A cognate--an area of specialization or concentration in a degree program--offers students the opportunity to develop expertise in an area relevant to future professional practice and may prove useful in helping to define career objectives.

Cognates may be chosen from a number of areas, but competencies should be considered in fields closely related to school psychology. The Department of Educational Psychology has a number of strong cognates that include neuropsychology, developmental psychology, and research methodology and statistics. Other popular cognates include counseling psychology, clinical psychology, social psychology, sociology, and special education.