PsyD School Psychology

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Chicago

Program Overview

The PsyD School Psychology degree is a 94 credit hour applied doctoral program that prepares students for licensure as School Psychologists and as Clinical Psychologists in the State of Illinois. It combines our NASP approved EdS curriculum with additional coursework, internship, and dissertation requirements to prepare graduates for clinical practice at the doctoral level.

Program Accreditation

The PsyD School Psychology program at the Chicago Campus is accredited on contingency by the American Psychological Association through the date of July 19, 2025. 

Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

The American Psychological Association
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
750 First Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20002-4242
202.336.5979

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program students will be able to:

Professional Practice

• Use psychological and educational assessment measures in a nondiscriminatory, valid, and reliable manner to make data based decisions.
• Select, design, implement, and evaluate effective multi-tiered evidence-based preventative and responsive academic, social and life skills practices and interventions for children and adolescents.
• Demonstrate knowledge of supervision models and demonstrate effective supervision practices.
• Demonstrate knowledge of consultation and change models and will demonstrate effective consultations practices with families, schools, and systems, while respecting and collaborating with other roles and professions.
• Use positive and clear communication to develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals, including children, families, peers, professionals and community members.

Diversity

• Apply an understanding of individual and cultural differences effectively in multicultural and pluralistic social contexts.

Professional Behavior

• Demonstrate a commitment to professional ethics and standards for School and Clinical Psychologists as defined by the National Association of School Psychologists and the American Psychological Association.
• Students will behave in ways that reflect the values and attitudes of psychology, demonstrate integrity, develop a professional identity, engage in self-reflection, and demonstrate openness and responsiveness to feedback and supervision

Scholarship

• Plan, conduct, and evaluate applied psychological and educational research.

Licensure

For information on where The Chicago School meets, does not meet, or has not determined if the program meets licensure eligibility requirements for the  state in which you wish to be licensed, please visit: https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/admissions/licensure-disclosures/.

Admission Requirements

For information on where The Chicago School is currently authorized, licensed, registered, exempt or not subject to approval, please visit https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/why-us/state-authorization/

Post Baccalaureate Admission Requirements

Application to The Chicago School’s PsyD School Psychology program is open to any person who has earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and who meets other entrance requirements:

• Generally, an undergraduate GPA of a 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for admission.
• Applicants must submit official transcripts from all schools where a degree was earned.
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae.
• An admission essay.
• Three letters of recommendation from academic professors or professional or volunteer supervisors.
• An admission interview.
• Work experience recommended but not required for admission.
• Prerequisites: undergraduate courses (a course in psychology and a course in either statistics or research methods) that must be completed prior to enrollment, with a grade earned of “C” or better.
• The Graduate Record Examination (GRE).  Scores should be sent directly to the school (GRE School Code: 1119).
• $50.00 (USD) application fee.

Post Specialist/Equivalent Degree​ Admission Requirements

Application to The Chicago School’s Psy.D. School Psychology (completion) program is open to any person who has earned a specialist level certificate or degree in School Psychology or equivalent degree or credential from an institutionally accredited institution that is also NASP approved or accredited, who is currently credentialed or eligible to be credentialed as a National Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) (credential to be completed prior to completion of first year of instruction), and who meets other entrance requirements:

• Generally, an undergraduate GPA of a 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for admission.
• Applicants must submit official transcripts from all schools where a degree was earned.
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae.
• An admission essay.
• Three letters of recommendation from academic professors or professional or volunteer supervisors.
• Work experience recommended but not required for admission.
• $50.00 (USD) application fee.

Progression Requirement: Post-Specialist Level entry point applicants must have completed graduate-level coursework in psychometrics and statistics with a grade of “B” or better, or they will be required to complete SP 550 Principles of Psychometrics  and/or SP 565 Statistics  Statistics prior to or concurrent with enrollment in the program.

