Information About Programs and the Application Process

When an individual is in the process of applying to the School Psychology Doctoral Program, the contact person in the program is typically the Director of the School Psychology Program or the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). The Director of the School Psychology Program can provide specific information about the program of study. However, questions about the application process, deadlines, forms, etc., should be directed to the DGS. Among the responsibilities of the DGS is the coordination of application materials from prospective graduate students. The DGS will ensure that applicants are kept informed about the status of their application for admission. The contact person for the DGS in Educational and Counseling Psychology can be reached at (859) 257-7881.

IV.MINORITY STUDENTS

Students from minority and ethnically diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply to the UK School Psychology Program. Special support for minority students is available from The Graduate School and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Minority Affairs. Specifically, The Graduate School offers non-service minority fellowships, which provide funds for partial tuition payments and stipends. The College of Education often sponsors conferences focused on minority issues, e.g., the African American parent and community involvement conference. The school psychology program, indeed, benefits from diversity in the racial and ethnic composition of its students, and special efforts are made annually to recruit students from ethnic and racial minority groups.

V.PLANNING YOUR PROGRAM

Program planning for the Ph.D. degree in school psychology is done with two objectives in mind. First, the student must complete the requirements for certification in school psychology required by the Kentucky Department of Education. Second, the student must prepare to meet the requirements for licensure as a psychologist. The plan of study has been organized around five core areas (detailed later in this handbook and in Appendix E). Each student plans his or her own program of study with a major professor and committee of faculty members within the guidelines established by the program.

Advising

Major Professor

Once the applicant is admitted to the school psychology program, a program faculty member serves as the major professor to that student. This decision is based primarily on mutual professional and research interests and the availability of the faculty member. For those students who have not yet chosen a major professor, the program director or an assigned faculty advisor may serve in that capacity for the first semester following the student’s admission. All students are expected to select or have assigned a major professor by the beginning of the second semester of the first year of doctoral study. The major professor, who must be a full member of the Graduate Faculty (or associate member of the Graduate Faculty in the case of a non-tenured professor in a co-chairperson situation), assists the student in planning course selections and in selecting members of the student’s advisory committee. The major professor serves as a professional and research mentor for the student and encourages the student toward a timely and meaningful completion of the program.