Field Experience

Students enrolled in the PhD program complete six unique field experiences during the course of their graduate careers.

Year 1: Shadowing and Consultation

In the first semester of Year 1, students enroll in ESSPSY 8056: Roles and Function of School Psychologists. At the beginning of this course, you will be assigned to a school psychologist working in one of the school districts in the Central Ohio area, whom you will shadow for 1-2 hours per week over approximately 8 weeks. Over the course of this experience, you will observe the roles and functions of the school psychologist and may have the opportunity to perform minor duties.

During the second semester, students enroll in ESSPSY 8082: School Based Consultation: Implementing Behavioral Interventions. Part of this course involves working one-on-one with a classroom teacher in a local elementary school to implement an individual or classroom-wide intervention. In the consultant role, you will work with your teacher to identify a problem, develop an intervention plan, implement the intervention, and finally evaluate its effectiveness.

Year 2: Practicum

All students participate in a 400-hour practicum experience in their second year of the PhD program. This experience is completed in the Columbus City Schools and will take place over the entire academic year. You will be assigned, at minimum, to an elementary school and a middle or high school; however, depending on your supervisors’ building assignments, you may work at all three levels. Each week, you will spend approximately 15 hours engaged in practicum, 12 which are expected to be in the schools. The other (approximately) 3 hours will be spent designing interventions, writing treatment plans and psychological reports outside of school-based hours, and direct supervision. Additionally, you will participate in at least one hour of group supervision each week with your cohort and faculty supervisor.

Year 3: Advanced Practicum I

Advanced Practicum I is a 276-hour experience designed to help third-year doctoral students to advance their clinical skills; extend their work with urban populations; and develop leadership qualities that promote school-wide practices that influence academic, behavioral, and psychological variables. For Advanced Practicum I, you will provide school-wide mental health services to students in an inner city elementary school and will spend 8 hours per week completing practicum requirements. In special circumstances, there may be an opportunity to participate in additional practicum experiences outside of the designated urban school.

Year 4: Advanced Practicum II

Advanced Practicum II is a 216-hour experience designed to develop fourth-year doctoral students’ supervision skills. At the beginning of the year, you will be assigned to first- and second-year students whom you will supervise on various assignments related to foundational coursework throughout the year. You will also assist with teaching activities such as creating and facilitating class lectures and grading assignments. At the same time, you will continue to be engaged in clinical practice in the inner city school providing school-wide mental health services. You will be engaged in 4 hours of supervision and 4 hours of clinical practice each week.

Prior to internship, students are expected to have completed at least 892 hours of practicum experiences.

Year 5: Internship

The doctoral internship is a year-long, 1500-hour internship which follows doctoral coursework. Master’s- or specialist-level internships or prior work experience cannot be used towards a doctoral internship.