emotion | 4 |
| PSY 6113 | Measurement and Psychometric Theory | 3 |
| PSY 6133 | Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience | 3 |
| PSY 6613 | Advanced Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 6743 | Seminar in Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 6773 | Advanced Multicultural Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 6833 | Ethics in Psychology | 3 |
| Professional Competencies | ||
| PSY 5423 | Cognitive Assessment | 3 |
| PSY 5463 | Academic Assessment | 3 |
| PSY 5473 | Social-Emotional Assessment of Children | 3 |
| PSY 5533 | Evidence-Based Intervention: Academic | 3 |
| PSY 5803 | Introduction to School Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 6143 | Neurodevelopmental and Genetic Disorders In Children | 3 |
| PSY 6263 | Preschool, Autism and Low Incidence Assessment | 3 |
| PSY 6423 | Psychopathology and Exceptionalities in Childhood and Adolescence | 3 |
| PSY 6444 | Theory and Practice of Counseling with Children and Adolescents | 4 |
| PSY 6523 | Neuropsychological Assessment Techniques I | 3 |
| PSY 6533 | Neuropsychological Assessment Techniques II | 3 |
| PSY 6583 | Neuropsychopharmacology | 3 |
| PSY 6673 | Therapeutic and Crisis Interventions for Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| PSY 6693 | Advanced Therapy Intervention for Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| PSY 6703 | Direct Behavioral Interventions | 3 |
| PSY 6853 | Supervision and Consultation Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 6931 | Practicum in Applied Psychology (to be taken twice) | 2 |
| Doctoral Required Applied Practice | ||
| PSY 6923 | Supervised Practicum (School Based I) | 3 |
| PSY 6923 | Supervised Practicum (School Based II) | 3 |
| PSY 6933 | Internship in Psychology (to be taken two times) | 6 |
| Neuropsychology/Counseling Practicum | 6 | |
| Supervised Practicum (Counseling; students must take an additional semester of Counseling OR Neuropsychology Practicum) | ||
| Supervised Practicum (Neuropsychology; students must take an additional semester of Neuropsychology OR Counseling Practicum) | ||
| Total SCHs | 109 | |
Practica
School Psychology doctoral students spend a minimum of four semesters in practicum placements. Students will receive approval from the School Psychology Program Committee (SPPC) to pursue practicum placements.
Internships
School Psychology doctoral students must complete a full-time, 1500 hour internship over a period of one year or 10 consecutive months. At least 600 hours must be in a school-based or school related setting taken after the School Based II practicum. A full year, full-time APA or APPIC accredited internship is recommended. Students will receive approval from the School Psychology Program Committee (SPPC) to pursue practicum placements The internship cannot begin until the student has been admitted to candidacy, which requires the successful completion of all required coursework and comprehensive exams.
Research Tools
Required research tools include the following:
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 5304 | Advanced Psychological Statistics I | 4 |
| PSY 5353 | Research Design | 3 |
| PSY 6204 | Advanced Psychological Statistics II | 4 |
| PSY 6961 | Research Team (to be taken one time) | 1 |
Special Requirements
Grade requirements are specified by both the graduate school and the School of Social Work, Psychology, and Philosophy (online graduate catalog available at (http://catalog.twu.edu/graduate/). The School of Social Work, Psychology, and Philosophy requires that a doctoral student maintain a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Be advised that the School’s higher GPA requirement supersedes the Graduate School's GPA requirement of 3.0. When a student's cumulative grade point average falls below 3.5 during any one semester or full summer session of ten weeks, the School Psychology Program Committee places the student on academic probation. Students have one year to raise their cumulative GPA to above 3.5. Failure to do so may result in dismissal from the program.
In no case may a course with a grade of "C" or lower apply towards the doctoral degree plan. A grade of "C" or lower must be made up by retaking the same course with the same instructor unless the instructor grants the student permission to retake the course elsewhere. If a grade of "C" or less is earned, the student will be required to meet with the SPPC, which shall determine appropriate steps for remediation. At any point during the program, if the student receives a grade of "C" or lower in six or more credit hours, this will result in dismissal from the program.
Residence Requirement
A one-year full-time pre-doctoral internship is required to meet the requirements for graduation and licensure.
Comprehensive Examinations
Comprehensive evaluation includes the following: a written integrative essay that is orally defended over core psychological foundations; a theoretical philosophy paper; a clinical skills oral presentation and defense of both the theoretical philosophy paper; an assessment case study; and an intervention study. The content, format, administration, and evaluation of the comprehensive exam will be the responsibility of the core faculty. Students who fail any portion of the comprehensive exam process will be provided with remediation plans and subsequent measures for reevaluation of student progress. A student may be dismissed from the program if remediation is not completed in a satisfactory manner. Upon successful completion of all coursework and the comprehensive competency evaluation, the doctoral student is recommended for candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.
Dissertation and Final Examination
All students must complete an empirical dissertation. An oral defense of the dissertation is required. The defense may be repeated once.
Course Electives
Students are allowed to take additional elective coursework that is not a part of the required doctoral program. Elective coursework is offered on a rotating basis. PSY 6233 and PSY 6923 may be taken.
Additional courses offered through the doctoral program in Counseling Psychology or other departments within the University may be taken as elective credit (not part of the required doctoral program).
