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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2007
CONTACT:
Jette Englund
Office of University Relations
908-737-NEWS (6397)
E-mail: jenglund@kean.edu
Kean University Set to Offer Its First Doctoral Program
Psy.D. in school psychology approved
UNION, N.J. – Kean University reached a major milestone in its 152-year history on June 22, when the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education unanimously approved a petition to offer the Doctorate of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Professional Psychology: School Psychology. The program will prepare students to become professional psychologists with advanced knowledge and skills necessary to provide services to a diverse population of children, adolescents, parents, families and educators at sites such as schools, hospitals, guidance agencies and private-practice settings. The doctoral program received approval from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education earlier this year. Dr. Kristie Reilly, dean of the Nathan Weiss Graduate College, and the faculty of the Department of Psychology expect to enroll the first 12 doctoral students for the fall 2008 semester, with an expected increase to 60 by the Academic Year 2011-12.
According to the petition, the Psy.D. is a five-year, full-time program of 114 credits designed to meet the accreditation standards of the American Psychological Association, and is also structured to satisfy the educational requirements for licensure as psychologist in New Jersey. The curriculum, based on the practitioner/scholar model, integrates coursework and practica, culminating in a full-time internship in the fifth year. The Psy.D. builds on two specialist-level graduate programs already offered by Kean University, specifically the 66-credit professional diploma program in marriage and family therapy and the 66-credit professional diploma program in school psychology, the latter of which is nationally approved.
"With service to the community and professional practice as stated goals of the program, the Psy.D. will provide an excellent opportunity for Kean to bolster its time-honored tradition of effective community outreach," said Dr. Vinton Thompson, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, who spearheaded the initiative. "Kean's geographic proximity to diverse school districts and communities provides fertile ground for professionals seeking expert training in school and community settings by utilizing a systemic family-oriented approach. The school districts and neighboring communities also provide rich internship opportunities for prospective students. This will create a meaningful collaboration with communities, thus fulfilling one of Kean University's strategic goals and statewide objectives."
The substantial number of prospective students who expressed interest in pursuing such a degree at Kean supports the viability of the program. Needs surveys conducted in 2001 and 2005 indicate a desire for advanced training to prepare professionals for the ever-increasing special-education population as well as many challenges in schools and families. Additionally, the Psy.D. has become the degree of choice for training graduate students. In addition, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that total job openings in New Jersey for psychologists/clinical, counseling and school psychologists will increase by 64,000 and 63,000, respectively, by the year 2012.
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