Employment in a public schoolsetting generally requires certification by the State Departmentof Education. Private school, community agency, hospital, clinic,or private practice may require licensure by the State Board ofPsychology. To become a university professor in school psychologyyou typically must earn the doctoral degree. In choosing the best program for you, think about the trainingand experiences that will best prepare you to be a professionalschool psychologist. Contact these two associations to determine the approval status of programs.
Some programs provide trainingat more than one level.
However, only training at the specialistor doctoral levels meets the national standards for school psychologists. Specialist-level training involves at least 60 graduate semesterhours of training. Some programs provide specialist-level training,but award a master's degree instead of a specialist degree. Makesure that any program that awards only a master's degree is actuallypreparing you at the specialist level. A one-year internship should occur at or near the end of thetraining program.