School Psychology, MS
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
unopsycgrad@unomaha.edu
402.554.2581
Program Website
Admissions
General Application Requirements and Admission Criteria
Program-Specific Requirements
Application Deadlines (Fall 2025)
- 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 or group research experience, 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
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| PSYC 8000 | THE PROFESSION OF PSYCHOLOGY | 0 |
| PSYC 8500 | PROFESSIONAL, LEGAL, AND ETHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| PSYC 8520 | FOUNDATIONS OF ASSESSMENT | 3 |
| PSYC 8530 | EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSESSMENT | 3 |
| PSYC 8540 | SCHOOL AGE ASSESSMENT | 3 |
| PSYC 8576 | BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS AND INTERVENTIONS | 3 |
| PSYC 8590 | PSYCHOLOGY OF EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN | 3 |
| PSYC 8850 | SOCIAL JUSTICE, ADVOCACY, AND ACTION IN SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| PSYC 8970 | MASTER'S LEVEL PRACTICUM IN SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY | 1-6 |
| PSYC 9040 | PROSEMINAR LEARNING | 3 |
| PSYC 9130 | APPLICATIONS OF ADVANCED STATISTICS IN PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| PSYC 9560 | PROSEMINAR: DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| Select three hours from the following | 3 | |
| LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND POWER | ||
| ANTI-RACISM EDUCATION: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES | ||
| CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING | ||
| THE PRINCIPLES OF MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN RIGHTS IN P-12 EDUCATION | ||
| MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH | ||
| CRITICAL PEDAGOGY: TEACHING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 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.