A public institution, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has a combined enrollment of more than 42,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Accredited by the NASP since 1992, the university's educational psychology program received the first-place ranking among similar programs from "U.S. News and World Report" in both 2009 and 2010.
The college's school psychology program culminates in a Ph.D. degree. The program requires only a bachelor's degree as students earn their master of science in the field while completing the requirements for the doctorate. Most students complete the program in five years, finishing the master's degree at the end of the third.
Required courses include behavior analysis, statistics, assessment and learning and language disabilities. Students participate in part-time clinical practicums, observing professionals in the field, beginning during their second year of study, then participate in a full-time internship during their final year. A thesis is required for graduation. Partial or full funding through assistantships and fellowships is available.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Educational Sciences Building, Room 859
1025 W. Johnson St.
Madison, WI 53706
608-262-3432
education.wisc.edu
Home to more than 37,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the University of Maryland is a public institution in College Park, around 35 miles south of Baltimore. The college's educational psychology program ranked sixth in the nation in the "U.S. News and World Report" 2010 ratings and has carried NASP accreditation since 1988.
To qualify for admission to the college's Ph.D. school psychology program, a baccalaureate degree and previous coursework in general and abnormal psychology, child development, learning and personality theory is required. Students complete coursework in developmental psychology, the biological basis of behavior, cognitive and social psychology, psychopathology, research methods, assessment and interventions. Students without a master's degree must complete a master's thesis in addition to the doctoral dissertation required for all students in the program.
Two part-time clinical field placements and a full-time, yearlong internship are mandatory. All students have the opportunity to teach undergraduate classes to gain experience. A limited number of assistantships and fellowships are available.
University of Maryland
3119 Benjamin Building
College Park, MD 20742
301-405-2358
umd.edu
A public institution with nearly 51,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the University of Texas at Austin received the 10th-place ranking among educational psychology programs in the United States from "U.S. News and World Report" in 2010. The college's school psychology Ph.D. program has held NASP accreditation since 1993 and requires six to seven years to complete.
A bachelor's degree is the minimum education required for admission, with at least 12 credits of coursework experience in social sciences or education and a previous class in statistics. Among the courses required for the program are school psychology law and ethics, education disabilities, psychopathology, behavioral assessment and family-school intervention.
Clinical practicums begin during the second year of study, and a one-year, 1,500-hour internship is required. All students complete a doctoral dissertation. Assistantships and fellowships are available, but first-year graduate students in the program rarely receive funding.
University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station, D5000
Sanchez Building, Room 210
Austin, TX 78712
512-475-7398
edpsych.edb.utexas.edu