Information on Requirements for the Doctoral Program

Requirements for the doctoral program fall into three categories: clinical requirements, research requirements, and procedural requirements. Many of these requirements are associated with specific courses; however, some are not such as the candidacy exam. A list of specific courses can be found on this web site. Additional information for specific requirements for the doctoral program can be found below.

Field-Based Experiences

Experiences Connected to Early Coursework

During the five quarters of the masters program, students will participate in various field-based experiences connected to their core school psychology courses. The majority of these experiences will be conducted at the practicum sites in the Columbus Public School District. Students are expected to complete approximately 100 field-based hours participating in activities such as shadowing a school psychologist and assisting practicum students with assessments, consultations, and mental health interventions. Students will also complete their own cases in three of the first year courses. Students are expected to maintain a log of their hours for these experiences in order to document their 100 hours. First year master's level students will be assigned a doctoral student supervisor. They will be expected to meet with their supervisor for at least one hour every two weeks to discuss course assignments. Meetings can be individual or in a group.

Second-Year Practicum

All students will participate in a practicum experience in their second year of the masters program. This experience will be completed in the Columbus Public Schools and will take place over the entire academic year. During the first quarter of the second year, students will be expected to be in the schools 4 hours each week (2 credit hours). During the Winter and Spring quarters, students will be expected to be in the schools 8 hours each week (4 credit hours). Additionally, students will be expected to participate in weekly supervision for an hour and a half each week. In addition to school site hours, students will also spend time designing interventions, writing treatment plans and psychological reports outside of school-based hours and supervision. Students are also expected to keep a log of their hours while on practicum, and forms for documenting hours will be provided. In total, students need to complete 300 hours connected to practicum. Additional requirements include a case study presentation and quarterly reflection papers.

Students must receive at least a B- in all of their school psychology courses and be granted advancement to practicum during the annual review of their first year. Students who do not complete practicum with their cohort group for any reason may be expected to find their own practicum site and supervisor. However, to ensure the quality of the practicum experience, the practicum student must follow the policies and procedures outlined in the practicum syllabus.

During the summer prior to practicum, students will be expected to participate in a practicum orientation and meet with their practicum supervisor. Also, students are expected to review material from the first year courses and practice test administration. Specific instructions for how students should prepare for practicum will be provided during the practicum orientation.

Professional behavior and development of clinical skills are extremely important aspects of the practicum experience. You will be expected to have a clear understanding of the program contract and how that relates to your behavior while in practicum. If you have any questions or concerns regarding professional behavior, you are encouraged to ask questions, reacquaint yourself with professional standards and ethical guidelines, and review the program contract. Ignorance will never be allowed as an excuse for unprofessional behavior. Because the school psychology faculty is charged with the duty of gatekeeper for the profession, students will not advance to practicum until certain skills have been acquired during the coursework of the first year. The faculty possesses the complete authority to deny practicum to students who are not sufficiently prepared.

Evaluation of practicum is done once per quarter. During the quarterly individual meeting with their supervisor, practicum students will review the practicum evaluation form included in the practicum syllabus. Copies of these evaluation forms will be given to the student and the practicum coordinator to be placed in the student's program folder. Students who have difficulty while on practicum and do not acquire the necessary level of skills to proceed to internship can be denied the opportunity to go on internship the following year. Because internship placements are made at the beginning of the Spring quarter, only students who have satisfactory performance on practicum during the Fall and Winter quarters will be placed at an internship site. However, in order to be allowed to begin internship, satisfactory performance (a grade of B- or higher) must also be obtained during Spring quarter. If a student is not placed at an internship site at the beginning of Spring quarter due to performance while on practicum, the student may be given a site at a later date if s/he is able to demonstrate the skills necessary for internship during the Spring quarter. The decision to place a student at a later date is left to the discretion of the faculty. Due to the timing and logistical demands of internship, students will not be allowed to make up practicum hours during the Summer Quarter. Internship placements can only begin in the Fall due to the State Department of Education funding.

