Psy.D. School Psychology

Students applying to the Psy.D. School Psychology program must submit the following:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university
• Generally, an undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for admission
• Applicants must submit official transcripts from all schools where a degree was earned
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Two admission essays
• Three letters of recommendation from academic professors or professional or volunteer supervisors
• An admission interview
• Work experience recommended but not required for admission
• Prerequisites: undergraduate courses (a course in psychology and a course in either statistics or research methods) that must be completed prior to enrollment, with a grade earned of “C” or better
• The Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Scores should be sent directly to the school (GRE School Code: 1119)
• A specialist-level certificate or degree in School Psychology or equivalent degree or credential from an institutionally accredited institution that is also NASP-approved or accredited, who is currently credentialed or eligible to be credentialed as a National Certified School Psychologist (NCSP)
• $50.00 (USD) application fee

Students applying to the post-specialist/equivalent degree​ program must submit the following:

• Ed.S. from an accredited university
• Generally, an undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for admission
• Applicants must submit official transcripts from all schools where a degree was earned
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• An admission essay
• Three letters of recommendation from academic professors or professional or volunteer supervisors
• Work experience recommended but not required for admission
• $50.00 (USD) application fee

Accreditation

The School Psychology Psy.D. program at the Chicago Campus is accredited by the American Psychological Association through 2034.

Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

The American Psychological Association
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
750 First Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20002-4242
202.336.5979

Licensure

For information on whether a program at The Chicago School meets or does not meet licensure eligibility requirements for the state in which you wish to be licensed, please visit our licensure disclosures page.

Practicum

The practicum is an integral component of clinical training. Students receive closely supervised experience in order to apply assessment, intervention, and consultation skills learned in the classroom in a professional setting.

Post Baccalaureate Practicum Requirements

Successful completion of 1260 hours of practicum:

• Beginning Practicum: 160 hours minimum
• Intermediate practicum: 550 hours minimum
• Advanced practicum: 550 hours minimum

Post Specialist/Equivalent Practicum Requirements

• Successful completion of a minimum of 550 hours of advanced practicum

Internship

Here, you will have the opportunity to integrate academic knowledge with clinical skills and demonstrate the effective and ethical use of these skills in clinical practice.

The internship consists of a minimum of 1,750 clock hours of supervised internship. Appropriate sites should meet the requirements for approval by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association of Psychology Pre-doctoral and Post-doctoral Internship Centers (APPIC).

Optional Advanced Doctoral Therapy and Practicum

The Optional Advanced Doctoral Therapy and Practicum Sequence allows you, if you have completed the program’s required practicum sequence, to pursue additional supervised clinical training hours. This elective training experience can serve as an opportunity to increase one’s clinical hours, to pursue additional specialized training, or to continue active practice clinical skills during the year prior to internship.

Comprehensive Examination

Students must take and pass the Illinois School Psychologist Exam and obtain a passing score as indicated by the Illinois State Board of Education. Students must also take and pass the Praxis II School Psychologist Exam and obtain a passing score necessary to obtain the Nationally Certified School Psychology (NCSP) credential.

Dissertation

Building on your academic contributions to the field of school psychology, you must complete a dissertation to complete the program. The subject of the dissertation must be approved by the School Psychology Department at The Chicago School.

Crisis Prevention, Intervention and Trauma-Informed Practice in Schools

This course will use a biopsychosocial systems approach to prepare students to be proactive in identification, assessment and intervention associated with contemporary trauma-informed school psychology practice. The essential elements of comprehensive school safety planning and crisis response will be explored, drawing extensively on a crisis preparedness, prevention, and intervention curriculum and a detailed review of threat assessment protocols. The biopsychosocial conceptualization of trauma and implementation of whole school approaches to trauma-informed service delivery in schools will also be addressed.

Educational Assessment

This course addresses collecting information to address both academic and behavioral classroom issues. The course applies the information and important concepts learned in SP 501 to conduct functional academic assessments of the academic environment and to develop effective data-driven interventions.

Advanced Doctoral Therapy and Practicum I

Prerequisite(s): SP 544 Intermediate Practicum and Seminar in School Psychology II. These two seminars (I and II) are designed for candidates to further develop competencies in the areas of assessment, consultation, and intervention with expanded populations in varied settings.

The vast majority of school psychology graduates go on to work as school psychologists in elementary and high schools, where they use specialized skills and knowledge to impact their work with children, families, and schools.

The Chicago School is dedicated to keeping our professional degree programs accessible to anyone regardless of financial status. In addition to the scholarships that may be available, our Financial Aid Department will provide you with information to determine what financial arrangements are right for you.

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