Master of Arts in School Psychology
Make a life-changing impact on school-aged children as you help them master academic, social and emotional challenges.
What Can I Do with a Master’s in School Psychology?
Develop the expertise to evaluate the learning and behavior patterns of children, consulting with both their parents and teachers. You will learn to counsel children who are experiencing difficulties in school and to develop and implement appropriate intervention and prevention services.
Why Earn Your MA in School Psychology at Adelphi?
- Benefit from hands-on opportunities like working in school settings with youth who have special needs.
- Gain cultural competence and the ability to meet the needs of diverse populations and schools.
- Tailor your studies to your interests with opportunities, including a specialization for working with children on the autism spectrum and their families or gaining bilingual certification.
Program Options & Certification Information
Adelphi offers additional credits to allow for the opportunity to pursue a certificate in bilingual school psychology or a specialization in autism.
Recognized by the Psychologist-In-Training (PIT) program of the NYC Department of Education, the Bilingual School Psychology certification requires students to complete 15 graduate credits (five courses) in areas related to bilingual assessment, education and counseling. Three of the courses students need to take are offered in the School Psychology program and two are in the TESOL program in the School of Education. Specifically:
- Multicultural Issues in Psychology
- Internship (bilingual setting)
- Counseling and Assessment of the Multicultural Child
- Foundations of Bilingual Multicultural Education
- Assessment Considerations for ESL and Bilingual Population
Students who are pursuing a bilingual certification are eligible to apply for a paid internship position.
The School Psychology program offers a specialization track in autism for students interested in broadening their knowledge in this area. To obtain the specialization in autism, students need to take the following four courses:
- Diagnosis of and Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Autism I: Students with Severe to Moderate Autism
- Autism II: Students with AS, HFA and Related Disorders
- Counseling Students on the Autism Spectrum
Exceptional Hands-On Learning
At Adelphi, we believe hands-on experience is key to setting our students up for future career success. Our students have gained valuable experience outside the classroom, through graduate student assistantships and field placement opportunities, conference and presentation participation.
First-year students will apply for practicum placement, which is 280 hours over the course of a full school year, while second-year students will apply for internship placement, which is 1,200 hours over the course of a full school year. Our program collaborates with numerous public schools in Nassau and Suffolk counties, with whom relationships have been developed for field placement experience.
Opportunities for additional training in school neuropsychological evaluation and individual child and group psychotherapy are available through the program’s partnership with the Bronx Community Charter School and the Derner Hempstead Child Clinic.
Program Info
Application Requirements and Deadlines
The priority application deadline for Fall admission is March 1. Applications received after the priority deadline will be reviewed on a space-available basis.  Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, and should submit the following:
- Graduate application and $60 fee
- Three letters of recommendation (academic or professional)
- Personal essay
- Applicants should have 15 credits in psychology, including a course in statistics
- Official transcripts from all prior institutions and proof of bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution
- Résumé (preferred)
Awards & Recognition
- Mon, Tues, Wed, Thu: 8:30 am – 6:00 pm Fri: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm