Program Details

Program At A Glance

• Degree Options: 
  • Post-Bachelor’s Degree EdS (90 credits required)
  • Post-Master’s Degree EdS (60 credit minimum)
• Program Duration: 3 years (11 quarters), when completed full-time
• Program Flexibility: Full-time or part-time
• Delivery: In-person with certain courses taken online
• Program Start: Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring
• Application Priority Deadline: 
  • Summer/Fall: February 1
  • Winter/Spring: October 20
• Program Cost: Cost information is located here
• Practicums and Internships: Three practicums and one internship. Learn more here.  
• Established Program: National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) approved since 1998 and fully accredited by NASP through 2031. Learn more about our program outcome data through the NASP website here.

• NASP Program Outcomes

Vision and Mission

Vision

School Psychology program graduates are knowledgeable, ethical, and reflective educational professionals who lead and advocate for social justice. 

Mission

Consistent with the Jesuit mission of Seattle University and the College Of Education, the School Psychology program prepares school psychologists to collaborate with professional colleagues, families, and the larger community to serve and advocate for all students. The program develops school psychologists who embody and act upon a commitment to social justice, particularly among disenfranchised students and families. Program faculty embody caring, the pursuit of knowledge, and a commitment to justice, so that our graduates enact these values in their own works.   

Degree Options

The School Psychology program leads to the Educational Specialist Degree (EdS), Washington state certification (ESA Certification) and national certification (National Certificate in School Psychology). The EdS degree is between a master’s degree and a doctoral degree. 

• Post-Bachelor’s Degree: For students who enter with a bachelor’s degree, the program of study requires 90 credit hours. 
• Post-Master’s Degree: For students entering with a master’s degree, the program of study requires a minimum of 60 credit hours, depending on prior course work. At the time of enrollment, each Post-MA student meets with a program advisor to review previous graduate course work and plan a program of studies that meets degree requirements.

Learn more about courses that make up each program here. 

Learning Outcomes

In accordance with state and national professional standards, graduates of the Seattle University School Psychology program demonstrate entry-level competence in each of eleven (10) domains of practice:

• Data-Based Decision-Making and Accountability
• Consultation and Collaboration
• Interventions and Instructional Support to Develop Academic Skills
• Interventions and Mental Health Services to Develop Social and Life Skills
• School-Wide Practices to Promote Learning
• Preventive and Responsive Services
• Family-School Collaboration Services
• Diversity in Development and Learning
• Research and Program Evaluation
• Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice 

Competence requires demonstration of both knowledge and skills.  The program ensures that graduates have a foundation in the knowledge-base for psychology and education, including theories, models, empirical findings, and techniques in each domain, and demonstrate professional skills necessary to deliver effective services that result in positive outcomes in each domain. Student performance on each of the benchmarks is evaluated formally during the internship.

Practicum and Internship

Practicums and an internship are both required to complete the EdS degree. Students must first be approved for candidacy to enroll in a practicum.

• Practicum: Three practicums designed as field based orientation to the field
• Internship: One 1,200 hour internship

Learn more about candidacy, practicums, and internships here.  

Program Features

We understand there are many options when deciding what graduate program is best for you. Here are some features that make our program unique:

• Social Justice Focus: Consistent with the Jesuit mission of Seattle University, our program develops school psychologists who embody and act upon their commitment to social justice, particularly among disenfranchised students and families.
• Supporting Our Students: The Jesuit education mission focuses on cura personalis, which is Latin for “care for the whole person". We understand you have complexities in your life and we work with every student individually to respond to their specific needs - whether it's related to work, family, linguistics, diversity, disability, etc. 
• Program Cost: Earn your School Psychology degree through private school experience at a cost comparable to, or even less than, in-state tuition at a public university. Non-Washington state residents incur no additional costs for earning their degree at SU. Learn more about our program cost. 
• Flexibility: Our program offers flexibility for working professionals, including degree completion plans tailored to their unique needs.
• Career Change: For those seeking to change careers, we offer credit for relevant prior graduate coursework.
• Established Program: We have been approved by and nationally recognized by the National Association of School Psychologists since 1998. 

Program Goals

Dedicated to a practitioner-scholar model, the program is designed to provide students with a solid grounding in research-based practices that will equip them with the knowledge, skills and dispositions to be effective school psychologists. With the overarching vision of preparing knowledgeable, ethical and reflective school psychologists for leadership and service in diverse communities, the following program goals guide the preparation of all students:   

1. Practice in accordance with professional, ethical, and legal standards.   
2. Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions to advocate for services responsive to the needs of diverse learners at all systems levels and the promotion of justice for underserved populations.   
3. Apply knowledge of theory and practice to promote cognitive, academic, social and emotional competence for youth at all school systems levels.   
4. Apply knowledge and skills to make data-based decisions that produce positive educational outcomes for youth.   
5. Demonstrate effective interpersonal, consultation and collaboration skills to promote competence for all youth and to build the capacity of systems.     
6. Use self-reflection to guide their work with youth, families, and professional colleagues.   
7. Demonstrate knowledge and skills to promote programs that make schools more safe, compassionate, and responsive to the academic and mental health needs of youth.     
8. Use technology to enhance and safeguard their work, promote positive educational outcomes for youth, and advocate for equitable access to technology within educational settings.