FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Division of Psychology and Counseling at the University of Saint Francis announces the launch of its new School Psychology program to help meet the demand for qualified school psychologists in northeast Indiana.
The program will offer two degree levels including a 30-hour master’s degree (MS) and a 36-hour specialist degree (PsyS). The specialist degree builds off the master’s degree program and is required to be eligible for Indiana state licensure as a school psychologist.
“We are very pleased to be able to offer a degree in School Psychology to meet the needs of school districts and special education cooperatives in northeast Indiana,” said Dr. John Brinkman, director of the School Psychology program. “This is something we have been planning for a few years now, and it has been exciting to see the enthusiasm of all involved, including the students, the faculty, and representatives from the Indiana Department of Education, as well as our partnering schools.”
Graduate preparation in the School Psychology program will train students to apply principles of psychology and counseling in an education setting, collaborating with educators and families to identify learning and behavioral challenges for academic interventions and to support social-emotional programing.
Due to demand for trained school psychologists by schools and student demand for a psychology training program in northeast Indiana, the division will admit two new cohorts of students for each degree level beginning with the fall 2019 semester.
The division has held two advisory council meetings over the last year to partner with school districts and special services cooperatives to ensure the program provides quality training and to ensure the program meets the needs of the P-12 school environment.
“We have a serious shortage in Indiana regarding school psychologists and we need more programs that are accessible to people who are continuing to work within the education profession but would also like to become school psychologists. I’m very pleased the University of Saint Francis is providing a program to address this need,” said Mary Burton, Executive Director of Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative.
The program features late afternoon and evening classes, allowing professionals to continue working while earning their degrees. The university has also reduced tuition for graduate programs in the Division of Psychology and Counseling. Additionally, students are eligible for paid graduate assistantships requiring 10 hours per week.
Although students have been admitted to both degree levels, the division is still recruiting motivated and qualified students for the 2019 inaugural class. Potential students may learn more and apply to the program at https://majors.sf.edu/school-psychology/
For further information, contact Dr. John Brinkman, Director of School Psychology, at 260-399-7700, ext. 8425, or email jbrinkman@sf.edu.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 70 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the School of Health Sciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership and School of Creative Arts. In addition to its traditional programs, USF designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. USF Downtown houses the university’s business and music technology programs while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis campus experience includes 16 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships, and is recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution. Approximately 2,200 students from a broad geographic region attend USF.