The National Association of School Psychologists has granted full accreditation to Youngstown State University’s graduate program in Educational Specialist in School Psychology.

To meet NASP’s accreditation standards, programs must be at least 3 years long and provide students with at least 60 graduate semester hours. Programs must also fulfill a variety of requirements, among which there is an emphasis on providing a diverse program, with faculty who are well-versed and hands-on in the process of teaching, supervising and improving the program. In addition, these programs must provide systematic and data-based coursework and supervised field experiences to ensure candidates have the knowledge and skills needed to be effective school psychologists.

Students with master’s degrees from NASP accredited institutions can obtain licensure and practice in most of the U.S. Carrie Jackson, program director and associate professor, said NASP guides school psychologists on a national level.

“The NASP accreditation is an indication of excellence. It assures that our students are thoroughly trained in all aspects of practice, from typical assessment to consultation and ethics,” Jackson said.

Jackson said the accreditation board was impressed by the program’s emphasis on research, its partnership with The Rich Center for Autism and its specialized classes, such as Principles of Neuropsychology.

In the past two years, both the Counseling and School Psychology programs within the department of Psychology Sciences and Counseling in the Beeghly College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences & Education have received full accreditation.