School Psychology - Doctor of Philosophy

The School Psychology Program at New Mexico State University is housed in and administered through the department of Counseling and Educational Psychology (CEP). Our program is guided by the standards of the American Psychological Association. The School Psychology PhD program at NMSU is Accredited, on Contingency by the American Psychological Association (APA) effective December 4, 2024. The expiration date of contingency status is December 4, 2029. We will apply for full accreditation at that time.

*Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation

American Psychological Association

750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002

Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org

Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

• Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data

The School Psychology Program at New Mexico State University is fully accredited from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). 

• Program Annual Report and Student Outcomes Data

Mission

The mission of the school psychology doctoral program is to prepare school psychologists as scientists, practitioners and advocates for mental health and social justice in health service psychology settings, including public schools. The program addresses state and national shortages of personnel who are fully credentialed to serve the needs of children with disabilities. The primary goal of the school psychology program is to prepare scholars to become problem-solvers with the essential entry-level competencies to serve in the schools and agencies that serve school age populations. The program develops 3 major components: 1) Knowledge of psychological and educational foundations, 2) skills in data-based decision-making, assessment, consultation, intervention and research, and 3) the capacity to apply knowledge and skills to promote mental health and development and prevent school failure and other disabling conditions. Specifically, the program accomplishes the following goals.

1. Prepare and graduate highly qualified school psychologists to meet the academic and psychological needs of infants, toddlers, children, youth and their families from diverse backgrounds (i.e., high need children with disabilities).
2. Increase the number of personnel who demonstrate the competencies needed to provide high-quality instruction, evidence-based interventions and services for children with disabilities.
3. Retain scholars in a high quality-preparation program to increase the numbers of school psychologists including scholars from bilingual and traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.
4. Provide the workforce needed to meet state licensure for Level 3 school psychologists

For more information on program application requirements and process, see School Psychology, Ph.D. program website: https://cep.nmsu.edu/academic-programs/school-psychology-phd.html

Curriculum

Preparation occurs from a developmental sequence of courses that follow scientifically based research and empirically validated strategies. The school psychology program at NMSU adheres to the scientist-practitioner model. This integrated approach to scholarship and practice promotes development of interlocking skills fostering a career-long process of psychological investigation, assessment, and intervention. Throughout the curriculum, the importance of knowledge and experience with a wide range of individual differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, gender, disability, age, culture, sexual orientation, religion, and race are emphasized. Ethical and legal issues, which guide service delivery, are also stressed throughout the curriculum. The American Psychological Association (APA) and National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Standards and competencies provide the foundation for the program’s conceptual framework. Candidates will complete 81 credits of coursework, at least 450 clock-hours of practicum (9 total credits) and an 1500 clock-hour doctoral internship. Of the 1500 clock-hour internship, 600 hours will be expected to be in a school setting.

Program of Study