Education Specialist - School Psychology
The Education Specialist degree (Ed.S.) at the University of Central Oklahoma is designed to prepare school psychologists who work at the specialist level with children, youth and families to prevent and solve individual, school- and family-related problems.
Housed within the UCO Department of Psychology, the Ed.S. is a postgraduate degree unique to the field of education, designed to provide knowledge and theory beyond a master's degree.
The school psychology program at UCO is one of three National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)-accredited programs in Oklahoma. Additionally, the Ed.S. program at UCO is the only Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)-accredited program leading to state and national certification as a specialist-level school psychologist.
Courses You'll Take
Students have a variety of practice opportunities during the program including:
- Development and implementation of response to intervention in local school districts;
- Providing parent and staff training;
- Designing and conducting research;
- Development and implementation of academic and behavioral intervention;
- Consulting with teachers, administrators, parents and related service providers;
- Comprehensive assessment of learning and behavioral difficulties in children and adults; and,
- Applied practice with a wide variety of treatment populations and client diversity.
BCBA Certification
Embedded within the school psychology curriculum is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) course sequence. Students completing the program are then eligible to obtain board certification as a BCBA and pursue state licensure through OKDHD DDSD to provide behavior analysis services in Oklahoma. For more information regarding the BCBA course sequence, visit the BCBA Certification Sheet.
Career Opportunities
The majority of school psychologists work in K-12 public schools. School psychologists provide direct support and interventions to students, consult with teachers, families and other school-employed mental health professionals to improve support strategies, work with school administrators to improve schoolwide practices and policies and collaborate with community providers to coordinate needed services.
Community and Student Organizations
