Course Descriptions

School Psychology

School Psychology Course Descriptions All courses numbered at the 500 level may be open to undergraduates properly qualified to take them by permission of the Department Chair.

Courses

  • Explores major research designs and methods emphasizing underlying assumptions, inquiry aims, participant selection, data collection and analysis, interpretation of findings, conclusions, and reporting.

  • Comprehensive study of emotional and behavior disorders experienced by children and adolescents including diagnostic criteria for clinical and school psychology applications. Includes administration, scoring and interpretation of child/parent interviews, child self-report measures, parent rating scales, and intervention planning and report writing. Prerequisites: SPY 620

  • Examines the diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology within the counseling relationship. Introduces the DSM-IV; explores the dynamics of psychopathology and identifies the criteria associated with specific mental disorders; and considers the role of psychopharmacology in treatment. Case material and analyses are presented. Students are expected to demonstrate knowledge of a broad range of psychopathology, competency in the use of the DSM-IV as a diagnostic framework, and the ability to integrate their views in the form of comprehensive psychological reports.

  • A survey of psychological, physical, cognitive, communication, and social/emotional exceptionalities in human development; application techniques for developing effective classroom behavior management, identifies psychological needs of families and teachers of exceptional children.

  • This course focuses on the theoretical, scientific, and practical issues, in professional School Counseling and School Psychology and their development within the framework of the American public school systems. The impact of the development of the profession, of national organizations and accreditation, and ethical and legal guidelines of the professions will be examined. The structure of guidance programs and psychological services within various school settings, with particular attention to the context of a multicultural urban educational setting will be reviewed. The role of prevention/mental health programs within the American public school will be explored.

  • Covers aspects of quasi-experimental design, program evaluation and methods of analysis of psychological data. Prerequisite: EDR 601

  • Discusses life-span theories of development, models of moral, intellectual, and sexual development, normal and abnormal behavior and learning theories; addresses developmental interventions and relates them to the needs of specific client populations.

  • Development of reading, mathematics and language arts processes and methods for their assessment; assessment of visual, auditory, haptic, and language disorders; assessment of learning styles; learning strategies, special populations; direct methods of assessment of academic behavior. Students will be taught to incorporate the outcomes of these assessments into the psychological report.

  • Provides applied learning for the administration, scoring, and interpretation of individual intelligence measures for school-ages youth (i.e. ages 5-21 years). Encompasses written and oral reports of results relevant to the multi-factored assessment model used in school psychology. Prerequisite: SPY 612

  • Provides applied learning for the administration, scoring, and interpretation of behavioral and personality measures, such as parent/teacher/child interviews, youth self-report measures, standardized rating scales, and projective techniques. Encompasses written and oral reports to integrate results relevant to psychological services in educational settings, for example identification of emotional handicaps, intervention planning, and crises intervention. Prerequisites: SPY 552 and SPY 613

  • Reviews psychology of learning, integrating applied behavior management techniques. Students are trained in functional behavior assessment, and in counseling parents and teachers in the psychology of behavior management.

  • Identifies the needs and issues relevant to counseling special populations. This course will explore the influence of gender, age, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and physical and mental disabilities in the counseling relationship. Counseling interventions appropriate for specific populations will be addressed. Prerequisites: SPY 652 and SPY 686

  • Emphasizes observational, developmental and psychological assessment of children 0 to 5. Early intervention models are discussed. Prerequisites: SPY 571, SPY 612, and SPY 613 or equivalent

  • Introduction to the foundations of functional neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and neuropathology. Brain behavior relationships are introduced using a clinical neuropsychological approach. A life span approach is emphasized. Prerequisite: SPY 612

  • Focus on collaboration with teachers on design, implementation, and evaluation of intervention strategies tied to the integration of psychological and educational assessment outcomes. Prerequisites: SPY 571 and SPY 613

  • Students are placed one day each week in a school setting to observe school psychologists and special education settings. Supervision by School Psychology faculty and on-site supervisor. Prerequisite: Approval by the faculty and acceptance by placement site

  • 1200 - 1500 hours of supervised field training designed to refine existing competencies in formal and informal assessment, consultation, and intervention. Prerequisites: Completion of all other coursework, approval by the faculty, and acceptance by placement site. (See "additional requirements" above) By permission

