School Psychology
Masters in Education (M.Ed.)
Program Description:
The School Psychology Program at Temple University follows a scientist-practitioner model. This is the case for both the doctoral and certification level programs. This model of training emphasizes that a school psychologist's basic skills are derived from a thorough understanding of the science of psychology. Armed with this understanding of basic psychology, the school psychologist can adapt to changing professional demands and help determine the future of the profession. Without this background a psychologist could only serve the role of a technician, and would be poorly equipped to overcome any obstacles or lead new developments in the profession. It is understood, of course, that theoretical and research training will not be as strong at the certification level as at the doctoral level. Therefore, the certification level graduate is primarily viewed as a professional who will apply basic psychological knowledge in the practice of school psychology. (See also the complete School Psychology Program Guidelines (pdf) [Adobe Reader or other PDF viewer required])
Program Requirements:
The program offers three levels of training: (a) courses which provide theoretical and scientific foundations for the practice of school psychology; (b) courses which blend theoretical and practical issues; and (c) courses which are designed to provide practical experience in the application of psychological knowledge to real-life problems of school children. It is expected that students will undertake the theoretical courses prior to the practicum experience.
Coursework in psychology includes advanced work in learning, human development, biological basis of behavior and cultural diversity as well as work in statistics and research methodology. The statistics and research methods courses are primarily designed to provide the skills to read, understand and interpret empirical research.
Required Core Courses:
The course sequence is designed so that full-time students will go through the program as a cohort. Students begin the program with a base of core courses in the theoretical and scientific foundations of psychology. Following this core are courses which blend the theoretical and scientific contributions of psychology with the problems of practical application. This blending occurs in the introductory clinical courses. The final phase consists of practical clinical experiences in schools, agencies, and residential treatment facilities.
Students are required to take at least 6 semesters hours of courses during both the Fall and the Spring semesters (not required for Summer). If this seems unfeasible for health or other reasons, the student may petition the program for permission to register for fewer hours. The letter asking for such permission should be addressed to the program director and a copy should go to the student's advisor. Courses which blend theoretical foundations with practical applications include approaches to intellectual and personality assessment, personality and family dynamics, clinical interviewing, psychotherapy, integrating of psychological data in reports, classroom observation, behavior modification, and prescriptive intervention and consultation with teachers, parents, and administrators. Actual practical experiences occur in two psychoeducational clinics, a clinic for children with disabilities, an academic remediation clinic, a practicum in school consultation, and the full-time internship in field settings.
Admissions Requirements:
Prerequisites: Admission to the program is contingent upon applicants having already achieved a basic knowledge about the science of psychology. This is determined by scores on the Graduate Record Examination in Psychology and completion of five undergraduate or beginning graduate level courses including general psychology, elementary statistics, child development, learning theory, and tests and measurement. The requirement may be met by taking general psychology, basic statistics (Educ 5325), learning theory (Ed. Psy. 5531), human development (Ed. Psy. 5541), and tests and measurement (Ed Psych 5529) at Temple University.
Applicants are reviewed on six major criteria: (a) undergraduate grade point average, (b) graduate grade point average (if applicable), (c) scores on the Graduate Record Examination (V, Q, A, and Psych), (d) letters of recommendation, (e) writing ability, and (f) personality, maturity, interpersonal skills and life experiences which are examined as part of the interview. Special qualities such as volunteer work, enthusiasm, dedication to working with children and integrity are considered. We attempt to maintain a culturally diverse student body and also value students who have had a variety of life experiences.
While the GRE is used as one basis for admission, it is evident from the above that the program attempts to use a variety of criteria. Further, admission procedures result in a student population which is diverse in terms of gender, racial/ethnic background, and age. The program takes pride on the quality of its student body, a quality which reflects our ability to choose from a large pool of applicants. (See Appendix B for demographic information on the student population).
All applications and materials are reviewed by an Admissions Committee consisting of program faculty and students. Students have complete access to all admissions materials. Our students have an equal voice in our admissions policies since accepted applicants will become their peers and future colleagues. However, any applicants who feel that any of the contents of their applications should not be reviewed by future peers should contact the Admissions Chair in writing specifying which materials should be kept confidential.
Applicants are required to submit the following materials prior to the deadline:
(a) Graduate Record Examination (G.R.E.); Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytic
(b) Advanced G.R.E. Examination in Psychology
(c) Three (3) letters of recommendation
(d) Official transcripts from all universities attended
(e) Two required essays. View the Essay Descriptions [pdf]. Also available in Word document format: Essay Descriptions [doc].
In addition, an interview with faculty and students is required for admission to the school psychology program. Applicants will be also be required to write a short essay. Applicants whose applications are not complete or who do not meet minimum criteria are not interviewed.
* Note: PDF documents require Adobe Reader or other PDF viewer. Word documents require the latest version of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word or the Word viewer.
Contact Information:
If you have any questions after reviewing both the School Psychology Program Guidelines and the Graduate School Application, contact:
Dr. Catherine Fiorello
phone: (215) 204-6254
email: catherine.fiorello@temple.edu
Dept. of Psychological Studies in Education
College of Education, Temple University
1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6091