University of Southern Maine

Program Requirements

The Psy.D. in School Psychology program requires 117 credit hours of coursework beyond a bachelor's degree, or at least 60 credits hours beyond a master's degree. It usually takes three to five full years to complete the program on a full-time basis, depending on whether the student enters with a bachelor's or master's degree. The program of study begins in September of the year in which the student is admitted. Due to the intensive nature and high credit requirements of the program, it is expected that all students will take classes on a full-time basis during the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters during every year of enrollment. The Psy.D. program includes three areas of focus: interventions (including counseling), advanced assessment, and supervision.

The Psy.D program includes two different sets of course requirements.  Those students who are admitted to the Psy.D. program already holding the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential are required to complete at least 60 credit hours.  Those students admitted to the Psy.D. with a bachelor’s degree are required to complete at least 117 credit hours.  Those students admitted to the Psy.D. who hold a prior graduate degree in a field other than school psychology and/or who do not hold the NCSP will be required to complete the full 117 credit hour Psy.D. program except for any courses allowed to be transferred in (see policy in graduate catalog) and any courses waived by program faculty.  After admission to the Psy.D., all students with a prior graduate degree may request a transcript review to determine if any courses can be transferred or waived.  Transfer credits will be applied to the Psy.D. program.  Waived courses must be substituted with courses of the same number of graduate credits from the CEHD graduate catalog. 

Transfer Credit A maximum of six credit hours may be approved as transfer credit, provided these credits were earned no more than three years prior to matriculation and grades of B or better were received. Please also see College transfer credit policies in the CEHD Admission and Academic Policies section of the graduate catalog. Only two (2) School Psychology courses (up to six credits) may be taken prior to application.

If a Psy.D. student is unable or chooses not to complete all program requirements, the student may be eligible for the M.S. in School Psychology degree. Psy.D. students seeking to earn the M.S. instead of the Psy.D. in School Psychology may apply to transfer into the M.S. program by completing the following steps:

1. Complete an application for the M.S. program that includes the same GRE scores, transcript(s), and letters of recommendation submitted for the Psy.D.;

2. Submit a letter with the M.S. application requesting admission to the M.S. that summarizes the reasons why the student wishes to obtain the M.S. instead of the Psy.D. as the terminal degree;

3. Pay a $25.00 re-application fee with the M.S. application;

4. Provide the above information to the Office of Graduate Admissions no later than 30 December of the year preceding the requested transfer.

The culminating experience of the Psy.D. in School Psychology program is a 1,500-hour pre-doctoral internship in a school or community setting (at least 750 hours must occur within a public school). Students are eligible for internship only after they have completed all pre-requisite courses and obtained the approval of the program faculty. The internship must be completed under the supervision of a licensed psychologist/certified school psychological service provider. The internship must take place over a period of no more than two calendar years with a minimum of 20 hours per week at a given site. During the course of internship, students demonstrate competencies in assessment, intervention, and consultation. In addition, Psy.D. students complete an independent research project which demonstrates their competencies in research, intervention, and scholarly writing.

Psy.D. Course Requirements for those with NCSP

Psy.D. Course Requirements for those without NCSP (admitted with bachelor's or master's degree)