We expect an applicant to have a solid undergraduate record, which generally means a GPA above 3.25 and evidence of success in upper level Psychology classes, especially statistics, research methods, and tests & measurement.  We also expect good GRE scores (percentile scores at or above the average range) and prior experiences that have allowed the applicant to gain knowledge and self-awareness pertinent to the field of school psychology.  We look for a personal statement that is well written and concise and that reflects good understanding of the field of school psychology and of the applicant’s “match” with the field and awareness of why ASU’s program is a good fit.  We pay particular attention to the most recent and most relevant information in the applicant’s file.  Information gathered from personal, on-campus interviews supplements the data submitted by the applicant via the online application.

We examine all the available evidence to help us answer these fundamental questions:

• Can this applicant succeed in our very rigorous program?
• Has this applicant made a careful, well-educated choice regarding this career, this University, and this Program?
• Can this applicant become an excellent School Psychologist, a credit to both the discipline and our program?

We have no minimum GPA or GRE cut-offs, per se.  However, ASU’s Graduate Council has established a minimum admission requirement for graduate programs in psychology, which employs the following formula:

GRE Verbal + GRE Quantitative + (undergraduate GPA x 400) = Total Composite Score.

A Total Composite Score of 2100 must be achieved using this formula. Over the past several years, the range of total scores for students accepted into our program has been 2302 – 2672. (For applicants who have taken the GRE more than once, we use the best combined scores.  For applicants who have a graduate degree, we use the graduate GPA.). We do, however, expect all GRE percentile scores to be within or above the average range.

Although it is technically possible to enter the program with a totally unrelated background, such an applicant would be at a distinct disadvantage for a number of reasons. For example, several of our core graduate psychology courses, particularly the research methods sequence and the professional seminars, would be very challenging for someone with no psychology background. We also require that students take two exit exams (the School Psychology PRAXIS II exam and either the ACAT or GRE Subject Test in Psychology) that contain considerable basic psychology content, and they must be passed at the 60th percentile before graduation.  Therefore, an applicant with a non-psychology background would need to provide clear evidence that he or she could succeed in our program.  Such evidence might include a high undergraduate GPA with rigorous course work, strong GRE scores (including the GRE Subject Test in Psychology), and successful completion of rigorous post-baccalaureate Psychology classes, particularly in statistics and research methods.  Such applicants also should demonstrate substantial understanding of what the field of school psychology encompasses and obvious commitment to the field.

Generally, “taking time off” before enrolling in graduate school is not seen as a disadvantage, especially if one has remained involved with children, youth, or schools in some way. In fact, the maturity and added experience that often come with such a delay often produce distinct advantages for the applicant.

Applicants who have non-psychology graduate degrees rarely meet more than one or two of our elective requirements and occasionally our research requirements through course work in their previous graduate programs.  For students with master’s degrees in psychology, the program requires a minimum of 42 hours to attain the Specialist in School Psychology degree (SSP). A careful graduate transcript review by the School Psychology Program Director would be required to determine what additional course work would be necessary to complete the SSP.

Technically, there is no set track for students completing the SSP only. Your program of study would be determined after we reviewed your entire graduate transcript and, perhaps, relevant graduate syllabi.

Students pursuing the SSP only typically must complete on-campus course work spanning two semesters (including one school-based practicum each semester) plus a summer, followed by the year-long internship. The internship can be in any location of the student’s choosing, as long as the site agrees to our internship requirements.

In addition to course work, some SSP-only students must pass competency assessments of their skills in areas for which they have had prior training, such as counseling and assessment with children, particularly if their prior training was completed several years ago or focused primarily on working with adults.

The graduate school's policy regarding transfer credit is as follows:  A candidate may, with permission of the program director, request approval from the Graduate School to transfer up to 9 semester hours (6 hours for thesis students) of graduate course work from an approved graduate school. Graduate work included in a previous degree from another institute may not be included on a Program of Study. Transfer credits are also subject to the 7-year time limit requirement.

A student's elective courses must be approved individually, based on the student's career plans, areas of need, etc.  Therefore, it would be necessary for the applicant/student to provide the Program Director with course descriptions and syllabi for the proposed transfer courses and to discuss career goals with the Director in order to determine whether courses from another university would be accepted for transfer credit.

