Hold a currently valid Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) license. A candidate must submit a copy of the NCSP license.

Complete a New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE)-approved graduate program in school psychology.

Degree Requirement

Hold a master’s or higher degree from an accredited college or university.

Coursework Requirements

A minimum of 60 graduate semester-hour credits in the following areas:

1. Educational foundations/school psychology practice and development: A minimum of 12 semester hour credits to include areas such as the role and function of the school psychologist, multicultural education, educational organization and leadership, curriculum development and learning theories.
2. Education of students with disabilities: A minimum of six semester hour credits to include areas such as education and/or psychology of students with disabilities and educational assessment of students with disabilities.
3. Assessment, intervention and research: A minimum of 18 semester hour credits to include study in the required areas of cognitive assessment, personality assessment and school consultation. Additional study may be completed in areas such as applied behavior analysis, school interventions, curriculum-based measurement, multicultural counseling or individual counseling procedures, tests and measurements, statistics and research design and analysis.
4. Human behavioral development: A minimum of 12 semester hour credits to include study in areas such as human development, social psychology, personality psychology, neurological and/or physiological basis of behavior and psychopathology.
5. Elective study: Elective study may include additional graduate study in educational foundations/school psychology practice and development, education of students with disabilities, assessment, intervention and research, and human behavioral development. Externships and practicum experiences may be accepted for elective study toward the required 60 credit minimum.
6. A practicum of 300 clock hours that consists of a sequence of closely supervised on-campus and field-based activities designed to develop and evaluate a candidate’s mastery of distinct professional skills consistent with program and/or course goals. Credit for the practicum experience must be listed on the graduate transcript of an accredited college or university.
7. An externship of 1,200 clock hours. A minimum of 600 clock hours must be completed in a school setting with school-age children. The remaining 600 clock hours may be completed in a school or clinical setting or may be completed under an emergency certificate while concurrently participating in an approved college or university school psychology program. Externship experiences completed in a school setting must be supervised by a person holding a standard New Jersey or out-of-state school psychologist certificate. Credit for the externship must appear on an accredited college or university transcript.

To be eligible for the School Psychologist emergency certificate, a candidate must meet the following requirements:

Degree Requirement

Hold a bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited college or university.

Coursework Requirement

A minimum of 30 semester-hour graduate credits applicable towards the standard school psychologist certification in the areas listed below. The 30 graduate credits must include study and practicum experience in assessment (#3).

1. Educational foundations/school psychology practice and development: areas such as the role and function of the school psychologist, multicultural education, educational organization and leadership, curriculum development and learning theories.
2. Education of students with disabilities: areas such as education and/or psychology of students with disabilities and educational assessment of students with disabilities.
3. Assessment, intervention and research: areas such as cognitive assessment, personality assessment, school consultation, applied behavior analysis, school interventions, curriculum-based measurement, multicultural counseling or individual counseling procedures, tests and measurements, statistics and research design and analysis.
4. Human behavioral development: areas such as human development, social psychology, personality psychology, neurological and/or physiological basis of behavior and psychopathology.