School Psychology EdS

Major: School Psychology
Degree Awarded: Education Specialist (EdS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 73.5
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 42.2805
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code:
19-3031

About the Program

The Drexel University School Psychology Education Specialist (EdS) Program embraces a scientist/practitioner model of training. The program will develop school psychologists to use scientific inquiry, problem-solving, and a parsimonious approach to data analysis and outcome interpretation in their research and their practice. This is a full-time, hybrid cohort model - therefore all students are expected to be in the Philadelphia area. With the cohort model, all students begin practicum in the first year, through our partnerships with the local schools. This full-time hybrid format means all school psychology (EDSP) courses are in-person, and the remaining coursework is online, utilizing both synchronous and asynchronous learning activities. 

The program adopts and supports the ecological/behavioral orientation in psychology, focusing heavily on behavioral and ecological variables that facilitate and impede individual academic success and behavioral health functioning. The program also has a strong emphasis on behavioral health across pediatric, community, and school settings with a focus on children as they function within family, school, and community systems. The program strongly emphasizes the training of school psychologists who are agents of change in children’s lives. The development of evidenced-based assessment practices, consultation knowledge and skills, behavior analytic technology, and intervention/treatment skills is strongly emphasized, and will be informed from a behavioral and developmental framework. There is a strong focus on "hands on" work in schools, clinics, hospitals, and institutions. 

The training program has been approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) for School Psychology certification in Pennsylvania. It also includes a course sequence that has been approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board to fulfill one of the requirements for sitting for the national board certification examination in behavior analysis. 

Additional Information

For more information about this program, visit the School of Education's website. 

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree
  • 2 letters of recommendation
  • GRE scores of 1100 recommended but not required
  • Undergrad GPA exceeding 3.0
  • Letter indicating interest in school psychology

Degree Requirements

School Psychology Core Courses
EDSP 500Professional School Psychology3.0
Assessment
EDSP 510Academic Assessment in School Psychology3.0
EDSP 512Cognitive Assessment in School Psychology3.0
EDSP 514Social, Emotional and Psycho-behavioral Assessment3.0
Early Childhood and Human Development
EDSP 521Typical and Atypical Development in Early Childhood Education3.0
EDSP 523Teaching and Learning Environments for Children3.0
School Psychology Ethical Requirements
EDSP 530School Psychology Legal and Ethical Requirements3.0
Multicultural Awareness, Sensitivity and Practice in School Psychology
EDSP 540Multicultural Awareness, Competence and Sensitivity in School Psychology3.0
Practicum
EDSP 600Practicum in School Psychology *3.0
EDSP 601Advanced Practicum in School Psychology **3.0
Internship
EDSP 700School Psychology Internship ***3.0
Applied Behavior Analysis Sequence
ABA 630Fundamental Elements of Behavior Change4.5
ABA 631Measurement and Experimental Design4.5
ABA 632Behavioral Assessment and Functional Analysis4.5
ABA 633Behavioral Interventions4.5
ABA 634Consultation, Systems Change and Supervision4.5
ABA 635Ethical Considerations and Professional Conduct4.5
ABA 636Applications of Fundamental Elements of Behavior Analysis4.5
Special Education
EDEX 536Special Education Law and Process3.0
EDEX 550Teaching Individuals with Low Incident Disabilities3.0
English Language Learners
EDUC 565Foundations in Instructing English Language Learners3.0
Total Credits73.5
*

Students will take EDSP 600 Fall, Winter & Spring during Year 1

**

Students will take EDSP 601 Fall, Winter & Spring during Year 2

***

Students will take EDSP 700 Fall, Winter & Spring during Year 3

Students interested in obtaining the NASP national certification (NCSP) should enroll in EDSP 600, EDSP 601, and EDSP 700 for 3.0 credits each quarter it is offered. 

Sample Plan of Study

Note: Some terms are less than the 4.5-credit minimum required (considered half-time status) of graduate programs to be considered financial aid eligible. As a result, aid will not be disbursed to students these terms.

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ABA 6304.5ABA 6334.5ABA 6344.5ABA 6314.5
ABA 6324.5EDSP 5103.0ABA 6354.5ABA 6364.5
EDSP 5003.0EDSP 6001.0-3.0EDSP 6001.0-3.0 
EDSP 6001.0-3.0   
 13-15 8.5-10.5 10-12 9
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
EDSP 5233.0EDSP 5213.0EDSP 5123.0EDEX 5363.0
EDSP 5303.0EDSP 5403.0EDSP 6011.0-3.0EDEX 5503.0
EDSP 6011.0-3.0EDSP 6011.0-3.0EDUC 5653.0EDSP 5143.0
 7-9 7-9 7-9 9
Third Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
EDSP 7001.0-3.0EDSP 7001.0-3.0EDSP 7001.0-3.0 
 1-3 1-3 1-3 
Total Credits 73.5-91.5

