Program Description
Completion of the 66-credit Master of Science program in School Psychology qualifies students for a provisional New York State certificate that authorizes practice as a school psychologist. This certificate is valid for five years from the date it is issued. After two years of experience, a school psychologist receives a permanent certificate in the field of pupil personnel services.
The program offers both a general track and a bilingual track of study. A listing of program requirements for each track is accessible in Courses section below.
Graduation Requirements
The program requires the satisfactory completion of 66 credits, a comprehensive examination and the PRAXIS II examination, taken in the spring semester of the third year. Students also need a grade of at least a "B" in PSY 761 or 761B, 762 or 762B, 752 or 752B, and 753.
Financial Aid
Graduate assistantships are available on a competitive basis for qualified incoming students with strong academic records.
Department Faculty
Please see a list of our Psychology faculty.
Admission
Applicants must:
- Possess a baccalaureate degree
- Satisfy the department that his or her undergraduate preparation indicates a high potential for successful advanced study in psychology
- Submit transcripts of undergraduate and any prior graduate work
- Have completed a minimum of 24 undergraduate credits in psychology, including courses in Introductory Psychology, Statistics, and a laboratory course
- Submit three to five letters of recommendation, one of which must be from an individual who will address the matter of the applicant's research potential
- Submit two papers from psychology courses or practical experiences: one a laboratory or research-related paper written in formal, academic, or scientific language (usually in APA style). For example, a research proposal, thesis, literature review, experiment results write-up, redacted/de-identified psychological report. The second is a term paper (from any undergraduate course and can be written in a non-scientific style)
- Provide a clearly written statement of educational and professional goals
- Submit acceptable scores from the Graduate Record Examinations (general). In light of the impact of COVID-19, the GRE requirement has been temporarily suspended
Students accepted for admission to the Master in Science program with any course deficiencies must remove these deficiencies prior to matriculation.
The Master in Science program may be undertaken on a part-time basis with a minimum of six credits per semester.
All students matriculating into the program must complete a criminal background check. Please see the Graduate Bulletin for more information.
The priority deadline for admission to the M.S. School Psychology is March 15. Applications received after the priority deadline will be reviewed based on the availability of limited space in the program.
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Assistantships
A limited number of Graduate Assistantships and Administrative Assistantships are awarded on an annual basis to qualified graduate students. Graduated Assistantships are generally appointed to the Department of Psychology. Additional assistantships are available in both academic and non-academic departments throughout the University. Recipients are required to maintain full-time course of study, and work 18 hours per week in their respective department. The assistantships provide tuition remission for a maximum of 15 credits and in some cases, a stipend. Recipients are prohibited from outside employment for the duration of their contract with the University.
Interested students must complete the Application for Graduate Assistantships/Doctoral Fellowships. Two letters of recommendation are required. Generally, Graduate Assistants have been selected based on academic achievement. Individual departments may have specific criteria for the consideration of assistants; the applicant should contact the Graduate Division of St. John's College for more information.
Applicants for assistantships must also complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and a New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) application; both forms are available in the Office of Financial Aid.