School Psychology, M.A.

This Master of Arts program has a special emphasis on applied research with three central components: functional assessment, consultation and intervention. School psychologists are professionals trained in the concepts and techniques of both psychology and behavior analysis; work with children in the areas of assessment and treatment of emotional/behavioral disorders and learning disabilities; act as consultants to teachers, parents and school administrators; and may be employed in a variety of settings, including schools, day care centers, hospitals, mental health clinics and child guidance centers.

The school psychology master’s degree program at SFA is fully approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists. The curriculum is designed to meet the standards set forth by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists. Graduates are awarded the Master of Arts in school psychology and, with a passing score on the Praxis Series® School Psychologist Examination, are eligible to apply to become a nationally certified school psychologist. Also, graduates may apply for state testing to become a licensed specialist in school psychology. Admission to the program may take place when a student has completed all requirements for full admission to Research and Graduate Studies and the school psychology program. Early admission of the most academically competitive undergraduate seniors may be considered through the SFA Overlap Program. See sfasu.edu/humanservices/149.asp.

Application Process

Students must first apply for admission to Research and Graduate Studies:

1. Completion and electronic submission of application to the Office of Research and Graduate Studies with required $50 application fee through the website applytexas.org/adappc/gen/c_start.WBX.
2. Official transcript(s) showing all college work
3. Verbal and quantitative Graduate Record Examination score reports
4. Meet the minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.5 or 3.0 during the last two years of enrollment OR cumulative graduate-level GPA of 3.25

Applicants also must directly contact the program director and provide the following:

1. contact information for at least three professional references
2. typewritten responses to four professional-related essay questions
3. professional résumé or vita

Note: The school psychology application is located on the university website at sfasu.edu/humanservices/97.asp. Selected applicants shall be interviewed by school psychology program faculty members prior to a final decision regarding admission.

Standards and Curriculum

Standards set forth by the National Association of School Psychologists for the master’s degree consist of a required minimum of 63 semester credit hours and a 1,200-hour internship or the equivalent beyond the bachelor’s degree and shall culminate in institutional documentation. In accordance with the standards described by NASP, the school psychology program will ensure substantial preparation of all school psychology trainees in each of the following areas through courses, course content or other appropriate means.