Even if graduate hours are deemed non-transferable, an applicant’s performance in previous graduate classes would provide evidence about the applicant’s ability to succeed in graduate-level work and, thereby, might strengthen his or her graduate application.

We have no provision for part-time enrollment, distance learning, or online classes, and very few of our classes are scheduled in the evenings.  We have determined that training in this field requires the kind of hands-on learning and face-to-face supervision that can be delivered effectively only through an on-campus program.  Students proceed through the program as a cohort, in a very sequential fashion, on a full-time basis.  Commuting to Boone and undertaking a rigorous graduate degree while remaining employed would be a very challenging undertaking and is discouraged. 

Assistantships generally are awarded to first-year students. The typical 10-hour (per week) assistantship pays $5,000 per academic year.  Applicants in need of financial assistance are urged to apply for assistantships during the application process.  Duties assigned to first-year graduate assistants range from assisting faculty members with their research or class-related tasks to providing clerical assistance in the Departmental office.  Graduate assistants must carry at least a 9-hour academic load and maintain a 3.00 GPA. 

Teaching assistantships are available only to 2nd-year students, on a limited, competitive basis.  A few additional assistantships are available for second-year students from the Department, but most second-year students obtain funding or employment from other university- or community-based sources.   

Out-of-state tuition waivers are limited and are awarded (for the first year only) by the Graduate School, based on the applicant's GRE scores (Verbal + Quantitative) and undergraduate GPA.  Out-of-state students are urged to begin establishing in-state residency immediately upon deciding to matriculate at ASU.

Several University-wide fellowships and scholarships also are available on a competitive basis through the Graduate School. These include three $3000 fellowships and twenty $1000 fellowships available to beginning graduate students, and six $2000 scholarships open to all graduate students. Applicants in need of financial assistance are urged to apply for scholarships during the application process.  For more information and application forms for these awards, visit the Graduate School web site (assistantships, scholarships, tuition and fees).

Because research is an important function of school psychologists, all students undertake a research project.  Thesis-track students complete a formal thesis.  Non-thesis students (60-75% of our enrolled students) complete an applied research project while on internship.  When a student enrolls in our program, he or she decides which track to pursue.  The sequence of courses taken by the two tracks differs slightly, beginning in the first semester.  It is possible for students to switch tracks later, although doing so is discouraged.

Our advice is to choose the thesis track if you seriously are considering pursuing a doctoral degree in the future, find statistics and research methods fairly easy, have good writing skills and are able to receive and make good use of feedback about your writing, are self-directed and not inclined to procrastinate, and truly are interested in and committed to doing research.  Non-thesis students definitely are not considered “second-class citizens” in our program.  (Note: Completing the non-thesis track would not keep you from being accepted into a doctoral program in the future, although you might require more time to attain the doctorate relative to those who had completed a thesis.)

Yes, our program requires that applicants come to campus for personal interviews.  We make no exceptions to this requirement.  The interview allows us to evaluate further the applicant’s “match” with the field and with our program, as well as his or her interpersonal skills.

The most effective letters come from professors and professional supervisors who know you very well and also know what it takes to succeed in graduate school.  Much less useful are references from professors who don’t know you well or from family friends or non-academic employers who are not familiar with graduate school demands.  Our best advice regarding references is this: Well before applying to graduate school, you should work closely with at least one of your undergraduate professors in his or her research lab or clinic so s/he can write a very strong letter of reference for you.  Another good strategy is to complete a relevant internship and request a letter from your internship supervisor.

All components of the application, except transcripts, should be submitted online.  Additional application questions can be answered at this website:

http://www.graduate.appstate.edu/gradstudies/prospective/applications.html

Practicum experiences are arranged for our students by the professor teaching the Practicum class.  Typically, students are placed in two different kinds of school districts for the two semester-long practica.  For example, one placement might be in a rural setting, the other in a suburban or urban setting.  One might be close to Boone, the other some distance away.  Students sometimes assist in suggesting possible practicum sites, based on their own familiarity with certain school districts or a district’s proximity to family who might provide the student with a night or two of housing per week during the practicum placement.

Students arrange their own Internships, with guidance provided by the Program Director who serves as the internship coordinator.  Students may intern anywhere they choose, as long as the setting is willing to abide by program requirements for the internship.  Per NASP guidelines, internships comprise 1200 contact hours, 600 of which must be in a school setting, completed full-time over one year or part-time over two years.