By: The Capella University Editorial Team with Irene Abrego Nicolet, PhD, NCSP, LSSP, Vice President and Dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Reading Time: 12 minutes
Job growth projections and salary figures are drawn from Lightcast data and reflect national trends. Actual outcomes vary based on factors such as experience, industry, location, skills and economic conditions, and are not representative of Capella University graduate results.
The path to becoming a school psychologist typically involves earning a bachelor’s degree, completing a master’s degree, earning a specialist or doctoral degree, finishing a supervised internship and passing the Praxis exam. This is the test used by most states and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) to demonstrate you have the knowledge required for entry-level practice. As you pursue this specialty, remember that requirements for licensure, certification and credentialing vary by state.
School psychologists work closely with children and their families, along with teachers and educational institutions to support learning and help students overcome academic and behavioral challenges. Building this career requires developing specialized expertise in areas such as child development, psychological assessment, intervention strategies and collaboration.
Explore what school psychologists do, the degree requirements you’ll need, and how graduate programs can help you prepare for the next steps of your professional journey.
School psychologists use their expertise to help young students succeed academically and thrive emotionally and socially. They work across K–12 education and collaborate with students, teachers, families, administrators and other health professionals to support children both in and outside of school.
A school psychologist’s day-to-day responsibilities can vary depending on their role and employment setting, but the work generally spans a few key areas.
Although school psychology is a relatively focused profession, there are different opportunities you can pursue within the field. Roles include becoming an area school psychologist, K–12 school psychologist, contract school psychologist. These are just a few examples of where this career can take you, and a degree can’t guarantee access to any specific role, salary or job title.
Regardless of the role you pursue, the work you do will likely require strong communication and problem-solving skills.
For example, a school psychologist might need problem-solving skills to analyze assessment results and identify patterns in a student’s behavior. However, it then takes great communication skills to be able to explain those findings to a teacher or parent using plain English to ensure the student can start to receive the support they need.
Although school psychologists and school counselors both support students, their responsibilities and educational pathways are very different.
School counselors normally focus on areas like academic planning, career development and social-emotional support. Training for this role involves a master’s degree, an internship and licensure.
School psychologists focus on targeted mental health. They work with students who have complex behavioral or emotional needs, which is why school psychologists need more specialized training in this area than counselors.
To become a school psychologist, you need to complete a specialist master’s degree. The internship requirements before licensure as a school psychologist are also generally longer.
According to the most recent Lightcast data, the national median salary for school psychologists is $95,992.
Keep in mind that your actual earnings may vary. Factors like your experience, employment setting and the state in which you practice will likely influence your salary. Likewise, different roles within the field of school psychology that will command different pay levels as well.
These steps are only meant to serve as a guide. Your exact requirements will depend on the state you’d like to practice in, so you should always conduct your own research before you kickstart your own professional journey.
A bachelor’s degree is the most common place to start if you want to meet the educational requirements to become a school psychologist. An undergraduate psychology degree helps you develop foundational knowledge across different psychological practices and theories. However, you can also pursue a bachelor’s degree in related fields such as education or child development.
Bachelor’s coursework in subjects like statistics and research methods helps you build the fundamental skills you need to pursue a graduate degree or learn to conduct original research further down the road. Meanwhile, a bachelor’s in psychology enables you to explore areas like human development, learning and behavior. These subjects are essential in preparing you to work with children and adolescents in the future.
You may also want to consider a bachelor’s degree that gives you multiple specialization options. For example, Capella’s Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology lets you specialize in either Applied Behavior Analysis or General Psychology. Both specializations help you build the research, analytical and communication skills it takes to pursue a master’s degree and complete the next step of your journey to becoming a school psychologist.
At this stage, it’s a good idea to start gaining practical experience. Volunteering at a local school or youth organization lets you apply what you’re learning and test whether working with kids is the right fit.
Next, you’ll need to complete a graduate-level psychology program. It’s at this point where you can start to specialize and pursue a degree that’s specific to school psychology.
For example, Capella University’s Master of Science (MS) in School Psychology explores how students navigate challenges in school, at home and throughout life. Programs like this are designed to give you a deeper understanding of the field’s theoretical underpinnings and evidence-based practices, teaching you how to conduct assessments and interventions and find ways to support students’ academic goals and mental health.
This program is built on the graduate preparation standards for school psychologists and consists of an integrated and sequential program of study that includes clinical training.
Keep in mind that a master’s degree alone is rarely enough to pursue licensure. Most states also require you to earn a specialist or doctoral degree.
