School Psychology
Dr. Marty Dunham, Coordinator
marty.dunham@coe.murraystate.edu
270.809.6466
Welcome to Murray State University’s School Psychology Certification Program. The school psychology certification program is considered a “6th year” because it requires a masters degree in a related field as a prerequisite for admission. The school psychology program at Murray State University prepares students with a master’s degree in a related field to obtain the Kentucky School Psychology Certificate and practice in the public and private schools throughout the state, although the coursework is robust enough to easily provide for certification in other states. The program consists of 63 post-masters credit hours in assessment, intervention, applied research, and field experiences. The goal of the program is the produce effective and professional practitioners to meet the needs of regional school children, their families, and their schools.
School psychologists are professionals whose training emphasizes preparation in assessment, mental health, child development, learning, and intervention. Their training in psychology and education provides the skills to work with preschoolers, children, adolescents, teachers and families. School psychologists work with all school personnel to help make education a positive and rewarding experience. They collaborate with teachers, parents, guidance counselors and others about learning, social and emotional/behavioral problems. School psychologists also help others better understand child development and its relationship to learning and behavior. They also work closely with counselors and teachers to plan for school-to-work transition.
School psychologists use interviews, observations, and testing data to screen for disabilities and giftedness. They use academic, cognitive, emotional development, and adaptive behavior instruments to determine eligibility for specialized educational programming. School psychologists also work closely with physicians to monitor the effects of medication, medical interventions, and traumatic brain injury.
Another area that school psychologists specialize in is intervention. They work directly with students and/or families to improve coping skills and behavioral functioning. They also provide counseling, behavior management, and social skills training. Finally, school psychologists provide educational seminars and workshops in classroom management, parenting skills, and special educational processes. The philosophy of the program is to train generalists who can offer a wide range of assessment, consultation, and intervention services to a diverse population of children, teachers, and schools.