Program Overview

Introduction to the Psy.D. in School Psychology Program

The Psy.D. in School Psychology program at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is designed to prepare students to serve the educational, behavioral, social, and emotional needs of students, families, teachers, and staff. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association and holds the designation of full accreditation by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).

Program Overview

The doctoral curriculum is designed to be consistent with the Florida state licensure requirements as both a school psychologist and a psychologist under Chapter 490, Florida Statutes. The program is a four-year curriculum, including a minimum of 118 total credits to complete and a one-year internship to be eligible for the degree.

Delivery Options and Start Dates

• The program is held on the Fort Lauderdale/Davie campus.
• The School Psychology Psy.D. program is offered once per year, beginning in August.
• The application deadlines are:
  • Early deadline: January 8
  • Late deadline: June 30

Unique Clinical and Internship Experiences

Students will have the opportunity to turn theory into practice through assessment, consultation, and intervention at the Mailman Segal Center (MSC) for Human Development and the University School of NSU (U School). Additionally, students will broaden their clinical practice perspective at the school-related Psychological Assessments and Clinical Interventions (SPACI) Clinic, housed within the NSU Psychology Services Center.

Why Choose NSU?

• Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association
• National recognition by the National Association of School Psychologists
• Empirically-based
• Prepares students for state licensure as a psychologist
• Stellar faculty with unprecedented access and mentoring

Program Details

• The program is designed to prepare students for comprehensive practice and career advancement in schools, private/independent practice, hospitals, university teaching, and research.
• The program includes a minimum of 118 total credits to complete and a one-year internship.
• Students will have the opportunity to work with top-tier faculty who have built experience at the highest levels and earned the respect of their peers nationwide.

Faculty Experts

The program faculty includes:

• Peter Caproni, Ph.D., who focuses on school safety, post-traumatic growth, public policy advocacy, mindfulness, collaborative/therapeutic assessment, and psychodynamic psychotherapy.
• Ralph Cash, Ph.D., ABPP, who concentrates on suicide prevention, psychology student training using simulated patients, doctoral-level school psychologist competency determination, and assessments of the effects of public policy advocacy training on advocacy behaviors.
• Iryna A. Kasi, Ph.D., who is a licensed psychologist in Florida and Arkansas, and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) with a diplomate in school neuropsychology from the American Board of School Neuropsychology.
• Nicole Jimenez, Psy.D., who is a licensed psychologist and serves as Assistant Director of the SPACI clinic.
• Scott Poland, Ed.D., who focuses on school safety, youth suicide, self-injury, bullying, school crisis prevention/intervention, threat assessment, and parenting in challenging times.
• Nurit Sheinberg, Ed.D., who researches children's social-emotional development, challenging behaviors in young children, parenting support, autism educational interventions, school readiness, and early care and education quality enhancement initiatives.
• Sarah Valley-Gray, Psy.D, ABPP, who is passionate about psychology training, including areas of supervision, use of standardized patients to prepare beginning psychologists for practice, graduate education in school psychology, and evaluation of competencies in school psychology curricula.
• Angela Waguespack, Ph.D., who focuses on school and community efforts to foster healthy development and school readiness, including better access to and implementation of services to improve educational and mental health outcomes for diverse children and families.
• Shannon Worton, Psy.D., who is a licensed psychologist and Director of the SPACI clinic.

Comparison of Psy.S. and Psy.D. Degrees

• The Psy.S. degree enables students to graduate sooner, at less cost, and qualifies them to pursue comprehensive practice and career advancement primarily in schools or related settings.
• The Psy.D. degree is the highest level of education in this specialized field and qualifies students for broader or higher-level career roles, including comprehensive practice and career advancement in schools, private/independent practice, hospitals, university teaching, and research.