Students take coursework in several areas: (a) cognitive, academic, and social/emotional/behavioral assessment, (b) academic and emotional/ behavioral interventions and consultation, (c) ethical, legal, and professional issues, (d) inquiry/research methods, (e) cultural diversity, and (f) foundations of psychology.  Practicum is required every semester.  In the second year, students are required to enroll in the academic intervention practicum for one semester and the behavioral intervention practicum for a semester.   Doctoral students also enroll in a doctoral supervision class/practicum in the third year.  All students take elective practica in the third and fourth years in their areas.  A one-year, full-time internship is required, which typically is completed in the fifth year.  Internships may be ten months in a school setting or 12 months in a clinical or other non-school settings.  The majority of students seek APA, APPIC accredited internships that facilitate obtaining a postdoctoral position and earning licensure for the independent practice of psychology.  A minor is required, with counseling being the most frequent selection.  Graduates take positions in public or private schools, clinical settings, or academic or research.  The deadline for applications is December 1.  Admission is for the fall semester only, and students are considered full-time.

Degree Requirements

Major Requirements (40 cr.) *

• P645 Single Case Research Methodology in Education and the Behavioral Sciences (3 cr.)
• P655 Cognitive Assessment and Intervention (4 cr.)
• P656 Practicum in School Psychology (2 cr., taken two times)
• P657 Academic Assessment and Intervention (4 cr.)
• P670 Behavioral Analysis and Consultation for School Psychologists (3 cr.)
• P680 Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in School Psychology (3 cr.)
• P681 Psychology of Cultural Diversity (3 cr.)
• P682 Developmental Psychopathology of Childhood and Adolescence (3 cr.)
• P691 Personality Assessment and Intervention (3 cr.)
• P692 Seminar in Therapeutic Interventions with Children (3 cr.)
• P695 Practicum in Personality and Behavioral Assessment (2 cr.)
• P696 Practicum in Therapeutic Interventions with Children (2 cr.)
• P697 Advanced Practicum in School Psychology (1 cr.)
• P699 Internship in School Psychology II (2 cr.)
  (Taken post-candidacy.)

Psychological Foundations Requirements (15 cr.)*

These courses meet APA requirements for foundations in the respective areas.

• P514 Lifespan Development:  Birth to Death (3 cr.)

• P624 The Biology of Behavior: Implications for Educational & Clinical Practice (3 cr.)

• P622 Social Development (3 cr.)
• P566 Social Psychology in Education (3 cr.)
• G656 Social Bases of Behavior (3 cr.)

• P601 Educational and Historical Foundations of Psychology (3 cr.)

• P540 Learning and Cognition in Education (3 cr.)
• P544 Applied Cognition and Learning Strategies (3 cr.)

Inquiry Requirements (12 cr.)

• Y502 Intermediate Statistics Applied to Education (required) (3 cr.)
• Y521 Methodological Approaches to Educational Inquiry (required) (3 cr.)

Select one course from the following:

• Y603 Statistical Design in Educational Research (3 cr.) 
• Y604 Multivariate Analysis in Educational Research (3 cr.)

Select one course from the approved Inquiry Course list

A list of approved inquiry courses may be found at https://education.indiana.edu/students/graduates/approved-core-inquiry-courses.html.

Minor Requirements (12 cr.)

The minor must have integrity in its own right and must complement the major. The minor field must demonstrate wholeness within itself and contribute to the student's overall doctoral program. Minors are normally formulated within a single program area. However, an interdisciplinary or individualized minor is possible. Interdisciplinary or individualized minors require a written description of the minor's underlying theme along with a rationale for each course's contribution to that theme through the Minor Justification eDoc. 

Most students select counseling for their minor, which provides a foundation for advanced practica and internships in clinical or school settings.  Some students complete a second minor, most often in inquiry or special education.   The minor should be carefully selected to prepare for internship and professional positions upon graduation.

Elective Requirements (0-6 cr.)

Electives may be taken in fields inside or outside the School of Education.  Students may take electives in any area of interest to complement their program of study.

Early Inquiry Experience

To satisfy the program requirements, the student must carry out an independent research project as an early inquiry experience.  The resulting research manuscript, written in APA style, must be approved by the student’s advisor and be submitted to a journal for publication consideration.  Documentation that the manuscript was successfully submitted and forwarded for peer review by the journal’s editorial review board is required.  The early inquiry study must be completed before advancing to candidacy and is expected to be completed by the third year of study.

National School Psychology Examination Requirement

All graduates of the School Psychology doctoral program are required to take and pass the National School Psychology Examination (Praxis II) as a condition for graduation.  It is recommended that the examination is taken at the end of the second year of study.  The examination must be taken and passed as a partial requirement for nomination to candidacy.

Dissertation Requirements (15 cr.)

• P795 Dissertation Proposal Preparation (3 cr.)
• P799 Doctoral Thesis in Educational Psychology (12 cr.)