The USC School Psychology Program is only one of four national programs with a Carnegie Research 1 designation (“Very High Research Activity”) that is uniquely housed in a Department of Psychology.
The School Psychology Training Program Committee has designed the Ph.D. curriculum in accord with various requirements of licensing and national credentialing agencies. The curriculum is comprised of four basic areas: (I) School Psychology core courses, (II) General Psychology core courses, (III) Education Electives, and (IV) Psychology Electives.
Our program is built on the foundation of the scientist-practitioner model, emphasizing practice that is informed by science and science that is informed by practice in the real world setting of schools.
There are two primary goals and five objectives that are aligned with credentialing and certification requirements.
From its inception, the training program in School Psychology at the University of South Carolina has been concerned with integrating classroom learning with actual experience in school settings.
The Program has a long history of recognition for excellence. It was the third school program in the United States to receive APA accreditation (1974). It has been commended for excellence by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, rated as the third best school program by U.S News and World Report, recognized as a "model program" by APA Division 16, and ranked in the top five programs in faculty publication rates in several national studies, including one study covering a 30-year period (Skrutski & Williams, 2001) as well as a more recent study (Kranzler et al., 2011).
Each year, we receive a number of applications for the School Psychology Doctoral Program. Typically, 5-7 students are admitted to the Ph.D. program. The following sources of information are considered in making admission decisions.
The School Psychology Program in the College of Arts & Science at the University of South Carolina is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA)'s Commission on Accreditation and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) through a partnership with the National Council on Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
The School Psychology Program Student Handbook provides students with a comprehensive summary of the rules, regulations, and guidelines for graduate training at the University of South Carolina.
Core Program Faculty
Outstanding research by our faculty and students
The School Psychology Program has been very successful in maintaining comprehensive financial support throughout each student's academic career.