How To Become a School Psychologist

What degree do you need

One of the most common questions that we always get is what major or degree do I need to become School Psychologists or what courses do I need to take.

We also asked School Psychologists what did they major in college or university and here are the top 5 most popular majors that came up.

School psychologists need an advanced degree and certification or licensure to work. The advanced degree is most commonly the specialist degree (Ed.S. degree, which requires a minimum of 60 graduate semester hours and a 1,200-hour supervised internship), a doctoral degree in school psychology, or in some instances, a master’s degree.

How hard is it

You will need an extensive amount of skill, knowledge and experience to be a School Psychologist. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, a surgeon must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Careers in this difficulty category may need some on-the-job-training, but most of these careers assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, and work-related experience and training. These careers usually involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Similar careers include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, neurologists, and veterinarians.

License and certifications

In all states and the District of Columbia, School Psychologists who practice independently must be licensed. Licensing laws vary by state and type of position.

Skills required

We asked other School Psychologists if they could only have 5 skills, what would they be. Here is what they said.

Knowledge required

Just like any other job, you will need certain know-hows to excel at your job. School Psychologists are generally very knowledgeable in these 5 key areas.

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