The Grand Valley State University department of psychology launched its first ever graduate program this semester. This new program will focus on school psychology. While there are a number of disciplines within psychology, there is currently a great need for psychologists working in the field of education.

“There are very few school psychology programs, so there is a shortage of school psychologists, both in the state and nationally,” said Amy Campbell, the director of the school psychology program. “This shortage is a problem as school psychologist is a critical position that is currently difficult to fill.”

By design, the program is not very large because the level of intensity and quality demands each student receives ample attention to become qualified for school psychology positions.

“Every year, the maximum number of students we would take in is 12,” Campbell said. “It is a small program, which is very typical of other psychology graduate programs.”

The program accepted 11 students this fall, who will have coursework both in the classroom and in the field working with school systems.

“They do a lot of field training,” Campbell said. “The first two years are classroom work and field work associated with that. The third year is a full time internship.”

Since the program is brand new, it is not currently known which schools will participate. However, it is up to the students to secure their own internships when the time comes.

To accommodate the new curriculum, there are currently four faculty members associated with the program.

“We will be hiring a new person this year as well,” Campbell said.

The program had been in development for between three and four years, according to Campbell. She said the department of psychology started with the requirements set by the National Association of School Psychologists, and from there tailored the curriculum to ensure students would be prepared to handle the challenges and demands of the career.

“We spent a lot of time thinking of the mission of the program, so when we planned the curriculum it really fell in line with the vision of the program,” Campbell said.

School psychologists work with teachers, administrators and other school faculty to assist in the education and mental health of students of all ages.

“They have to have strong academic skills, have to be able to collaborate, have to be able to think on their feet and problem solve pretty quickly,” Campbell said. “They use the science of psychology and apply it to education for students to be more successful.”

This can include setting up safe learning environments that are free from bullying. School psychologists also work with disabled or mentally handicapped students and collaborate to put procedures for improvement into place.

Psychology students interested in this field will have plenty of incentive to get involved as there are many opportunities available to them upon graduation.

“In order to have this position, they have to have this degree, so this certifies them to work in schools,” Campbell said.

While earning potential depends on district, the average salary for a school psychologist is $64,000 annually, with salaries usually starting between $40,000 to $50,000.

For more information on the psychology department’s graduate program go to www.gvsu.edu/grad/schoolpsy/.