WMU set to cultivate next generation of school psychologists with landmark grant
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—A $650,000 grant to Western Michigan University from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) will launch a new school psychologist training program. Projected to start in fall 2027, WMU will offer a 60-credit hour educational specialist (EdS) degree to address practitioner shortages and to support student mental health in the state.
The program will be based in Western's College of Education and Human Development, which for decades has trained education professionals to meet the needs of students in Michigan. Leveraging existing resources at the University, the EdS will draw from programs in clinical and counseling psychology, behavior analysis, special education, evaluation, research and measurement (EMR) and K-12 administration.
"The goal in developing this EdS program is to prepare practitioners so they can make an impact in their schools and communities across the state," says Dr. Kristal Ehrhardt, senior associate dean of the College of Education and Human Development and project director. "Once approved, the college is expecting to graduate 15-16 new students annually, and in doing so, increase the number of school psychologists completing degrees by approximately 35-50% per year in Michigan."
According to Ehrhardt, the program is being designed with a hybrid-flexible (HyFlex) approach, meaning students can either attend courses in-person or access them concurrently through synchronous online learning.
"This approach doesn't just cut costs for students; it empowers them to train in communities where they have deep roots. In Michigan, we have had shortages of school psychologists for many years. Preparing professionals from rural and urban districts, where shortages have been especially challenging, will help us to build capacity throughout the state” explains Ehrhardt.
In addition to supporting a new school psychologist program at Western, LEO will also be expanding the existing program at Andrews University with a $350,000 grant. Both award indicate the importance and need for school psychologists in Michigan.
“Investing in training for school psychologists is important not only for supporting the mental health and well-being of our students, but also for strengthening the pipeline of professionals in a field that is critical to both education and community health,” said Susan Corbin, LEO director, in a press release. “LEO is committed to supporting the needs of our workforce across the state, and we’re investing in a healthier Michigan through this funding."
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