Rune Simeonsson
Professor of School Psychology and Early Childhood Education
Simeonsson and his European counterpart are directing a training project on early childhood intervention involving five European and three U.S. universities, contributing to the exchange of students and instruction as well as collaborative projects and scholarship on relevant universal issues.
School Psychology, Ph.D.
Program Description
Overview
The UNC School Psychology program mission is to prepare psychologists for the schools and institutions serving children and youth of North Carolina and the nation, as well as internationally, to prepare researchers to address significant psychological and educational issues, and to prepare individuals for academic positions. This mission is consistent with that of the University of North Carolina. The program is based on the scientist practitioner training model with a strong problem-solving focus. In our curriculum, we strive to integrate theoretical foundations, scientific knowledge, and the practice of school psychology, preparing students in the areas of assessment, intervention, consultation, research, evaluation and professional issues.
The program is committed to the beliefs that professional psychologists should adhere to high professional and ethical standards, demonstrate outstanding sensitivity and skill in responding to issues of diversity and culture, and perform their professional activities with exceptional competence.
The School Psychology doctoral program has been preparing individuals at the doctoral level for almost 40 years and has contributed to the development of the field at both the state and national level. The program is guided by the following goals:
Goal 1: To prepare students who demonstrate knowledge and skills in the science and practice of school psychology using a problem solving model in assessment, intervention, consultation, and evaluation activities, and competence in working with diverse populations in multiple environments to promote positive development.
Goal 2: To prepare students who demonstrate knowledge and skills in a systems approach to professional practice and research, with an emphasis on prevention procedures for children and youth.
Goal 3: To prepare students who demonstrate knowledge and skills in the application of professional and ethical standards, best practices, and legal and legislative mandates.
Goal 4: To prepare students who demonstrate professional dispositions including respect for others, integrity, responsibility, initiative, and reliability, and strong written and oral communication skills essential to establish collaborative professional relationships and provide effective psychological services.
These goals all have corresponding objectives. Our doctoral program of studies provides information on required courses that address the goals and objectives.
The doctoral program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) (Committee on Accreditation; 750 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20002; (202) 336-5979; www.apa.org), approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), and approved by North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
The doctoral program typically involves five or six years of study during which time students participate in a variety of activities designed to prepare them as scientist-practitioners. Academic course work is usually completed within the first three years. Concurrent field-based practicum experiences are coordinated with course work across the first three years of academic study; these experiences are planned so that the student acquires increasingly more complex skills within school, clinical, and community settings. All doctoral students are expected to become involved in research with members of the faculty early in their graduate career and to continue this involvement throughout their program. During the fourth year, doctoral students complete an additional advanced externship, present their dissertation proposal, and conduct their dissertation research. The yearlong doctoral internship requirement consists of a full-time, 1500-hour internship approved by the program.
Admissions
Admissions Data
We take into consideration several factors in making admission decisions, including GRE scores, undergraduate and graduate grades, letters of recommendation, research experience, pertinent experiences with children and youth, and how the applicant’s professional goals match with the program. The Graduate School at UNC recommends that applicants have a combined GRE total score of 1000 and a GPA of 3.0. In our doctoral program, statistics on admissions for the past two years shows that the average GRE total score is above 1200 and the average undergraduate GPA is 3.6.
Admissions Procedure
Decisions on admissions to the doctoral program are made during January and February preceding the fall enrollment. Once the initial review of applicants takes place, individuals are invited for on-campus interviews. The program receives between 50 and 70 applications a year for the doctoral program and asks approximately 15 students to interview. We seek an enrollment of between 4 and 6 doctoral students. Interviews are held on one of two Fridays in mid to late February. Students are informed of their admission status within two weeks of the interviews.
Years to Doctoral Graduation
The following table provides information on the number of years from initial enrollment to graduation, for students graduating in the designated year. Most students graduate in five to six years.
| Years to Completion | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation Year | 5 | 6 | 7 or More |
| 2008 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2007 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| 2006 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 2005 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 2004 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2003 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 2002 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
Internship data
The following table provides results from internship applications for the past seven years.
| Based on students applying for internships for the last seven academic years: | 08- 09 |
07- 08 |
06- 07 |
05- 06 |
04- 05 |
03- 04 |
02- 03 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of Students Who Applied for Internship | 4 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| # Who Received Funded Internships | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| # Who Received Unfunded Internships | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| # Who received APA or CPA-Accredited Internships | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| # Who received APPIC member Internships | 2 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 4 |
| # Who received Internships matching CDSPP guidelines | 3 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| # Who obtained 2-year half-time internships | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
UNC School Psychology Program Attrition Data
The following table shows information on students by cohort who have graduated, are currently enrolled, or who have left the program. (Of the 5 students who have left the program the past 7 years, 2 left because their family moved out of state and 3 transferred to the master’s program.)
| Year of Enrollment | # Enrolled | # Graduated with Doctorate (as of 2008) | # Still Currently Enrolled (as of 2008) | # No longer enrolled (as of 9/2008) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 2 Attrition 25% |
| 2006 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 2 Attrition 25% |
| 2005 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 Attrition 0% |
| 2004 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 Attrition 0% |
| 2003 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 Attrition 25% |
| 2002 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 Attrition 0% |
| 2001 | 6
|
5 | 1 | 0 Attrition 0% |
Licensure Status (March 2009)
A requirement of doctoral degree programs approved by the APA is to report the number and percentage of program graduates over the past seven years who have obtained licensure as psychologists. Of the 35 doctoral students who graduated from the program between 2002 and 2009, 27 (77%) have obtained licensure as psychologists and 3 (9%) are in the process of obtaining licensure. Some graduates are employed in settings not requiring licensure and recent graduates are often in the process of completing supervised training.
Program Contact
General program inquires:
Kellie Belton, Program Assistant
belton@email.unc.edu, (919) 966-5266
Application questions:
ed@unc.edu,
(919) 966-1346
Contact the program coordinator:
Barbara H. Wasik, Ph.D., Program Coordinator
wasik@unc.edu,
(919) 962-9197