School psychologists are driven by the need to better understand children and adolescents as to help them better succeed academically, socially, behaviorally and emotionally. School psychologists will often work collaboratively with parents, educators and similarly minded professionals to foster an atmosphere that is conducive to learning by creating an environment that is safe, healthy and supportive. School psychologists are expected to learn the fundamentals of psychology, child/adolescent psychopathology and development, education, family and parenting practices, learning and personality theories. They are trained to carry out psychological and psycho-educational assessment, counseling, and consultation, and in the ethical, legal and administrative codes of their profession.
A Masters in School Psychology can be obtained after completing a 3 to 4 year program pertaining to the specialized field. Most graduates of such a program are highly trained in both psychology and education and are expected to complete at least 60 graduate semester hours which includes a 9-month to a year-long supervised internship. This training emphasizes preparation in mental health and educational interventions, child development, learning, behavior, motivation, curriculum and instruction, assessment, consultation, collaboration, school law, and systems. School psychologists must be certified or licensed by the state in which they work, or can be nationally certified by the National School Psychology Certification Board (NSPCB) before working as school counselors and psychiatrists.