The MSU School Psychology Ed.S. program’s overall mission is to equip school psychologists with the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to provide quality psychological services to students in school settings. It includes a planned sequence of coursework in school psychology and supporting disciplines, complemented by practica and internship experiences. Read more details about the Ed.S. program here.
Our vision for training and practice in school psychology is informed by the Blueprint for School Psychology published by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Our vision emanates from a set of four goals that define our Ed.S. program:
- Foundational Knowledge: Prepare school psychologists with foundational knowledge in child development, school and family systems and individual differences in behavior.
- Professional Practice: Prepare school psychologists with the skills necessary for competent delivery of mental health services in school settings.
- Research and Inquiry: Prepare school psychologists who effectively consume and disseminate research applicable in school settings.
- Professional Conduct: Prepare school psychologists who effectively collaborate with others in the delivery of services within school settings according to ethical and legal guidelines.
Hybrid Program Format
The program involves ONLINE and FACE to FACE classes. The online classes are synchronous or asynchronous (self paced) OR synchronous (nearly always on TUESDAYS) on the East Lansing campus. Over the past two years, students have had face to face classes for 3 semesters (Y1 spring, Y2 fall, and Y2 spring). Summer classes are typically online.
Program Approval/Accreditation
The MSU Ed.S. program has been granted Conditional Accreditation by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Program Accreditation Board from February 1, 2024 to February 1, 2026. The Accreditation Board will review our Conditional status and additional data from the program in the 2025-2026 academic year. Possible outcomes of this review are full accreditation or no accreditation. If we receive accreditation, all graduates of the program (through the accreditation period) will remain graduates of a NASP-accredited program. Should the program not receive full accreditation, students who graduate after February 1, 2026 would not graduate from a NASP-accredited program. The program is approved by the Michigan Department of Education.
Students are expected to abide by the ethical principles of the National Association of School Psychologists. Graduates of the program are eligible for certification in Michigan as a school psychologist. To be eligible for employment in states other than Michigan, a greater number of courses and internship hours may be required (read more here).
Defining Features of MSU’s School Psychology Program
The MSU School Psychology Ed.S. program brings a developmental and systems approach to learning that focuses on the developmental needs of learners in the context of families and schools. We view the science and practice of school psychology as grounded in the knowledge of psychological development as well as an understanding of the social contexts in which development occurs. A developmental perspective provides an understanding of the limits and the potential of individuals, as well as the risks and opportunities in development.
We view research and practice in school psychology as being inextricably related. We consider these to be reciprocal processes where research serves as the basis for practice and practice informs research. The program is committed to preparing school psychologists whose practices are empirically supported. We strive to develop future leaders committed to equitable and just schools that promote the development and well-being of all children and their families.
There are several distinguishing features of our Ed.S. program:
- Communities of Practice: Students participate in authentic communities of practice through practicum placements in each semester, beginning in the first year. The majority of school psychology courses involve field-based assignments so that students experience the interplay between theory or research and practice in authentic settings.
- Curriculum with Developmental & Contextual Perspective: The curriculum is carefully structured to support an ecological approach to school psychology, in which students learn theory, research and practices of population-based (school- and classroom-wide) and prevention-oriented services prior to learning individually-oriented ones.
- Scholarship & Inquiry: Students learn within a larger community of scholars, including those with interests in both research and practice, in one of the best Colleges of Education in the country. We train students to actively and effectively consume, summarize, and disseminate research through both their own coursework and their practice in the schools.
The School Psychology Program is one of several graduate programs in the department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education (CEPSE) in the College of Education.