Doctoral Practica

The purpose of the doctoral practica is to expose students to both the leadership activities in the field as well as the multiple settings and populations with which school psychologists practice. especially in urban areas. Doctoral students are expected to complete four separate practica over two full academic years for a total of 24 quarter hours. During the first year in the program, students will participate in two practica, one in a hospital setting and one in an early childhood education setting (total of 12 quarter hours). During the second year in the program, students will participate in a supervision practicum and a practicum with limited English proficient students and families (total of 12 quarter hours). For each credit hour required for these practica, students are expected to complete 2-3 clock hours per week meeting practica requirements.

• Leadership Practicum (3 credits): Students are expected to complete the leadership seminar before taking the leadership practicum. This practicum focuses on leadership activities such as supervision and teaching of students in the foundational courses. Doctoral students will be assigned to supervise a number of first year students throughout the quarter on various assignments related to foundational coursework with a focus on the mental health field experience. Doctoral students will also assist with teaching activities such as editing and creating syllabi, creating and facilitating class lectures, and grading assignments. Students will receive supervision from the faculty while completing these activities.
• ELL Practicum (3 quarter hours): Students will work with the school psychologist in Columbus Public Schools assigned to the Welcome Centers and ESL classrooms to provide services to students as well as their families. Students will participate in assessment and intervention cases and a review of the literature on empirically-supported practice for limited English proficient students.
• Hospital Practicum (total of 3-9 quarter hours. 1-3 credits per quarter): Students will work with children in the Autism program at Children's Hospital. They will be supervised by a licensed psychologist who is employed full-time at the hospital.
• Early Childhood Education Practicum (total of 3-9 quarter hours, 1-3 credits per quarter): Students will work with children in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Program as well as working with their families. Students will be supervised by the licensed psychologist who works full-time in the ECE program.

Students who have prior work experience related to working with limited English proficient students, working with early childhood populations or working in a hospital setting can count up to 9 quarter hours towards their doctoral practicum requirement. Students must have completed the number of clock hours that is commensurate with the number of quarter hours for which the student is seeking credit. Once credit for 9 quarter hours has been obtained, if the student has additional work experience that is related to another doctoral practicum experience, the student can request to complete practica hours in a different setting or with a different population.

The student is required for identifying an alternative practicum and having is approved by the faculty. Students who wish to apply prior work experience towards the doctoral practicum requirements need to make their request in writing to their advisor and program director. This letter should outline the nature of the request (number of hours to be waived and for which practica, alternative setting to be approved), a detailed description of the work history including number types of activities completed, number of hours for each, supervisor name and credentials, and nature of supervision received. Only prior work experience consistent with evidence-based practice will be considered. Once the faculty receives the letter, more documentation may be requested. Then the faculty will make the final approval regarding how work experience will be applied to the doctoral practicum experience.

Advanced Study in School Psychology

In order to provide doctoral students the mentoring opportunity to develop autonomous research skills, students are required to complete 18 hours of advanced study in school psychology. Typically, students will complete the advanced study with their advisor conducting research individually or in a team format. The student and advisor must negotiate the nature of the relationship (e. g., work load, timeline, authorship, topic) regarding each research project. Minimal expectations regarding the number and nature of research projects to be completed have been identified. Students are graded based on a S/U grading system and will need to complete all course requirements to get all six quarters of credit.

Supervising Research Projects: You will be assigned to a thesis student and assist them in supervising them through the thesis process in conjunction with your advisor. You will be expected to attend all meetings with the thesis student and assist them with data collection and providing feedback on their writing. Once the student's thesis is submitted for publication and/or presentation, you will be listed as the third author. In addition to supervising a thesis student, you will also be expected to complete one thesis workshop (1-2 hours) during the Spring quarter. This workshop will be given to first year students who are beginning the thesis process. If possible, this workshop may be given over the summer quarter.

