School Psychology, MS

Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences

Vision Statement

The UNO school psychology program’s mission is to graduate students who have met high levels of academic excellence relevant to the knowledge and skills in the profession of school psychology and are engaged in and committed to the community. The program is designed to prepare graduates to function as scientist-practitioners in service to children and their families, schools, and communities. The program emphasizes an indirect service delivery approach that is oriented in data-based problem-solving and is responsive to cultural and ecological contexts. Although indirect approaches are emphasized (e.g., consultation, assessment, prevention, and early intervention), graduates are prepared to apply direct psychological services (e.g., individual-, group-, and systems-level interventions) when conditions warrant.

Program Contact Information

Joseph Brown, PhD, Graduate Program Chair (GPC)
347J Arts & Sciences Hall (ASH) 
402.554.2313
josephbrown@unomaha.edu

Program Website

Admissions

General Application Requirements and Admission Criteria

Program-Specific Requirements

Application Deadlines (Fall 2024)

  • Fall: December 15

Other Requirements

  • A minimum of 15 undergraduate semester hours or the equivalent of psychology courses including: basic statistics and an upper level laboratory course, independent research, or equivalent, emphasizing the experimental method, data collection, statistical analysis, and report writing, are required.
  • Entrance Exam: GRE scores are OPTIONAL for those applying to the School Psychology Program. All applications will be reviewed whether or not GRE scores are included.
  • English Language Proficiency: Applicants are required to have a command of oral and written English. Those who do not hold a baccalaureate or other advanced degree from the United States, OR a baccalaureate or other advanced degree from a predetermined country on the waiver list, must meet the minimum language proficiency score requirement in order to be considered for admission.
    • Internet-based TOEFL: 80, IELTS: 6.5, PTE: 53, Duolingo: 110 
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Writing Sample (preferred APA style)
  • Resume
  • Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation from professors and individuals who can speak to applicant’s potential for success in a graduate program.

Degree Requirements

Required Courses
PSYC 8000THE PROFESSION OF PSYCHOLOGY0
PSYC 8500PROFESSIONAL, LEGAL, AND ETHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY3
PSYC 8520FOUNDATIONS OF ASSESSMENT3
PSYC 8530EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSESSMENT3
PSYC 8540SCHOOL AGE ASSESSMENT3
PSYC 8576BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS AND INTERVENTIONS3
PSYC 8590PSYCHOLOGY OF EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN3
PSYC 8850SOCIAL JUSTICE, ADVOCACY, AND ACTION IN SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY3
PSYC 8970MASTER'S LEVEL PRACTICUM IN SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY1-6
PSYC 9040PROSEMINAR LEARNING3
PSYC 9130APPLICATIONS OF ADVANCED STATISTICS IN PSYCHOLOGY3
PSYC 9560PROSEMINAR: DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY3
TED 8210THE PRINCIPLES OF MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION3
Total Credits36
1

PSYC 8550: the other course is taken at the EdS level.

Exit Requirement

Comprehensive Portfolio (CP)

Students are required to submit a Comprehensive Portfolio (CP) near the end of their master’s work. A portfolio is a systematic and purposeful collection of work that documents a student’s professional competencies within the program’s training objectives. The CP meets the graduate school’s master’s-level comprehensive examination requirement. The portfolio is intended to represent the student’s progress towards meeting program outcomes and his or her ability to effect positive change for children, schools, and families. Thus, it is a formative and summative evaluation of student progress through the program’s training objectives.

Special Performance Quality Rule

If at any time a grade of "C", (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) in graduate courses become a matter of record, a graduate student in the Department of Psychology will be placed on probation. An unexcused grade of "W" in a proseminar course will be considered equivalent to a grade of "C" for purposes of this policy. An excused "W" must be approved by the chair of the Department of Psychology. Students placed on this probation will forfeit any departmental graduate assistantship they may have and any approved programs of study will be subject to re-evaluation and change. Before registering for additional courses, a student placed on probation must, with the assistance and approval of his/her advisor, submit a plan for remediation of his/her academic problems, and have that plan approved by the graduate program committee. The graduate program committee will review and, if appropriate, modify the plan. Further, any enrollment in graduate courses must be approved by the graduate program committee. The student will remain on probation until the graduate program committee approves termination of probation status.  If a student earns a second "C", the student will be dismissed from the program and the GPC will work to come up with a plan, and evaluate if it is possible for the student to return to the program at some point.