SPSY Frequently Asked Questions

No, the GRE is no longer required.

Letters of reference (LOR) should be written by individuals who are in a position to speak to the applicant's academic qualities, ability to successfully complete a graduate-level training program, and personal qualities/traits. Therefore, an applicant's former university or college faculty members are considered to be ideal referents. If it is not feasible for an applicant to obtain LOR from former faculty members, LOR should be sought from employers or work supervisors who can speak to the applicant's work ethic, collegiality and personal qualities/traits. LOR from friends, family members, etc. are typically only able to address an applicants personal qualities/traits.

The admissions committee considers all components of the application and does not deny admission based on a single criterion. 

No. Although some may find it helpful to have an undergraduate degree in the field of psychology or education, it is not required to apply to our program. Many applicants have been accepted into to our program with undergraduate degrees in a field other than psychology or education, done very well in their course work, and gone on to be outstanding school psychologists.

No. 

No. Only those individuals who have been accepted can take courses.

Perhaps. If you want to transfer in a course to replace a required course, we must be able to verify that it is equivalent to the course for which you want it to substitute, and as per Graduate College policy, the course cannot have been used for credit toward another degree. For us to review a course appropriately, the Program Coordinator will need a copy of the syllabus of the course you have taken elsewhere. Program faculty will review the syllabus to check for equivalency. Again, please be aware that any courses that were used as credit toward a degree that you have already earned cannot be used toward another degree.

Please note: You may find additional information about transferring credit here: on the MyCatalog site.

Faculty will continue to accept applications beyond January 15 until July 31 or until all new student openings are filled, whichever comes first.

If you missed the July 31 deadline or all new student openings have been filled, please apply for the following application cycle. 

No. The School Psychology Program does not require a thesis.

Yes. Each fall there are a limited number of available openings in the School Psychology program. Completed applications submitted by the January 15 deadline are considered first. 

Applications received after January 15 will be reviewed only if there are still openings for the fall and will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, with no guarantees for admission consideration.

An applicant offered admission into the program has until April 15th to accept or decline the offer. Although the vast majority of qualified applicants accept or decline immediately upon notification, some choose to wait until April 15th or later to accept/decline our offer. This means, if you submit after January 15, you may not hear from the program regarding your status until after April 15th. 

Once enough applicants have accepted our offers, the process is closed and all remaining applicants are notified by the Graduate College that they were not admitted.

Faculty begin reviewing all available applications after the January 15th deadline and the names of qualified applicants are submitted to the Graduate College as soon as they are reviewed.

As per Graduate College policy, successful qualified applicants will receive a letter from the Dean of the Graduate College notifying them they have been accepted for graduate studies at Texas State University to pursue a Specialist School Psychology (SSP) degree in School Psychology.

Within three days of receiving notice from the Graduate College, the School Psychology Program Administrative Assistant will send successful qualified applicants a packet that includes the procedure for accepting and confirming plans to attend as well as other important program information. 

Although faculty do their best to notify applicants of their status in a timely fashion, there are many factors that determine when an applicant is notified. Therefore, all applicants will be notified of their status as soon as possible.

The School Psychology program is a 69 hour Specialist Degree program and graduates receive a Specialist in School Psychology (S.S.P.) degree upon completion of the program.

Many Master's Degree programs only require 40 hours. 

Yes, The School Psychology Program at Texas State University follows a cohort model in which students progress through their course work as a group; following the same sequence of courses.

Our program is designed to be a full-time program. All courses are sequential in nature and twenty of the twenty-three program courses are prerequisites to subsequent semesters' courses. Additionally, all courses are only offered once during the academic year. This means if a student fails to take a required course during one semester, they will have to wait for a year to take it. Also, they will not be allowed to enroll in any subsequent courses required the missed prerequisite. Deviations from full-time attendance significantly delays program completion time.

For a variety of reasons, class times vary from semester to semester and year to year. In the fall and spring semesters, the most common class time is 12:30-3:20 and less commonly, 3:30-6:20 and 6:30-9:20. Some fall and spring semesters, students are placed in clinic-based and school-based practicum placements during the day. Clinic-based practicum times generally run 9:00-12:00 and school placements are two days each week from 8:00-3:00. In the summer, classes generally are offered from 9:00-1:30. 

No. Our School Psychology Program uses a face-to-face model of training.

For a detailed explanation, visit the National Association of School Psychologists page, "Who are school psychologists?"

Unless an international student has earned a degree from an accredited United States university, the Graduate College requires a passing score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). For more information, please contact 

Graduate College: 

Phone: 512.245.2581

gradcollege@txstate.edu

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

No. Specialization tracks are for those students who wish to receive a certificate indicating they have successfully completed a series of specific courses and advanced training opportunities in one of the listed areas. 

All students have the opportunity to participate in one or more of the individual components of the track even the do not sign up for a track. 

Once accepted into the program, you may apply for available Graduate Assistantships accross the campus through the Graduate College: https://www.gradcollege.txst.edu/funding/assistantships.html 

Accepted students can also access available employment opportunities through HandShake: https://txstate.joinhandshake.com/login 

This information available through the College of Education and Graduate College. Please check the Scholarships and Financial Aid Office for information regarding student scholarships.

The College of Education has its own scholarship page.

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) offers a Minority Scholarship.

Answers to this and other questions about school psychology can be found in the National Association of School Psychologists page, “A Career in School Psychology: Frequently Asked Questions.”