Program Director
Heath Marrs, EdD
Psychology Bldg., room 436
The State Board of Education’s standards for certification of school psychologists require that the candidate complete an approved specialist degree program in psychology that has been developed in concert with school and professional organizations. (Note: candidates who have already received a master’s degree in a related field are not required to earn a specialist degree, but must complete all requirements or their equivalent for certification.) Successful completion of the certification program at Central leads to eligibility for the residency certificate as an educational staff associate (ESA) school psychologist and national certification through the National Association of School Psychologists. The certification program also requires satisfactory completion of the PRAXIS II examination in school psychology. The EdS degree and certification program in school psychology is fully approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).
Two cohorts are available for applicants for the EdS School Psychology Program. The full-time Ellensburg cohort is designed for students who have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Coursework, practicum, and internship is completed full-time throughout the academic year. The part-time Summer cohort is designed for K-12 educators with at least 3 years of professional experience or individuals who have already obtained a Master’s degree. Coursework is completed full-time during the summer and part-time during the academic year. Applicants must obtain a letter of support from their host school district indicating availability to complete practicum hours in their employment setting during the academic year. Up to 20 quarter credits earned as part of a previous graduate degree may be accepted towards the EdS degree, if coursework is equivalent to the required course of study as determined by the CWU School Psychology program. Applicants with earned Master’s degree do not need to submit GRE scores for consideration for admission.
Prerequisites: PSY 362, PSY 363, (or approved equivalents) may be taken concurrently with certain program courses.
Education Specialist Degree Requirements
The education specialist degree in school psychology is granted to the candidate upon completion of 102 quarter hours of coursework. The following courses (or approved equivalents) are required: