October 25, 2007
A graduate degree in a number of professional fields is a
definite plus, and in many, an absolute requirement. That’s why
several years ago, St. John’s University’s Board of Trustees
endorsed an administration request to offer select graduate
programs at the University’s Oakdale campus.
That site today continues to provide Nassau and Suffolk County
residents the opportunity to study for their advanced degrees close
to their homes and/or places of employment.
One program, offered at Oakdale for the third year, is the
M.S. in School Psychology, which leads to New York State
Certification as a school psychologist and/or a bilingual school
psychologist. It’s a rigorous program, requiring 66 credits beyond
the bachelor’s degree, a second-year practicum and a full-time
academic year internship under the supervision of a certified
school psychologist. Students may attend full- or part-time and
whichever they choose, they receive training in the evaluation of
scientific research, the basic science of psychology, and
empirically based practices.
Once employed, today’s school psychologists face increasingly
complex situations. To assist them in performing their jobs, St.
John’s School Psychology Program offers myriad educational
opportunities to stay abreast in their field.
This fall, in an effort to assist those in the profession as
well as to educate others about career opportunities, St. John’s is
sponsoring a daylong
conference, “Contemporary Issues in the Practice of School
Psychology,” at the Oakdale campus. School psychologists,
psychology supervisors and faculty, St. John’s psychology
undergraduates as well as those from area colleges and universities
are invited to attend. Department of Psychology Chair Raymond
DiGiuseppe, Ph.D. will deliver the keynote address, “Anger across
the Lifespan.”
School psychologists are encouraged to bring their student
interns to the conference and to the Open
House that immediately follows, where they can meet with
current School Psychology students and faculty and discuss the
graduate programs and career opportunities in School
Psychology.