MA and PsyD Programs in School Psychology

Program Philosophy

The mission of the School Psychology Training Programs is to provide the education and training to develop school psychologists capable of linking knowledge of the science of psychology to educational pedagogy, enabling positive student growth. Principles of human development, learning and cognition, personality development, social psychology, and research and theory are integrated into coursework to enhance the intellectual, emotional, and social development of students in an educational setting. This is accomplished through the provision of direct and indirect services, development of innovative programs, consultation, and participation in preventive mental and behavioral health programs within the school and community within the context of evidence-based practices in assessment and intervention.

It is expected that graduates will promote school psychology as a professional discipline, maintain a continuing pursuit of scholarly activities, and a display a commitment to concerns of human welfare and social justice. Integrated training is designed to provide services which maximize educational and psychological development of individuals in urban and suburban settings, and those from culturally, economically, and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

The School Psychology Training Programs are committed to providing educational opportunities that match the program’s training goals and objectives.  Specifically, it is expected that:

• Students will obtain and apply knowledge of varied models and methods of assessment that can be used to identify strengths and needs, understand, problems, and monitor progress.
• Students will obtain and apply knowledge of behavioral, mental health, and collaborative consultation.
• Students will obtain knowledge of human learning processes and differential learning needs together with the implementation of appropriate strategies addressing strengths and needs of students.
• Students will obtain knowledge of human development processes, how to assess these process, and to provide direct and indirect services appropriate to presenting needs.
• Students will obtain knowledge of individual differences and the development of cultural competence, recognizing the importance of context on academic achievement and mental and behavioral health.
• Students will obtain knowledge of general education, special education and related services, and understand schools as complex social systems.
• Students will obtain knowledge of and learn to implement evidence-based services for prevention, crisis intervention, and psychological intervention to promote mental health and physical well-being of students.
• Students will attain knowledge of research, statistics, and evaluation methods and a demonstration of the application of those skills.
• Students will obtain knowledge and apply the best practices of the profession of school psychology including ethical, legal, and professional standards, as well as actions and advocacy reflecting social justice and culturally responsive practice.

To that end, and consistent with the school psychology practitioner-scholar model, graduates of the programs are expected to obtain knowledge and skills in all domains of the National Association of School Psychologists’ Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services.  All of our programs are guided by the American Psychological Association (APA)’s standards for profession-wide competencies, and doctoral-level curricula are also designed to meet APA standards for both discipline-specific knowledge and profession-wide competencies.

We are proud to offer students with the opportunities to enter the field as specialist- or doctoral-level school psychologists, and the chance to re-engage with doctoral study after working in the field at the specialist level.  While coursework and field experiences differ across programs in order to meet students’ varied training needs, students in each program have opportunities to collaborate to advance the goal of building a strong community on campus and in the field.

Fieldwork

In each of our training programs, FDU faculty collaborate closely with field sites to provide developmentally appropriate practicum opportunities that culminate in a capstone internship experience.  Students in the MA + Certification program and Traditional PsyD program complete the majority of their practicum experiences in local school districts, and Advanced PsyD students complete a second-year rotation in FDU’s Center for Psychological Services.  Ongoing guidance and support to students and sites is provided by Dr. Meaghan Guiney, the Coordinator of Field Experiences and author of The School Psychology Supervisor’s Toolkit. 

FDU is particularly proud to offer paid second-year practicum and third-year internship opportunities to our MA/Certification and Traditional PsyD students who work in the Newark Public Schools through a $1.9M grant from the US Department of Education.  Practicum students earn $3000/year for providing counseling services to students at one of the Newark demonstration schools for the equivalent of one day per week; interns earn $15,000/year for providing a full range of psychological services at a demonstration school five days per week.  In addition to the opportunity to deliver school psychology services, practicum students and interns participate in group supervision with credentialed school psychologists and are able to participate in professional development initiatives in social-emotional learning and trauma-informed care.

