Online School Psychology Programs

There are certain things you need to know about online school psychology programs. There are many accredited online school psychology degree programs today. Many of the online school psychology programs will teach you the theoretical aspects of psychology, including the different methods of using important principles in different environments. The online school psychology programs are designed by industry and faculty experts to assist you in understanding psychology in practical environments without having to go to classes on campus. A good thing with those programs is that there are flexible schedules which enable you to study at your convenience.

One thing is that making the decision to become a school psychologist is an incredibly rewarding and sometimes difficult career path. As a school psychologist, you are responsible for keeping young children healthy; emotionally, academically and intellectually. With a degree in school psychology, you will be able to be employed in various settings such as schools, community centers, hospitals, mental health clinics and so forth.


Undergraduate Studies

Your first step to becoming a school psychologist is to complete your undergraduate education in psychology or education. Once you have received your associate’s degree and proceeded to your bachelor’s degree, you can then begin to specialize in school psychology. These degrees are necessary to provide you with the appropriate basis for graduate school and can keep you from having to take additional coursework required by the college or university.

Master’s Degree

Your master’s degree is the minimum needed to become a school psychologist. Most Master’s degrees require three years as a full time student to complete as well as a supervised internship. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has been representing schools psychologists to enhance the learning and mental health of children since 1988. They provide the approval for graduate online school psychology programs and have specific requirements to become a school psychologist. One of them being that you must have at least 1,200 hours of supervised practice in which 600 of them must be in a school setting. When selecting an online school psychology programs, you should choose a school that is accredited by NASP.

Specialist Degree

The Educational Specialist degree, also known as the Ed.S., is the most commonly required degree. The NASP states that it takes at least three years to obtain this degree and in some cases an additional year of an internship. Some states require that the Ed.S. is only valid if obtained from a school that is NASP accredited. This degree poses an advantage to the Master’s degree as you will be able to receive a National Certification in School Psychology credential. You are not eligible to receive this credential with a Master’s degree.

Doctoral Degree

This degree is not required for entry level positions in schools. However, if you are interested in eventually setting up your own private practice or would prefer to work at an administrative level, you will need to earn your doctorate.

Certification and Licensing

Once you have obtained all the degrees needed to pursue the exciting field of school psychology, you will need to be certified or licensed by the state you will be working in. The majority of states require that you are also certified by the State Department of Education.

Online Schools

Most online schools do not offer undergraduate studies in school psychology. This means that you will either have to obtain your associate’s degree from a traditional brick and mortar university or choose an online school that is accredited. There are many online schools that offer bachelor’s degrees in education and psychology. According to education portal, the top 5 most popular online universities for undergraduate online school psychology programs are:

  • Walden University
  • Kaplan University
  • Brandman University
  • University of Phoenix
  • Grand Canyon University

With these schools, you will have the option of continuing your education to earn a higher degree, or can transfer your degree to another university that better suits your needs to become a school psychologist.

There are many online school psychology programs to help you become a school psychologist such as

  • Nova Southeastern University
  • Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology
  • Seton Hall University
  • Prescott College

NASP Accredited Graduate Programs

The first and only online school to be approved by the NASP is Capella University. With Capella University, you are able to obtain your Master’s and Educational Specialist Degree.