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School Psychology EdS

Rural Appalachian Mental Health Partnership Grant

Great news! The EdS Program has a grant available for students! See below for more information on Rural Appalachian Mental Health Partnership (RAMHP) funding for EdS students.

RAMHP provides an evidence-based, culturally inclusive school counseling and school psychology service in high-need, rural Appalachian schools. Six school counseling/dual track scholars and six school psychology RAMHP scholars will be selected each year. This partnership provides two years of financial support.

Award

Two years of financial support.

  • Year 1: $10,000 scholarship
  • Year 2: $10,000 scholarship, $10,000 field experience stipend, travel reimbursement.

Requirements

Year 1

  • Engage in monthly RAMHP professional development and cohort-building activities (working with rural youth, MTSS, universal screening, and evidence-based mental health interventions)
  • EDPY 580: course on evidence-based practices (SC elective)
  • COUN 570: Social and Cultural Diversity in Counseling (required course)

Year 2

  • Internship placement in a high-need partner school in Cocke, Greene, Grainger, or Newport City district
  • Continued RAMHP supervision and professional development

Post-graduation

  • Service obligation of two years of school counseling or psychologist work in a high-need school based on one or more of the following:
    • A low-income school (at least 20% o students considered low-income in the district)
    • Rural school (SRSA or RLIS designation)
    • High student-to-counselor ratio
    • Significant student mental health needs

Join us for our next VIRTUAL Open House! Learn more about the program, and get your questions answered by faculty and current students!

2023/2024 Upcoming Sessions:

Sept 29 at 11:00 am EST

Oct 20 at 11:00 am EST

Nov 6 at 2:00 pm EST

Nov 28 at 12:00 pm EST

January 9 at 12:00 pm EST

 

RSVP for an Open House here: https://forms.gle/cnNbeTMZiZ8X4PNt9


The GRE requirement has been waived!

Now is the best time to apply for your School Psychology EdS or PhD!

Request More Info About the School Psychology EdS

The School Psychology Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville offers an Education Specialist (EdS) degree and a Doctoral (PhD) degree. Both programs will prepare graduates to work to improve the quality of services for children and youth in a variety of settings. Both programs are offered on campus. Online options are not available. The UT School Psychology Programs prepare professionals who work collaboratively with educators, administrators, parents, and children to promote learning and development in general education students and for students with special needs. Our training is based on the scientist-practitioner model and graduate students learn to use a problem-solving approach to address student difficulties in learning and/or challenging behavior in field-based sites including urban, suburban, and rural schools. Research is an integral part of training.

For more about the EdS degree program, continue below. Click here to learn more about the PhD program.

The University of Tennessee School Psychology Program has now added an Education Specialist (EdS) degree program, in addition to the current doctoral program. The EdS degree in School Psychology is a three-year, on-campus program designed to prepare qualified school psychologists who can provide evidence-based assessment, consultation, and interventions in K-12 settings. The third year of the EdS program is a year-long internship. The first cohort of EdS students enrolled in the fall of 2020. While the new program cannot be NASP approved at this point, the program is approved by the TN State Department of Education. The application deadline for the EdS program is January 15. Contact Dr. Merilee McCurdy for more information about the EdS program.

About School Psychology

Application Requirements

Complete applications are due each year on January 15 for fall admissions.

Did You Know?!
The GRE requirement has been temporarily waived!

Now is the best time to apply! The GRE has been waived for all applications to the Ph.D. and EdS programs.
(However, strong GRE scores may increase a student’s chance at a university fellowship. If you feel you have competitive GRE scores, it is in your best interest to submit them with your application.)

The curriculum for the EdS program in School Psychology can be found in the UT Graduate Catalog.

Curriculum Requirements

RAMHP Award

Two years of financial support.

  • Year 1: $10,000 scholarship
  • Year 2: $10,000 scholarship, $10,000 field experience stipend, travel reimbursement.

More Financial Aid Information

Includes EPC GA application form, departmental fellowships/scholarships, and links to other funding sources around UT.

Faculty

Ron Carlini
Clinical Assistant Professor
rcarlini@utk.edu

Merliee McCurdy

Merilee McCurdy
Professor
mccurdy2@utk.edu
865-974-8144


Kai Zhuang Shum
Assistant Professor
kshum1@utk.edu
865-974-5405

Robert D. Richardson
Lecturer
rrica35@utk.edu
865-974-8145


Chris Skinner

Christopher H. Skinner
Professor
cskinne1@utk.edu
865-974-8403

Brian Wilhoit

Brian Wilhoit
Clinical Professor
bwilhoit@utk.edu
865-974-6395


Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data

*Questions related to accreditation of the program should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-336-5979
apaaccred@apa.org
www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

Request More Info About the School Psychology EdS

Updated 6/15/23