Completing Research Projects: In addition to being a part of a student's thesis, you will also be expected to complete a number of your own research projects. If you have not completed a thesis or thesis-equivalent research project from another institution, then you are expected to complete a thesis-equivalent research project during the first year of advanced study. This project is usually completed as a comprehensive paper (non-thesis option) or as a thesis and is coordinated with your advisor. Information for the thesis and non-thesis option can be found on the Graduate School web site and the PAES Graduate Studies Handbook. Additionally, this manuscript is to be submitted for publication. If you have completed a thesis-equivalent research project while attending another institution, you can have it approved by your advisor. You must submit this manuscript for publication if you have not already done so. You are also expected to work with you advisor on a research manuscript where the faculty member will be first author. More than one student may work on this project, so order of authorship will be decided among the involved individuals. You will also complete a non-empirical piece, a theoretical, literature review or practitioner piece to be submitted to an outlet such as the NASP Communique or to a practitioner journal. The non-empirical piece and thesis-equivalent research project will be first authored publications for the student. From these projects or other work you are doing, you will be expected to submit proposals to at least two national conferences.

Other Requirements: In addition to supervising and conducting research, you will be expected to complete a few other research activities that will prepare you for an academic position or other leadership position in school psychology. First, you will be expected to participate in reviewing other research either by acting as a guest student reviewer, reviewing past articles reviewed by your faculty advisor and/or acting as a discussant. Second, you will be expected to participate in at least one grant writing workshop and completing at least one grant proposal that is approved by your advisor. Finally, your advisor has the prerogative to add additional activities that will enhance your research and leadership skills.

Certificate in Professional Development

The School of PAES has a program whereby graduate students can complete a certificate in professional development related to college teaching. The school psychology faculty highly encourages students to pursue completion of this certificate, especially those students who are interested in an academic position. Completion of this certificate involves creation of a portfolio and completing a number of tasks. Therefore, if you are interested in pursuing this endeavor should discuss the process with your advisor as soon as possible.

Candidacy Examination

The Candidacy Examination is a single examination consisting of two portions, written and oral, administered under the auspices of the Graduate Studies Committee in conjunction with the student's Advisory Committee and the Graduate School. Students who are completing the five-year doctoral program will most likely complete their candidacy exams the summer prior to their dissertation year. Students who are completing the six-year program have more flexibility in their schedule and are usually able to complete their candidacy exams at any point during the fourth year of study.

The Candidacy Examination may be taken or begun at any time thought appropriate by the student's Advisory Committee and the Graduate Studies Committee but not later than two quarters and 20 hours before graduation. The student must be in good standing in the Graduate School and registered for at least three credit hours each quarter in which any part of the Candidacy Examination is taken. At least one month before the quarter in which the Candidacy Examination will be taken, the student will file a "Doctoral Notification of Candidacy Examination" form in the Graduate Studies Office (215 Pomerene). This form is usually filed after completing a meeting with the Advisory Committee regarding the student's program and candidacy exam. In addition to the "Notification" form, and Doctoral Program form must also be submitted. Students are encouraged to visit the PAES Graduate Studies Handbook for more information.

The Advisory Committee is composed of at least four authorized graduate faculty members. The responsibility for the written portion of the Candidacy Examination rests with the Advisory Committee. The Candidacy Examination Committee is composed of the Advisory Committee plus the Graduate Faculty Representative.

The written portion of the Candidacy Examination in School Psychology is administered over ten weeks or one quarter. The student is provided with four questions, one from each member of the committee. The student is expected to write a scholarly paper, per question, that is no more than 25 pages. Students may choose, with the support of their advisor, to have two of the questions serve as the foundation for the student's dissertation proposal. The two questions would consist of the Review of Literature and the Methodology chapters. In the event that the student chooses this option, the limits of the pages may vary (i.e. the Methodology will be less than 25 pages). Please note that the candidacy examination does not substitute for the student's proposal meeting with the dissertation committee which shall take place at a date following the successful completion of the candidacy examination. The student, in consultation with their Advisory Committee, will choose the starting date for their exam and the submission date for the final document. The student is responsible for getting a copy of their exam to each committee member as well as the designated Graduate Faculty Representative.

