Letters of reference may be requested from any individuals who can comment about your potential for success in graduate study. If your work setting is primarily in an applied setting, consider whether or not your employer can provide such an assessment of your potential.
This part of the application is designed to provide a sample of your professional/scholarly writing. The writing sample you submit as part of your application should focus on a topic related to the education, treatment, and/or development of school-aged children.
Although it is possible to complete some early coursework on a part-time basis, the requirements for practicum and internship are such that it is not possible to complete all program requirements on a part-time basis. Because courses are offered once per year in a prescribed sequence, missing one course could delay your time to completion up to one year.
Yes, students who are admitted may request to defer enrollment until a later date. If admitted and you wish to make such a request, we ask that it be made in writing to the Coordinator at your earliest convenience.
Yes. Students who are admitted in November may begin coursework in January (spring semester), and students who are admitted in July may begin coursework in August (fall semester). Students successfully enter the program out of sequence nearly every semester.
Ideally, students begin the program in the summer. This follows from how the course sequence was originally designed. This requires applicants to turn in all materials by the December 15 deadline. Qualified applicants will be invited for an interview in February and, if admitted, begin coursework in the summer (i.e., June). However, the program currently has three admissions cycles (i.e., summer, fall and spring), and students may opt to begin during the fall or spring semester.
The M.Ed. is a “paper degree,” and does not fulfill requirements for licensure as a school psychologist or for any other credential in most states, including Ohio. You must complete all Ed.S. degree requirements (or an equivalent specialist level degree) in order to be eligible for licensure as a school psychologist in the state of Ohio and in most other states.
The majority of Ed.S. students enter the program following the completion of a Bachelor’s degree. Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree will first enter the M.Ed. program, since attainment of a masters degree is necessary before entering the Ed.S. program. When making an application, check the box on the School Psychology Supplemental Data Form that says “M.Ed./Ed.S. Program”and complete all of the application requirements for this plan of study.
One of the most important things for you to consider is what you want to do when you finish the program. If you are interested in seeking licensure as a school psychologist within a school system and are committed to becoming an informed consumer of research to guide your practice, the M.Ed./Ed.S. program may be the best professional match for you. The specialist program takes approximately three years to complete, full-time, including coursework, practicum and internship.
The program does not require a specific undergraduate degree or course of study. Although most of our students have undergraduate preparation in psychology or education, individuals with other types of training have been successful.
