Coursework
Course Requirements
Azusa Pacific University’s embedded program pairs the Master of Arts in Education: Educational Psychology and Pupil Personnel Services Credential: School Psychology for a broader, more marketable approach for school psychologists.
A requirement in completing the credential includes either fieldwork or an internship. Candidates applying for an internship credential may submit their application for the internship credential near the end of the program after the 13 prerequisites have been met. An internship credential is appropriate for candidates who have secured a paid internship position at a public school in the field of school psychology.
Students take courses in the following sequence and are required to seek academic advising prior to initial registration.
| YEAR 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | ||
EDCO 533 Counseling Theories and Techniques* | 3 | |
EDCO 557 Human Growth, Development, and Learning* | 3 | |
| Term 2 | ||
EDCO 593 Historical Development of School Counseling and School Psychology* | 3 | |
EDPY 624 Disabilities in Children (Mild, Moderate, and Severe)* | 3 | |
| Term 3 | ||
EDCO 545 Positive Behavior Supports and Classroom Intervention* | 3 | |
EDCO 572 Psychobiology and Psychopharmacology* | 3 | |
| Term 4 | ||
EDPY 556 Academic Assessment and Intervention* | 3 | |
EDCO 592 Foundations and Ethics in Research* | 3 | |
| Term 5 | ||
EDCO 528 Community, Family, and School Collaboration* | 3 | |
EDCO 535 Professionalism, Ethics, and Law* | 3 | |
| Students will have located a practicum site. | ||
| YEAR 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | ||
EDPY 635A Role and Function of a School Psychologist: Positive Behavior Supports | 1 | |
EDPY 681 Psychoeducational Assessment I* | 3 | |
EDPY 690 Advanced Individual Research* | 1–3 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
EDPY 635B Role and Function of a School Psychologist: Individual/Group Counseling | 1 | |
EDPY 636 Research and Evaluation in School Psychology* | 3 | |
EDPY 682 Psychoeducational Assessment II* | 3 | |
| Semester 3 | ||
EDPY 635C Role and Function of a School Psychologist: Assessment | 1 | |
EDPY 637 Child Psychopathology: Assessment and Treatment* | 3 | |
EDPY 683 Psychoeducational Assessment III* | 3 | |
| Students will have located an internship/fieldwork site. | ||
| YEAR 3 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student Begins Fieldwork/Internship | |||||||||||
| Semester 4 | |||||||||||
EDCO 550 Crisis/Trauma Response and Interventions | 3 | ||||||||||
EDPY 633 Multicultural and Bilingual Assessment and Intervention | 3 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Semester 5 | |||||||||||
EDPY 697 Readings in School Psychology | 3 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Total | 66 units | ||||||||||
* Prerequisites must be completed prior to internship/fieldwork.
Additional Requirements
- Students must earn a passing score of 165 on the Praxis 2 exam to demonstrate their competence in school psychology prior to completion of the program. Upon passing the Praxis 2 with a score of 165, the student is eligible to apply to become a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP).
- Students prepare a Graduate Research Project which includes a formal research paper and a program evaluation. The Graduate Research Project content summarizes a topic which the student chooses to study in depth. The evaluation is a reflection on professional growth during the program. The research portion of the project will be completed in EDPY 636/EDPY 690 for students entering the program in fall 2011. In addition to the Graduate Research Project, students are required to present their research paper to a panel.
- Students will complete a performance-based portfolio during Internship/Fieldwork.
Advisory Notes
Students intending to pursue two Master of Arts in Education degrees should review the university requirements for additional master’s degrees as stated in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the catalog.
Students cannot pursue the Master of Arts in Education: Educational Counseling as a second master’s degree after completing the requirements for the Master of Arts in Education: Educational Psychology.
- The practicum experience at APU consists of 450 hours (required by the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing). A minimum of 300 hours must be completed in a pre-K–12 public school setting. Up to 150 hours may be completed through on-campus agencies (e.g., child study centers, psychology clinic) or community-based agencies (e.g., private schools, community-based mental health clinics). These hours are to be completed prior to beginning Fieldwork/Internship. The required hours are to be completed under the direct supervision of a credentialed school psychologist with no fewer than two years of experience.
- At some sites, students may need to delay enrollment until there is a sufficient number of beginning students to provide the appropriate adult learning opportunities. Applicants can obtain detailed information about dates for beginning coursework by requesting an advisement appointment at the Azusa campus or any of the regional centers.
- Students in an educational counseling or educational psychology program may request to waive a course (see “Waivers” in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the catalog) provided that the student can document completion of an equivalent course at another institution in the five-year period prior to requesting the waiver. Department approval of the request is required. If the course accepted for waiver also meets all the university standards for transfer credit (see “Transfer Credit” section in the academic catalog), up to 20 percent of the total program units may be transferred to meet requirements. If the course accepted for waiver does not meet the university standards for transfer credit (i.e., not applicable to a master’s degree at the university where it was taken, not taken from a regionally accredited institution, etc.), then the student must choose alternative elective courses to satisfy the unit requirements of the degree program.
- A student has a maximum of five years to complete all coursework, including waivers and transfer of units, beginning the first date of enrollment for coursework in the degree program.
- Students approaching program completion must obtain a credential application from the credential analyst office in the Department of Teacher Education. Students must complete all credential requirements to apply for the credential.
- Students approaching graduation must obtain an Intent to Graduate Form from the graduate registrar at least 90 days before intended graduation. The graduate registrar will determine whether the student has met all requirements.
- Remediation will be required for grades lower than a B in any course. The remediation does not change the course grade, but demonstrates competency that allows the school counseling or school psychology candidate to proceed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many units do I take each semester?
Most candidates are working adults and do not take classes full time. Half-time students take at least five units every 15 weeks. Academic advising is highly recommended to determine a suitable course load.
How long is a semester?
A semester is 15 weeks, including final exams.
How many hours does each class session require?
Classes meet for approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes, once a week.
How many evenings per week do I attend classes?
Most classes meet once per week either in the evening or on a Saturday.
How many students will there be in my classes?
APU is noted for its small classes with personalized attention. Most courses
do not exceed 20 students.
Does APU require theses, dissertations, or capstone projects?
The program requires each student to take a comprehensive exam and to write
a final growth assessment paper.
How soon can I finish this program?
Depending upon the desired course load, working individuals can finish this
program in three years.
