Doctor of Philosophy in School Psychology

Our 111-credit Ph.D. in School Psychology program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Program curriculum includes coursework, practicum, internship, and dissertation. Completion of this program leads to an M.S.Ed., a Ph.D., Certification in School Psychology by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), and will prepare you to apply for licensure through Pennsylvania's State Board of Psychology. In addition to practicing psychology in schools, child clinics, and child service agencies, you can become licensed for the independent practice of psychology and work as university faculty. Graduates often seek employment in settings where research skills are required. Upon completing the degree program and successfully passing of the Praxis School Psychology Exam, you may be credentialed as Nationally Certified School Psychologists (NCSP). Our Ph.D. in School Psychology program at Duquesne University is designed to be consistent with the scientist-practitioner model of training. This training model and curriculum encourages future school psychologists to be both producers and consumers of science, allowing empirical research to drive one's professional practice, and allowing ongoing clinical experiences to shape future research questions. You are also trained to become professional psychologists with foundational knowledge and skills regarding psychological research, theory, and evidence-based practices. From the very first semester of study, you are involved in both on-campus research teams and real-world practicum experiences allowing for the opportunities to engage in both the scientist and practitioner roles throughout the program.

Applicants are customarily expected to have a 3.0 grade point average, based on a four-point scale, in their undergraduate work.

If your undergraduate and/or graduate degrees are from an institution located outside of the United States, you must use a transcript credential evaluation service to obtain a course-by-course report.

TOEFL minimum of 80 (internet based) with no sub-score less than 17, or 550 on the paper-based test; IELTS minimum score of 6.5 with no sub-score below 6.5 for Reading, 5.5 for Writing, 5.5 for Speaking, and 6.0 for Listening.

Students are admitted into the Ph.D. Program once per year with an annual application deadline of January 15.