School Psychology, Ph.D.

Admissions

See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.

Prospective students for the doctoral program are encouraged to complete their applications by January 15 (preferred date) for admission the following fall semester. However, rolling applications will be accepted until all cohort positions are full.

In addition to the minimum Graduate School admission requirements, to be considered for regular admission an application must include:

1. Vita/resume
2. A personal statement
3. Three letters of recommendation consistent with goals of the program

Note that a prior graduate degree or educator certification is NOT required for admission to our on-campus PhD degree program.

Curricular Requirements

Code and Title		Hours
Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability:
BSP 521	Cog Acad Assess	3
BSP 523	Social-Behavioral Assessment	3
Consultation, Intervention, and Prevention:
BSP 632	Behavior Interventions	3
BSP 633	Acad Interv Decision Making	3
BSP 638	Consultation and Supervision	3
BCE 512	Counseling Theory Proc	3
BCE 514	Counseling Skills	3
Psychological and Diversity Factors:
BEP 541	Learning and Cognition	3
BEP 561	Social Cult Basis Behavr	3
BEP 565	Personality & Social Dev	3
BSP 601	Appl Pediatric Neurpsych	3
BSP 660	Psychopathology	3
HD 601	Advanced Child Development	3
PY 650	Cognition and Learning	3
PY 671	History/Systems In Psych	3
Instructional and Schools/Systems Factors:
SPE 500	Intro Exc Childr/Youth	3
BEF 534	Multicultural Education	3
CRD 569	Intro to Literacy Education	3
Research and Program Evaluation:
BER 540	Statistical Methods In Educ	3
BER 558	Psychometric Theory	3
BER 640	Adv Statistical Methods in Ed	3
BER 645	Advanced Experimental Design	3
BER 647	Exp Res Design: Single Case	3
BSP 698	Non-Dissertatn Research	3
Dissertation Research (BSP 699)		24
School Psychology Practice and Development:
BSP 501	Prof Issues/ Ethics Sch Psych	3
BSP 673	Research/Ethics Seminar	3
BSP 580	Sch Based Pract Assessment	3
BSP 683	Adv Sch Based Pract	3
Electives		6
Advanced Doctoral Practicum (BSP 696)		3-12
Doctoral Internship in School Psychology (BSP 688)		15-18
Total Hours		132-144

Transfer Credit

The School Psychology Program has more stringent requirements than the Graduate School maximums for transfer credit for students who have completed previous graduate coursework. Generally, fewer courses will be approved for transfer credit than the Graduate School maximums. In some circumstances, a student with a previous master’s, EdS, or doctoral degree may be allowed to count some coursework from the previous degree. After a student begins enrollment in our program, transfer credit or use of previous graduate coursework must first be evaluated and approved by program faculty to determine equivalency to a required course in our program. Equivalency is determined by consistency between the proposed transfer course and required program course in terms of objectives, content, projects, and other activities. Only in very unusual circumstances will a student be approved to transfer previous graduate coursework for required courses with the “BSP” (school psychology core) designation in our program of study. However, it may be possible for students to transfer educational psychology, educational foundations, special education, etc., courses that are equivalent to those in our required program of study.

Graduate School information on Transfer Credit.

Doctoral Plan of Study Requirement

The doctoral degree provides greater depth and breadth in graduate studies than the program’s EdS degree. The greater depth in our doctoral program is demonstrated in our extensive required coursework and field experiences for the 120+ credit doctoral degree. Our doctoral students receive greater depth of school psychology preparation in multiple NASP domains, beyond what is provided in our EdS program, by taking additional required courses in the following areas.

• Data-Based Decision Making
• School-wide Practices to Promote Learning
• Services to Promote Safe and Support Schools
• Research and Evidence-Based Practice
• Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practices

Doctoral students are required to complete comprehensive preparation in research. Research skills and activities include additional coursework in research, pre-dissertation research, and a comprehensive doctoral dissertation study.

Doctoral Elective Focus Areas

In addition to required coursework in the school psychology doctoral program, students should complete coursework and practicum experiences to focus on a specific area of practice and/or research. Each doctoral student is required to complete at least two additional courses in a specific individual focus area in which they wish to receive more preparation in knowledge and skills for practice and/or research. Students and their advisors should plan practicum and internship experiences that complement areas of focus. Focus areas may include reading/literacy, curriculum, special education, statistics, early childhood special education, counseling, and others. Permission must be obtained from programs that offer coursework and experiences in which the student wishes to obtain focused skills.

