Alverno College's School Psychology Program Receives Full Accreditation

Alverno College’s Educational Specialist in School Psychology program has received full accreditation from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) effective February 1, 2023 through February 1, 2028.

“We are thrilled that our program has received full accreditation,” said Jeffrey Molter, PhD, program director for Alverno’s School Psychology Educational Specialist program. “NASP accreditation recognizes the hard work of our faculty and staff to provide a quality school psychology training experience to our students. We are especially proud of the fact that NASP accreditors complimented our efforts to develop creative solutions to recruit a diverse study body.”

"We were also pleased that NASP recognized that our faculty and teaching staff have extensive experience or are currently practicing in the field,” said Jessica Willenbrink, PhD, assistant professor in Alverno's School Psychology Educational Specialist program. “Our students really appreciate that they are learning from people who do the job of a school psychologist every day."

Alverno’s Ed.S. program, open to women and men, includes two degrees in one – a 30-credit Master of Science in Educational Psychology, which counts toward the more advanced 60-credit Educational Specialist degree. After successful completion of the three-year program, graduates are eligible to become licensed Wisconsin school psychologists.

NASP accreditation streamlines the process for students to apply for a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential. This credential is achieving growing recognition among state school psychology licensing boards and allows for reciprocal certification in selected states outside of Wisconsin.

The Educational Specialist program aims to provide better-prepared mental health practitioners while addressing the specific needs of students in public and private schools throughout the state. Program graduates work in K-12 school settings to improve academic and behavioral outcomes and also work on prevention and intervention efforts.

Courses are offered on weekends both in person and online, offering students flexible options to complete their degree. For more information on Alverno’s school psychology program, please visit this link. To learn more about Alverno’s other behavioral science offerings at the master’s level, please visit this link.