Welcome to the School Psychology Program
USM offers a Psy.D. degree (Doctor of Psychology) in school psychology. The Psy.D. Program content includes comprehensive studies that integrate general psychological content, methodology, and research with educational principles and practitioner skills.
The USM Psy.D. Program is based on principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Our program philosophy includes a focus on ABA, data-based decision-making, and problem solving practices. Together these three areas form the foundation of the knowledge and skills that graduates will learn.
The Psy.D. Program Sheet details the program of study (see Resources). Students complete a total of 111 graduate credit hours. Psy.D. students demonstrate competency for school psychology practice through coursework, dissertation, and a 2,000 clock hour internship, working under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. Internships may be completed outside of Maine, pending the approval of program faculty.
The USM School Psychology Program conforms to the training standards specified by the American Psychological Association (APA), the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), the Maine Department of Education, and the Maine Board of Examiners of Psychologists. Graduates may choose to sit for the examination leading to licensure by the Maine Board of Examiners of Psychologists. Individuals graduating from this program are also eligible for certification as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP), and for certification by the Maine Department of Education as a School Psychologist-Doctoral.
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