Thomas Fagan, Ph.D.
Director of School Psychology

Welcome to the School Psychology Programs website. There are two programs in school psychology. The Master of Arts/Educational Specialist degrees program is designed for persons seeking non-doctoral preparation for practice as a school psychologist, primarily in public school settings. Students complete the MA degree of 36 semester hours and then enter the EdS degree level for an additional 30 semester hours including an internship. The MA/EdS program is jointly sponsored by the Department of Psychology and the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, and usually takes three years to complete. Graduates obtain a credential to practice as a school psychologist from the Tennessee State Department of Education or similar agency in other states. More than 120 program graduates now serve as school psychologists in the Mid-South Region and across the United States. The program is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists and formally accredited as part of the education unit at the University of Memphis by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.

The Master of Science/Doctor of Philosophy degrees program is designed to prepare students for various school psychology roles in public school and community settings and for academic careers. The program includes the content of the MA/EdS program, but has a stronger emphasis on statistics, research design, and includes advanced courses in assessment, intervention, and field experiences. Supervised teaching experiences are also provided for students seeking academic careers in school psychology. A pre-doctoral internship is required. The combined degree program requires at least 100 semester hours and is usually completed over a five-year or greater period. Graduates are employed in public and private schools, developmental disabilities and medical centers, and academic positions in AZ, GA, HI, IL, LA, NC, TN, and TX. Although designed to be consistent with the program guidelines of the National Association of School Psychologists and the American Psychological Association (APA), the program is not currently accredited by these organizations. However, the program is identified as a Designated Psychology Program according to the criteria of the National Register of Health Services Providers in Psychology and Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, and students are successful in obtaining APA-approved internships.

The Graduate Catalog also has important details about the program and admission requirements. More information about School Psychology faculty can be found by clicking the links below.

Thomas Fagan, Ph.D.
Randy Floyd, Ph.D.
Beth Meisinger, Ph.D