New and Confused Clin. Psych vs. School Psych.

[Vintagegirlnh]

Hi Everyone!
As my subject title would suggest, I'm new here and quite confused about my educational path. I have been accepted to The Chicago School of Professional Psychology for the Masters in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on ABA. I've been working as a behavior therapist for a school district for 4 years and I adore my work. I'd really like to further myself in the field by pursuing my masters and becoming BCBA certified but I have some questions.

1. I know CSOPP isn't very well regarded here due to its high acceptance rate, insane price tag and loose requirements but most of the criticisms have been geared towards the Psy.D, is it looked down upon for its Masters programs as well?

2. I would be attending the LA campus and I saw someone here state that it's not APA accredited. That scares me. How bad is that? Is there a chance that it may never become APA accredited?

Here's my other back story and batch of questions. I am also contemplating doing National University's School Psychology Masters, PPS credential and BCBA coursework instead of CSOPP. I love school district work and this would allow me to continue to work for a school district and it would also allow me to work for a private agency if I felt like it. Here are some questions about this program.

3. I just found out that National's program is not NASP-approved. How bad is that?

4. Is National respected in the school psychology field whatsoever?

5. How does a masters in School Psychology limit me?

6. Would I be better off doing the Ma. in Clinical Psych/ABA at CSOPP and then just obtaining the PSP credential at a later date? Would that be less limiting?


Thank you so much for your time.

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[aagman01]

Greetings.

If you are only interested in a masters degree, then APA accredition does not matter much for you. APA only recognizes doctoral level programs.

If your intention is to work in schools, the school psych masters gives you a lot of flexibility in working with schools. You can continue work you are focusing on, and also be competitive for other school related psych work. The national shortage in school psychs will ensure you can basically find work, regardless of where you are located.

Due to that national shortage, where you get your masters is not especially critical. Being a NASP accredited program is nice, as many states will provide yearly bonus if you have it (usually $1000 to $2000 per year).

Another nice thing about being a nationally certified school psychologist (NCSP) is that it gives you flexibility on where you live - over 30 states recognize NASP natinal certification, so you are spared having to meet state accredition in each individual state if you don't have it (many state dept. of education have different requirements for recognition to be a school psych).

However, you can get national certification as a school psych without attending a NASP accredited program. You just have to jump through a bunch of hoops (kinda like someone who completed a phd at a non-APA program). You have to be prepared to show competencies in the NASP competency areas from your work. That basically requires you being organized and ready to put in some work to get the certification. It can be a hastle, but is certainly not insurmountable.

If you want to work in schools, I recommend going the school psych route (I'm biased, as i am in a doctoral program in school psych). If you need further incentive to go the school psych route, you should know that they also enjoy salaries over and above what teachers or even school counselors with a masters have in most places.

Layola University in Chicago has a nationally known program (although it does not provide much in the way of funding). I am not sure if there are any other school psych programs in chicago outside of Layola, National U, and the Chicago Professional School. Illinois State has a decent school psych program, with degrees in both masters and doctoral levels. National U isn't bad or anything, just not an especially strong program. But, again in closing, if you only want to work in the schools, National University is fine.

Hope that helps!

Hi Everyone!
As my subject title would suggest, I'm new here and quite confused about my educational path. I have been accepted to The Chicago School of Professional Psychology for the Masters in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on ABA. I've been working as a behavior therapist for a school district for 4 years and I adore my work. I'd really like to further myself in the field by pursuing my masters and becoming BCBA certified but I have some questions.

1. I know CSOPP isn't very well regarded here due to its high acceptance rate, insane price tag and loose requirements but most of the criticisms have been geared towards the Psy.D, is it looked down upon for its Masters programs as well?

2. I would be attending the LA campus and I saw someone here state that it's not APA accredited. That scares me. How bad is that? Is there a chance that it may never become APA accredited?

Here's my other back story and batch of questions. I am also contemplating doing National University's School Psychology Masters, PPS credential and BCBA coursework instead of CSOPP. I love school district work and this would allow me to continue to work for a school district and it would also allow me to work for a private agency if I felt like it. Here are some questions about this program.

3. I just found out that National's program is not NASP-approved. How bad is that?

4. Is National respected in the school psychology field whatsoever?

5. How does a masters in School Psychology limit me?

6. Would I be better off doing the Ma. in Clinical Psych/ABA at CSOPP and then just obtaining the PSP credential at a later date? Would that be less limiting?


Thank you so much for your time.

 

[Vintagegirlnh]

Thank you so much for the reply!

I'm contemplating receiving my MA in Clinical Psych with an Emphasis on ABA and then completing the School Psychology credential at CSULB as I just found out that obtaining a school psych. credential after completing a similar (yet not school psychology based) masters program is an option. What do you think of this idea? I basically want to work with students with the most sever behavior problems so I want to insure that I am as well rounded yet as concentrated as possible.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Thank you so much for the reply!

I'm contemplating receiving my MA in Clinical Psych with an Emphasis on ABA and then completing the School Psychology credential at CSULB as I just found out that obtaining a school psych. credential after completing a similar (yet not school psychology based) masters program is an option. What do you think of this idea? I basically want to work with students with the most sever behavior problems so I want to insure that I am as well rounded yet as concentrated as possible.

Work.....how?

The reason I ask is that a school psychologist primarily does testing, a behavior analyst primarily focuses on behavioral interventions, and a MA/MS clinical degree may or may not be license eligible. It sounds like going for an MA/MS will allow you to go for further credentialing, which may meet your needs.

It is really important to make sure there aren't limitations on where you can practice and how you can practice. Some school districts are moving more towards a Specialist degree being the entry level for school psychology, so make sure if you want to fulfill that role that you will be eligible after your training. ABA certification can vary, as I believe there are two different levels for it. Lastly, make sure your MA/MS is not just a degree, and that you can use it towards your career goals. Most MA/MS clinical degrees I know are more research based and are not license eligible, though I know there are certain states that still allow for licensure after fulfilling clinical hour requirements.