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Online School Psychology DegreeThinking about an online school psychology degree? I was in your same shoes not too long ago. I have to say, I chose to go a different rout and obtain a doctorate degree in education psychology. But I still think about an online school psychology degree and wonder if that would have been a better choice. School psychologist: • Work with students (elementary or secondary school) Sounds like something you would like to do? If so, read on! You may be well suited for a school psychology degree. Online School Psychology Degree - Education and Courses Most States require a specialist degree for someone to work as a school psychologist. Online school psychology degree programs usually require approximately 3 years of full time graduate study and a full year of internship. Because school psychologist work with delegate issues related to student’s mental health, shadowing and observing the work of an experienced school psychologist is very valuable. Courses include both education and psychology related topics. You would receive training and emphasis on mental health issues, child development, school organization, learning behavior and motivation. Be prepared to study the history of psychology, cognitive psychology, tests and measurement, personal and social psychology as well as statistics and research methods. Online school psychology degree programs are very hands on and as a result training programs usually emphasize the need for practical experience and application of material learned. To help you achieve this most programs will have an internship and practicum as a critical component of training. Where would I work with a School Psychology Degree? As a school psychologist you could work in various educational settings, from schools and education institutions to clinics, mental health and child unit hospitals. Additionally, you could have your own private practice and work from home. Finally, you could work for government or industry. Selecting the Best School Psychology Degree Program There are over 200 school psychology education programs. It’s great to have this much choice but at the same time, it can be quite overwhelming. Some degree programs are located in the psychology departments others in the education departments. Some will prepare you for work as a practitioner, others as a college professor or a researcher. In selecting a program: I. Consider the program philosophy first Differing philosophies will lead to different preparation and equip you for different aspects of the job. If the program is theoretically oriented, it will prepare you for a career as a science practitioner or scholar. Maybe the program is more professionally oriented preparing you for a career in consultation, behavior analysis, and psychometric evaluation. Finally, the program could be emphasizing population/age issues thus preparing you for work with infants, preschoolers, elementary school students, adolescents, special education or gifted populations. Evaluate your specific goals and then choose a school with a program philosophy that will allow you to reach your predefined goal. II. Consider your potential school psychology degree programs faculty base Examine how many full time faculty members there are compared to the student population. Consider faculty credentials and examine how active and up to date they are in the world of school psychology. Are they publishing research papers and attending professional conferences? III. Consult with current graduate students See what they like/dislike with the program. Find out the average time for competing the program as well as rate of employment upon graduation. Benefits of Obtaining your Degree Online An online school psychology degree program will allow for great flexibility in your schedule. You can work from home, thus saving on both gas and time. You can work on your degree at your own pace and timetable. You will not be able to complete the internship portion of your education online, however all your coursework can be completed through distance learning. Careers and Salary with a School Psychology Degree With a degree in school psychology you will be able to choose a career in research, teaching in higher education or working within the school system. With appropriate licensing, you could work in a private practice. While there are many benefits of becoming a school psychologist, such as helping students succeed, working with parents/teachers/counselors to help students, there are also some drawback to this career. Because school psychologist deal with delicate issues, the stress associate with dealing with parents and teachers can be quite high. Due to overcrowding of schools, be prepared to deal with a hectic schedule and an overload of students on a daily basis. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that school psychologist will be one of the fastest growing careers well into 2014. This same source states that the median national wage for a school psychologist is $56,950.
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