Graduate School information on the Doctoral Plan of Study. 

Doctoral Qualifying and Comprehensive Exams

Written Examinations

All students in the School Psychology Program are required to successfully complete written examinations before any degrees will be granted. The examinations are completed independently on a “take-home” basis and require students to integrate knowledge and skills obtained during coursework and other graduate education activities. Successful completion of the program requires that a student passes the exams. Further, no student will be allowed to enroll in EdS or PhD internship until all exams are passed.

Written Qualification Examination

All doctoral students take the qualification examination at the end of the spring semester of their first year of study. The exam results are reported to the Graduate School to meet university requirements for the MA degree as well as the EdS degree. Qualification exams will be offered annually in school psychology unless special circumstances arise. Students who wish to sit for the exam at a different time should submit a written petition to the program coordinator. Students must obtain an average of 80% or higher across faculty ratings for all questions to pass. Students who earn less than 80% of points on any one question may orally defend that question in front of the school psychology faculty. Earning less than 80% on two or more questions will result in failure of the qualification examination.

According to UA Graduate School policy, students may only take these examinations twice, a first attempt and one retake if the first attempt is not successful. If the student did not pass, the student can reattempt the relevant questions. Students will have an additional month to complete the new questions and will be required to orally defend their responses. Students who do not pass qualification exams following two attempts will be dismissed from the program.

Written Comprehensive Examination

Doctoral students in the School Psychology Program are required to successfully complete the comprehensive examination. Passing the comprehensive exam is required for proceeding with other program requirements (e.g., internship, dissertation) and obtaining the doctoral degree. Thus, no student will be allowed to enroll in a doctoral internship until the comprehensive examination is passed.

All doctoral students are expected to take the comprehensive examination no later than fall of their fourth year in the program. Students are eligible to take the comprehensive examination following:

1. Completion of all master’s degree requirements in school psychology at The University of Alabama (or demonstration of earned master’s degree)
2. Completion of pre-dissertation research requirement (or demonstration of equivalency)
3. Selection of dissertation chair
4. Permission from dissertation chair and program advisor

Graduate School information on Comprehensive Exams. 

Fieldwork/Practicum/Internship Requirements

Clinical and Field-Based Training

All students in the School Psychology Program are required to engage in several supervised, sequential, and organized field-based experiences, practica, and internships. Students engage in course-based clinical and field experiences during their first year in the program, formal practicum courses after the first year, and a final culminating internship at the conclusion of the program. Thus, students are engaged in clinical or field experiences each fall and spring term in the program.

During all field placements (e.g., practica, internships, course-embedded field experiences), students are evaluated continuously by university and field supervisors. In addition, a formal evaluation is submitted by the field supervisor to the university instructor at the end of each semester. The students must meet all requirements and achieve all objectives to be given a satisfactory grade for the field placement.

Practicum

Most of the required school psychology courses with the BSP prefix include some type of clinical or field-based experiences. In the first year in the program, BSP 501 Prof Issues/ Ethics Sch Psych, BSP 521 Cog Acad Assess, and BSP 523 Social-Behavioral Assessment all require field or clinical experiences, including classroom observations in local schools, assessment and data collection with youth, families, or other carefully supervised experiences. Several other required courses for the program (prefixes SPE, CRD, BCE, etc.) may also require clinical and field experiences on campus and in local public schools.

In addition, several formal practicum courses are required. In the second year in the program, doctoral students take BSP 580 Sch Based Pract Assessment for 200+ hours of on-site field activities in local schools in fall semester and BSP 683 Adv Sch Based Pract for 200+ hours of on-site field activities in local schools in spring semester. In their third and fourth years in the program, doctoral students continue to take BSP 696 Adv Doctoral Practicum most semesters, with 200+ onsite hours for each fall and spring term in local schools or other agencies that provide psychological services. School psychology practicum courses are offered in fall and spring terms, but typically are not offered in summer terms, except in special, pre-approved circumstances for doctoral practicum only.

