Academics
Three years of classroom and field training prepares candidates to become licensed school psychologists in Indiana and other U.S. states.
The university has temporarily halted admissions on this program while it explores a new departmental home.
The Valparaiso University school psychology program equips students with two degrees and exceptional hands-on training. The curriculum requires two years of sequenced coursework, including the summer months. In the third year, students complete a year-long, 1,200-clock hour internship, supervised by a licensed or credentialed school psychologist. Field-training requirements are integrated throughout the entire sequence of the program and must typically be completed during hours in which elementary and secondary schools are in session.
M.Ed. – Education and Psychological Foundations |
30 Cr. |
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| ED 528 | Foundations of Literacy Development | 3 credits | |
| COUN 660 | Helping Relationships: Counseling Theories | 3 credits | |
| COUN 662 | Helping Relationships: Counseling Processes | 3 credits | |
| SPSY 540 | Learning Exceptionalities | 3 credits | |
| SPSY 600 | Introduction to School Services and Educational Systems | 3 credits | |
| SPSY 610 | Academic Achievement: Assessment for Intervention | 3 credits | |
| SPSY 630 | Cognitive Ability: Assessment for Intervention | 3 credits | |
| SPSY 640 | Professional Issues, Ethics, and Law | 3 credits | |
| SPSY 660 | Consultation in School and Community Settings | 3 credits | |
| Elective course | 3 credits | ||
| Ed.S. – Education Specialist Component | 32 credits | ||
| ED 610 | Research in Education | 3 credits | |
| ED 612 | Decision-Making in Curriculum and Instruction | 3 credits | |
| COUN 620 | Human Development: Biological and Learned Bases of Behavior | 3 credits | |
| COUN 625 | Social and Cultural Bases of Behavior | 3 credits | |
| SPSY 650 | Socialization and Development of Life Skills | 3 credits | |
| SPSY 679 | Practicum in School Psychology | 3 credits | |
| SPSY 681 | Practicum in School Psychology | 3 credits | |
| SPSY 683 | Internship in School Psychology | 6 credits | |
| SPSY 684 | Internship in School Psychology | 0 credits | |
| SPSY 688 | Statistical Interpretation for School Program Evaluation | 2 credits | |
| Elective courses | 3 credits | ||
Individuals who have already completed graduate work within the past five years may transfer up to 21 credit hours of applicable coursework toward meeting the degree requirements. No more than nine of the 21 credits to be transferred can be at the 600 level. Transfer of credits is approved on a course-by-course basis by appropriate faculty in the education or psychology department. Transfer credits must be congruent with the Valparaiso University degree requirements.
To ensure individual candidates are meeting programmatic goals, data will be collected at set checkpoints and reviewed by a designated committee determined for each student at the initiation of the program. Evaluations of candidates’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions will occur
- through multiple methods of assessment (e.g., portfolios, scoring rubrics, field training evaluations, norm-referenced testing)
- across settings (e.g., university classrooms and elementary/secondary settings), and
- from perceptions of different raters/evaluators.
Checkpoints take place in line with the following program milestones:
- Admission
- Completion of M.Ed. requirements (end of Year 1)
- Pre-internship Review (end of Year 2)
- Pre-graduation/Pre-licensing Review (end of Year 3)
Students must also pass the ETS Praxis II School Psychology Examination, with NASP’s certification cutoff score of 147, prior to graduating with the Ed.S. degree.
Successful completion of the school psychology program requires:
- A 3.0 grade point average in all required and elective coursework and no more than one grade of C or C+
- Successful attainment of performance requirements (knowledge, skills, and dispositions) set for each checkpoint required prior to graduation and licensing
- Submission of all Valparaiso University materials required for graduation according to published guidelines and deadlines
- Submission of all Indiana-required licensure paperwork, including criminal background check, to the licensing coordinator. Candidates who wish to obtain licensure in a state other than Indiana are responsible for determining and successfully meeting the licensure requirements for that state.