COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Texas A&M University

SP Course Requirements

MINIMUM COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
DOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAM IN SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY

The "Core" content is seen as required for all students in the program.  If the student has had prior graduate level coursework in an area, potential waivers should first be discussed with the student's advisor.  For coursework outside of the department (e.g., in the basic psychological science area) the advisor may:  1) waive the course or 2) recommend that the student talk with the course instructor.  In the core areas of 1) Basic Psychological Sciences Core; 2) Research, Measurement, and Statistics, and 3) Professional School Psychology, the student should first consult with their advisor and then discuss previous coursework and relevant experiences with the instructor of the course they want to have waived.  If waived, the faculty should initial this document.

Basic Psychological Sciences Core

Hours

Semester Usually Offered/Taken
PSYC 628 SPSY 610 

Behavior Disorders in Children or
Child Psychopathology

3

Fall Year 1
EPSY 646* 

Issues in Child and Adolescent   Development

3

Fall or Spring of Year 1
SPSY  645

Advanced Social Emotional Development and Intervention

3

Fall of Year 2
SPSY 638

System Perspectives in Prevention Science

3

Spring or Summer
PSYC 619* 

History and Systems of Psychology

3

Fall

One of the Following Biologically-Based Courses:
PSYC 609  

Physiological Psychology  or   

3

Varies
EPSY 621

Clinical Neuropsychology
3

Summer
   
12-18
 

*May be waived if student has an equivalent course at the undergraduate level.
**Requires prerequisites.

Research, Measurement, Statistics Core

Hours

Semester Usually Offered/Taken
EPSY 435* STAT 651*

Undergraduate statistics  or
Statistics

3

Fall Year 1
EPSY 622

Measurement and Evaluation in Education

3

Fall Year 1
EPSY 625   

Advanced Behavioral Measurement

3

Fall or Spring Year 2
EPSY 636§ 

Techniques of Research

3

Fall/ Spring/ Su Year 1
EPSY 640   

Experimental Design in Education I

3

Fall/ Spring
EPSY 641** 

Experimental Design in Education II

3

Spring/Fall
EPSY ---   

One additional research course (EPSY 630, 631, 642, 643, 690)

3

Varies
 

                 

15-21

 

*May be waived if student has an equivalent course at the undergraduate level. § May be waived if student has an equivalent course or experience (e.g., honors thesis, REU) at the undergraduate level.
**Requires prerequisites.

ProfessionalSchoolPsychology Core

Hours

Semester Usually Offered/Taken

Note:  The student must remediate any course in the Professional School/Clinical Child Psychology core in which he/she receives a grade of "C" or below.
SPSY 611

Introduction to School Psychology: Legal, Ethical & Credentialing Issues

1+1+1

Fall, Spring, Summer of Year 1
SPSY 612**

Individual Assessment of Children's Intelligence

4

Spring Year 1
SPSY 614** 

Integrated Practicum in Assessment & Diagnosis

3

Spring Year 2
SPSY 617** 

Diagnosis of Children with Emotional Disturbance

3

Fall Year 2
SPSY 642

Behavioral Assessment andConsultation 

3

Spring Year 1
SPSY 629

Psychosocial Variables in the Education of Minority Children

3

Fall or Summer
SPSY 643 

Academic Assessment and Consultation

3

Fall Year 1
SPSY 641

Child Therapy I

3

Spring Year 1
SPSY 644**

Child Therapy II

3

Su Year 1
SPSY 628

Consultation:  Theory and Techniques

3

Spring Year 2
SPSY 683C**

Practicum in Child and Family Therapy (2 semesters)

3+3

Fall-Spring or Spring-Summer of   Year 2
SPSY 683D**

Field Practicum in School Psychology (2 semesters; must arrange 1 semester in advance)

3+3

Fall-Spring Year 3
EPSY 682

Seminar in Internship Preparation

1

Fall Year 4
SPSY 684**

Internship in Professional Psychology

2+2+2

Fall, Spring, Summer of Year 5
 

 

50

 

*May be waived if student has an equivalent course at the undergraduate level.
**Requires prerequisites.

 

SPECIALIZED STRANDS

Specialization strands are an opportunity for students to personalize their degree plans by selecting themes or strands of coursework that cluster into specialty areas.  The strands listed in this document serve only as suggestions.  Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor and committee to develop strands that meet the individual's unique interests.  A total of 12 hours of strand courses is required, with a minimum of 9 hours in one strand; most students do an elective practicum related to their area of specialization. Courses to be included in the student's strand are determined by the student's Advisory Committee.  Within each strand of specialization, appropriate courses may be added as they are developed and discovered. 