Practicum sites are schools and other agencies relevant for school psychology practice. BSP 580 Sch Based Pract Assessment and BSP 683 Adv Sch Based Pract are taken by both EdS and doctoral students and occur in local public schools in the immediate Tuscaloosa or surrounding areas. Additional sites for doctoral students during doctoral placements in BSP 696 Adv Doctoral Practicum in the 3rd+ year of the program may include local public schools, university clinics, and other agencies in the immediate Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, or surrounding areas. Doctoral students wishing to complete a portion of their practica in other settings during their 3rd+ years may be given permission if the practicum site meets the needs of doctoral focus areas of the students and the program’s requirements for practicum experience. If approved by the program, doctoral students may have two placement sites in the same semester and spread the required field hours between the two sites.

Doctoral students must successfully complete at least 600 hours of practicum prior to internship, generally in school and other agency settings, although 1000+ practicum hours are typically recommended if the student is considering an American Psychological Association (APA), Council of Directors of School Psychology Programs (CDSPP), or Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) internship placement. Doctoral students should begin review and completion of the comprehensive and stringent internship application procedures early in their graduate studies.

Internship

Prior to beginning the doctoral internship, students must successfully complete all courses, practica, a qualifying exam, a comprehensive exam, portfolio evaluations, a pre-dissertation research requirement, a dissertation proposal, and be approved by the program.

All students must complete an internship at or near the end of formal training. Students must be approved by the program to begin planning for internship and before an internship placement begins. With program approval, internships may occur in qualified settings across the country. The doctoral internship requires a minimum of 2,000 hours and may be completed on a full-time basis in one calendar year (600+ clock hours over a continuous 15+ week period in each of a consecutive fall, spring, and summer/fall semester), or, with special permission, based on a half-time week over two consecutive and continuous calendar years. Because they are conducted throughout an entire calendar year, or three semesters, doctoral internships are completed in consecutive fall, spring, and summer (or another fall) terms. At least 600 internship hours must be in a school setting.

Students seeking internship placements must discuss the placement with their advisor and program coordinator at least a year in advance—during the first few weeks of the fall semester preceding an internship placement for the following fall term. By May 31 prior to the internship, potential interns must document that all program requirements for internship have been met and must seek and obtain program approval to begin internship by submitting the Internship Approval form. Once program approval has been provided to the intern, the intern will share the UA School Psychology Program MOA with the internship site for signature. When the internship site has agreed to and signed the MOA, the intern will return it to the program coordinator who will ensure the remaining UA personnel signatures are completed. The intern must provide the MOA to their internship site by June 1st. Students may not begin their internship without a completed and signed MOA.

Admission to Candidacy Requirements

Students will advance to candidacy after completing coursework and successfully passing comprehensive exams.

Graduate School information on Admission to Candidacy.

Continuous Doctoral Research Hours Registration

Graduate School Policy on Continuous Doctoral Research Hours Registration. 

Dissertation Requirements

All doctoral students are required to complete a research dissertation. University policies for dissertations are outlined in the Graduate Catalog. College of Education and department policies must be followed. According to School Psychology Program policy, the dissertation prospectus (a preliminary description of the dissertation project) and proposal (a more comprehensive description of the planned dissertation project) must be prepared and approved by the committee. The dissertation prospectus and proposal should be completed prior to beginning the doctoral internship.

The dissertation defense is the culminating experience in the doctoral program. The student and committee chair are responsible for setting a defense date that allows all committee members to participate and to have adequate time to read the dissertation, determine its suitability for a defense, and engage in scholarly dialogue about how to best improve the document.

To promote these priorities, the scheduling of the defense follows a series of steps. The first step is to schedule a tentative defense date. Guided by the dissertation chair, students may schedule a defense date before they submit their final document to their dissertation committee. The second step is for students to submit their dissertation to the dissertation committee so that the committee may read the document and determine its readiness for a defense. Students must submit their completed dissertation to the dissertation committee at least 30 days prior to their scheduled defense date. Students may proceed with this second step after they receive expressed written consent from their dissertation chair(s).

