School Psychology Specialist
S.Psy.S.
Program Overview
As a school psychologist, you'll help children and youth thrive academically, socially, behaviorally and emotionally. With a school psychology specialist degree, you'll gain the tools to guide students of all backgrounds and abilities on their journey to success.
Program Snapshot
Why This Program & What You'll Learn
As a school psychologist, you'll work with students from every facet of society, with all the challenges that brings — but the work is intensely rewarding. It's one reason why U.S. News & World Report has ranked it as one of the best social service jobs.
Only 12 students are admitted each year into this competitive program. We want our schools to reflect all of society, which is why we encourage students from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students and multilingual students to apply.
Our program is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).
By the time you finish this program, you'll be knowledgeable in the following areas:
- Psychological and educational foundations.
- Research methods.
- Psychological and educational assessment.
- Intervention strategies.
- Professional school psychology.
Our program holds four core values that help guide what we do:
- Scientific orientation (empiricism, objectivity, curiosity, skepticism, critical thinking, epistemic humility)
- Professionalism (integrity, initiative, dependability, responsiveness, confidentiality)
- Non-discrimination (fairness, diversity, openness)
- Kindness (compassion, empathy, encouragement)
This program's core faculty have expertise in autism, neurodevelopmental disabilities, pediatrics, behavior analysis, academic and behavior interventions and other areas. As you become a valued member of our teaching community, you'll come to know your faculty as mentors.
When you finish this program, you'll earn both the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Specialist in Psychological Services (S.Psy.S) degrees.
Program Highlights
The specialist program is approved conditionally by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). As a student, you will:
- Gain on-the-job experience from a full-time internship during your third year.
- Participate in service and gain experience with student groups such as Student Affiliates in School Psychology (SASP) and DeafBlind Central.
- Be eligible for Michigan's School Psychologist Certification and NASP's National Certification.
Careers & Outcomes
You'll be qualified to work as a school psychologist in Michigan and most other states at the conclusion of this program.
| Career | Projected Salary |
|---|---|
| Mental Health/Behavioral Counselor | $53,710 |
| Academic/Guidance Counselor | $61,710 |
| Family/Behavioral Therapist | $58,510 |
| Psychologist | $92,740 |
| School Counselor | $61,710 |
| Marriage and Family Therapists | $56,570 |
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