Overview
PsyD and MAE Programs in Educational Psychology Prepare New Professionals to Make a Difference in Students' Lives
The Hufstedler School of Education (HSOE) at Alliant International University offers master's and doctoral degrees in educational psychology at the Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco campuses. The Master of Arts in Education (M.A.E.) in school psychology with a Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential program gives students the education, skills, and qualifications required by the state of California to be practicing school psychologists.
This program is for recent college graduates with bachelor's degrees, current teachers, school personnel, and professionals in other related fields. Typically, students complete course work in the first two years and the PPS internship in the third year. Upon completion of 43 semester units (including 450 practicum hours), candidates qualify for the degree.
Most students seeking the PPS credential in school psychology complete an additional 17 units (7 units of course work and practicum, plus 10 units of a 1,200-hour internship). Paid internships depend on the budgets and policies of individual school districts.
The 61-credit Advanced Standing Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) program is designed for those who already possess an M.A.E. in school psychology and a PPS credential. This program is for practicing school psychologists who are interested in conducting groundbreaking research, becoming faculty members, or being experts in the field. Graduates are prepared for leadership in a variety of institutions, including K-12 public schools as well as other private and public organizations.
Classes meet in the evenings and on weekends to accommodate working professionals. Students must complete coursework, a Psy.D. project, and additional research/applied work to qualify for the degree. In addition, during each semester students take a course in a special-interest area, such as adolescent stress, coping, and resilience; multicultural counseling; pediatric psychology; infant and preschool mental health, including assessment and intervention; child neuropsychology; and provision of services for children and adolescents in alternative placements.
A dedicated, diverse faculty helps students finish the advanced standing doctoral program in three years while working full-time.
Educational Psychologists Help People in Private Practice, Business and as School Psychologists, Counselors and Teachers
Students who earn master's and doctoral degrees in educational psychology have gone on to work in many significant positions in the U.S. and around the world. They work as therapists, teachers, researchers, and consultants, in business, law enforcement, and academia. Other graduates become intervention specialists, psychologists in private practice, school counselors, and mental health professionals in the armed services. One popular professional destination for these graduates is a position as a school psychologist, working on the front lines of the educational world.
While earning degrees, students work in a broad range of settings, helping to introduce themselves to the practitioner community as well-prepared professionals. By the time they earn their degrees, most students have developed an evolving network of professional affiliations that make them particularly attractive to employers. In addition, many educational psychologists become lecturers, instructors, and professors at undergraduate and graduate levels at public and private colleges and universities around the world.
Financial Aid Funding Ranges from Assistantship Stipends to Scholarships to Make Alliant Programs Affordable for All
Alliant offers qualified students financial aid options such as loans, grants, and scholarships funded by the federal government, state programs, various private sources, and Alliant itself. Most students interested in school-based financial aid pursue some form of college work-study, part-time job, or research/teaching assistant stipend. While there are a limited number of teaching and research assistantships available, a mix of funding opportunities can be combined in a number of different ways.
For qualified students, there are always ways that the tuition, books, and fee costs can be offset so that they can work toward a doctorate in an exciting, fulfilling field of study. Although most federal and state financial aid funds are only made available to United States citizens or permanent residents, international students can be assisted in a number of other ways. Aid packages come predominantly in the form of loans, and may include scholarships and funds derived from student employment. In fact, Alliant's wide-ranging programs offer work-study and employment that pay varying amounts, for on-campus positions (admissions, field placement), part-time jobs in the community, and teaching and research assistantships.
Four California Cities, All with Unique Options, Host Alliant University's Graduate Educational Psychology Programs
Every city that Alliant chooses for a campus or program location has a personality of its own, offering students a range of styles and environments from which to choose. The Hufstedler School of Education (HSOE) at Alliant offers master's and doctoral degrees in educational psychology at the San Francisco, Los Angeles, Irvine and San Diego campuses.
San Francisco is a truly international city, sitting atop seven hills overlooking the bay and exuding a unique charm. It is a creative, expressive, activist community, at the forefront of fashion, art, politics, and culture, mainstream and otherwise.
Los Angeles, of course, is the media center of the world, with film, television, radio, and publishing among its biggest industries. From the beaches and the coastal mountains to the Angeles National Forest, everything in the way of recreation and outdoor fun is available, pretty much year-round, from art and music to theme parks and surfing.
Irvine is an efficient, well-managed Orange County community that is home to research, education, and industry. With beach cities like Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach, the area offers water sports on the coast as well as an array of parks, recreational opportunities, cultural offerings - music, theater, and fine arts - and other ways to take a respite from the rigorous academic challenge of an Alliant education.
San Diego is the southernmost gem of the California coast, home to a number of universities with extensive libraries, and the doorway to Mexico. It is an academic hub that doubles as a top vacation destination, with a wealth of cultural, artistic, dining, and entertainment options.
