Most affordable Masters program in School Psychology Richmond, Virginia

The School Psychology Program at James Madison University is housed within the Department of Graduate Psychology and the College of Health and Behavioral Studies. The program emphasizes the role of the culturally competent school psychologist as that of a facilitator of an individual's overall well-being and potential. Within an integrated theoretical framework, students are prepared to be culturally competent, interpersonally skilled, and data-oriented problem solvers. Students are trained in assessment for intervention, prevention, counseling, educational and mental health consultation, behavior management, and applied research. 

Central to the program’s focus is the understanding of children within the context of a system, including the family, the school, and the socio-cultural environment. The program emphasizes the role of the culturally competent and humble school psychologist as that of a facilitator of an individual's overall well-being and potential. They are prepared to be applied child and adolescent school psychologists in diverse educational and mental health settings. This 60-credit program expects students to commit to academic excellence, personal growth, professional responsibility, sensitivity to and understanding of human diversity, and effective interpersonal relationships. Specifically, graduates of this 3-year School Psychology program are required to be competent in the following areas: 

• Students will achieve a breadth of understanding of the foundations in the knowledge base of psychology and related disciplines.
• Students will achieve basic knowledge of educational issues, including instructional design, effective educational environments, and the organization and operation of schools. 
• Students will possess the knowledge and expertise to collaborate with families and with community and school professionals in designing, implementing, and evaluating interventions that effectively respond to the educational and mental health needs of children and youth. 
• Students will achieve basic knowledge and skills in research/evaluation methods, statistics, and measurement to evaluate professional practices and programs. 
• Students shall have a knowledge base specific to school psychology and will apply this knowledge to promote a best-practice approach to professional service. 

The concentration in School Psychology is approved by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education and is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Programs (CAEP). The NASP/CAEP approval and accreditation assures the graduates of the JMU program are eligible for certification/licensure in most states. The JMU School Psychology program is fully approved and accredited..

Degree: Master of Science in Educational Psychology, Concentration in Teacher Preparation.

Educational psychologists who work in a school setting enjoy working with children and helping them expand their minds in order to grow into their full potentials. Our teacher preparation concentration allows students to count coursework from their teacher licensure certificat in secondary education, foreign language, or English as a second language toward their masters degree in Educational Psychology.

Educational psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the scientific study of human learning. Studying learning processes from cognitive, social, emotional, and developmental perspectives allows researchers to understand individual differences in intelligence, cognitive development, affect, motivation, self-regulation, and self-concept as well as their roles in learning. The field of educational psychology relies heavily on research methods such as testing and measurement to enhance educational activities related to instructional design, classroom management, and assessment and to facilitate learning processes in various educational settings across the lifespan.

Educational psychology is interdisciplinary, informed primarily by psychology, neuroscience, sociology, and cultural studies. It in turn informs a wide range of specialties within educational studies, including instructional design, educational technology, curriculum development, organizational learning, decision making, adult education, special education, and management.

Evaluate and analyze teaching methods, training methods, and educational programs.

Create and develop new educational methods, instruments, or programs.

Prior to completing the MS course work, individuals pursuing the teacher preparation concentration must be admitted to a specified teacher licensure certificate program, from which 9 credits of course work can be applied toward the MS (with the expectation that students will complete the teacher certification program). Qualifying teacher licensure certificate programs are as follows:.

Individuals pursuing the Educational Psychology, MS Concentration in Teacher Preparation, must be admitted into one of the following teacher licensure certificate programs prior to completion of MS course work: English as a Second Language or Secondary Education.

In order to complete a directed reading project or thesis, students choose either: EDEP 798: Directed Inquiry in Educational Psychology (3 credits) OR EDEP 799: Thesis in Educational Psychology (3 credits).

Summer Semester(classes starting in May, June, or July).

Priority deadline ensures consideration for the intended semester as well as financial aid options for students. Programs will continue to review applications until at capacity. Some programs do not review applications past the priority deadline.

To be considered for graduate studies, the following items are evaluated during the admission review process:.

750 to 1,000-word written statement of your goals and interest in the program.

Two letters of recommendation: Applicants should follow the instructions included in the online application to submit the recommendation forms directly to their recommenders. Mason does not accept paper recommendations. Recommendations should be professional or academic in nature.

Admission to graduate programs at George Mason University is competitive. Applicants are evaluated on the strength of their academic backgrounds, results of standardized exams (if required by the program), work experience, and any additional evidence of potential success in the program.

A minimum 3.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale in baccalaureate study. The GPA requirement may be higher for some graduate programs. The university, at its discretion, may additionally consider the difficulty of the baccalaureate degree, relevant work experience, and or other evidence of ability to succeed in graduate study when evaluating the GPA requirement.

VA Resident and PK-12 VA Educator enrolled in a CEHD graduate program.

Total cost for VA Resident and PK-12 VA Educator enrolled in a CEHD graduate program.

Internship courses will incur a higher course fee to fund on-site assistance involving intensive clinical training supervision.

For information regarding grants, tuition waivers, and other merit aid, please inquire with your graduate department. Also, many school districts offer tuition reimbursement options.

If you're interested in than two programs or aren't sure which program to select, just choose the most relevant and we can discuss your options with you.

Educ Assessment Evaluation Data Literacy Data Literacy Certificate.

Educational Psychology Assessment, Evaluation, and Testing MS.

Educational Psychology Learning and Decision Making in Leadership MS.

Educational Psychology Learning, Cognition, and Motivation MS.

Educ Assessment Evaluation Data Literacy Data Literacy Certificate Educational Psychology Assessment, Evaluation, and Testing MS Educational Psychology Learning and Decision Making in Leadership MS Educational Psychology Learning, Cognition, and Motivation MS Educational Psychology Teacher Preparation MS.

Michelle BuehlAcademic Program CoordinatorPhD, University of Maryland, College Park.

Anastasia KitsantasPhD, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York.