Education Specialist in School Psychology

Georgia Southern University’s School Psychology Program is nationally recognized and NASP-approved. Students attending our program receive a well-rounded education of face-to-face and online courses as well as field-based training via projects in schools beginning early in the program. This program will provide you with training to serve children and adolescents with learning, behavioral, or emotional problems in educational settings.

After successful completion of 36 credits of coursework and passing a written comprehensive examination, students may be awarded an interim M.Ed. degree and continue on in the program to complete the remaining requirements of the Ed.S. degree.

After the successful completion of 78 credits for the Ed.S. degree, you are prepared to be a licensed/certified school psychologist in any state.

Professional entry-level in the field of School Psychology in Georgia requires Professional Level Six (S-6) Certification which you are eligible for after successful completion of the prescribed Ed.S. Program of Study and a passing the GACE examination in School Psychology. Graduates who choose to practice in other states must review the state’s specific requirements and required exam scores for licensure/certification.

Throughout this program, you will receive practical instruction that will culminate in a yearlong, full-time internship as a school psychologist. The program will provide you with the preparation and field experience required to deliver the highest quality comprehensive school psychological services.

1. Complete the requirements for a bachelor’s degree in the social sciences or in education from a regionally accredited institution.
2. Present a cumulative 3.00 (4.0 scale) or higher GPA on all undergraduate and graduate work (if any) combined.
3. Submit a personal statement of purpose that includes reasons for selecting school psychology as a career, self-evaluation of personal qualities that would be brought into the program, and the impacts the applicant believes school psychologists should have on the lives of children.
4. Submit three letters of recommendation from persons well acquainted with the applicant's academic and/or professional performance.
5. Participate in an interview on-campus or by phone if notified.
6. Complete “Disclosure and Affirmation questions” that address misconduct disclosure, criminal background check, the Code of Ethics for Educators, and tort liability insurance. Students who are accepted into the program must agree to abide by the ethical principles established by the National Association of School Psychologists. Documentation of professional liability insurance must be submitted to the assigned advisor at the beginning of the first semester.

Applicants may be approved for provisional admission based on the quality of the admission material presented. Provisional students must earn grades of ‘B’ or higher in their first nine (9) hours of coursework after admission and meet any other stipulations outlined by the department to be converted to regular status.

*International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES-accredited evaluation service and must be a course-by-course evaluation and include a GPA. (naces.org)

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation