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The USM School Psychology Program is dedicated to training its graduates to offer high quality psychological services to children and adolescents in schools. The only school psychology training program in northern New England, it coordinates and provides professional development opportunities to school psychology practitioners.
The Psy.D. program offers students comprehensive studies that integrate general psychological content, methodology, and research with educational principles and practitioner skills. The program is oriented toward acquisition of a range of technical and “best practice” skills necessary for effective functioning as a school psychology practitioner. The School Psychology Program Philosophy is available at this site.
Through integrated field-based training experiences, students are introduced to child and adolescent cognitive, social, and emotional behaviors; instructional methods; and the differential effects of teacher-student interactions and classroom environments. Psy.D. students demonstrate competency for advanced school psychology practice through an independent research project and application of clinical skills in a variety of settings.
During the final portion of the program, Psy.D. students participate in a 1500 clock hour internship, working under the supervision of a licensed psychologist or a certified school psychological service provider. Internships may be completed outside of Maine, pending the approval of program faculty.
The USM School Psychology program conforms to the training standards specified by the American Psychological Association (APA), the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the Maine Department of Education, and the Maine Board of Examiners of Psychologists. Individuals graduating from this program are eligible for certification as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP), and for certification by the Maine Department of Education as a School Psychological Service Provider. Graduates may also choose to sit for the examination leading to licensure by the Maine Board of Examiners of Psychologists.