The oral portion of the Candidacy Examination, which lasts approximately two hours, is held after completion of the written portion. The oral portion normally must be completed within one month of the written portion. It must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance, and the Graduate School must be notified of its proposed time and place by the Advisory Committee Chairperson. A unanimous affirmative vote for "pass" is required to advance to candidacy. Upon successful completion of the Candidacy Examination, the student is "Admitted to Candidacy".

Doctoral Dissertation

Prior to dissertation, students must have completed the requirements of the their advanced study that was approved by their advisor. The dissertation is a scholarly contribution to knowledge in the student's area of specialization. By researching and writing a dissertation, the student is expected to demonstrate a high level of knowledge and the capability to function as an independent scholar. The research should be of significant interest to the advisor, and although it may not be a direct extension of a current research program, the driving question must be the creation of the student. The project should be set up in such a way that the student is able to demonstrate autonomy. It is important that the research project include guidance from the advisor and must be work that can be accomplished in a reasonable time. It is also important to consider the availability of resources, resource personnel, and funding (cost of research) before deciding on a project.

The Dissertation Committee is composed of the advisor who must be a Category P Graduate Faculty member and at least two other authorized Graduate Faculty members. Additional Graduate Faculty members also may serve on the Dissertation Committee. Members of your committee should be individuals who provide some type of expertise that is needed for the project. Students should work in conjunction with their committee chair to identify the appropriate committee members.

During the first phase of the dissertation process, the students meets regularly with his/her committee chair to outline a research plan (including authorship), timeline and complete the dissertation proposal. The student's responsibility is to be receptive to the feedback given by the committee chair, to make necessary revisions, and to complete dissertation tasks in a timely manner. The committee chair is expected to balance feedback with the opportunity for the student to maintain an appropriate level of autonomy over the research process. Chairs are expected to provide timely feedback to students and return materials submitted by the student within two to three weeks with appropriate feedback.

Other specific procedures are required by the Graduate School or the PAES Graduate Studies Committee, and the student is responsible for being aware of all deadlines, forms, and policies pertaining to the dissertation. The final oral examination is open only to faculty and students. Generally, the student will present the dissertation (25 minutes) and then entertain questions from the audience (20 minutes). Thereafter, the defense will be closed for questions from the Committee. The "open" portion of the defense will be no more than 45 minutes. A unanimous vote for "pass" is required. After the defense of the dissertation, the results are sent to the Graduate School on the appropriate forms. Before the final draft deadline, two final dissertation copies and two copies of the abstract must be signed by the advisor and submitted to the Graduate School. As of Fall 2002, dissertations will only be accepted electronically.

Doctoral Internship

A doctoral internship must be a full year (12 month) internship which follows doctoral coursework. Master's level internships or prior work experience cannot be used towards a doctoral internship. Students are highly encouraged to seek an APA accredited internship especially if the student wishes to become licensed as a psychologist and/or obtain an academic position. Students who seek out APA accredited internships are responsible for keeping up with the relevant deadlines and procedures. Student must also give faculty sufficient time to write letters of recommendation for each site. Students may choose to obtain an internship within the Ohio School Psychology Internship Consortium; however, the student will need to arrange for a 12 month internship and will need to be supervised by a licensed psychologist. The student must also work closely with the internship coordinator when making these arrangements. The faculty of the OSU School Psychology Program will be pursuing establishment of an APA accredited doctoral internship in the distant future.

Prior to the internship year, the student must complete their candidacy exams and a dissertation proposal. The specific requirements that must be completed and deadlines for these requirements are specified in a contract negotiated between the student and his/her advisor. In general, students are highly encouraged to defend their dissertation proposals by February 15th and complete their data collection before beginning their doctoral internship.