A.  Child and Family

Hours

Semester Usually Offered/Taken
EPSY 628

The Rorschach Technique with Children and Adolescents

3

Summer
CPSY 631

Techniques of Counseling

3

 
CPSY 676

Marriage & Family Counseling

3

Summer
CPSY 678  

Family Therapy

3

 
PSYC 689

Pediatric Psychology

3

Fall - alternate (odd) years
SPSY 683*

Practicum (additional)

1-12

 
PSYC 638 

Psychotherapy I

3

 
PSYC 637

Psychotherapy II

3

 
PSYC 608

Intro to Clinical Skills

3

 
PSYC 678    CPSY 678

Marital Therapy or

3

 
PSYC 624

Individual Testing

3

 
PSYC 629  

Seminar Clinical/ Community  Psychology

3

 
EPSY 627

Structured Personality Assessment

3

 
CPSY 633

Intro to Group Process

3

Spring
CPSY 634  

Group Counseling and Psychotherapy

3

 
CPSY 679 

Multicultural Counseling

3

 

 

B.   Special Education

Hours

Semester Usually Offered/Taken
SPED 612

Special Education Law

3

 
SPED 613  

Issues in Educating Students with Disabilities

3

 
SPED 614   

Issues in Moderate and Severe Disabilities

3

Spring
SPED 617

Contemporary Instructional Strategies for Special Education               

3

 
SPED 615 

Special Ed  Assessment: Technical and Legal Aspects

3

 
SPED 620

Bilingual Special Education

3

 
SPED 621  

Overview of Exceptional Students

3

 
SPED 622

Community-Based Integrated Services

3

 
SPED 630  

Reading for At-Risk/LD Students

3

 
SPED 632 

Transition from School to Work

3

Fall
SPSY 657

Bilingual Psychoeducational Assessment

4

Fall
SEFB  610

Special Education and the Family

3

 
SPSY 689

Prevention and Intervention At-Risk Hispanic Families

3

Summer

 

C. Bilingual/ELL  

Hours

Semester Usually Offered/Taken
EPSY  610 EDCI 610

Hispanic Bilingual Assessment and Monitoring Students  or
3

 
EPSY   613

Spanish/English Biliteracy

3

 
EDCI 611 EPSY 611

Teaching English as a Second Language  or

3

 
SPSY 689 

Prevention and Intervention At-Risk Hispanic Families

3

Summer
SPED 620

Bilingual Special Education

3

 
SPSY 657

Bilingual Psychoeducational Assessment

4

Fall

 

D.  Neuropsychology

Hours

Semester Usually Offered/Taken
EPSY 621* 

Clinical Neuropsychology

3

Summer
PSYC 609*  

Psychophysiology

3

 
PSYC 639

Pediatric  Psychology

3

Fall Alternate (odd) Years
PSYC 640  

Applied Physiological Psychology

3

 
PSYC 649

Seminar in Behavioral Neuroscience

3

 
EPSY 618 

Neurodevelopment and Genetic Disorders

3

Summer
SPSY 615 

Preschool Assessment

3

Spring Alternate (odd) Years
SPSY 685 

Directed Studies in Neuropsychology

3

 
SPSY 683

Practicum in Neuropsychological Assessment

3

 
VTPH 606  

Neuroanatomical System in Animals (annual "human" course)

3

 

*      Does not count toward strand if used in professional core.

E.   Research Design

Hours

Semester Usually Offered/Taken
EPSY 690

Special Topics in Research Design

3

 
EPSY 630

Single Case Research

3

 
EPSY 631 

Program Evaluation in School and Clinic

3

 
EPSY 643  

Applied Multivariate Methods

3

 

Selected courses from EPSY, STAT, PSYC, SOCI, EHAD (excluding STAT 651-652) course in statistics, psychometrics, research design and qualitative methods that are not counted toward core

 

F.   Human Learning & Development

Hours

 
EPSY 683F

Field Practicum in Instructional Psychology

1-4

 
EPSY 678  

Language, Learning, & Instruction

3

 
EDCI 646

Instructional Theory

3

 
EDCI 674

Developmental Reading in the Elementary School

3

 
EDCI 675

Teaching Strategies & Patterns of Learning

3

 
EPSY 647

Adult Development and Aging

3

 
PSYC 603 

Motivation & Cognitive Processes

3

 
PSYC 636

Social Development

3

 
EPSY 673

Learning Theories

3

 
PSYC 615

Perceptual Processes

3

 

 

G.  Gifted & Talented Education

Hours

 
EPSY 619

Nature and Needs of the Gifted & Talented

3

 
EPSY 624 

Creative Thinking

3

 
EDCI 629  EPSY 629

Educational Programming for the Gifted and Talented or

3

 
EPSY 659 

Practicum in Gifted & Talented Education

3

 
EPSY 623

Social and Emotional Development of the Gifted and Talented

3

 

 

ADDITIONAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

 

Hours

 
Dissertation

12

 
TOTAL

100-112+

 

 

NOTE:

1.    Within each strand of specialization, appropriate courses may be added as they are developed and identified.

2.    Doctoral Training Grant students (DTG) are generally required to take a combination of courses from the Special Education and Bilingual/ELL strands as prescribed by the program they came in with; the strand for DTG studens is more than 12 credits and subject to approval of the DTG faculty, as well as their Advisory Committee.

3.    The student's doctoral committee is always at liberty to require other such coursework as it deems necessary to remediate any deficiencies or to assist the student in reaching his/her career/educational goals.

4.    It is the intent of the program that students will develop basic competence in instructional design and strategies, special education, and multicultural concern in psychology and education. 

5.    It is expected that students entering with a master's or graduate degree will be able to waive hours in the above program.  Questions on transfer and exemption of required courses should be referred to the faculty who teach comparable courses at TAMU.  Course substitutes or waiver approval are to be noted and initialed on the form by the appropriate faculty.

6.    As required by the Department of Educational Psychology, students are encouraged to present  research papers at a state, regional, or national conferences.  In addition, the student are encouraged to submit manuscripts for publication.  The student's Chair  and their Advisory Committee will monitor these activities in conjunction with the student.

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