Connecticut certification as a School Psychologist requires both the Masters and the Sixth Year, which are offered through the SCSU School Psychology program. The Master of Science in School Psychology is completed first, during which students apply for admission to the Sixth Year Program.
The Sixth Year Program prepares students for eligibility for the Sixth Year Certificate (a Specialist level credential). The Sixth Year Program i includes one year of full-time coursework and a 700 hour practicum experience, followed by a 10 month, full-time 1200 hour internship.
The majority of enrollment openings in the Sixth Year Program are reserved for students who have completed the SCSU School Psychology Master’s program. Students must hold a Master’s Degree in School Psychology.
Admission Criteria
Admission to the Sixth Year Program is based upon following criteria:
- Applicants to the Sixth Year Program must have a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0. Students must submit ALL prior transcripts with their application to the Sixth Year program, including ALL transcripts submitted at the time of their application to the Master’s program. If you have attended SCSU, you only need to indicate this on your application; you do not need to send your official SCSU transcript.
- Applicants to the Sixth Year Program are required to have taken the following prerequisite course (completion of this course is not required to apply to the program but completion is required prior to matriculation): Exceptionality or Exceptional Children (must be a state-approved course).
- The School Psychology program requires that applicants to the Master's Program must submit evidence of having taken one of the following assessments: the Praxis® Core Combined exam, Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), Graduate Record Exam (GRE), or American College Testing (ACT).
- Submit a personal essay explaining your reasons for wanting to enter the field of school psychology and the SCSU School Psychology program in particular. The typed/word processed essay should be approximately 250-500 words in length and should be uploaded to the same portal to which you logged in to apply. This requirement is waived for matriculated students in the Master's Program at Southern who are applying to the Sixth Year Program.
- Upload your professional resume or vita to the same portal to which you logged in to apply. This requirement is waived for matriculated students in the Master's Program at Southern who are applying to the Sixth Year Program.
- Have THREE recommenders upload their recommendations directly into the system via a personalized link sent to them when you applied. At least one recommendation should be from someone who can speak to your academic skills. This requirement is waived for matriculated students in the Master's Program at Southern who are applying to the Sixth Year Program. Students who are granted admission to the program and have not yet fulfilled all of the course requirements will be given "Conditional Acceptance" until these requirements are met.
The Praxis® II– Examination in School Psychology is required for degree completion.
For further information: mcphersona5@southernct.edu.