  • Presents the major theories and practices in individual counseling. Topics include: case conceptualization; treatment planning; case management; relationship building; problem-solving; and outcome assessment. Emphasis is placed on development of counseling micro skills within the context of the helping relationship. Prerequisites: SPY 686

  • Discusses major concepts in group counseling theory and practice. Students develop competence in group counseling relationship development and application of group counseling theory and practice to coordination of group work. Prerequisite: SPY 629

  • Presents the principles and theories of consultation and examines the practices of the counselor as a consultant in schools and related settings. Process models of consultation are discussed. Prerequisite: SPY 586

  • Examines various counseling models, associated theories and interventions, and their application to the rapport building, assessment, problem identification, and intervention phases of the counseling process. Students may be required to prepare case studies and to demonstrate selected techniques.

  • Independent research under the direction of a faculty member. Ongoing research must be presented at the student forum. The completed study must be formally presented to the faculty. Final write-up is expected to be publication quality. Offered with the credit/no credit option only. Prerequisites: EDR 601 and co-requisite SPY 608

  • Research in residence or continuous registration for all departments/schools offering graduate programs.

School Psychology Sample Course Sequence

Prerequisites

  • Introduction to testing, including discussion of validity, reliability and overview of testing instruments in clinical, educational and industrial settings. Prerequisite: MAT 152 ($30 fee) and PSY 281. (Fall, Spring)

  • Survey of theoretical approaches to the study of personality, from Freudian theory to contemporary theories. Prerequisite: PSY 281. (Fall, Spring)

  • Analysis of human development from conception, through old age, with emphasis on theory and, research as they relate to changes in, physiological, cognitive and affective processes, throughout the lifespan. Prerequisite: PSY 281., (Fall, Spring, Summer)

  • Theories of abnormal behavior, pathological syndromes, methods of treatment and prevention. Prerequisite: PSY 325. (Fall)

  • Study of basic neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, including the neurological bases of emotion, psychopathology, sleep, memory and learning. Prerequisite: PSY 281. (Spring)



Master's Degree

Fall (Year 1)

  • A survey of psychological, physical, cognitive, communication, and social/emotional exceptionalities in human development; application techniques for developing effective classroom behavior management, helps students increase their sensitivity to the psychological needs of families and teachers of exceptional children.

  • Examines major and emerging counseling models and theories and interventions, and their application to the counseling process. Students are expected to begin to develop a personal model of counseling.

  • Discusses life-span theories of development, models of moral, intellectual, and sexual development, normal and abnormal behavior and learning theories and relates them to the needs of specific client populations.

  • Development of reading, mathematics and language arts processes and methods for their assessment; assessment of visual, auditory, haptic and language disorders; assessment of learning styles; learning strategies, special populations; direct methods of assessment of academic behavior. Students will be taught to incorporate the outcomes for these assessments into the psychological report.

Spring (Year 1)

  • Explores major research designs and methods emphasizing underlying assumptions, inquiry aims, participant selection, data collection and analysis, interpretation of findings, conclusions, and reporting.

  • Presents the major theories and practices in individual counseling. Topics include: case conceptualization; treatment planning; case management; relationship building; problem-solving; and outcome assessment. Emphasis is placed on development of counseling micro skills within the context of the helping relationship. Prerequisites: SPY 686

  • Reviews psychology of learning, integrating applied behavior management techniques. Students are trained in functional behavior assessment, and in counseling parents and teachers in the psychology of behavior management.

  • Provides applied learning for the administration, scoring, and interpretation of individual intelligence measures for school-ages youth (i.e. ages 5-21 years). Encompasses written and oral reports of results relevant to the multi-factored assessment model used in school psychology. Prerequisite: SPY 612

Summer 1 (Year 1)

  • This course focuses on the theoretical, scientific, and practical issues, in professional School Counseling and School Psychology and their development within the framework of the American public school systems. The impact of the development of the profession, of national organizations and accreditation, and ethical and legal guidelines of the professions will be examined. The structure of guidance programs and psychological services within various school settings, with particular attention to the context of a multicultural urban educational setting will be reviewed. The role of prevention/mental health programs within the American public school will be explored.

