A full time student can obtain a Master's Degree in a full calendar year, that is, fall and spring semesters, and one summer consisting of two sessions.

No, a variety of undergraduate majors are represented among students in the master's program.

Students in the school psychology specialist program are required to obtain a Master's Degree in educational psychology before they go on to courses in the specialist program. A Master's Degree alone does not allow one to practice as a school psychologist in the schools. Certification coursework and an internship (credits beyond the Master's Degree) are required for the specialist program.

No, it would not be possible to attend only in the summer because some required courses are offered only in the fall or spring semesters. However, it is possible to take several courses in the summer. Most fall and spring courses are offered late in the day, making it possible for those who work full time to still attend classes.

School Psychology Specialist Program

What is a school psychologist?

A school psychologist is a professional with graduate training in psychology and education who serves the needs of children, families, and schools to help all students reach their educational potential. Coursework involves the fields of developmental psychology, special education, learning, counseling, and research, to name a few. A full answer to this question is best provided by the National Association of School Psychologists' Website. If you have an interest in this field, you should find that website very informative.

For a student entering without a master's degree, the program takes three years attending full time. However, the last year is spent in an internship on site in a school district.

No.

No, you are not required to do another full master's degree. However, there are courses at the master's level that do relate specifically to school psychology and you may be required to take those courses. A transcript review with your advisor will help determine which courses you may need to take at the master's level.

Students do school psychology internships full time during the last academic year of their program. Students locate the internships themselves, although a substantial amount of information about internship opportunities is on file in the Department. Internships must be done in a location no more than a day's drive away from IUP, since faculty supervisors will be visiting the site once each semester. Most students do their internships in Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, or New Jersey. Almost all internship sites provide stipends to their interns.

Financial aid information is available from the IUP financial aid office. Assistantships, both in the Educational & School Psychology Department and elsewhere on campus, are available to full time students on a competitive basis. The number of assistantships available varies from year to year. Assistantships, which require that the student work a certain number of hours per week, may cover part or all of the student's tuition and also provide a stipend.

The answer to this question varies depending on the background of the applicant. Standards of the National Association of School Psychologists, an accrediting society for the IUP program, require supervised experience in the schools and course work in specific areas related not only to psychology, but to education and culture of the schools before one can be considered prepared to work as a school psychologist. A review of the applicant's transcripts and internship experience would be required to answer this question.

There is currently a national shortage of school psychologists. Students graduating from IUP's program have been very successful in finding jobs. However, geographic areas differ in their job opportunities in the field.

Applicants for the Master's and Specialist programs are considered only once per year, in the spring. Students start as a cohort group in the fall. All application materials must be received by the Graduate School and the Department before applicants can be considered. Therefore, it is wise to start the application process early. Contact Dr. Joseph F. Kovaleski if you have questions.

The Child Study Center

What type of situations can be addressed by the Child Study Center?

The Child Study Center is designed to address issues related to education for children and adolescents. Some examples would be children who are not doing well in school or who have been identified as having a specific learning problem. The Center also provides consultation to parents and schools who want to guide a child's education or better serve his/her learning needs. The needs of high performing children who require specially designed instruction can also be met by the Center. The Child Study Center emphasizes the value of family involvement in every child's learning and attempts to foster communication between home and school.

Child Study Center personnel meet with parents and the student and also gather information from the school (with parent permission) to determine what might be helpful to an individual child. Services that can be provided include academic and intellectual assessment, counseling, recommendations for behavioral intervention, parent education, family counseling, academic recommendations, and school consultation.

The Child Study Center also provides in-service programming for school personnel and offers educational programs for parent groups.

Individual children are seen by the Child Study Center between January and July each year. Family services are offered between January and September. Consultation services and educational programming are available all year. Therefore, only individual children referred very early in the fall semester would have to wait for services. Intakes are done all during the year. Therefore, parents should contact the Center as soon as possible after a need is recognized.

Yes, the Child Study Center operates as an agency independent from schools. That means that no information about the assessment is forwarded to the schools or any other agency without parent permission.

Call the Child Study Center at 724-357-2445 or the Center director, Dr. Lynanne Black at 724-357-4757, email lblack@iup.edu.