School Psychology Doctoral Program Philosophy, Aims, and Compentencies
The School Psychology Program's philosophy holds that one learns best by engaging in evidence-based intervention. The program mission is to apply behavioral scientific knowledge and methods to the assessment and treatment of learning, behavior, and psychosocial problems in regular and special education populations in the public schools. Our program emphasizes functional analytic, collaborative, and data-based decision making expressed in the following themes:
- An appreciation and respect for the special attributes, dignity, diversity, and unique characteristics of each student as a contributor to our culture;
- A commitment to support the best interests of students over and above bureaucratic and procedural demands of institutions;
- An emphasis on the scientist-practitioner model of problem solving directed at behavioral assessment, intervention, follow-up treatment, consultation, applied and basic research, and on-going program evaluation.
- Our training model assumes that the primary functions of a school psychologist are relevant to both academic and social issues within the public school system. An additional tenet of this training model is that the school psychologist's service is most effective when it is approached from a data-based decision making orientation.
- These goals and the manner in which they are operationalized are consistent with the Stephen F. Austin State University mission, which states that the University is a comprehensive institution dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative work, and service. These goals also reflect the mission of the James I. Perkins College of Education, which is to prepare competent, successful, caring and enthusiastic professionals dedicated to responsible service, leadership, and continued professional and intellectual development.
- Through the personal attention of our faculty and staff, we engage our students in a learner-centered environment and offer opportunities to prepare for the challenges of living in the global community.
Graduates will be qualified to contribute substantially to the following needs and service trends:
- provision of scientific research-based intervention services to children for academic
- behavioral and emotional problems within the schools, where they can be delivered most immediately and effectively
- provision of prevention services through assessment screenings, systems analysis, and data analysis
Doctoral Course Curriculum
Year One
| Fall | Spring | Summer I & II |
| EPS 560: Learn/Cognitive Dev | EPS 545: Indiv. Intelligence Testing | SPE 562: Inst. Stat/Except Learners |
| EPS 544: Psychoed. Assessment | EPS 502: Applied Behavior Analysis | SPE 567: Ed. Exceptional Children |
| EPS 550: Research Methods | EPS 565: School Psychology | COU 535: Multicultural Counseling |
| PSY 501: Advanced Psychology Statistics | EPS 580: Human Neuroscience | EPS 501: Ethics in School Psychology |
| Total: 12 hours | Total: 12 hours | Total: 12 hours |
Year Two
| Fall | Spring | Summer I & II |
| COU 522: Family Counseling | EPS 555: Practicum | EPS 563: Consultation and Supervision |
| EPS 561: Social Basis of Beh | EPS 590: Thesis Writing | EPS 530: Systems and Interventions |
|
EPS 589: Thesis Research (Advisor)
Committee identified and proposal |
EPS 666: Verbal Behavior |
EPS 601: Behavior Ethics (optional for BCBA certification) |
| EPS 585: Adv. Human Gr. & Develp. | EPS 665: Advanced School Psychology | Masters Comprehensive Exam |
| Total: 12 hours | Total: 12 hours | Total: 9 hours |
Year Three
| Fall | Spring | Summer I & II |
| EPS 595A: Intern SCH/PSY |
EPS 595B: Internship Praxis Testing |
EPS 672: Advanced Neuropsychological Assessment |
| EPS 668: Child/Family Assessment | EPS 650: Advanced Research Methods | EPS 655: Practicum |
| EPS 685: Child/Adolesc. Psychopath | EPS 653: Adv. Sing. Sub. Res. Meth. | EPS 661: History & Systems |
| EPS 652: Single Case Res. Methods | EPS 623: Ethics | Prepare for Internship Application |
| Total: 12 hours | Total: 12 hours | Total: 9 hours |
Year Four
| Fall | Spring | Summer I & II |
| EPS 671: Severe Dev. Disab./Autism | EPS 623: Child and Adolescent Therapy | EPS 690: Dissertation |
| EPS 655: Practicum | EPS 602: Applied Behavior Analysis | |
| EPS 651: Multivariate Anaylsis | EPS 655: Practicum | |
|
EPS 690: Dissertation
Committee identified and completed |
EPS 690: Dissertation | |
| Submit Internship Application | ||
|
Doctoral Comprehensive Examination/ Dissertation Completion and Oral Defense |
||
| Total: 12 hours | Total: 12 hours | Total: 3 hours |
Year Five
| Fall | Spring | Summer I & II |
| EPS 695: Internship | EPS 695: Internship | N/A |
| Total: 3 hours | Total: 3 hours |
Printable Doctoral Course Listing
Potential Students
Financial SupportCurrent Students
Dissertation Proposal Approval Form
Application for Dissertation Examination
Report of Dissertation Form
18 Characteristics of the Doctoral Program
18 Characteristics of Texas Public Doctoral ProgramsRecent School Psychology Doctoral Dissertations
2016
| Frank Gomez | Predicting Academic Performance: A Commitment Perspective |
| Sarah Law | Evaluating the Use of Brief Experimental Analyses of Writing Interventions with Elementary Students |
| Jacklyn Peppard | Moderating Effects of Parental Involvement on Bullying and Somatization |
2015
| Summer Koltonski | Using Relational Frame Theory to Teach Nutritional Skills |
| Mihaela Mateescu | Academic Entitlement |
| Joshua Staley | The college athlete" An investigation of athletic identity and student university fit as predictors of a college athletes psychological well-being |
2014
| Laura Cooper | Complex Trauma and Peer Attachment in Juvenile Justice Involved Youth |
| Sarah Halle | Teaching Social Skills to Students with Autism: A Video Modeling Social Stories Approach |
| Elizabeth Kelly | The Production and Validation of a Compute-based Designed Instructional Program for Teaching Behavior Analytic Concepts |
| John Thomas Lacy | Increasing Students' Time Outside and Rate of Participation with ActivExpression 2 |
| Marilyn L. Rumph | Application of Neural Network Technology for School Psychology |
2013
| Carol Bradley | Behavioral Interventions for Food Refusal in Children |
| Melanie Kellam | The Therapeutic Alliance as a Mediator between Attachment and Symptom Distress: Comparing Women With and Without a History of Child Sexual Abuse |
2012
| Stevie Malnar | Review of Literature: Teacher-Child Interaction Therapy and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy |