Contact: Maridith Geuder
Mississippi State's school psychology program continues to meet strict national standards required for professional accreditation.
The university's doctoral-level program recently was notified of its reaccredidation by the American Psychological Association for four years-the maximum period permitted. First earning the distinction in 1996, the MSU program is among only 50 of its kind in the nation holding the highest accreditation level.
School psychology emphasizes children, families and the schooling process, said program director Christopher Skinner of the counselor education/educational psychology department. Among areas subject to the APA's periodic review are a program's philosophies and curriculum, resources, diversity, intern-staff relations, and self-assessment, he added.
Skinner said MSU focuses on a scientist/practitioner model that provides its students with a background in assessment, consultation and intervention, and a psychoeducational core.
"Accreditation assures that our students meet standards that allow them to seek licensing," Skinner said. As a measure of the program's success, he observed that MSU students "consistently earn top internship opportunities."
Earlier this year, for example, doctoral student Mark E. Wildmon of Tupelo was one of five in the nation accepted for an internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, an affiliate of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The center provides assessment and treatment of children with biological and genetic disabilities.
In addition to Skinner, other faculty members in Mississippi State's school psychology program include Samuel D. Givhan, Carlen Hennington and T. Steuart Watson.