Program Director: Eileen Whelan, Ph.D. and Dena M. Fiori, Ed.D.
Overview
In the dual school counseling/school psychology program candidates will complete separate credentials in school psychology and school counseling as well as earn a single master's degree in school counseling and school psychology.
The marketability and flexibility of obtaining both the school counseling and school psychology credentials will provide many options for both students and school districts. Graduates will be equipped with the necessary expertise in assessment and intervention as well as the knowledge and skills to develop and implement comprehensive guidance and counseling programs. The sequence of courses for the dual program has been carefully determined to provide maximum utility and background experience for fieldwork experiences as well as sequential coursework.
A sequence of courses is determined by the program director. In addition to the 90 units, there are three prerequisites. (Please note: if you have obtained your bachelor's degree in Psychology from FPU, a UC, or a CSU all prerequisites will be waived).
Students will be required to obtain liability insurance before school site based work can begin.
Up to 9 units of credit from an accredited graduate program program in counseling, psychology, or a related area may be transferred into the school psychology program, where such courses are judged by the School Psychology Program Director to be equivalent to those required in the graduate program. All other provisions of the general graduate policy on transfer of credit shall apply.
The following additional program requirements must be met to be recommended to the CTC for a School Psychology and School Counseling Credential:
- A master's degree in school psychology/school counseling or a related area.
- A passing score of 147 on the NASP PRAXIS exam. This exam will serve as the program's comprehensive exam and follows most of the credential coursework.
- Successful passing of the Program Exit Oral Examination and Portfolio Review.
- Once the internship, program exit exam, and master's degree requirements are completed, the individual may apply for the Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential in School Psychology and School Counseling.
Accreditation
State of California
Commission on Teacher Credentialing 1900 Capitol Avenue
Sacramento, California 95814-4213
Admissions Requirements
- Two current reference forms
- All other official transcripts from colleges/universities attended
- Letter of explanation if your GPA is under 3.0
- Prerequisite courses (all must be passed with a grade of a 'C' or better):
- Child Development
- Educational Statistics and Research Design
- Introduction to Psychology
- Interview with program director and committee*
*Program applicants will be required to submit an impromptu writing sample of approximately one page at the time they are scheduled to meet with the program director for an interview. The sample of written expression will be part of the documentation required to determine candidate competence. In the event that program prospects are judged by the Graduate Admission Committee to have writing deficiencies (provided they have met the other requirements) they may be accepted under the condition that they take a professional writing class.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Program learning outcomes as based on the CCTC Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) standards as well as the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Each of those standards are listed below in their independent section:
Locations Offered
North Fresno, Visalia, Merced, Bakersfield, and Synchronous Online
Program Length
The program ranges from 8-9 semesters, determined by the academic plan chosen. Cohorts begin in Fall, Spring, and Summer. Attending full time, the 90 unit program will take three years to complete. Following the sequence of courses provided, students will complete the requirements for their clear school counseling credential and the requirements for their clear school psychology credential as well as the master's degree at the end of the third year.
