School Psychologists Benefit from “Much Faster Than Average” Growth

As more government leaders realize – and prioritize – the vital role of a school psychologist in addressing violence, diverse student academic challenges and many other of today’s most urgent educational issues, school boards are facing a shortage of qualified experts in Florida and nationwide.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Information Network (O*Net) database, school psychologists are projected to grow “much faster than average.” The Nova Southeastern University Psy.S. School Psychology program is NASP- and DOE-Approved: preparing you to help children succeed academically, socially, and behaviorally.

Smaller classes assure you more interaction with our national school psychology experts. NSU’s faculty is considered by many of their peers to be among the best in the profession. Convenient evening and weekend schedules keep you progressing without interrupting your career.

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DOE-approved, Recognized by NASP

Florida Department of Education

Approved by Florida Department of Education (DOE)

National Association of School Psychologists

Holds “National Recognition” by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

Fast Facts

Quick Facts

Delivery Options

Offered on campus in Fort Lauderdale/Davie and online (with residential institutes).

Start Dates

Fort Lauderdale/Davie: classes start in Aug. Apply by Jan. 8 (early admission) or June 30 (regular admission).  Online: classes start in Aug. (fall)/Jan (winter). Apply by Jan. 8/June 30 (fall) or Nov. 15 (winter).

Tuition

Visit the Tuition and Fees page for more information.

Degree Completion

NSU's Psy.S. in School Psychology program is structured as both an online and on campus four-year curriculum for working professionals: minimum of 79 total credits to complete, including one-year internship. (Also available: three-year program for non-working, full-time students.)

Which School Psychology Degree is Right for Me – Psy.S. or Psy.D.?


If your goal is to work directly with children in K-12 schools, the Psy.S. degree enables you to graduate sooner, at less cost. If you seek teaching, researching or senior-level roles, you’ll likely need to earn your doctorate.

Psy.S. in School Psychology

National standard for entry into this specialized field

About three or four years of study + full-time, one-year internship 

Graduate sooner, enter field faster:

  • Qualifies you to pursue comprehensive practice and career advancement primarily in schools or related settings
  • May qualify for private or independent practice (varies by state)

Psy.D. in School Psychology

Highest level of education in this specialized field

About five to six years of study + full-time, one-year internship

Qualify for broader or higher-level career roles:

  • Comprehensive practice and career advancement in schools, private/independent practice, hospitals 
  • University teaching 
  • Research 
  • Possibly greater eligibility for other credentials

Meet Our National School Psychology Experts

Peter Caproni, Ph.D.

Dr. Caproni’s focus is school safety (particularly needs of diverse students and students identifying as LGBT), post-traumatic growth, public policy advocacy, mindfulness, collaborative/therapeutic assessment and psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Ralph Cash, Ph.D., ABPP

Dr. Cash 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.

Dr. Iryna Kasi is a licensed psychologist in Florida and Arkansas. Moreover, she is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) and holds a diplomate in school neuropsychology from American Board of School Neuropsychology. 

Nicole Jimenez, Psy.D.

Dr. Jimenez is a licensed psychologist and serves as Assistant Director of the School-related Psychological Assessments and Clinical Interventions (SPACI) clinic housed within NSU's Psychology Services Center.

Scott Poland, Ed.D.

Dr. Poland’s core interests include school safety, youth suicide, self-injury, bullying, school crisis prevention/intervention, threat assessment and parenting in challenging times.

Nurit Sheinberg, Ed.D.

Dr. Sheinberg's research and professional interests focus on 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

Dr. Valley-Gray’s passion is 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.

Dr. Waguespack 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.

Shannon Worton, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist and Director of the School-related Psychological Assessments and Clinical Interventions (SPACI) clinic housed within NSU’s Psychology Services Center.

Unique Clinical and Internship Experiences

You’ll turn theory into satisfying practice through your assessment, consultation, and intervention at the Mailman Segal Center (MSC) for Human Development and the University School of NSU (U School), both part of NSU.

You’ll also broaden your clinical practice perspective at the school-related Psychological Assessments and Clinical Interventions (SPACI) Clinic, housed within the NSU Psychology Services Center.

Why Choose NSU?

  • Smaller classes
  • Fully accredited and DOE-approved
  • Empirically based curriculum
  • Nationally renowned faculty
  • Convenient weekend/evening classes

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Download Resources

Handbook

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Field-Based Training Experiences Handbook

Student Catalog

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