Most school psychologists complete a specialist-level program, such as an Education Specialist (EdS) degree, a Specialist in Psychology (PsyS) or a Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS), rather than a full doctorate. These credentials sit between a master’s and a doctoral degree, but they’re generally enough to meet the requirements for state certification and licensure as a school psychologist.
Some professionals choose to pursue a full doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) instead, particularly if they want to work in clinical or private practice settings, take on research or teach at the university level. A doctorate can open up additional career paths, but isn’t required to become a licensed or certified school psychologist in most states, and it’s not the only route.
An EdS in School Psychology sits between the master’s and doctoral levels and is recognized for licensure in many states. It focuses on helping you apply data-driven assessments to create intervention plans that can aid learning, improve behavior and address mental health issues.
In addition to hands-on coursework, students benefit from supervised practicums and internship experiences. These opportunities give you the chance to apply your specialist skills in real K–12 settings. These are the final steps you’ll need to complete before you can start practicing in your state.
A school psychology internship includes supervised experience under the supervision of a credentialed school psychologist, which lets you apply the theories and practices you’ve learned by working with real kids in schools. For example, NASP programs require 1,200 hours of supervised experience.
You can work alongside school staff and take part in psychological assessments, student interventions and collaborative planning with family and other healthcare workers. This internship is a standard part of graduate-level training, and successful completion is generally required before you’re allowed to take the national licensure exam.
At Capella, these internship hours are divided across three academic quarters. After completing your internship, you’re ready to graduate and pursue licensure.
Before you can apply for licensure, most states in the U.S. require you to complete the Praxis School Psychologist exam. But not all states use the Praxis exam, so make sure you check the requirements where you live.
The Praxis test consists of 125 questions and takes 2 hours and 5 minutes to complete. If you’re successful, your test score can be submitted to your state’s department of education to be included as part of your licensure application.
Passing the Praxis exam also means you can apply for the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential. This is an optional national credential available through the National Association of School Psychologists, and can make it easier to practice in multiple states in the future. Just remember that national certification is separate from individual state licensure requirements.
Preparation for the Praxis exam is often integrated into doctoral study. For example, when combined with Capella’s MS in School Psychology, Capella’s EdS in School Psychology covers the core skills and knowledge to help you prepare for your licensure exam.
Your timeline to licensure as a school psychologist will vary depending on the academic degrees you pursue, state requirements and enrollment pathway.
Several factors shape how long this path takes: whether you study full-time or part-time, whether you pursue a specialist-level or doctoral program, and how quickly you complete your required internship hours and the Praxis exam. Because of that variation, there’s no single timeline that fits everyone, but you can reasonably expect several years of combined coursework and supervised experience before you’re eligible for state certification or licensure.
School psychology is a diverse field that combines different strands of psychology, research, education and relationship building. As a result, there’s no single personality type or set of interests that makes school psychology a good fit for you. Instead, the decision to pursue school psychology is usually a matter of the type of work you enjoy, the setting you want to work in and what kind of impact you want to have.
School psychology may be a pathway worth exploring if you:
Regardless of the role you pursue, the work you do will likely require strong communication and problem-solving skills.
For example, a school psychologist might need problem-solving skills to analyze assessment results and identify patterns in a student’s behavior. However, it then takes strong communication skills to explain those findings to a teacher or parent in plain English, ensuring the student can begin to receive the support they need.
How you like to work matters too. As a school psychologist, you’ll spend a lot of your time conducting assessments, analyzing information and developing interventions with other professionals.
However, if you’re more interested in providing individual therapy, conducting research or working with adults, you might be a better fit for a path like clinical or counseling psychology instead.
If you believe that school psychology is the right career pathway for you, it’s important that you choose a graduate and doctoral program that aligns with your interests, career goals and learning style. There are a number of key considerations you should factor into your decision.
At the end of the day, the right program for you will depend on your circumstances, career goals and lifestyle. That’s why it’s important you take the time to compare programs carefully and ask the questions that matter to you.
School psychology combines psychology, education, assessment and collaboration to help young people navigate academic, behavioral and social challenges. The pathway takes commitment, but each stage builds knowledge and practical skills that can support your professional goals.
Start by building a strong undergraduate foundation, then research graduate pathways carefully. Pay close attention to degree requirements, supervised experience, certification and the requirements of the state where you plan to practice.
If you’re ready to begin your psychology education, a bachelor’s degree in psychology can help you build the foundation for graduate-level study in the field. From there, a master’s degree in school psychology followed by a EdS in School Psychology can help you develop the assessment and intervention skills needed to pursue school psychologist licensure.
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