Future School Psychologists

Q: Dear Mrs. Bottstein I am a senior in high school and am thinking of pursuing a career in school psychology. I have not applied to college yet, but would like to know what the college requirements are to be a school psychologist. A: Dear future school psychologist, Thank you for your question. New York State requires school psychologists to be certified in the area of school psychology. This means that you must complete the graduate degree requirements from an accredited master’s program in school psychology (which includes coursework and internship). Since you have not yet applied to college, you need to ask yourself some questions: will you be attending school in or out of NY?; do you plan to live and work in or out of NY? Different states have different requirements. Therefore, it would be helpful if you can answer those questions. If you know the answers, the best thing to do is to research the specific requirements of the particular state you are interested in. It is not too early to check out the requirements of a graduate program, to ensure that you take the necessary undergraduate courses. You can not practice school psychology in New York without a master’s degree and state certification. Even if you are not sure as to where you will be living and working, as an undergraduate student it is wise to major in psychology and take education courses as electives. Again, I highly recommend that you research any graduate programs you may be interested in so that you are properly prepared, and when you do apply to an undergraduate college, speak to an admissions officer and tell him/her your future plans. This is another way to make sure you are properly prepared when the time comes to apply to graduate programs. Good Luck and keep in touch. Thank you, ~ Carol Bottstein