The third step is for dissertation committee members to read the completed document. Dissertation committee members have 10 working days from the date of receipt to determine the dissertation’s readiness for a defense, with readiness defined as general consensus (i.e., at least 4 of 5 committee members) that the dissertation can be filed with the Graduate School with only minimal revisions (e.g., minor editorial changes, minor substantive enhancements, and formatting).  When readiness is agreed upon by the committee (i.e., 4 out of 5 committee members consent to a defense), the fourth step is for the Dissertation Chair to notify the student of the committee’s disposition that a defense may occur. Once notified by their Chair(s), student may proceed with filing a public announcement of the defense. At this point, the dissertation defense date is formally confirmed.

Committee members who believe that a dissertation is not suitable for a defense should inform the Dissertation Chair within 10 working days of receiving the dissertation. The detail of their concerns should be submitted to the committee chair within the next 5 working days (if not sooner) so that the student is aware of those concerns and can address them before or during the defense. In cases where disagreements persist about student readiness to defend the dissertation, students and their dissertation chairs should consult with the Department Head as soon as possible. The Department Head will then work with the COE Dean’s office and the Graduate School to determine an appropriate course of action.

All faculty members in the College of Education are to receive the announcement of the pending dissertation defense and may observe the dissertation defense. Following the student’s presentation and committee examination, persons other than the committee members will be asked to leave the room before the committee conducts any discussion and subsequent voting. Positive votes by Committee members indicate that the dissertation can be filed with the Graduate School with minimal or no revisions. 

The general steps in preparing the dissertation are listed below:

• Identify dissertation committee chair
• Successful completion of comprehensive exam
• Finalize dissertation committee
• Preparation of Complete Dissertation Proposal
• Proposal Meeting and Approval of Proposal by Dissertation Committee; Admission to Doctoral Candidacy
• Approval by UA Internal Review Board for Human Subjects Research and by Data Collection Site
• Collection of Data
• Data Analyses
• Preparation of Final Dissertation
• Final Examination, Defense, and Approval of Dissertation by Dissertation Committee
• Submission and Approval of Dissertation by Graduate School

Institutional Review Board Procedures

All graduate students and faculty who conduct research must be certified as having completed comprehensive training in human participants research regulations. All research conducted by graduate students and faculty in the School Psychology Program in any coursework, field experience, or research project must be reviewed and approved by the University of Alabama's Institutional Review Board (IRB). This includes research for students’ class projects, theses, and dissertations. Proposals describing the research, its risks and benefits, and the procedures of obtaining informed consent and protecting confidentiality must be submitted to the IRB. For research conducted in schools or other private or public settings, additional approvals may be needed. Information about research compliance training and IRB approval may be found at http://osp.ua.edu/site/irb_training.html and http://osp.ua.edu/Research_compliance.html.

http://services.graduate.ua.edu/etd/templates.html

Graduate School information on Dissertation Requirements. 

Time Limit for Degree Completion

Graduate School information on Time Limits. 

Student Progress Requirements

Continuous Review of Student Progress

Each student is required to undergo a formal progress review during an annual progress evaluation at the end of every spring semester after entering the program; thus students entering the program in a fall term will have their first formal progress review at the end of the following spring, after two complete semesters of graduate study in the program. At the end of each spring term in the program, students are required to submit a comprehensive electronic progress evaluation of their work by the due date provided by the program coordinator; faculty members review the progress evaluation and evaluate knowledge, skills, and other relevant characteristics of students as shown in coursework, clinical work, field placements, and other program activities. Doctoral students also must submit an updated progress evaluation and have a progress review during the spring semester in internship. Doctoral students must continue to submit a progress evaluation every spring semester until graduation. Students prepare progress evaluation submission in an electronic format and will be provided information about submitting the annual progress evaluation.

While a portfolio is not required for the annual progress evaluation, students are expected to retain electronic copies of all work in graduate courses and other experiences beginning with their first semester of enrollment in the program. Annual progress evaluation components and professional work characteristics of the student are evaluated by program faculty according to a rating scale, in which student progress is judged to be satisfactory or non-satisfactory. 

Students are expected to receive satisfactory ratings on all progress evaluation components to continue with the planned program of study. In some cases, students may receive ratings of satisfactory that also include program requirements for improvement. Ratings of non-satisfactory on a few components may result in program requirements for additional course or field activities before continuation with the planned program of coursework, practicum, or internship. Thus, failure to make adequate progress in the program, based on a variety of quantitative and qualitative factors, will result in the student being placed on warning or perhaps being dropped from the program. There are four possible outcomes to the annual progress review evaluation process:

1. satisfactory progress in all areas,
2. satisfactory progress but with requirements for improvement
3. unsatisfactory progress in a few areas with probation for student and requirements for improvement, and
4. unsatisfactory progress in several areas, with discontinuation of student.