Applicant Notification

The Chicago School reviews applications on a rolling basis. Once review begins, complete applications will be considered by the Admission Committee and the student is quickly notified of the admission decision. The Chicago School does not share information or provide any feedback regarding admission decisions.

If a student is offered admission, in order to secure a place in the incoming class, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $500 will be required by the deposit deadline indicated in the offer of admission. The non-refundable deposit will be applied in full toward the student’s tuition upon enrollment.

Degree Completion Requirements

Post Baccalaureate Degree Completion Requirements

• Successful completion of 94 hours of coursework
• Successful completion of 1260 hours of practicum:
  • Beginning Practicum: 160 hours minimum
  • Intermediate practicum: 550 hours minimum
  • Advanced practicum: 550 hours minimum
• Successful completion of a minimum of 1750 clock hours over 12 months minimum of supervised internship
• Successful completion of dissertation
• A student must complete all degree requirements within seven academic years. Exceptions to this policy require departmental approval.

Post Specialist/Equivalent Degree Completion Requirements

• Successful completion of 36 hours of coursework
• Successful completion of a minimum 550 hours of advanced practicum
• Successful completion of a minimum of 1750 clock hours over 12 months minimum of supervised internship
• Successful completion of dissertation
• A student must complete all degree requirements within six academic years. Exceptions to this policy require departmental approval.

Residency Requirement    

Students must complete coursework in residence at The Chicago School in part through full time study as defined here: 

• Successfully complete three full-time academic years of graduate study;    

• At least two of the three full-time academic years of graduate study must be at the student’s home Chicago School campus;  

• At least one of the full-time academic years must be in full-time residency (i.e., completed in the Program while enrolled full-time). 

Policies 

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures: Academic Calendar, Admissions Requirements, Attendance, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Credit Hour Residency Requirement, Service Learning, and Transfer and Nontraditional Credit Hours. 

Articulation Agreements

The Chicago School has established agreements between the PsyD School Psychology program and the programs listed below to allow qualified students to associate courses taken in other The Chicago School programs so they can be counted toward degree completion requirements for both programs.Click on the link of the program that interests you for details.

EdS School Psychology and PsyD School Psychology    

Ethical Guidelines

Graduates will demonstrate commitment to the ethical guidelines adopted by the National Association of School Psychologists’ Professional Conduct Manual, which contains “Principles for Professional Ethics” and the “Standards for the Provision of School Psychological Services” and those adopted by the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists. For example, students shall not engage in employment beyond the scope of their training and may not use titles governed by certification and licensure statutes. Students that fail to adhere to ethical and legal guidelines appropriate for the practice of School Psychology are subject to discipline.

Practicum

The practicum is an integral component of clinical training.  Students receive closely supervised experience in order to apply assessment, intervention, and consultation skills learned in the classroom in a professional setting.  All students take 12 credits of practicum courses over a two-year period.  Upon completion of the program, all students will have completed 1200 clock hours of supervised field experience training. 

Students registered in this program incur a one-time $195 Experiential Learning Technology Fee.

Internship

All students are required to complete an internship following the successful completion of all course work and practicum requirements.  Students integrate academic knowledge with clinical skills and demonstrate the effective and ethical use of these skills in clinical practice.

The internship consists of a minimum of 1750 clock hours of supervised internship.  Appropriate sites should meet the requirements for approval by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association of Psychology Pre-doctoral and Post-doctoral Internship Centers (APPIC).  Registration for internship automatically assigns full-time student status.

Dissertation

Students must complete a dissertation that has been approved by the School Psychology Department, as well as the The Chicago School National Center Academic and Dissertation Excellence (NCADE).

Comprehensive Exam

Students must take and pass the Illinois School Psychologist Exam and obtain a passing score as indicated by the Illinois State Board of Education.  Students must also take and pass the Praxis II School Psychologist Exam and obtain a passing score necessary to obtain the Nationally Certified School Psychology (NCSP) credential.