Educational Specialist Degree

Program Details

Credits: 63 semester hours
Program Length: 9 semesters (full or part-time study available)
Start: Summer, fall, or spring
View current program of study in the course catalog
Program Co-Directors: Peter Mortola, Ph.D., pmortola@clark.edu and Ruth Gonzalez, Ph.D., gonzalez@lclark.edu

This specialist degree-level program is designed for students seeking licensure as school psychologists. The Ed.S. degree demands a level of preparation significantly greater than that called for by a master's degree. The Ed.S. is widely regarded as the intermediary degree between a masters and a Ph.D. Program completion requires a minimum of three years (including coursework in fall, spring, and summer semesters). The third year of the program is a full-time internship in a public school setting with on-campus supervision.

The Lewis & Clark School Psychology Program is approved by the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC), as well as the National Council for Accreditation and Teacher Standards (NCATE) and NASP. Because of our NASP approval, graduates are able to apply for the National Certificate of School Psychology (NCSP) which enables graduates to apply for licensure in many states.

Licensure Requirements

In addition to fulfilling the following educational requirements, students seeking licensure must submit passing scores on the Praxis I, CBEST, WEST-B test of basic skills, and the Praxis II specialty area test in school psychology. Those scores must be on file in the Counseling Psychology department office prior to graduation.