Education Faculty

Jennifer Adams, EdD (Harvard University). Associate Professor. Comparative and international education; Poverty and education; Child welfare; Educational policy.
Ayana Allen, PhD (Texas A&M University ). Associate Professor. Urban education; Identity construction in school contexts; Urban school transformation.
Kristen Betts, EdD (George Washington University). Clinical Professor. Higher education administration and governance, online blended education, instructional design and educational technology, program assessment and evaluation.
Eric Brewe, PhD (Arizona State University). Associate Professor. Physics Education Research, introductory course reform, network analysis in learning, neuromechanisms of learning.
Stephanie Smith Budhai, PhD (Drexel University). Associate Clinical Professor. Teacher and higher education, culturally responsive teaching, equity and social justice, online learning, community engagement and service-learning, family involvement and partnerships, and learning technologies.
José Luis Chávez, EdD (University of Southern California). Clinical Professor. Higher education leadership and administration.
Rebecca Clothey, PhD (University of Pittsburgh) Department Head, Global Studies and Modern Languages. Professor. Comparative and international education, education of ethnic and linguistic minorities, refugees, China studies.
James Connell, PhD (Louisiana State University) Founding Clinical Core Director and Research Fellow, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. Associate Professor. Identifying the variables that influence adult behavior change in community settings; autism intervention; widespread dissemination of evidence-based interventions in school and community settings.
Kareem Edouard, PhD (Stanford University). Assistant Professor. Educational technology; internet-based STEM learning; equity and inclusion in STEM education
Salvatore V. Falletta, EdD (North Carolina State University). Clinical Professor. Human Resource intelligence (i.e., HR research and analytics practices); HRD assessment, measurement, and evaluation models and taxonomies; organizational diagnostic models; web-based employee and organizational survey methods, and computational modeling.
Aroutis N. Foster, PhD (Michigan State University) Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies. Professor. Educational psychology and educational technology, especially the following: Motivation; Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK); Immersive Interactive Digital Environments (simulation, games, virtual realities.
Rajashi Ghosh, PhD (University of Louisville, Kentucky) Department Chair for Policy, Organization & Leadership. Associate Professor. Mentoring and leader development, workplace Incivility, workplace learning and development.
John M. Gould, PhD (University of Pittsburgh) Harrisburg EdD Educational Leadership & Change Program. Clinical Professor. Change leadership, curriculum re-design, the impact of technology on learning.
Dominic F. Gullo, PhD (Indiana University). Professor. Studying the relative and long-range effects of early schooling experiences in prekindergarten and kindergarten on children's achievement and social adaptation to school routine.
H. Bernard Hall, PhD (Temple University). Assistant Professor. Hip-hop Pedagogy, English Education, Urban Teacher Education.
Paul Harrington, PhD (University of Massachusetts, Boston) Director, Center for Labor Markets and Policy. Professor. Teen and young adult job access; economic outlook, college labor market; workforce development, planning, and development; vocational rehabilitation and job market transition.
Michael J. Haslip, PhD (Old Dominion University). Assistant Professor. Early childhood education, social and emotional learning, child guidance strategies, effects of public pre-school attendance.
Deanna Hill, JD, PhD (University of Pittsburgh). Associate Clinical Professor. Higher education, international education, education law, education policy
Erin Horvat, PhD (University of California, Los Angeles) Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. Professor. Urban education, access and equity, high school dropout, parent involvement/family involvement, community engagement in research.
Jennifer Katz-Buonincontro, PhD (University of Oregon) Associate Dean of Research. Associate Professor. Educational administration, leadership development, survey & instrument design.
Larry Keiser, PhD (Drexel University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Education and corporate/business leaders’ creativity and entrepreneurial mindsets; creative school/work environments; neuroscience of creativity; everyday creativity for teachers and educators.
Kristy Kelly, PhD (University of Wisconsin, Madison). Associate Clinical Professor. Sociology of gender and development; anthropology of policy; comparative and international education; qualitative research methods; Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Cameron Kiosoglous, PhD (Virginia Tech University) Program Director. Assistant Clinical Professor. Coached on the USRowing National Team staff since 2002, including the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympic Games; coaching development; measuring coaching quality; self-insight and reflective practices; coaching leadership; conference presenter; published author.
Valerie Klein, PhD (Amherst College). Associate Clinical Professor. Mathematics learning and teaching; teacher's use of formative assessment in mathematics; creating opportunities for rich problem solving in the classroom; examining teachers growth and change; qualitative research methods.
Peggy Kong, PhD (Harvard University). Associate Clinical Professor. Comparative and international education, equity in education, family and community, Chinese education and society, sociology of education
