Reflecting a "scientist-practitioner" training orientation, the doctoral program in School Psychology extends the student's knowledge and applied research and teaching skills. Knowledge in the psychological foundations contributes to the development of effective scientist-practitioner school psychologists who utilize psychological theories and scientific research to inform their practice. We also recognize that the science and practice of school psychology mutually influence each other–science informs practice and practice informs science–and that an understanding of individual, ethnic, and cultural diversity serves as a foundation to effective science and practice of school psychology. Therefore, the program offers a curriculum within which all students are expected to acquire and demonstrate a substantial understanding of and/or competence in:

1. Professional school psychology (i.e., psychodiagnostic assessment, consultation, intervention, professional practice/ethics, learning, development, statistics, psychoeducational measurement, research design, and special education);
2. Psychological foundations (i.e., biological bases of behavior, cognitive-affective bases of behavior, social bases of behavior, individual bases of behavior, and history and systems of psychology);
3. Research skills; and
4. Appreciation/sensitivity to individual, ethnic, and cultural diversity.

The program is typically a four-year program of full-time study, followed by a full-year internship in health service psychology.

The program is housed in the KU School of Education and Human Sciences, which is accredited under the CAEP Accreditation System. The Ph.D. program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists and Kansas Department of Education.

If you have any questions about the program’s APA accreditation status, please contact:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20002-4242
Phone: 202-336-5979
Fax: 202-336-5978
Email: apaaccred@apa.org

Admission

For admission requirements, please see the School Psychology Ph.D. page. International admission requirements, including English language proficiency requirements, can be found on the Graduate Admissions page. 

The doctoral program adheres to a scientist-practitioner model of training.  Doctoral study extends the student's applied, research, and teaching skills.  Research skills are described under Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Education. Completion of the program typically requires 4 years of full-time study followed by a full year of internship.

Year 1
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer	Hours
EPSY 710	3	EPSY 760	3	EPSY 810	3
EPSY 711	1	EPSY 835	3
EPSY 715	3	EPSY 860	3
EPSY 770	3	EPSY 965	3
EPSY 798 (Applied Behavior Analysis & Evidence-Based Interventions in School Psychology)	3	Biological Basis of Behavior (EPSY 836, PSYC 961, or ABSC 857)	3
EPSY 805	4
	17		15		3
Total Hours 35

Year 2
Spring	Hours	Summer	Hours	Fall	Hours
Social Basis of Behavior Elective (EPSY 808, PSYC 774, PSYC 775 or PSYC 777)	3	History and Systems of Psychology (EPSY 882 or PSYC 805)	3	EPSY 705	3
EPSY 798 (Consultation Systems & Program Evaluation)	3			EPSY 822	3
EPSY 807	3			Elective: Research Skills (EPSY 803, EPSY 811, EPSY 812, EPSY 816, EPSY 822, EPSY 905**, EPSY 906, EPSY 922, EPSY 926, PSYC 887, or ABSC 735)	3
EPSY 865	3			EPSY 855	3
EPSY 901	2			EPSY 901	2
	14		3		14
Total Hours 31

Year 3
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer	Hours
EPSY 902	3	EPSY 880	3	Individual and Cultural Diversity (EPSY 875 or ELPS 830)	3
EPSY 947	2	Elective: 800-level course	3
EPSY 910	3	EPSY 911	3
EPSY 975	3	Elective: Research Skills (EPSY 803, EPSY 811, EPSY 812, EPSY 816, EPSY 822, EPSY 905***, EPSY 906, EPSY 922, EPSY 926, PSYC 887, or ABSC 735)	3
Elective: Research Skills (EPSY 803, EPSY 811, EPSY 812, EPSY 816, EPSY 822, EPSY 905**, EPSY 906, EPSY 922, EPSY 926, PSYC 887, or ABSC 735)	3	EPSY 947	2
		EPSY 996 (Optional)	2
	14		16		3
Total Hours 33

Year 4
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
EPSY 999	3	EPSY 999	6
EPSY 995	3
	6		6
Total Hours 12

Year 5
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
EPSY 992	2	EPSY 992	2
EPSY 999	4
	6		2
Total Hours 8

Timing of Comprehensive Exams.

Given the timing of internship placements through the national match process, School Psychology and Counseling Psychology Ph.D. students may be allowed to take comprehensive exams with up to 6 hours of non-required coursework remaining, so long as the remaining courses are not considered part of the research skills requirement or part of the program core that will be the subject of examination. These remaining hours can count towards the required 18 post-comp hours although students are still required to enroll in dissertation hours each term until the dissertation is successfully defended and completed.