Evaluation

Evaluation of students in The OSU School Psychology Program is conducted at two levels. First, students are evaluated in each course, and these procedures are clearly described in the course syllabi. Course objectives and assignments correspond with the competencies described elsewhere in the handbook. Also, students who do not receive at least a B- in the core school psychology courses will not be allowed to continue in the course work within that sequence and will be expected to retake the course in which they received less than a B-. The OSU Graduate School also mandates that students must maintain a 3.0 GPA every quarter they are admitted to a graduate program. Students who do not maintain this 3.0 average will be placed on probation. In addition, students who are on assistantship and who drop below a 3.0 will be in danger of losing their assistantship. Please refer to the OSU Graduate School Handbook for more information regarding these policies.

In addition to evaluation at the course level, students are also evaluated at the program level. Course evaluation is important, but does not provide students with a more comprehensive overview of their progress in the program. Students will receive written feedback on their progress in acquiring the program competencies at the end of each academic year. Students who wish to receive verbal feedback or clarification on the written feedback need to make an appointment with their advisor. Students will be expected to complete and sign the annual review form and return to the program director within two weeks of receipt. Students must make reasonable progress as outlined in the Graduate Studies Handbook, the School of PAES Graduate Studies Handbook, and the School Psychology Program Handbook.

Students who enter the doctoral program after completion of the Bachelor's degree are expected to follow the evaluation procedures outlined for the first two years of the Master's Program. Once these doctoral students complete the first two years of their program, these students will then follow the evaluation procedures outlined for the doctoral program.

At the end of the first year in the program, the annual review process will focus on advancement to practicum. Students who do not rate high enough on the Doctoral Annual Review Form, and/or who are deemed as lacking in sufficient professional or clinical skill by the faculty, can be withheld from the second year practicum. If students are not allowed to advance to the second year practicum, they will be required to complete the practicum the following year (if they successfully advance to practicum at that time), thus delaying completion of the program. In addition to waiting to take the master's practicum, students may also be required to take additional coursework to remediate areas of weakness for the student.

Towards the end of the second year in the program, students will again complete the annual review process that focusing on advancement to internship. Again, students who do not have high enough ratings on the Doctoral Annual Review Form, do not successfully complete practicum, and/or who are deemed as lacking in sufficient professional or clinical skill by the faculty will not move forward to doctoral practica.

While completing doctoral practica, students will be evaluated at the end of each academic year again using the Doctoral Annual Review Form. Doctoral student are still expected to meet with their advisor once per year to review the feedback included on this form. Students are expected to schedule times with their advisor after receiving the written feedback. During this meeting, doctoral students will discuss their progress in the program and goals for the next academic year. Additionally, doctoral students need to keep their portfolio updated and have it reviewed by their advisor during this meeting. Also, students are expected to complete Part B of the Annual Review Form. A copy of this completed form will be kept in the student's cumulative folder.

In addition to this annual review process, students are expected to create and maintain portfolios representing their performance in the program. Students are required to bring their current portfolio to each annual review. This portfolio will be very helpful for students as they prepare for internship and apply for positions after completion of the program. All faculty, practicum supervisors, and internship supervisors will have access to the information in your portfolio. The faculty will evaluate your portfolio during each annual review. In general, the portfolio should be complete, professional in appearance, well organized, clearly written, and contain the appropriate content for each written component. Your portfolio should begin with a table of contents and should be organized using the format provided.

Doctoral Program Contract

All doctoral students are expected to review the OSU School Psychology Doctoral Program Handbook and become familiar with the contents of the Handbook, the School Psychology Web Site, and other relevant OSU documents. The faculty believe that by creating specific program requirements that are described in detail in the program handbook, students will have a clear understanding of what is expected of them upon entering the program. An overview of policies and requirements are included in the OSU School Psychology Doctoral Program Contract which all incoming students sign at orientation.