Please note that students may be given a probationary period before they are discontinued, if deemed appropriate or necessary. 

Minimum Grade/GPA Policies in School Psychology Courses

Students enrolled in the School Psychology Program must maintain a grade of B or higher in all core school psychology courses. Students may be able to repeat a course if they earn a grade lower than a B. Failure to receive a grade of a B or higher when taking a core school psychology course a second time results in dismissal from the program.

Students also must continually maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 to continue advancing toward key degree-related milestones. These include taking qualifying exams, comprehensive exams, advancing to candidacy, and accepting/beginning an internship.

Practica and Field Placement Policies

Addressing Concerns about Students in Field Placements, Practica, and Internships Field supervisors are asked to immediately report any concerns, issues, or suggestions to the student and to the university professor. Concerns by the field supervisor and/or university professor may be addressed through improvement plans developed for the student, in collaboration with the student, field supervisor, and university professor. Significant concerns may result in temporary suspension of the field placement, removal of the student from the placement, a grade of F for the course, and/or dismissal from the program.

Improvement Plans

If a student improvement plan for courses, field placement, or other program activities becomes necessary, the program faculty, placement site supervisors, and students will develop an improvement plan that identifies concerns/issues, specific goals, deadlines, evaluation methods, and required outcomes needed for the student to meet all criteria and achieve all objectives and earn a satisfactory grade for the course or field placement. The improvement plan will include frequent meetings between the student, professors, and supervisors to monitor progress. The improvement plan will include frequent submission of materials by the student and frequent submission of a formal evaluation by the professors and supervisors.

Program Dismissal

The student will have the right to meet with the program faculty and department chair. If the decision is to be that the student is dismissed from the program, the student will be informed in writing. If the student disagrees with the program decision, or feedback provided, the student may consult with someone outside the program, and consider submitting an appeal. The University of Alabama College of Education Grievance Procedures (https://education.ua.edu/students/student-complaint/) will be followed if a student has a grievance about the decision to dismiss the student or another type of academic concern.

Additional Academic and Program Requirements

Fingerprinting/Background Check

The UA College of Education requires that all students must clear a fingerprinting/background check prior to field experiences. Prior to their first semester of enrollment in the program, school psychology students must meet this requirement for activities in schools under the jurisdiction of the Alabama Department of Education. Students should contact our college’s Student Services Office at (205) 348-0193 to obtain instructions or confirm if a background check has been completed. Students also have the responsibility to meet fingerprinting/background check requirements of their specific agency, state, etc. for all field, practica, and internship placements or other field experiences. Students should note that fingerprinting/background checks usually cannot be transferred from one state to another or, within a state, from one type of agency to another. New background checks typically are required by each state or type of agency. NOTE: After your graduation from the program, additional fingerprinting/background checks also typically are required to receive a state credential/certificate/license to practice as a professional in schools and other agencies.

Non-Dissertation Research

Doctoral students are required to participate in and conduct research. Faculty members work closely with doctoral students to help them complete their research requirements. Doctoral students take a number of experiential, research and statistics courses and seminars, are required to complete at least one research project prior to the dissertation, and are required to submit this project for publication or presentation at a national conference. The research project may be in collaboration with a faculty member and must include collecting data, analyzing, and reporting results for a research study. Doctoral students also are required to complete a comprehensive dissertation research study (see Dissertation Requirements above for more information).

National School Psychology Examination and State Credentialing Exams

According to UA College of Education and Alabama Department of Education policy, all doctoral students are required to take the National School Psychology Examination offered as a Praxis subject assessment by ETS. The exam must be taken and scores submitted to the program prior to the completion of 1,200 hours of EdS or doctoral internship. However, students are encouraged to take the exam soon after completing program coursework and either prior to or during the first few months of internship to allow opportunities to retake the exam, if needed to meet the program’s criterion score.

