Educational & School Psychology Graduate Programs & Schools in Illinois

Are you interested in educational psychology graduate programs, school psychology programs, or school counseling? Do you want to unite your passions for education and psychology to help schools and students succeed? Educational School Psychology Graduate Programs have a variety of applications within an educational setting, both working with student and institutions, and on a research level, helping to make sure students are able to learn and succeed.

Choosing Perfect Education and School Psychology Degrees

So you’re interested in educational psychology and school psychology, and want to pursue a related career. But how do you choose the perfect concentration area? Within Educational School Psychology Graduate Programs are three major concentration areas: educational psychology, school psychology, and school or guidance counseling. Each of these may share similarities, but serve unique functions within an educational community. Understanding the basic priorities and functions of each role may help you to choose a program perfect.

What are Educational Psychology Graduate Programs?

Educational psychology programs may be available with a variety of focus points. However, in general, educational psychologists may often be research based, either at the macro or institutional level, and may work to help apply research to increase the effectiveness of a school, district, or other educational community, Educational psychology is primarily concerned with the psychology of learning. If you are interested in pursuing a career performing psychological research related to education and learning, or applying that research in the field, earning an educational psychology degree may be the field for you.

What are School Psychology Graduate Programs?

School psychology graduate programs may have a variety focus areas reflecting their diverse areas of responsibilities within an educational institution. Like educational psychologists, school psychologists rely on psychological research and practices and help to ensure an effective learning environment. In the field, school psychologists may focus more on identifying and testing students for exceptional needs, learning disabilities and more. School psychologists also help to develop IEPs and behavioral plans, facilitate cooperation between faculty, guardians and students, and more. If you wish to identify and test students with extraordinary learning needs, and apply psychological research toward successful student learning, a school psychology master’s program or school psychology doctoral program may be perfect.

School Counseling Graduate Degrees

If you want to work individually with students on a day to day basis, a school counselor graduate program may be great for you. School counselors, like school psychologists, work directly with students within the school to foster a positive, productive learning environment. Unlike school psychologists, however, school and guidance counselors, instead of testing and identification, focus on counseling individual students in areas of social health, academic planning, career prep, interventions and more. This role may vary widely depending on the student population in question, but focuses on helping individual students be successful learners.

What School Psychology & Educational Psychology Graduate Degree Types Might You Pursue?

If you have decided on completing educational psychology graduate programs, school psychology graduate programs, or school counseling programs, you may be looking at the master’s, doctoral, or certificate level. But identifying the appropriate program level may not be all there is to it. Master’s and doctoral programs in educational psychology and school psychology programs may award a variety of degree types. Understanding the basics may help you to make your perfect Educational School Psychology Graduate Programs school decision.

Educational Psychology Master’s Programs & School Psychology Master’s Programs

Earning your educational psychology master’s degree or attending a school psychology master’s program may be an important step toward achieving your academic and career goals. But choosing between master’s degree types may be a challenge. Here is a basic run-down of the different degree program types that may be available:

• M.A. and M.S. degrees may be the most commonly awarded type of master’s degrees. The degree of difference between these programs may vary depending on the concentration area. For example, in many cases, for educational psychology, an M.A. may be more research-oriented and theoretical than an M.S. However, in school counseling, the degree of difference between programs may be negligible, and may hinge on details such as thesis requirements or institutional preferences.
• M.Ed. programs may be offered by schools of education, and as such, may be oriented toward professionals in the field of education or those with educational backgrounds, and may take an education perspective when approaching psychological concepts.
• Ed.S. and Psy.S. are specialty degrees, and may be offered separately or continuously with typical master’s programs. These programs may be seen as between master’s and doctoral level, and may offer the opportunity to study a particular concentration area within a given field (for example, urban populations or early childhood, within school psychology). Like the M.Ed., these programs may be offered by schools of education and psychology respectively, and as such, their approaches to the concepts may vary accordingly.

PhD in School & Educational Psychology Programs

PhD programs in educational psychology, school psychology, or school counseling may help to enhance your career or allow you to pursue a number of opportunities in your field. Whether you are interested in conducting high-level research, acting in a consultant role, or enhancing your practice of psychology, a doctorate program may be the perfect route for you to deepen your expertise. As with master’s programs, educational and school psychology PhD programs may be available in several formats:

• Ph.D. programs may be the most easily recognizable. While differences may vary between individual programs, many educational psychology Ph.D. programs may be academic and research oriented.
• Ed.D. programs, many times offered by schools of education, may be oriented toward the education professional or those with an academic background in the field of education.
• Psy.D. programs, similar to Ed.D. programs, many times may be offered by schools of psychology, and may be focused on the practitioner, taking a more clinical approach to the material.

Educational & School Psychology Graduate Certificate Programs

Educational and school psychology certificate programs may be a good fit for those looking for additional graduate-level study of a particular concentration area without enrolling in the full duration of a graduate degree program. While most often offered at the post-master’s level, these programs may also be available to those who hold bachelor’s degrees and/or relevant experience.

Which Educational Psychology Graduate Program Formats Might Work For You?

Once you have elected to pursue Educational School Psychology Graduate Programs, the next step may be to choose a program format that fits your life. Educational psychology graduate programs may be available in a number of different formats, making it possible for you to choose one with the perfect balance of flexibility and resources for you.

• On-campus educational psychology and school psychology graduate programs may be ideal for those who value the traditional campus experience. These programs may offer valuable social and networking opportunities, as well as facilities and resources such as libraries, technology labs, career and academic counseling, and more. Moreover, some of these programs may be incorporating some online courses into their traditional catalogs, increasing the potential for flexibility.
• Online educational psychology graduate programs and online school psychology graduate programs may be ideal for those who require flexibility as a primary consideration. Potentially available both synchronously and asynchronously, these programs may allow you to attend a live-streamed lecture, bringing the benefits of the traditional classroom into the online space, or allow you to complete course requirements on your own schedule, as fits into your life.
• Hybrid or low-residency graduate programs in educational and school psychology may be perfect for you if you need the flexibility of the online program, but wish to retain many of the benefits of the traditional program. These hybrid programs may combine online programs with traditional courses or brief campus residencies or courses at regular intervals.

Find Perfect Educational School Psychology Graduate Programs near Illinois Today!

If you’re ready to find your educational psychology graduate program, school psychology program, or school counseling graduate program, GradSchools.com is here to help. In order to curate graduate program results according to your preferences, simply select the appropriate concentration area, program type, or program format. Additionally, you may choose to filter by location by selecting your preferred country, state, or city. Don’t wait any longer. Find a perfect Educational School Psychology Graduate Program today! You may also be interested in an online school psychology graduate program.

GradSchools.com offers 12 Graduate Schools with Education & Educational Psychology Degrees in Illinois