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The Discipline

School Psychology is an area of specialization concerned with increasing the effectiveness of schools in improving the intellectual, social, and emotional development of school age children.  Licensed Specialists in School Psychology are responsible for determining the reasons why students do not respond to instruction and for recommending ways to help students learn.  In addition to this assessment role, they provide individual and group counseling for students who are experiencing emotional problems that interfere with academic performance and social adjustment.  Licensed Specialists in School Psychology may serve as consultants to educators concerning children and adolescents who have learning, developmental, and/or emotional problems.  They also conduct in-service training for teachers and design research studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum.

Trinity University is an independent coeducational university in the tradition of the liberal arts and sciences.  The University recruits, develops, and retains outstanding faculty members dedicated to teaching, scholarship, and creative endeavor, and to service to the school and its community.  It identifies and attracts talented and highly motivated students to its predominantly full-time, residential student body.  Furthermore, Trinity provides a supportive and challenging experience wherein students, faculty, and staff can realize the full potential of their abilities and exercise their responsibilities to society.

The School Psychology Program is located within the Department of Education at Trinity University.  This is a graduate level department which offers Master's degrees in teaching (M.A.T.), school administration (M.Ed.), and school psychology (M.A.).  The Department of Education offices are located in the George Storch Memorial Building on the west side of the Trinity campus on a hillside overlooking San Antonio.  Classes are generally held in this building, although practica and assigned projects may be throughout the San Antonio community.

Students in the School Psychology Program enroll in a 60-semester hour program through the Department of Education.  The Master of Arts in School Psychology is awarded after completing 54 semester hours in two years of full-time attendance.  The third year, a 6-semester hour internship is required as part of the Licensed Specialist in School Psychology program.

The curriculum includes courses on assessment, human development, counseling, behavior management, consultation, research and statistics, and educational administration.  Students also enroll in a practicum during the second year.  The third year is a full-time internship in a school setting.

The third year 1200-hour internship is a paid position within a school district.  The internship is either arranged through Trinity or through direct application by the student at a school district.  An intern coordinator visits the site at least twice during the year and students are expected to attend regularly scheduled seminars at Trinity throughout the year if placement is within the San Antonio area.

The graduate program in School Psychology at Trinity University offers a limited number of assistantships for eligible students. These graduate assistantships are available in career related areas in schools and agencies in the community. The amount of aid and shared requirements are as follows:

During the internship year, students apply to take the examination in school psychology offered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), and an examination of jurisprudence offered by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists. After performing at an acceptable level on these tests and completing a successful year of supervised practice, the individual is eligible for licensure as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology. This is the required license for the practice of psychology in the schools in the state of Texas. After receiving the master's degree in school psychology, the graduate may also apply to take the examination offered by the Texas State Board of Psychologists  for licensure as a Licensed Psychological Associate, which also includes the jurisprudence examination. Upon passing these tests, the individual may apply for licensure as a Licensed Psychological Associate.

The opportunities for employment as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology are very positive at the present time.  Graduates of the Trinity program have usually obtained employment in a school setting immediately upon completion of their internship.  Often this employment has been in their internship district.  Individuals interested in locating in another state should consult the regulations for that region.  The National Certification for School Psychologists evaluation is offered throughout the nation.  Trinity's program is certified by the National Association of School Psychologists, which is a national accrediting organization, so reciprocity is not usually a problem.

To be eligible for admission to the School Psychology Program, students must have earned a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.  An undergraduate major of psychology or education is preferred.  The applicant should submit the following to the Department of Education at Trinity:  

      ♦  Trinity application for admission to graduate school

      ♦  Official transcripts of all college work

      ♦  Graduate Record Examination scores

      ♦  Three letters of recommendation from previous college instructors or supervisors

If the applicant desires a graduate assistantship, an application for this position should also be completed.  Criteria for admission are:

      ♦  Grade Point Average of 3.0 for the last 60 semester hours taken

      ♦  A minimum composite score of 1000 (verbal and quantitative) on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

      ♦  An interview with the program director

The application deadline is February 1st of each calendar year. The Department of Education must receive all of the application materials listed above by the application deadline.

Terry Migliore

Ph.D., Texas Woman's University

Laura M. Allen

Ph.D., University of Arkansas

Angela Breidenstein 

Ed.D., Columbia University

Bruce M. Frazee

Ed.D., Memphis State University

Paul Kelleher

Ed.D., Columbia University, Teachers' College

Patricia J. Norman

Ph.D.., Michigan State University

Thomas J. Sergiovanni

Ed.D., University of Rochester

Karen A. Waldron

Ph.D., Syracuse University

Barry Dewlen

Ph.D., University of Missouri

Arthur Flores

Ph.D., Texas A&M University

Lynn M. Matherne

Ph.D., Texas A&M University

Pamla Palmer

Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin

Antoinette F. Riester

Ph.D., Texas A&M University

Leigh S. Scott

Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin

Serafin Sanchez

Ph.D., Texas A&M University

Elizabeth Stanczak

Ph.D., California School of Professional Psychology

Larry Weiss

Ph.D., Texas A&M University

Jianjun J. Zhu

Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin

Write, call, or e-mail Terry Migliore, Ph.D., Director of the School Psychology Program at:

Trinity University

Department of Education

One Trinity Place

San Antonio, Texas 78212-7200

(210) 999-7595

Terry.Migliore@Trinity.edu

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