Ed.S. School Psychology
Overview
Make a difference where it matters most: in Oklahoma schools.
NSU’s 72-hour Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) in School Psychology prepares you to help students thrive academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally.
Program Highlights
- 3-year, full-time cohort. Learn alongside a small group of peers from start to finish.
- Flexible hybrid format. Synchronous online classes with some face-to-face sessions, plus online summer courses.
- 900 practicum hours. Real school experience starting in your first year.
- 1,200-hour internship. A full year of supervised practice in a school setting.
- Exam ready. Built-in preparation for the Praxis School Psychology exam.
What You’ll Learn
- Psychological and academic assessment
- Academic and behavioral intervention
- School-based mental health and counseling
- Consultation with teachers, families, and school teams
- MTSS and school-wide prevention
- Crisis response and trauma-informed practice
Why Now?
NASP recommends 1 school psychologist for every 500 students. In Oklahoma, it’s closer to 1 for every 3,300. As the first school psychology graduate program in eastern Oklahoma, NSU’s Ed.S.
prepares the professionals our schools need, right here at home.
Program Chair
schoolpsychologyeds@nsuok.edu
(918) 449-6574
Key Dates
Application deadline:
December 15, 2026
Interviews:
March 2027
Admission decisions:
April 2027
First cohort begins:
Fall 2027
Mission
School psychologists help students succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. They partner with families, teachers, and administrators to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments. NSU’s program prepares problem-solvers who use data, collaborate across school teams, and provide services at the individual and systems levels.
Our Ed.S. graduates will possess expertise in the following areas:
- Data-based decision making
- Consultation and collaboration
- Academic interventions and instructional support
- Mental and behavioral health services
- School-wide practices to promote learning
- Prevention and crisis response
- Family-school collaboration
- Diversity in development and learning
- Research and program evaluation
- Legal, ethical, and professional practice
Plan of Study
Year 1
Foundations, legal and ethical practice, academic and cognitive assessment, counseling,
behavior analysis, Practicum I
Year 2
Consultation, multicultural practice, social-emotional assessment, systems-level prevention, crisis response, program evaluation, Practicums II and III
Year 3
Full-year internship (1,200 clock hours)
- Total: 72 credit hours
- Practicum: 900 clock hours across three practicums
- Non-educators: complete a 1-hour, 100-clock-hour school observation course in the first fall (73 hours total)
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
- Minimum 3.00 undergraduate GPA. Applicants below 3.00 may be reviewed holistically.
- Prerequisite coursework in General Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Statistics, and Exceptional Children (or equivalent). Applicants missing prerequisites may be admitted conditionally.
- Graduate College application and departmental program application
- Official transcripts and a resume/CV
- Personal statement (3–5 pages)
- Diversity and cultural responsiveness statement (1–2 pages)
- Professional reflection statement (1–2 pages)
- Three letters of recommendation
- In-person interview (finalists only)
Admission is competitive and based on a holistic review. The program admits about 10–12 students each year.
Resources
- Ed.S. Degree Plan (pdf)
- Program Application (pdf)
- National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
- Oklahoma School Psychological Association (OSPA)
NSU’s Ed.S. in School Psychology is designed to align with the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) standards for graduate preparation. NSU will pursue NASP program review and approval when the program becomes eligible.
NASP is the national professional organization for school psychologists. It sets the standards that guide school psychology training programs nationwide.