We offer Advanced PsyD students the unique opportunity to complete their internship experience within the district where they are employed, so long as they can modify their work experiences to allow for professional growth. This allows them to maintain their salaried positions during internship if they so choose.  Sheltered practicum experiences in the second year of the program provide training opportunities and supervision focused on cognitive behavioral approaches to therapy, trauma-informed care, parent training, and supporting students with ASD transitioning into the college setting.   

FAQs

Which program is right for me?

Can I transfer any credit into the program?

Usually no more than 9 graduate credits taken at another institution can be applied to any School Psychology program. Students are allowed to take up to 9 credits at FDU as a “non-matriculating” student. If this is done, and the student is accepted into a School Psychology Program as a full-time student, all 9 credits could be counted toward the program if they meet the program requirements.

Can I enroll in the program as a part time student?

Although we occasionally make exceptions, enrolling part time is not recommended or encouraged. Because our students follow a set schedule of course work, and because many courses have prerequisites, a part time student often becomes “out-of-sequence.” Taking classes part time can result in a semester in which no classes are available to take.

What funding opportunities are available?

Students in each of our training programs have the opportunity to engage in paid fieldwork experiences, which is rare in New Jersey.  Please review the Fieldwork section for more information about the Supportive Schools Newark grant, through which we can offer paid second-year practicum and third-year internship opportunities to our MA/Certification and Traditional PsyD students who work in the Newark Public Schools.  Advanced PsyD students have the option of completing their internship experience in their current district of employment, allowing them to maintain their salaried role.

There are some opportunities to serve as a graduate assistant on campus (working daytime hours) and receive partial tuition reimbursement as a component of your pay.  These opportunities do not arise each year, but when they do, our School Psychology students are often highly sought after to fill the roles, which often fit into the schedules of MA/Certification students. 

In addition to the practicum and externship opportunities through the Supportive Schools Newark grant, we have also had great success helping our MA/Certification students find employment as support staff in local school districts. 

We also support our students who apply for awards such as the Frank J. Epifanio Minority Graduate Student Scholarship, which is offered annually by the New Jersey Association of School Psychologists (see www.njasp.org).

Please feel to reach out for more details about any of these opportunities! 

📢 Recent Happenings

Check out our program alums in the news:

This article in the Star Ledger was written by Dr. Sinclair Davis, a graduate of our PsyD program in School Psychology who completed his undergraduate degree at FDU as well. 

At the start of the 2020-2021 school year, another graduate of our Traditional PsyD program – Elizabeth Williams – was featured in NASP’s Early Career Spotlight.

You can hear more about students and alumni by signing up for our instagram handle @FDU_SchoolPsych

Program Outcomes

The School Psychology Programs (MA/Cert and Psy.D.) adhere to the recommended APA and NASP guidelines and objectives with specifically developed assessments corresponding to the specified objectives.

1. Students will obtain and apply knowledge of varied models and methods of assessment that can be used to identify strengths and needs in understanding problems and monitoring progress.
2. Students will obtain and apply knowledge of behavioral, mental health and collaborative consultation.
3. Students will obtain knowledge of human learning processes and differential learning needs together with the implementation of appropriate strategies addressing strengths and needs of students.
4. Students will obtain knowledge of human development process, to assess the process and to provide direct and indirect services appropriate to presenting needs.
5. Students will obtain knowledge of individual differences and the development of cultural competence, recognizing the importance of context on academic health and mental health of individuals.
6. Students will obtain knowledge of general education, special education and related services and to understand schools as complex social systems.
7. Students will obtain knowledge of and to implement evidence based services for prevention, crisis intervention and psychological intervention to promote mental health and physical well-being of students.
8. Students will attain knowledge of research, statistics and evaluation methods and a demonstration of the application of those skills.
9. Students will obtain knowledge and demonstrate in practice the best practices of the profession of school psychology including ethical, legal and professional standards and engaging in practices reflecting social justice and cultural competence.