Michael G. Kozak, Ed.D. (Rowan University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Leadership, STEAM, online and blended learning environments, systems thinking, experiential learning, K-12 education, and facilitating change
Amanda Lannie, PhD (Syracuse University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Applied behavior analysis and special education; School-based consultation; system-wide interventions as a mechanism for delivery supports to all students; Designing effective and efficient interventions for students with emotional/behavioral disorders.
Vera Lee, EdD (University of Pennsylvania) Department Chair for Teaching, Learning & Curriculum. Associate Clinical Professor. Practitioner Research in online courses to explore inservice/preservice teachers’ emerging understandings about issues of diversity; the development of information/digital literacies of urban youth; English language learners.
Bruce Levine, JD (New York University). Associate Clinical Professor. Educational policy, school law, public-private partnerships, intersection of business and education.
Kristine Lewis-Grant, PhD (Temple University). Clinical Professor. Experiences of students of African descent at predominantly white colleges and universities, college access and college student development, youth civic engagement in urban school reform, qualitative research and evaluation.
William Lynch, PhD (University of Maryland). Professor. Curriculum and educational leadership, educational technology, distance learning policy development, higher and adult education.
Constance Lyttle, PhD, JD (University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University). Clinical Professor. Legal rights of gifted and talented children and children with disabilities; inclusive education of exceptional children; special education mediation; special education IEP/IFSP facilitation; resolution session facilitation
Joy Phillips, PhD (The University of Texas at Austin). Associate Clinical Professor. Visionary leadership in theory and practice, school reform as innovative problem-setting, thinking qualitatively about school reform. thinking about school reform by drawing, Educational Leadership Program Assessment.
Kathleen Provinzano, PhD (Marywood University). Assistant Professor. Educational administration.
Harriette Rasmussen, EdD (Fielding Graduate University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Educational leadership and change.
Lori Severino, EdD (Neumann University). Assistant Professor. Special education, differentiated instruction, reading, Wilson language, multi-sensory instruction, reading comprehension, assessment, adolescent literacy.
Jason Silverman, PhD (Vanderbilt University). Professor. Teaching and learning of advanced mathematical ideas (algebra and calculus); improving teachers' ability to orchestrate and sustain inquiry-based and discussion-based instruction; technology in mathematics education.
Janet Sloand, EdD (Duquesne University) Department Chair for Teaching, Learning & Curriculum. Associate Clinical Professor. Special Education Leadership, Trauma-informed care, Parent engagement in special education service delivery.
Toni A. Sondergeld, PhD (University of Toledo). Associate Professor. Cognitive and affective assessment development; program/grant evaluation; high stakes testing measurement; STEM education; urban education
Bridget Sweeney Blakely, PhD (Temple University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Consultation; Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS); Response to Intervention (Rtl); Systems-level change; performance feedback
Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, EdD (University of Pennsylvania). Associate Clinical Professor. Early literacy development, learning differences, knowledge construction, urban education.
Sarah P. Ulrich, EdD (Saint Joseph’s University) Associate Dean of Teacher Education and Undergraduate Affairs. Clinical Professor. Cross-cultural, language and academic development, school reform, teacher preparation, teacher retention, teacher residencies in urban contexts.
Sheila Vaidya, PhD (Temple University). Professor. Educational psychology, school psychology, research design.
Christina Vorndran, PhD (Louisiana State University) Program Director, Applied Behavior Analysis and Special Education. Clinical Professor. Designing effective and efficient community-based interventions, Severe behavior disorders, Functional behavior assessment
Christopher G. Wright, PhD (Tufts University). Assistant Professor. Engineering and science education, Urban education, elementary teacher education.

Emeritus Faculty

Mary Jo Grdina, PhD (Case Western Reserve University). Clinical Professor. Undergraduate studies, science education, curriculum design.
Joyce Pittman, PhD (Iowa State University of Science and Technology). Clinical Professor. Curriculum and instruction K-16; teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL); instructional design business education and administration; industrial and career technology; oral and written communication; research methodology; instructional and assistive technology assessment; online learning pedagogy
Fredricka K. Reisman, PhD (Syracuse University) School of Education, Founder, Drexel School of Education. Professor Emerita. Director, Freddie Reisman Center for Translational Research in Creativity and Motivation, Creator and Former Director-Creativity and Innovation Programs, Co-Director- Drexel/Torrance Center for Creativity and Innovation, Drexel University Named Recognition- Freddie Reisman Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity Awards
  • Schedule of Classes
  • All Course Descriptions
  • Co-op
  • Academic Advising
  • Admissions
  • Tuition & Fees
LEARN MORE