Graduate Degrees - Ph.D. School Psychology
Can
I keep my current job while studying for the Ph.D.?
The answer is yes. The completion time estimates below assume full-time enrollment during the academic year
(9 credits per semester), and full-time enrollment for two consecutive semesters is a minimum residence requirement. Taking
three courses per semester during one academic year while working full-time is possible and is being done by current students.
But, it's a decision you want to think carefully about. Except for the residence requirement and the internship, part-time enrollment in the program is permitted.
How
long will it take for me to get the degree?
This
is also an important question and probably the most difficult to answer.
The required coursework, including 6 credits for doctoral
internship, is a minimum of a 73 credits beyond the master's degree.
Some credits from the second year of an Ed.S. program may be applied
to this total. For a general guideline, we estimate a minimum total
of four years, including the one-year doctoral internship. This, by
the way, is typical for Ph.D. programs in our specialty.
What
are the minimum requirements for admission to the program?
The
minimum GPA for admission to all Ph.D. strands is 3.0 for both
undergraduate and graduate degrees. For the school psychology
specialty, we also require that an applicant has completed a NASP
approved Ed.S. program or its equivalent.
What
about the GRE?
Recent
(within five years) GRE verbal and quantitative scores are required
for all Ph.D.
strands. There is not a minimum cutoff, but preference may be given
to applicants with higher scores. In addition, although not an
absolute requirement, we are encouraging applicants for the school
psychology specialization to also complete and submit the score on
the GRE subject matter exam in psychology. A low score on the
subject exam will not penalize the applicant.
What
kinds of courses will I be taking?
All
Ph.D. students are required to complete a 9-credit sequence in
learning/development, and 15 credits in research/statistics. There
is a common core of 18-credits in advanced school psychology courses,
and you will also select a 12-credit special emphasis area (i.e. mental health, learning disabilities, etc.).
Why
do I have to do another internship?
The
doctoral internship is both a NASP and APA accreditation requirement,
and this program is also designed to prepare graduates for state
psychologist licensing requirements. Because all of our students will
have completed a one-year internship in a school setting as a part of
the specialist degree, the doctoral internship can be completed in a
combination of school and mental health settings.
How
hard is it to get into the program?
We select only a small number of
especially well qualified applicants each year, but we are especially interested in applications from currently practing school psychologists.
Can I begin taking some of
the required courses before I am admitted?
Continuing
your training beyond the specialist level is always a good idea, and
we are happy to provide advanced coursework. But, no assurance could
be offered that those courses could be later applied to the Ph.D.
I'm
interested. What should I do next?
We
begin reviewing applications during February for the next
cohort. The department and graduate college application forms with
instructions for submission are available at this link. . If you
need to take, or re-take, the GRE, you should make arrangements to do
so as soon as possible. You should go ahead and submit the
department and graduate college application forms even if the GRE
scores will not be available until later.
_________________________________________________
For
more information, please contact the coordinator of our doctoral
program, Dr. Paul Jones (jones@unlv.nevada.edu) or 702.895.3937).