  • Identifies the needs and issues relevant to counseling special populations. This course will explore the influence of gender, age, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and physical and mental disabilities in the counseling relationship. Counseling interventions appropriate for specific populations will be addressed. Prerequisites: SPY 652 and SPY 686



Specialist Degree

Summer 2 (Year 2)

  • Presents the principles and theories of consultation and examines the practices of the counselor as a consultant in schools and related settings. Process models of consultation are discussed. Prerequisite: SPY 586

  • Examines the diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology within the counseling relationship. Introduces the DSM-IV; explores the dynamics of psychopathology and identifies the criteria associated with specific mental disorders; and considers the role of psychopharmacology in treatment. Case material and analyses are presented. Students are expected to demonstrate knowledge of a broad range of psychopathology, competency in the use of the DSM-IV as a diagnostic framework, and the ability to integrate their views in the form of comprehensive psychological reports.

Fall (Year 2)

  • Covers aspects of quasi-experimental design, program evaluation and methods of analysis of psychological data. Prerequisite: EDR 601

  • Students are placed one day each week in a school setting to observe school psychologists and special education settings. Supervision by School Psychology faculty and on-site supervisor. Prerequisite: Approval by the faculty and acceptance by placement site

  • Focus on collaboration with teachers on design, implementation, and evaluation of intervention strategies tied to the integration of psychological and educational assessment outcomes. Prerequisites: SPY 571 and SPY 613

  • Comprehensive study of emotional and behavior disorders experienced by children and adolescents including diagnostic criteria for clinical and school psychology applications. Includes administration, scoring and interpretation of child/parent interviews, child self-report measures, parent rating scales, and intervention planning and report writing. Prerequisites: SPY 620

Spring (Year 2)

  • Provides applied learning for the administration, scoring, and interpretation of behavioral and personality measures, such as parent/teacher/child interviews, youth self-report measures, standardized rating scales, and projective techniques. Encompasses written and oral reports to integrate results relevant to psychological services in educational settings, for example identification of emotional handicaps, intervention planning, and crises intervention. Prerequisites: SPY 552 and SPY 613

  • Discusses major concepts in group counseling theory and practice. Students develop competence in group counseling relationship development and application of group counseling theory and practice to coordination of group work. Prerequisite: SPY 629

  • Students are placed one day each week in a school setting to observe school psychologists and special education settings. Supervision by School Psychology faculty and on-site supervisor. Prerequisite: Approval by the faculty and acceptance by placement site

  • Emphasizes observational, developmental and psychological assessment of children 0 to 5. Early intervention models are discussed. Prerequisites: SPY 571, SPY 612, and SPY 613 or equivalent

  • Independent research under the direction of a faculty member. Ongoing research must be presented at the student forum. The completed study must be formally presented to the faculty. Final write-up is expected to be publication quality. Offered with the credit/no credit option only. Prerequisites: EDR 601 and co-requisite SPY 608

Summer 1 (Year 2)

  • Introduction to the foundations of functional neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and neuropathology. Brain behavior relationships are introduced using a clinical neuropsychological approach. A life span approach is emphasized. Prerequisite: SPY 612

  • Survey of the knowledge and teaching strategies necessary to understand the nature of the reading act and the basic principles of reading instruction. Included is the use of professional resources to investigate historical and current trends in reading instruction.

Fall (Year 3)

  • 1200 - 1500 hours of supervised field training designed to refine existing competencies in formal and informal assessment, consultation, and intervention. Prerequisites: Completion of all other coursework, approval by the faculty, and acceptance by placement site. (See "additional requirements" above) By permission

  • Surveys the principles and strategies of ESOL, with emphasis on their practical applications for teaching the basic content areas to classes with students of Limited English Proficiency.

  • Independent research under the direction of a faculty member. Ongoing research must be presented at the student forum. The completed study must be formally presented to the faculty. Final write-up is expected to be publication quality. Offered with the credit/no credit option only. Prerequisites: EDR 601 and co-requisite SPY 608

Spring (Year 3)

  • 1200 - 1500 hours of supervised field training designed to refine existing competencies in formal and informal assessment, consultation, and intervention. Prerequisites: Completion of all other coursework, approval by the faculty, and acceptance by placement site. (See "additional requirements" above) By permission

  • Research in residence or continuous registration for all departments/schools offering graduate programs.

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