Students must obtain a passing score on the Praxis School Psychologist exam (National School Psychology Exam,  Praxis test code 5402) to receive a grade for internship and graduate from the program. Currently, the program requires a score of 147 to receive a grade for internship and, thus, to graduate from the program. Students must have their scores sent to the UA (score recipient code 1858; this same code should be recorded as the student’s “attending institution”). The exam also is required for school psychology certification in Alabama; students desiring certification in our state should also have their scores sent to the Alabama Dept. of Education (recipient code 7020). Many other states require the Praxis School Psychologist exam for a state school psychology certificate; students should obtain the recipient code for the state in which they will apply for certification and have scores sent. The exam is required for the National Certificate in School Psychology (NCSP), and students should have their scores sent to the National Association of School Psychologists (recipient code R1549). A passing score of 147 also is currently required for the NCSP.

Students should be aware that additional exams may be required for applications for state credentials and should determine these requirements well in advance of graduation. Students should keep in mind that they may need to apply for Alabama certification to meet certification requirements in another state, even if they do not plan to work in Alabama. Other states also have their own specific requirements for examinations, which should be identified by students well in advance of graduation from the program.

Academic Misconduct

Graduate School information on Academic Misconduct. 

Withdrawals and Leave of Absence Information

The School Psychology Program faculty members and field placement agencies recognize that major emergencies can happen for some students and that they may have a short or long-term impact on a student’s participation across program activities during a semester, including coursework, field placements, graduate assistantships, comprehensive exams, portfolio submissions, etc. The program is committed to supporting students in their program activities and providing assistance and guidance when emergencies have an impact on the student’s activities. If you experience a major emergency (e.g., personal or family medical issue, etc.) that significantly impacts across your course, program, or field placement activities and prevents your participation for a period of time, notify the program coordinator immediately or as soon as possible after the emergency. The program coordinator will assist you with making immediate requests to course professors, field or assistantship supervisors, or program faculty about making sure that your duties and responsibilities are covered, extending deadlines, rescheduling assignments, withdrawing from activities or field placements, etc. Again, student’s requests to faculty for possible solutions must be based on a major medical or similar emergency and requests must be submitted immediately or as soon as feasibly possible following the emergency. Students should be aware that any extensions, rescheduling, or withdrawal from any type of program activity possibly may impact your schedule of courses, field placements, internship dissertation, final graduation, etc. The faculty will assist students in evaluating and making plans if major emergencies affect program activities.

Graduate School information on Withdrawals and Leave of Absence. 

Academic Grievances Information

The Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methods, and Counseling has procedures by which students may resolve any type of issue or concern. For students in the School Psychology Program, all grievances, complaints, and concerns must be filed with the Head for Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methods, and Counseling.

Graduate School information on Academic Grievances. 

Grades and Academic Standing

Graduate School information on Grades and Academic Standing. 

Graduate School Deadlines

Information on Graduate School Deadlines.

Application for Graduation

Information on the Application for Graduation. 

Certification

Requirements for certification and licensure in school psychology vary from state to state. Students are expected to determine the requirements in the state or states in which they are interested in practicing before beginning the program. The degrees from the School Psychology program may lead to state and national credentials:

• Graduates of the NASP-approved (main campus) program, who obtain the EdS and PhD degrees in School Psychology, are eligible for the National Certification in School Psychology (NCSP), following successful completion of the national school psychologist Praxis assessment and internship. The NCSP is used by over 30 states, including Alabama, as one possible route to grant state certification in school psychology.
• EdS and PhD degree graduates of the School Psychology program who obtain the NCSP may meet requirements for the Alabama Class AA certificate in School Psychology using the Nationally Certified School Psychologist Approach.

For a student handbook or additional information, email or call: Program Coordinator, School Psychology, The University of Alabama, College of Education, Box 870231, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0231; phone (205) 348-7575; fax (205) 348-0683; program office, 306 Carmichael Hall. https://education.ua.edu/programs/bsp.

Certification for Degree-Seeking Students Only

The School Psychology Program enrolls degree-seeking students and, occasionally with special permission, approves students for non-degree status to take only 1 or 2 courses, as noted earlier. The program typically does not enroll, evaluate, or endorse individuals who are not admitted to our degree programs. Only students admitted and enrolled in the EdS or PhD degree programs in school psychology and who complete our required coursework, field experiences, internships, and degrees are recommended by the program for the National Certificate in School Psychology (NCSP).