School Psychology (COSP)

Graduate Degree Program
College: Education

Abstract

The graduate programs in Counseling Psychology, School Psychology, and Counselor Education (CoPE) include several distinct areas of specialization that are designed to provide the knowledge and skills needed for practice and scholarship in counseling and related human service professions. These fields are concerned with assisting people individually, in groups, and in organizations to attain their optimal level of personal, social, educational, and career functioning. Graduates are employed in a variety of settings including schools, colleges and universities, mental health agencies, business and industry, government agencies, and other community service and practice facilities. Depending on the specific area of specialization and level of training, program graduates may serve as researchers, educators, supervisors, psychologists, counselors, or program administrators.

Master's level professional entry-level training is offered in the School Counseling program, which prepares students to become school counselors in elementary, middle, and high school settings. School counselors are leaders, advocates, and systemic change agents who provide individual and group counseling to school-aged children, develop and implement comprehensive developmental school counseling programs, and collaborate with all key stakeholders, including classroom teachers, school administrators, parents, and community members, to ensure the academic, personal-social, and college-career development of students.

The Ph.D. degree is offered in two areas of specialization: Counseling Psychology (in collaboration with the Psychology Department) and School Psychology. Doctoral studies prepare students to achieve exceptional competence in the theory and practice of their field; to develop a high level of skills as researchers, educators and administrators; and to assume positions of leadership in relevant settings. Students in the specialization of Counseling Psychology are prepared to work as researchers, educators, psychologists, and supervisors in such settings as academic departments, college and university counseling centers, and community mental health agencies. Doctoral-level school psychologists serve as researchers, university faculty, supervisors, administrators, and advanced level practitioners. Program accreditation within CoPE includes: The School Psychology and Counseling Psychology doctoral programs are accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). The School Psychology doctoral program is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), and is also approved for certification by the Maryland State Department of Education. The School Counseling masters program is approved by the Maryland State Department of Education.

Note that, since 2012, the CoPE graduate programs have been part of a new department, the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education. The CoPE programs were previously housed in the Department of Counseling and Personnel Services.      
 
The School Psychology Program is an APA-accredited, research-intensive Ph.D. program in professional psychology that embodies the scientist-practitioner model. Program graduates pursue academic/research- and practice-oriented careers. Graduates of the Program are eligible for licensure as professional psychologists in Maryland and other states, and are also eligible for the Nationally Certified School Psychologist credential awarded by NASP. Graduates are automatically eligible for Maryland State Dept. of Education certification as a School Psychologist.

Financial Assistance

The Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education offers graduate research, teaching, and administrative assistantships on a selective basis to doctoral students. The Department also assists its students in finding assistantship placements with a variety of on-campus and off-campus units. In addition, a small number of new Ph.D. students are offered highly selective fellowships funded jointly by the Department and the University.

Contact

Cixin Wang, Ph.D.
Admission Director
Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
3214 Benjamin Building
3942 Campus Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.2858
Fax: 301.405.9995
Email: schlpsy@umd.edu

Xinyi Zhang
Graduate Assistant
Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
3214 Benjamin Building
3942 Campus Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.2858
Fax: 301.405.9995
Email: schlpsy@umd.edu
 
Carol Scott
Coordinator of Graduate Studies
Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
3214 Benjamin Building
3942 Campus Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.8384
Fax: 301.405.9995
Email: chse-admission@umd.edu

Website:  https://education.umd.edu/academics/programs/graduate/school-psychology-phd

Courses:  EDCP

General Requirements

• Statement of Purpose: Statement of Purpose needs to be the goals and objectives in relation to those of the program.
• Transcript(s)
• TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)

Program-Specific Requirements

• Letters of Recommendation (3)
• CV/Resume
• Supplementary Application
• Description of Research/Work Experience
• Writing Sample

For more admissions information or to apply to the program, please visit our Graduate School website.

Application Deadlines

Other Deadlines: Please visit the program website at http://www.education.umd.edu

All master's, A.G.S., and doctoral students are required to include supervised fieldwork experiences in their degree programs. The CoPE programs have excellent cooperative relationships with on-campus facilities, such as the Counseling Center and Health Center. Fieldwork may also be done at a wide variety of school systems, colleges and universities, and counseling services and mental health agencies in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area, or nationally.

In addition to campus and program resources, students utilize the many major research and professional institutions that are easily accessible to the campus. These include the Library of Congress, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Education Sciences, professional associations such as the American Counseling Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Association of School Psychologists.