Dr. Brent Duncan
Dr. William Reynolds
Dr. Emily Sommerman

· All applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with an overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and have taken the basic prerequisites in Psychology (see below).

· Passing scores on the California Basic Educational Skills Test(CBEST)

· Statement of Intent outlining the applicant's motivations and goals for graduate study and how prior education and work relate to School Psychology.

· Three current letters of recommendation from university faculty, and employees or professionals who can discuss academic and professional potential.

* Undergraduate prerequisites include:

General Psychology (HSU PSYC 104)
Research Methods (HSU PSYC 242)
Developmental Psychology (HSU PSYC 311)
Introductory Statistics (HSU PSYC 241)
Personality Theory (HSU PSYC 337) or Abnormal Psychology (HSU PSYC 438)

Equivalent course work, volunteer, or work-related experiences from other disciplines will be considered. In such cases, a request for waiver will need to be submitted.

Application Deadline is January 15. However, we will accept applications until August 1 or we accept a full cohort.

Fill out an online CSU application (be sure to designate HSU!) at www.csumentor.edu/AdmissionApp/.

Send one official transcript of ALL college work (current HSU students need not to request transcripts) to:

Office of Admissions
Humboldt State University
Arcata, CA 95521
(707) 826-3949

AND

Submit the following to:

Graduate Admissions
Department of Psychology
Humboldt State University
Arcata, CA 95521
(707) 826-5264
FAX (707) 826-4993

· One official transcript of ALL college work (current HSU students need not to request transcripts)

· Three letters of recommendation from university faculty, and employers or professionals who can discuss academic and professional potential.

· CBEST Scores (Required, all sections passed)

· Prerequisite Verification Form

· Statement of Intent - Please respond to the following questions. (Include your address and phone number on the first page)

1.) Why have you selected school psychology as a profession?

2.) What strengths will you bring to the program and what weaknesses will you need to improve?

3.) Briefly describe a day in your professional life five years from today.

Overview

The HSU School Psychology Program provides future school psychologists with a solid professional and academic foundation reflecting depth and diversity in both psychology and education. The program fosters special sensitivity to cultural diversity and respect for the uniqueness and human dignity of each person. Self- awareness, regard for others, and respect for cultural and individual differences are actively cultivated and expected of all students.

Professional preparation also concentrates on specific skill development in a number of areas, but the major emphasis is on the preparation of school psychologists as highly competent problem solvers. Rather than being trained to respond to specific problems in specific ways, students are prepared to draw upon a personal foundation in psychology and education to effectively develop and implement strategies for preventing or resolving problems as they occur. They learn to collaborate with other helping professionals and with parents in serving the mental health and educational needs of all children. Finally, they know how to access information to find answers to questions or problems that they have not encountered in their training.

Given the scope and the speed of change in the social sciences and related professions, students must have the capability to access both print and electronic sources of information in order to stay current and professionally competent.

Program Philosophy and Guiding Principles

There is a tremendous concern throughout the nation concerning our failure to educate effectively large numbers of children. The American Psychological Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, and others have been strong and effective advocates for the importance of delivering psychological services to children and families within schools as one way of addressing this problem. Many students who are at significant risk for educational failure come from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, or from families who have difficulty supporting their children's scholastic success. Students with learning difficulties, social or emotional problems, or who have other handicaps are also at significant risk for school failure. We believe that the mission of the school psychology program at Humboldt State University is to train highly skilled scientist-practitioners, capable of functioning in diverse and demanding public school environments.

We believe that a primary goal for school psychology is the prevention of school failure for all children. We also believe that school psychologists can be of enormous assistance in the design of developmentally appropriate school programs for children with and without handicaps, and those whose behavior impedes their own learning or the learning of others.

HSU trained school psychologists, through the skilled application of their knowledge, work with teachers and other school professionals to identify, clarify and resolve problems regarding the educational and mental health needs of children.

Using academic knowledge and professional skills, school psychologists approach problems of children in both direct service work, and indirectly by assisting others to gain knowledge or skills that can result in a more successful public school experience for all children.

The general objectives of the program for all students therefore progress along two lines:

-The development of a sound theoretical and empirical knowledge base about the normal and abnormal development of children.

-The skilled application of this knowledge within the context of public schools in an effort to maximize success and prevent school failure.

Faculty and students from the HSU school psychology program conduct research, develop intervention models, and collaborate with local practitioners regarding the educational and psychological needs of demanding and heterogeneous pupil population.

The program philosophy, highly skilled faculty and staff, refined sequence of graduate courses, and the interaction between the program and community resources and professionals has contributed to a program of excellence as demonstrated by our students and the professional school psychologists that they become.