May 02, 2024  
General Catalog 2023-2024 
    
General Catalog 2023-2024

Psychology, Ed.S.


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Psychology Educational Specialist Degree Requirements

The Educational Specialist in School Psychology is a three-year, full-time graduate program and requires a minimum of 71 units. Practicum experience is required during the first two years of coursework. The internship experience, completed during the third year of the program, requires a minimum of 1,200 hours with at least half of these hours completed in a school setting.

Students are eligible for the Pupil Personnel Credential with a specialization in School Psychology as granted by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing upon completion of the Ed.S program. Potential applicants should contact the department for application materials and additional information.

Total: 71 Units


Graduate Programs

The Master of Arts in General Education, the Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis, and Educational Specialist degrees in Psychology are designed to provide students with a comprehensive background in their specific area of study. Completion of the requirements for the M.A. in General Education either prepares students for positions in community college teaching, research, or entry into Ph.D. or Psy.D. programs in Psychology. Completion of the Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis fulfills coursework and practicum hours to apply for the BCBA. Graduates of the Ed.S. program In School Psychology are eligible for the PPS credential in school psychology and take positions as school psychologists in schools and agencies serving children birth to 21.

Admission to both Master of Arts and Ed.S. programs in Psychology is based upon the satisfactory completion of prerequisite courses selected from the core courses required for the California State University, Fresno undergraduate major in psychology, or their equivalent. Potential graduate students should submit transcripts of all academic work and three letters of recommendation. School Psychology program applicants must submit other prerequisites as outlined in the department’s application. All students must submit applications to both the Division of Graduate Admissions and the Department of Psychology.

Admission to the graduate program in psychology is based on the evaluation of a student’s capacity to successfully complete graduate level work. The department graduate committee uses multiple criteria to assess an applicant’s qualifications including coursework completed, grades, test scores, essays, and letters of recommendation. In addition, an applicant’s professional interests and goals are evaluated in terms of the interests of the faculty and the resources of the Department of Psychology. Separate evaluations of applicants are made for the M.A. general/experimental program, the M.A. ABA program, and the Ed.S. School Psychology program. Although many applicants meet our minimum admission requirements, we are limited in the number of positions available and many qualified applicants cannot be offered admission.

Admission to classified graduate standing requires a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0, as well as a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in undergraduate psychology courses. The Department of Psychology does not typically admit unclassified students into the graduate program.

In order to apply for advancement to candidacy, students in psychology graduate programs must earn grades of A or B in PSYCH 244A  and pass the Psychology Department Graduate Writing Requirement. Students in the M.A. General Experimental program must also pass and the Psychology Department Statistical Proficiency Exam.

The graduate writing requirement can be fulfilled in PSYCH 244A . Further information can be found in the course syllabus and graduate handbook.

Under the direction of a graduate advisor, a coherent program is prepared and submitted, directed toward the achievement of the student’s goal in graduate study.

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