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Criminal Background Checks

School Services Personnel Certificate

(IL Type 73)

The school services personnel certificate is provided for individuals who are trained to provide specific services in the schools. The certificate is valid only for the service endorsed on the face of the certificate and may not be used for classroom teaching. 

NIU offers three programs leading to a Type 73 certificate.

School Counselor - The certification program for school counseling is provided by the Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education in the College of Education. Although counselors are no longer required to have a teaching certificate, the program is designed to assure that all candidates for the certificate meet specific standards related to working as a counselor in a school setting. The school counselor program typically takes two years and requires coursework in the core counseling curriculum, specialized work in school counseling, and 12 semester hours (600 clock hours) in a supervised practicum. In addition, the candidate must pass the school counselor content-area test.

School Psychologist - The school psychology program at NIU results in a master's degree in psychology and a Type 73 certificate endorsed for school psychology. The program is provided by the Department of Psychology and typically requires a total of three years, including the internship. The program involves

• A minimum of 60 hours of coursework,
• First year practicum (100 hours) and second year practicum (200 hours),
• A two-semester internship, and
• Completion of a portfolio containing performance- and knowledge-based evidence demonstrating that the candidate has met the program objectives.

Candidates for the certificate must pass the school psychologist content-area test.

Speech-Language Pathologist - The master's program in non-teaching speech-language pathology is provided by the Communicative Disorders Department in the College of Health and Human Services . The program is designed so that it can be completed in five semesters. Students engage in both classes and clinical practicum during each of the first four semesters; during the fifth semester, candidates participate in a full-time off-campus practicum. The practicum typically includes ten weeks in a school setting and ten weeks in a hospital/rehab setting. Passage of the speech-language pathologist content-area test is required prior to issuance of the certificate.

For additional information on these programs, contact the relevant program advisor.