Doctor of Philosophy - School Psychology

Plan Description

The Ph.D. in School Psychology is accredited on contingency by the American Psychological Association (APA). The training focuses on cultural diversity, a systems approach, and the integration of science and practice. Doctoral students are trained as health service psychologists (HSPs) who specialize in school psychology and address psychological and educational issues by doing scholarly research and using psychological knowledge and skills in practice. The School Psychology Ph.D. prepares students to work as school psychologists in schools, HSPs in independent practice, and researchers who can teach in academia. Doctoral students get training in schools, The UNLV PRACTICE, a community mental health center affiliated with the university, and other community settings.

Training is sequenced and rigorous, adhering to training standards espoused by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Nevada Board of Psychological Examiners (NBPE), the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), and the Nevada Department of Education (NDOE).

The School Psychology Ph.D. program’s high-level aims include the following:

1. Train leaders in the field who promote the science of psychology and advocate for the well-being of diverse children and youth through their scholarship and research; and,
2. Train health service psychologists to deliver school psychological services and advocate for the well-being of diverse children and youth through their services.

Careers:

Careers in school psychology typically involve employment in K-12 schools, private practice, hospital and mental health agencies and centers, research centers, and academia. Career practices usually involve assessment, prevention, treatment, consultation, program development and evaluation, and clinical supervision.

For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Directory.

Plan Admission Requirements

Application deadlines

Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.

Admission to the School Psychology PhD program will be limited to the most qualified applicants based on a combination of the following:

• A bachelor’s degree with an undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 or above.
• If graduate course work has been completed, a graduate grade point average of 3.00 or above.
• Fulfill english proficiency requirements as stated in the UNLV graduate English proficiency page.
• Three letters of reference from university faculty or other individuals qualified to judge the applicant’s academic potential and professionalism.
• The applicant’s personal statement of professional interests, career goals, and research interests. Two to three pages.
• The applicant’s diversity statement describing experiences and commitment to diversity.
• A current CV or resume.
• A scholarly or professional writing sample (any length).

Graduate College application is available online. Applications for admission will be considered once a year. The deadline for the receipt of applications is December 15th with notification of interviews by early- to mid-January.

Post-Masters Subplan:

Students who have earned a masters degree in a related field (or completed some graduate coursework) may be admitted in the Post-Masters subplan under Conditional Admission with the understanding that their programs of study will include additional coursework, which may be significant depending on the type of masters degree earned.

After a student is admitted and matriculates to the program, a thorough evaluation by the faculty of the candidate’s transcript, course syllabi, and knowledge/skills of psychology and school psychology will be conducted to determine if the competencies of the UNLV Ed.S. program have been met. The result of this evaluation will determine the final requirements for the student’s program of studies.

All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.

Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

Plan Requirements

Degree Requirements

1. Students must successfully complete a minimum of 122 credits (or 93 credits for Post-Masters subplan) while earning a grade of B or better in all course work (i.e., a grade of B- and lower is unacceptable and the course must be retaken).
2. Of the 122 credits, 44 are school psychology specialization courses equivalent to the first-two years of the specialist level of training (Ed.S. degree). Students in the Post-Masters subplan will take the courses that are deemed necessary after an evaluation of their transcript, relevant syllabi, and knowledge/skills in psychology and school psychology conducted by the program curriculum committee.
3. Of the 122 credits, 79 are health service psychology courses in the areas of research, scientific psychology, and advanced delivery of psychology and school psychology services, which are shared with other graduate programs in the department, college, and university.
4. Students must complete several projects to evaluate the progression of scholarly and research skills called “benchmarks:” (a) Benchmark 1 Project is to be completed during the first two years of the program; and, (b) Benchmark 2 Project (Preliminary Exam) is to be completed by the end of year three.
5. In consultation with their advisor, a student will organize a dissertation committee of at least three departmental members (one of which must be a school psychology core faculty as chair). A fourth member from outside the department, known as the Graduate College Representative, must be appointed. A fifth committee member may be added at the student and advisor’s discretion. Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines
6. Specific specialization courses in research are determined by the student in consultation with their advisor and/or committee. While an advisor is assigned to the student upon gaining admission based on stated research interests, the student may change advisors at any time.
7. Students must conform to all policies of the UNLV Graduate College, as stated in the UNLV Graduate Catalog, those stated in the UNLV School Psychology Doctoral Program Student Handbook, and the American Psychological Association Code of Ethics.
8. Students will be evaluated at least yearly across several professional competencies including technical standards for health service psychologists. Inadequate performance in one or more may result in the imposition of additional requirements, loss of Graduate Assistantship, probation, or separation from the program.
9. Transfer Credits. Admitted students may transfer credits from graduate studies in other programs contingent upon evaluation by faculty, departmental approval, and in accordance with Graduate College policy.
10. Students must complete all coursework and successfully defend their dissertation proposal before internship.
11. Consistent with APA implementing regulations, students are required to enroll in 3 credits of EPP 794 per semester (6 credits total) during their final year-long internship experience. This final internship experience is recognized by APA as meeting the equivalent of full-time enrollment.

Graduation Requirements

The student must submit and successfully defend their dissertation by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public. After the dissertation defense, the student must electronically submit a properly formatted pdf copy of their dissertation to the Graduate College for format check. Once the dissertation format has been approved by the Graduate College, the student will submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest. Deadlines for dissertation defenses, format check submissions, and the final ProQuest submission can be found here.

Students may apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing their degree requirements. All required forms must be submitted to the graduate college via the Grad Rebel Gateway.