Educational Psychology
The Department of Educational Psychology, through academic programs and associated research centers and clinics, strives to enrich the community and extend its impact to the state and nation. Outstanding faculty mentor students to carry out high-quality research and training in areas including exceptionalities, learning and development, school psychology, and quantitative methods.
Areas of Study
Baylor’s ABA program prepares students to implement interventions to teach new skills and reduce problem behavior for people with disabilities including autism, Down Syndrome, and intellectual disability.
Educators trained in Gifted and Talented Education (GT) identify and serve exceptional students. Baylor offers programs at the undergraduate (supplemental GT certification) and graduate (master’s and PhD) levels.
With a shortage of professionals with quantitative skills, graduates have an advantage with Baylor’s PhD in quantitative methods, gaining strong and marketable expertise in quantitative research methods.
School psychology focuses on the science and practice of psychology with children and families, learners of all ages, and the schooling process. Baylor offers an EdS (60 hours) or PhD (110 hours).
Baylor’s special education program is guided by the belief that all children can learn if they are carefully taught. Baylor offers a BSEd leading to certification (early childhood – grade 12) and graduate degrees at master’s and PhD levels.
Departmental News
See More NewsMoody School of Education’s PhD in School Psychology program has earned full accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA), one of the most respected and rigorous markers of quality in professional psychology training.
The process requires extensive documentation, assessment systems, curriculum review, and evidence that students are developing the professional competencies needed to serve children, families, schools, and communities at the highest level. This milestone recognizes years of intentional program development and continuous improvement and signals to prospective students, employers, and the broader profession that Baylor graduates are exceptionally well prepared to deliver evidence-based psychological services and advance the field through research and leadership.
Three 2025 graduates of Baylor University’s Moody School of Education earned district-wide honors for excellence in their first year of teaching, highlighting the impact Baylor graduates are making in classrooms across Texas.
Olivia Focarile, BSEd ’24, MSEd ’25, an elementary education major, was named Waco ISD First-Year Elementary Teacher of the Year. Kaitlyn Genzer, BSEd ’25, an all-level special education major, received honors as Denison ISD's Rookie Teacher of the Year. And Elizabeth Richardson, BSEd ’25, an elementary education major with supplemental certification in gifted and talented education, received the Richardson ISD Red Apple New Teacher of the Year Award.
For educators weighing graduate study, program cost and scheduling flexibility are often the defining factors. A new collaboration between Baylor University’s Moody School of Education and Killeen Independent School District addresses both, delivering tailored scholarship support, flexible degree formats, and streamlined pathways to advanced certification for Killeen ISD’s 6,800-plus employees.
Dr. Eric Robinson, associate professor of educational psychology in Baylor’s Moody School of Education, received the 2026 NASP Presidential Award from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). The honor was presented at the organization’s annual convention earlier this year and recognizes professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the field and to advocacy for children.
At Baylor, Robinson has been the program director of the PhD and EdS programs in School Psychology, guiding both programs to national recognition from NASP and from the American Psychological Association (APA). In NASP, Robinson has held several significant leadership roles, serving on the NASP Program Accreditation Board for 16 years and as co-chair for 12 of those years.