Program Philosophy

"The strengths of this program include faculty knowledge, small group size, campus resources,
and approachability of faculty." -- program graduate

School psychologists engage in a wide variety of roles within school systems. School psychology services need to be tailored to the particular needs of each child and each situation. Thus, no matter what the role, a school psychologist must be able to evaluate a situation and problem-solve solutions. The WKU school psychology program emphasizes the role of the school psychologist as that of a problem solver who relies upon data-based decision-making.

This program relies on that philosophy in its training of graduate students. The student is trained to function as an integral part of the total program of pupil services. Each individual receives on-site experience in public schools, school-related practicum assignments in the department's psychology training clinic, and experience as a member of an interdisciplinary team. Upon completion of the required course work, the student must complete a full year 1200-hour (minimum) internship within an educational setting. Practicum and a specialist project are also required. Please click on the links on the left to learn more about this program.

The school psychology program is fully approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and the National Council on Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).