Doctor of Psychology in Educational Psychology

Program Description/Overview

This program is designed to provide foundation skills within the domain of applied educational psychology to graduate students who have attained the PPS Credential in School Psychology.  The goal is for these master’s level professionals to build upon their existing competencies and proficiencies while developing new areas of competencies so they can be more effective with the educational environments which they work in.

The program is offered in an executive format for working professionals, with classes meeting on evenings and/or weekends. It involves coursework, passage Praxis 2, PsyD project, and additional research/applied work (capstone assignment for the special focus courses.

Program Learning Outcomes/Goals

Coursework for this program ensures candidates are well-versed in the following professional competency areas:

1. Professional Skills - Ability to apply educational psychology interventions, developmental psychopathology, psychopharmacology and the required six Special Focus Areas topics
2. Professional Roles - Understanding of the diverse roles and needs of an applied educational psychologist at the doctoral level
3. Applied Research - Ability to implement advanced skills in the area of program development and evaluation, as well as the implementation of qualitative research methodologies
4. Professional Concepts - Ability to implement organizational consultation practices, small group consultation and collaborative activities

Training Model

During the first two years of the Advanced Standing PsyD program, students take advanced theory and assessment skills courses as well as advanced school-based research design, program development and evaluation, psychopharmacology, and developmental psychopathology courses. In addition, during each of the six semesters, students will take a course in a special interest area where they will obtain professional writing experience and exposure to APA format. These special focus areas will help expose PsyD students to a diverse array of topics within the domain of applied educational psychology.

At the end of the second year, students will begin to formulate concepts for their PsyD projects within the context of a Doctoral Project Seminar series. Students are expected to complete their doctoral project by the end of the third year. The third year is comprised of work on doctoral projects, two professional roles courses, two special focus area courses and an optional doctoral level internship for those interested in sitting for the Board of Psychology license exam.

Areas of study and competencies include:

Professional Skills

Professional skills courses develop applied competencies of psychologists working in a school or community setting. These courses include neuro-psychological and psycho-educational assessment of children and adolescents, psychological and behavioral interventions, crisis management in the classroom and consultation in educational systems.

Professional Roles

A two-semester internship combined with two courses in professional roles for school psychologists forms the third-year curriculum of the three-year program. The supervised internships promote integration of research and theory through application of knowledge in local school psychology settings. Many of the courses have a special focus on culturally diverse students.

Applied Research

As qualitative research skills are developed in the school psychology doctoral program, students learn the basic principles of school-based research design, program development and evaluation, as well as formulation and implementation of the PsyD project.

Professional Concepts

Professional concepts courses focus on the theory and context of work in school psychology, including developmental psychopathology, socio-cultural/ human diversity issues within school and child psychology, as well as psychopharmacology and interdisciplinary group facilitation. Students also complete coursework in six focus areas.

Special Focus Areas

School psychologists work with children who have a wide range of special needs and who must function in a constantly changing, complex society. Appropriate/relevant special topics are continually researched and developed. Students will complete six special focus area courses, selected from list of many topics, which differ from campus to campus.

Some current topics include:

1. Adolescent Interventions
2. Multicultural Counseling
3. Pediatric psychology
4. Infant and preschool mental health, including assessment and intervention
5. Child neuropsychology
6. Provision of services for children and adolescents in alternate placements
7. Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Professional Behavior Expectations/Ethical Guidelines

Candidates are expected to follow Professional Organization Ethical standards such as those of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and the California Association of School Psychologists (CASP).

Program-Specific Admission Requirements

This program is open to applicants who already hold a master’s degree in school psychology and a PPS School Psychology Credential.

Internship, Practicum, and/or Dissertation Information

One of the unique aspects of this program is the support a student receives while writing their Psy.D. Project. Students complete a sequence of three courses designed to help them develop the PsyD Proposal in the second class in the three course sequence with the goal of completing the Psy.D. Project at the culmination of the third class.

This program offers an optional 10-unit pre-doctoral internship, which is in addition to the required 50 units for program completion. Students who select this optional pre-doctoral internship will incur additional tuition and fee charges based on the tuition and fee rates in effect at that time.

Credit Units

Total Credit Units: 50

Total Core Credit Units: 50

Total Elective Credit Units: N/A

Total Concentration Credit Units: N/A

Curriculum Plan

Gainful Employment

For important information about the educational debt, earnings, and completion rates of students who attended this program, please visit https://www.alliant.edu/media/gainful-employment-disclosure/Doctor_Psychology_Educational_Psychology.html.