The School Psychology Program in the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling at CSUN is geared for students who have a background in education or psychology. Applicants who are interested in entering the exciting field of school psychology and who have worked as teachers, special educators, teacher assistants, or served in other professional or paraprofessional roles in the schools will be well suited for entrance into the program. The school psychology program at CSUN is a comprehensive, three-year full time Masters of Science degree program. Students applying will be seeking both a Masters of Science in School Psychology degree and an Advanced Pupil Personnel Services Credential. Courses in the School Psychology program are offered primarily during the evening hours (4 p.m. to 10 p.m.), however, there may be occasional courses offered during the day. The mission of the school psychology program at CSUN is to prepare diverse culturally responsive school psychologists for careers within multidisciplinary school-based teams to help all students attain academic, behavioral, social, and emotional success through comprehensive and coordinated support delivery systems that provide prevention and/or appropriate interventions to help provide safe, healthy, and nurturing environments to support all students develop resilience and life success. To achieve this objective, candidates in the school psychology program use the systems ecological model to engage multi-systemic multi-tiered support to enhance developmental assets which lead to optimized life success for diverse populations. The school psychology program prepares candidates for the delivery of comprehensive school psychological services within the context of educational programs and educational settings, while emphasizing human diversity and social justice and advocacy. School psychology candidates are trained to have a background in psychological and educational theories in order to provide counseling, assessment, consultation, prevention and intervention services including academic, behavioral, emotional, and mental health needs in the schools, address school climate, school violence, and crisis intervention in the schools, and use ethics, law, and research to guide their practice. The problem-solving data-based decision-making process is emphasized in all aspects of service delivery, as well as the use of data and evidenced based interventions to maximize student success. Working at both the individual and systems level of service delivery, candidates develop the skills to facilitate collaboration among families, school personnel, and community members to create and maintain safe, supportive, and effective learning environments. They creatively use program evaluation methods, and culturally compatible educational, instructional, and program solutions to address barriers and address institutional biases that impede the learning process, social emotional adjustment, behavior, and life success of students. Through their development, candidates become competent professionals, life-long learners, innovators, social justice advocates, and leaders in the field.
