School Psychology Online

Check out this description of the profession from the National Association of School Psychologists.

Unfortunately no. We need you to have the experience of regularly leading a classroom as well as the commitment from the district that you will be part of the school system moving through your educational time with us.

No, you must hold a Wisconsin educator license and be currently working in Wisconsin to be admitted to our program. However, there are other online programs that might meet your needs. 

Statistics plays an important role in understanding the tests, assessments, and results that school psychologists use on a regular basis.

UWL offers a statistics class (STAT 145) online, and many offerings at other institutions are available. You can also look for equivalent courses using the online Transferology tool. If you are considering a class not listed, check with the director for approval prior to taking the class to make sure it counts.

You will need to have started your stats course by the time classes start for the program in early July. 

Yes - the courses that are part of the MSEd in School Psychology are specifically designed to prepare students for licensure as school psychologists. For that reason, another MSEd degrees cannot replace that portion of the School Psychology Online degree program.  

That being said, individual classes that were part of your MSEd might be eligible for transfer credits towards the School Psychology Online program, decreasing the number of credits you would to take. Check out the questions below to learn more about how transfer credits work.

Entrance to the program is based on a cohort model, accreditation standards, and the scope and sequencing of classes. It is unlikely that you will be able to catch up with a prior cohort and thus complete the program any sooner with your previous classes that are accepted into the program.

The school psychology program is an integrated program of study that spans the Master's and Education Specialist degrees. Individual graduate-level classes with significant overlap to classes in the program of study will be considered for transfer credit towards the program.

Students in the program do not have to complete classes for which transfer credit is granted.

Evaluation of classes for transfer credit will be completed through an examination of course syllabi - you can reach out to your previous institution to request syllabi as they likely keep them on record. Applicants should review the program course descriptions to initially identify classes to be considered for transfer credit. The request, course syllabi, and any other pertinent materials should be sent directly to the director, Dr. Rob Dixon.

There are university policies regarding the number of classes and the timing of prior coursework that may impact the granting of transfer credit.

If you have questions about the ability to transfer in previous graduate coursework toward completion of the School Psychology Online program, please contact the director, Dr. Rob Dixon.

In general, no. However, we will hold a Summer Gathering on campus each July, for program networking and orientation of new students. If a scheduling conflict prevents you from attending, we will provide the information for you in another format.

Doing so is never required. However, instructors may have online office hours as an opportunity to connect and discuss questions about the class and/or program.

Yes, graduate students in this online program will be eligible for financial aid, internal and external scholarships. Students will be eligible for federal financial aid during all terms except the first summer of the program and the final fall and spring, since aid eligibility requires enrollment in 4+ credits for summer and 5+ credits for fall and spring.

Classes for the program run year-round. There are three weeks of break between summer and fall term, a week between the two fall classes, and a longer break over the winter holiday (~ 1 month). There is a week between the two spring classes, a week between spring and summer. 

Unfortunately, due to the shorter length of summer term, there is no break between summer classes in years 2 and 3 of the program. In year 4, the classes you take in the summer are project-based and you have flexibility in arranging the schedule with your instructor to meet course requirements. 

You can check out the class schedule using the link on the Program Overview page. 

The degree is completed over the course of 4 years.

Yes! UWL continues to offer a highly-regarded full-time, on-campus School Psychology graduate program option. 

No, the curriculum is designed for students to focus on the concepts in one class at a time.

School Psychology is actually two degrees—a Master's of Science in Education plus an Education Specialist degree. There are a total of 21 classes in the degree, including a full year of internship (4th year of the program).

All classes are taught 100% online.

Tuition and fees for the four years of the program totals $35,536. This cost does not include textbooks.

You will be eligible to provide independent school psychological services during your internship (4th year of the program).

No, the GRE is not required for admission to the School Psychology Online degree program.

If you took fewer than 10 undergraduate semester credits at an institution, you do not have to provide that transcript. Transcripts for all graduate credits must be submitted.

The comprehensive exam for the program is the PRAXIS exam #5403 (School Psychology). The passing score is set by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). While a thesis is not required, a capstone project and a case conceptualization are required components. Students will be encouraged to select an action research project that can relate to their district. Faculty will mentor the students through both the capstone and case conceptualizations.

The program of study is designed to be completed in four years. UWL has a seven-year completion policy for graduate degrees, meaning that all credits counting toward a graduate degree must be completed within a continuous seven year policy. This includes any transfer credits. Extensions are possible with an appeal to the Graduate Council.

In this cohort-based program, each course is offered just once a year. If you stop out, you may need to wait a year to continue with your coursework, and you will likely become part of the following cohort of students rather than continuing with your current cohort. Furthermore, students re-entering graduate study after more than a semester must re-apply to their graduate program.

Since your completion of the program will require working with your school or district to arrange practicum hours during the third year of the program, it is very important to make sure the administration in your new school/district is supportive. We recommend that you ask them to complete the Assurance of Support for Applicant form so you can be certain they understand what will be required for you to complete the School Psychology Online graduate program. 

The online degree for Wisconsin was designed explicitly for licensed educators who have experiences in the classroom and will have a school-based site to apply their learning for their courses. While the overlap between educators and school psychologists is minimal, we were able to waive three full education-based classes from the curriculum. This speeds up degree completion. Furthermore, classes are offered entirely online to allow participants to access key points of knowledge and skills in their community. Finally, in the online program students complete just one class at a time, and courses last 6–7 weeks instead of taking 12–15 credits in 14 weeks.