CBEST scores are valid for life and therefore, there is no need to retake the exam.

If admitted, it is highly recommended that you take the CBEST before beginning the program. The CBEST must be passed before you graduate the program (in Year 4) or earlier (in Year 3) if your internship school district requires it. You are not required to submit a passing score in order to apply, if you choose to wait to take the exam, you may indicate so in the Program application.

A Certificate of Clearance is valid for five years. The expiration date can be found on your certificate. 

Unfortunately, at this time we do not admit credential-only applicants. All applicants are expected to follow our 4-year sequence culminating in the Ed.S. in School Psychology and PPS Credential.

In order for students to graduate with an Ed.S. and PPS credential from the SDSU School Psychology program, they must complete the 4-year sequence of study within our program. The courses are designed and scheduled within the context of a specific developmental sequence and, therefore, courses taken at another institution may not be integrated into our study plan. Furthermore, the program adopts a cohort model approach that encourages all students admitted into a cohort to take courses and in some years, to participate in applied practicum/ fieldwork within their cohort. There are times that students are able to waive a course but the student must provide a transcript displaying the grade received in the course, the course syllabus, and sample assignments. The program faculty will complete a thorough review of your waiver application and determine if it is aligned with the program’s course and meets the waiver requirements. 

An undergraduate degree in psychology, education or a related field is preferred, but not absolutely required in order to be considered for the program. Although these majors provide a useful foundation for the field, students from a variety of academic backgrounds have been admitted to our program in previous years. It is, however, strongly recommended that you take an introduction to a psychology course as well as a child development course prior to applying. 

There are no official prerequisites for this program, however it is recommended that you have taken at least an introduction to a psychology course and a child development course. Other recommended courses include statistics/ research, tests/ measurements, educational psychology and related education courses.

The University has a 2.8 minimum GPA for applying to graduate programs.

Due to the practicum and course schedule, it is not possible to work a full-time day job as you are training in the schools 1-5 days per week, depending on your year. Required time spent at your school site increases as you progress through the program, leaving limited time to work during the latter half of the sequence. However, most students do work on a part-time basis (i.e., 10-12 hours per week).

Classes are usually held in the afternoons and evenings between the hours of 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. in order to allow students to be at their practicum school site during the day. However, first and second year students may have one class scheduled in the morning or early afternoon. Additionally, students complete practicum and fieldwork-based courses in schools from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1 to 3 days a week, depending on their level in the program. See Supervised Fieldwork for further details.

Currently, the only required summer course is ED 690: Methods of Inquiry, which is taken during the summer prior to your first year. It is a hybrid course with both online and in-person learning formats. 

Our program is intentionally longer in order to graduate qualified and well-prepared school psychologists. As this is a career where we are responsible for numerous roles and responsibilities (counseling, advocacy, assessment/ intervention/ prevention, leadership, etc), we've found that 3 years of courses & practicum experience and 1 year of full-time internship provides ample opportunity to gain in-depth experience with a variety of diverse learners and across several educational settings.

Our students enter their internship year with a minimum of 875-900 hours of fieldwork experience. This is very important to us as a program.

Additionally, students do not have required courses over the summer. The summer offers a chance to rejuvenate, travel and participate in cultural immersions through grant opportunities.